IDENTIFICATION, MASS PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF PIGMENT IN FOOD INDUSTRY ISOLATED FROM MONASCUS SP

The fungi Monascus was isolated from pomegranate. The morphological characteristics of Monascus were identified using Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and Sabouraud Dextrose Broth. Microscopic view showed the presence of conidia. Soxhlet extraction was done to obtain the pigment from the sample. After several hours of extraction, the pure pigment was collected. The red pigment was observed after many cycles of extraction, the solvent was evaporated and the pigment was collected separately. UV spectroscopy was adjusted to 450 nm, the value obtained in the UV Spectroscopy for sample 1 was 0.654 and for the sample 2 was 0.666 where, the value of sample 2 was higher than sample 1. The maximum growth of the fungi and pigment production was seen in flask 2 and flask 3 where the pH maintained at6, room temperature at 37?C. The additional amount of rice bran which was used as a carbon source assisted in the high rate of pigment production in SSF. The pigment Monascorubin and Monascin was found to be present in the sample .The Rf values obtained were 0.72 corresponds to orange pigment, 0.818 indicates the presence of yellow pigment and the value 0.25 showed the presence of red coloured compound. On application of the isolated pigment to raw cheese as preservative, it was observed even after 5 days of addition, there was no rotting of the cheese. Hence the pigment acted as a good source of natural preservative.