Abstract
AbstractIn Asia, Monascus has been used in food fermentation for nearly a thousand years. It has attracted increasing attention in recent years due to its ability to produce a variety of important active substances such as monacolin K (MK) and pigments. MK is an effective drug widely used for lowering human blood cholesterol that functions by inhibiting the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. Monascus strains, fermentation methods and fermentation conditions have significant effects on MK yield, and much research has been undertaken to obtain higher MK yields. In this paper, the research progress of Monascus strain breeding for high MK yield, medium optimization for MK production during Monascus fermentation, and optimization of fermentation process conditions are fully reviewed. This provides reference for future research on Monascus fermentation and industrial production for high-yield MK production.
Highlights
Monascus is a small filamentous saprophytic fungus and can be grown by inoculation into rice for fermentation, converting the rice to ‘red yeast rice’
The results showed that monacolin K (MK) yield from fermentation with combined carbon sources was significantly greater than for a single carbon source
MK is a secondary metabolite produced by filamentous fungus Monascus, which can significantly lower cholesterol levels in the human body
Summary
Monascus is a small filamentous saprophytic fungus and can be grown by inoculation into rice for fermentation, converting the rice to ‘red yeast rice’. The study found at least 14 substances with hypolipidemic function in red yeast rice, including MK, monacolin J, monacolin L, monacolin M, monacolin X and their acidic structures, dehydroMK, dihydromonacolin L and compactin [4]. Common fermentation modes for Monascus to produce MK include solid state fermentation (SSF) and submerged fermentation (SmF). In fermentation optimization studies for MK production by Monascus, most research has focused on SSF methods because they offer has many advantages compared to SmF methods. Scholars have previously reviewed the research progress in lovastatin production by Aspergillus terreus fermentation [10]. We comprehensively review the research progress in MK production using Monascus fermentation processes, from the breeding of high-yield MK strains to the optimization of fermentation medium and fermentation conditions, including SSF and SmF methods
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