• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.543-546
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• 2005

Optimized conditions for protoplast preparation and regeneration from young hyphae of Monascus ruber were established. Heat shock treatment of spores gave rapid and synchronized germination. Spores collected from cultures grown for 7-8 days at $30^{\circ}C$ were germinated until over 70% germ tubes reached to 3-5 spore length. Enzymatic digestion of young hyphae was optimal with 50 mg/mL Glucanex in 0.1 M sodium citrate buffer containing 0.8 M mannitol as an osmotic stabilizer. Regeneration rate was around 10% when 0.8 M sorbitol was used as an osmotic stabilizer in regeneration medium. These conditions will be applied in genetic study of M. ruber that produces citrinin at high level and thus is good model strain for molecular genetic dissection of citrinin biosynthesis.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.256-261
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• 2006

Soybeans were fermented with Monascus sp. to select strain with highest mevinolin production through solidstate fermentation. Monascus pilosus IFO 480 showed highest yield of 2.2 mg mevinolin per g dry weight without citrinin, toxic fungal secondary metabolite, as byproduct. Nutrient broth used for soybean fermentation with Monascus sp. was composed of 3.4 rice powder, 1.1 peptone, 2.6 glycine, 12.9 glucose, initial pH 6.0 (%, w/v). Mevinolin was present in fermentation substrate largely as hydroxy carboxylate form (open lactone, 91.8-96.8%), which is used as hypocholesterolemic agent. Production of mevinolin continued up to 50 days fermentation time at $30^{\circ}C$.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.814-816
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• 2006

Monacolin K (MK) was produced on soybean using Monascus ruber GM011 by a two-stage-fermentation process. The optimal temperature was identified as $28^{\circ}C$. Higher yield was obtained by multiple-level-temperature cultivation than by single-level-temperature cultivation. The highest yield of total MK, 4.810 mg/g dry soybean product, was attained after 30 days of solid-state fermentation. No citrinin could be detected in the fermented soybean.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.647-649
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• 2006

Mevinolin, a fungal metabolite, is a potent inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-methyl-3-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate-controlling enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. In this investigation, the optimum factors for mevinolin production by Monascus pilosus IFO 480 in soymeal fermentation were studied. The highest yield of mevinolin, 2.82 mg mevinolin per g dry weight, without citrinin (a toxic fungal secondary metabolite) was obtained after 21 days of fermentation at $30^{\circ}C$ at 65% moisture content, particle size 0.6-0.9 mm, and initial substrate pH of 6.0. Mevinolin was present in the fermentation substrate predominantly in the hydroxycarboxylate form (open lactone, 92.1-97.3%), which is currently being used as a hypocholesterolemic agent.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources Conference
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• 1998.05a
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• pp.163-163
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• 1998

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2013

To reproduce the brewing process of Hongkuk-ju and to identify the functional properties of it, Hongkuk-ju was brewed using different additions of Hongkuk (100%, 90%, 70%, 50%) and Nuruk (0%, 10%, 30%, 50%). The quality elements, including pH, total acidity, reducing sugar content, alcohol content and pigments (yellow, red, monacolin K and citrinin), were measured. The pH values of Hongkuk-ju showed a slight difference (pH 4.08~4.58) right after the $1^{st}$ stage mash; further, the pH on all groups (H1, H2, H3 and H4) in the terminal of the $2^{nd}$ stage mash (9 days in fermentation) were similar, ranging approximately at pH 3.70. The total acidity change did not show a difference directly the $1^{st}$ stage mash (nearby 0.2 %); however, it began to show a slight difference at the terminal of the $2^{nd}$ stage mash between the range of 0.69~0.76%. The residual reducing sugar of the content was decreased with the increased Nuruk content. The alcohol concentrations of the treatment brew with Nuruk ranging from 12.3% to 13.7% were higher than Hongkuk on its own. The yellow and red pigment contents of Hongkuk-ju ranged from 7.2~8.8 O.D. units (yellow pigment) and from 4.4~5.1 O.D. units (red pigment). The production of monacolin K and citrinin was the highest (9.48 mg/kg and 10.14 mg/kg) when the treatment solely brewed Hongkuk. The concentration of Nuruk and the preparation of the seed mash from it were critical factors compared to the treatment of rice in brewing Hongkuk-ju.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.1186-1193
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• 2015

This study was performed to investigate the changes in monacolin K content and antioxidant activities of Monascus-fermented brown rice with different germination temperatures and periods. Brown rice was germinated at 32, 35 and $37^{\circ}C$ for 1~4 days, after white rice (WB), brown rice (BR), and germinated brown rice (GBR) were fermented with M. pilosus 305-9 at $30^{\circ}C$ for 20 days. The redness, yellowness and Monascus pigments increased after germination. Total monacolin K content increased from 215.85 mg/kg of BR to 1,263.04 mg/kg of GBR ($32^{\circ}C$/1 day), whereas monacolin K content decreased with increase in germination period. Citrinin was not detected in any of the samples. Total polyphenol (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC) increased with increase in germination temperature and period, whereas electron donating ability (EDA) and total antioxidant activities (TAA) decreased due to reduction of Monascus pigment content. The TPC and TFC showed the highest values (13.80 mg/g and 1.30 mg/g, respectively) in GBR ($37^{\circ}C$/4 day), whereas EDA and TAA showed the highest values (22.16 mg Trolox equivalent/g and 62.27 mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g, respectively) in GBR ($32^{\circ}C$/1 day). These results indicated that the optimal germination temperature and period for increasing monacolin K content and antioxidant activities was found to be at $32^{\circ}C$ for 1 day. In addition, it was found that M. pilosus 305-9 was a useful strain for increasing monacolin K content without producing citrinin in functional foods and pharmaceutical industrial regions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.2119-2128
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• 2017

Citrinin (CIT) is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by fungi belonging to the Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Monascus spp. This toxin has been detected in many agricultural products. In this study, a strain Y3 with the ability to eliminate CIT was screened and identified as Cryptococcus podzolicus, based on the sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region. Neither uptake of CIT by cells nor adsorption by cell wall was involved in CIT elimination by Cryptococcus podzolicus Y3. The extracellular metabolites of Cryptococcus podzolicus Y3 stimulated by CIT or not showed no degradation for CIT. It indicated that CIT elimination was attributed to the degradation of intracellular enzyme(s). The degradation of CIT by C. podzolicus Y3 was dependent on the type of media, yeast concentration, temperature, pH, and initial concentration of CIT. Most of the CIT was degraded by C. podzolicus Y3 in NYDB medium at 42 h but not in PDB medium. The degradation rate of CIT was the highest (94%) when the concentration of C. podzolicus Y3 was $1{\times}10^8cells/ml$. The quantity of CIT degradation was highest at $28^{\circ}C$, and there was no degradation observed at 3$5^{\circ}C$. The study also showed that acidic condition (pH 4.0) was the most favorable for CIT degradation by C. podzolicus Y3. The degradation rate of CIT increased to 98% as the concentration of CIT was increased to $20{\mu}g/ml$. The toxicity of CIT degradation product(s) toward HEK293 was much lower than that of CIT.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.700-704
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• 1998

A total of 26 and 55 isolates of fungi were isolated from corn and wheat samples collected from different markets in Korea, respectively. The number of Penicillium isolates from corn and wheat was 9 and 33, respectively. The Penicillium species isolated from corn were P. chrysogenum (3 isolates) and P. oxalicum (6 isolates), and from wheat were P. aurantiogriseum (16 isolates), P. citrinum (1 isolate), P. commun (4 isolates), P. griseofulvum (1 isolate), P. verrucosum (7 isolates), and P. viridicatum (4 isolates). Production of major mycotoxins in the yeast extract sucrose medium cultures of Penicillium isolates was analysed. Penicillium cultures were extracted with chloroform and purified by thin-layer chromatograhy (TLC), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Among 9 isolates of Penicillium from corn, 2 isolates of P. chrysogenum produced patulin, 1 isolate of the fungus produced patulin and citrinin, 2 isolates of P. oxalicum produced penicillic acid, 4 isolates produced pencillic acid and griseofulvin. Of the 33 isolates of Penicillium from wheat, 6 isolates of P. aurantiogriseum produced patulin, 8 isolates produced penicillic acid, 1 isolate produced patulin and penicillic acid, 1 isolate of P. citrinum produced citrinin and patulin, 2 isolates of P. commun produced brefeldin A and patulin, 1 isolate of P. griseofulvum produced brefeldin A, griseofulvin and patulin. Five isolates of P. verrucosum produced patulin, 1 isolate of the fungus produced penicillic acid, and 3 isolates of P. viridicatium produced penicillic acid.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.741-751
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• 2010

We evaluated the nutritional value of a Monascus pilosus mycelial ethanolic extract (MEM) and culture filtrate (CFM) by determining the contents of monacolin K and citrinin, and by measuring antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The yields of freeze-dried MEM and CFM powder were 4.02% and 3.35% of wet weight, respectively. Pigment content ($OD_{500}$ value) of MEM (0.79) and CFM (0.63) were lower than those of commercial rice beni-koji ethanolic extracts (EERB) (0.87), but were in good agreement with the L*, a*, and b* values and the hue angles of the products. The total monacolin K content of MEM (24.91 mg%) was higher than those of CFM (1.27 mg%) and EERB (14.65 mg%). However, the active monacolin K content of EERB (5.48 mg%) was higher than those of MEM (3.35 mg%) and CFM (0.4 mg%). Citrinin was not detected in any sample. The total polyphenol content of MEM (4.68%, w/w) was similar to that of CFM (4.29%, w/w), thus 13.75.20.94% higher than that of EERB. The total flavonoid content of EERB was 6.8.7.0-fold higher than those of MEM (0.64%, w/w) and CFM (0.66%, w/w). The total antioxidant capacity of CFM (3.51%, w/w) was 1.62.2.08-fold higher than those of MEM (2.74%, w/w) and EERB (1.69%, w/w). The electron-donating capacities of 1% (w/v) solutions of CFM, MEM, BHT, and EERB were 86.20%, 77.25%, 77.25%, and 44.82%, respectively, and the corresponding reducing powers ($OD_{700}$ values) were 2.1, 2.4, 1.1, and 1.6, respectively. SOD(superoxide dismutase)-like activities were in the order MEM (39.85%) > BHT (37.68%) > EERB (26.70%) > CFM (21.5%). Although the TBARS (% value) of MEM was a little lower than that of BHT, it was higher than those of CFM and EERB. The antibacterial activities of CFM acting on Bacillus brevis and Escherichia coli were somewhat higher than those of MEM, whereas the activities of MEM on Bacillus subtilis, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Salmonella enteritidis were higher than those of CFM. However, the antibacterial activities of MEM and CFM were less than those of EERB and BHT. In conclusion, although further studies are needed, we offer experimental evidence that the by-products of M. pilosus MEM and CFM contain significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activities that may be useful in the development of healthy foods.