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PubMed2000

Analysis of natural food pigments by capillary electrophoresis.

Lac, cochineal, safflower, gardenia, Monascus and elderberry pigments are used as food color additives in Japan. These natural pigments can be analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE). CE has several advantages over thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, such as low capillary cost, reduced operating costs, small sample amounts, low production of waste materials and short analysis time. CE is shown to be a useful technique for the analysis of these natural food pigments and the pigments extracted from commercial food samples by solid-phase extraction method.

Electrophoresis, Capillary↗
PubMed2000

Constituents of red yeast rice, a traditional Chinese food and medicine.

Detailed analyses were undertaken of the natural constituents of red yeast rice, a traditional Chinese medicine and food known for centuries to improve blood circulation. Preparation of red yeast rice following ancient methods by fermenting the fungal strain Monascus purpureus Went on moist and sterile rice indicated the presence of a group of metabolites belonging to the monacolin family of polyketides, together with fatty acids, and trace elements. The presence of these compounds may explain in part the cholesterol-lowering ability associated with this traditional Chinese food.

Anticholesteremic Agents↗
PubMed2002

Cholestin inhibits cholesterol synthesis and secretion in hepatic cells (HepG2).

Hyperlipidemia is a well-known risk factor for atherosclerosis and statins are widely used to treat patients with elevated levels of lipids in their plasma. Notwithstanding the proven benefits of statin drugs on both primary and secondary prevention of heart disease, the high cost of statin treatment, in addition to possible side effects such as liver function abnormalities, may limit their widespread use. We conducted a study on a natural product as an alternative to statin treatment. Cholestin, a dietary supplement, is prepared from rice fermented with red yeast (Monascus purpureus), which has been shown to significantly decrease total cholesterol levels in hyperlipidemic subjects. Our objective was to determine the cellular effect of Cholestin on cholesterol synthesis in human hepatic cells (HepG2) and the mechanism by which it caused a change in lipid metabolism. Cholestin had a direct inhibitory effect on HMG-CoA reductase activity (78-69% of control). Cholesterol levels in HepG2 cells treated with Cholestin (25-100 microg/mL) were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner (81-45% of control, respectively). This reduction was associated with decreased synthesis and secretion of both unesterified cholesterol (54-31 and 33-14% of control, respectively) and cholesteryl ester (18-6 and 37-19% of control, respectively). These results indicate that one of the anti-hyperlipidemic actions of Cholestin is a consequence of an inhibitory effect on cholesterol biosynthesis in hepatic cells and provide the first documentation of a biomolecular action of red yeast rice.

Ascomycota↗
PubMed2001

Anka and anka pigment production.

This study was conducted to determine the time-dependent changes of solid-state fermentation of rice with Monascus purpureus to produce anka and anka pigments. Growth of the fungus occurred prior to the synthesis of anka pigments. A steady increase in the yield of pigments occurred between the 5th and 15th days. After 15 days, growth of the fungus on rice substrate ceased and the yield of yellow anka pigments remained constant; however, orange anka pigments were reduced with a decreasing rate of 3.6 mg/g anka/day.

Ascomycota↗
PubMed2026

Activation of secondary metabolism in Aspergillus and related filamentous fungi through regulatory engineering.

Filamentous fungi are major contributors to diverse secondary metabolites with broad applications to medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. Advances in genome sequencing and bioinformatic tools have revealed that fungal genomes encode far more biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) than are expressed under normal laboratory conditions, leaving much biosynthetic potential transcriptionally silent. Overcoming this gap between predicted and observed secondary metabolism has become a major challenge in fungal natural product discovery. In this review, we summarize current strategies for activating silent or weakly expressed fungal BGCs through regulatory engineering, with an emphasis on approaches validated in Aspergillus, Penicillium, Monascus, and related filamentous fungi. We focus on genetic and chemical manipulations that enable coordinated activation of multiple biosynthetic pathways through chromatin-level modifiers, global transcriptional regulators, and developmental regulators. By framing these regulators as practical tools rather than solely biological components, we demonstrate their strengths, limitations, and applications in Aspergillus and related filamentous fungi. We further discuss emerging combinatorial and integrative approaches that use regulatory engineering alongside omics technologies and predictive tools, outlining alternatives and future directions for improving the interpretability of silent pathway activation.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Phylogenetic relationships of five species of Aspergillus and related taxa as deduced by comparison of sequences of small subunit ribosomal RNA.

The nucleotide sequences of the genes encoding the 18S rRNA of Aspergillus flavus, A. nidulans, A. terreus and A. niger were elucidated and aligned to the sequences of A. fumigatus. In addition, the 18S rRNA sequences of the V4-V9 region of morphologically similar filamentous fungi, e.g. Penicillium chrysogenum, P. marneffei and Paecilomyces variotii, were elucidated. Phylogenetic analysis and comparison showed a very close intergeneric relationship of the genus Aspergillus to species of the genera Paecilomyces and Penicillium. However, the sequenced Aspergillus species also showed a very close relationship to Eurotium rubrum and Monascus purpureus. Phylogenetic analysis of fungal 18S rRNA sequences divided the general Aspergillus, Penicillium and Paecilomyces into two coherent clusters and showed a close intergeneric relationship which is in keeping with the existing morphological and taxonomic classification.

Aspergillus↗
PubMed1989

Food colorants: anthocyanins.

Interest in food colorants as shown by the number of patents has doubled in recent years with natural pigments outnumbering synthetics by five to one. The natural colorant area can be subdivided into anthocyanins, betalains, chlorophylls, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, Monascus, hemes, quinones, biliproteins, safflower, turmeric, and miscellaneous. All involve different groups of chemical compounds which may be used directly as colorants, or may be chemically modified to produce different hues or increased stability. All usually involve a method of collection, extraction, purification, possibly stabilization, and formulation. A variety of hues can be obtained ranging from green through yellow, orange, red, blue, and violet, depending on the source of colorant. Similarly, water or oil-soluble formulations can be prepared depending on the type of colorant.

Anthocyanins↗
PubMed2004

Pickles, pectin, and penicillin.

My professional life has been devoted to the study of microbial products and their biosynthesis, regulation, and overproduction. These have included primary metabolites (glutamic acid, tryptophan, inosinic acid, guanylic acid, vitamin B(12), riboflavin, pantothenic acid, ethanol, and lactic acid) and secondary metabolites (penicillin, cephalosporins, streptomycin, fosfomycin, gramicidin S, rapamycin, indolmycin, microcin B17, fumagillin, mycotoxins, Monascus pigments, and tetramethylpyrazine). Other areas included microbial nutrition, strain improvement, bioconversions of statins and beta-lactams, sporulation and germination, plasmid stability, gel microdroplets, and the production of double-stranded RNA, the polymer xanthan, and enzymes (polygalacturonase, protease, cellulase). Most of the studies were carried out with me by devoted and hardworking industrial scientists for 15 years at Merck & Co. and by similarly characterized students, postdoctorals, and visiting scientists during my 32 years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I owe much of my success to my mentors from academia and industry. My recent research activities with undergraduate students at the Charles A. Dana Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti (R.I.S.E.) at Drew University have been very rewarding and are allowing me to continue my career.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2000

Biosynthesis of PP-V, a monascorubramine homologue, by Penicillium sp. AZ.

The biosynthetic pathway of PP-V, a new monascorubramine homologue, was elucidated by 13C-labeling studies. The [1-13C] of acetate was incorporated into 2-, 3a-, 4a-, 6-, 8-, 9-, 11-, 13-, 15-, 17-, and 19-Cs of PP-V, and the [2-13C], into 3-, 4-, 5-, 8a-, 9a-, 10-, 12-, 14-, 16-, 18-, and 20-Cs. These incorporation patterns coincide with those reported in the biosynthesis of a Monascus azaphilone pigment, monascorubrin.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Effect of natural food colorings on immunoglobulin production in vitro by rat spleen lymphocytes.

Water-soluble (cacao pigment, cochineal pigment, corn pigment, betanin, carthamus yellow, and monascus pigment) and water-insoluble (gardenia yellow, laccaic acid, bixin, and curcumin) natural colorings inhibited IgE production by rat spleen lymphocytes at 10 and microM, respectively. Although many of these colorings only inhibited the production of IgG and IgM at high concentrations, the water-insoluble colorings enhanced IgM production even at 1 microM. These results suggest that natural colorings have immunoglobulin production-regulating activity.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid content during beni-koji making.

The changes in the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content during the making of beni-koji prepared with Monascus pilosus IFO 4520 vs. the difference in the rate of tomo koji (10%, 30%, and 50%) were examined. The increased proportion of tomo koji would increase the GABA production and the productions of GABA peaked on the fifth day and thereafter declined. The glutamate decarboxylase activity during beni-koji making with 50% tomo koji steadily increased after the start of the koji making, reaching its peak on the fifth day. The succinic acid content increased after the sixth day. The mycelial growth was in the stationary phase after the sixth day. Therefore, the GABA content increases with an increase in the proportion of tomo koji. It is presumed that the maximum amount of GABA reached on the fifth day was the cause of the increasing amount of conversion of GABA into succinic acid, in addition to the decline in the GAD activity after the fifth day of koji making.

Ascomycota↗
PubMed2003

Immunological detection of Fusarium species in cornmeal.

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to detect Fusarium species in foods. Antibodies to proteins extracted from the mycelia of Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium moniliforme (verticillioides) were produced in New Zealand white rabbits. These antibodies detected 13 Fusarium species in addition to the producer strains. Levels of Fusarium semitectum and Fusarium tricinctum strains were below the detection threshold. The specificity of the assay was tested against 70 molds and yeasts belonging to 23 genera. One strain of Monascus species and one strain of Phoma exigua were detected; however, these two molds are not common contaminants of cereal grains or foods and should not interfere with the assay. The indirect ELISA's detection limits for F. graminearum and F. moniliforme were 0.1 and 1 microg of mold mycelium per ml of a cornmeal mixture, respectively. When spores of each mold were added individually to cornmeal mixtures (at ca. 10 spores per g) and incubated at 25 degrees C, these spores were detected by the indirect ELISA when they reached levels of 10(2) to 10(3) CFU/ml after 24 to 36 h. The indirect ELISA developed here shows promise for the detection of Fusarium species in grains or foods.

Antibodies, Fungal↗
PubMed1985

Dihydromonacolin L and monacolin X, new metabolites which inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis.

Dihydromonacolin L and monacolin X those are structurally related to monacolin K, a potent inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis, were isolated from cultures of a mutant of Monascus ruber. The structures of these two metabolites were determined by a combination of physical techniques. Data for dihydromonacolin L and monacolin X as inhibitors of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase and sterol biosynthesis in vitro are also given.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Monacolin M, a new inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis.

Monacolin M, a new specific inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis structurally related to monacolin K (mevinolin), was isolated from cultures of a strain of Monascus ruber. The structure of monacolin M was determined to be beta-hydroxybutyryl ester of monacolin J by a combination of physical techniques. It was suggested that monacolin M is derived from monacolin J via a synthetic pathway distinct from that for the synthesis of monacolin K, alpha-methylbutyryl ester of monacolin J. The inhibitory effect of monacolin M on beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase was slightly lower than that of monacolin K.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1990

Isolation and biosynthesis of 3 alpha-hydroxy-3,5-dihydromonacolin L.

3 alpha-Hydroxy-3,5-dihydromonacolin L acid (acid form), a new compound related to monacolin K (mevinolin), was isolated from the culture broth of a strain of Monascus ruber. The structure of the compound was determined by a combination of physical techniques. 4a,5-Dihydromonacolin L was converted to 3 alpha-hydroxy-3,5-dihydromonacolin L by a cell-free extract of M. ruber in the presence of molecular oxygen. The results demonstrate that the former is the direct precursor in the biosynthesis of the latter.

Ascomycota↗
PubMed1999

The influence of bacterial inoculants on the microbial ecology of aerobic spoilage of barley silage.

The aerobic decomposition of barley silage treated with two inoculants (LacA and LacB) containing mixtures of Lactobacillus plantarum and Enterococcus faecium was investigated over a 28-day period. Initially, yeast and bacterial populations were larger in silage inoculated with LacA than in silage treated with LacB or water alone (control). Differences in the succession of yeasts in silage treated with LacA were observed relative to the other two treatments. From silage treatment with LacA, Issatchenkia orientalis was the most prevalent yeast taxon over all of the sample times, and the filamentous fungus Microascus brevicaulis was also frequently isolated at later sample dates (> or = 14 days). In contrast, Saccharomyces exiguus was the most prominent yeast recovered from silage treated with LacB and water alone on days 2 and 4, although it was supplanted by I. orientalis at later sample times. Successional trends of bacteria were similar for all three treatments. Lactobacillus spp. were initially the most prevalent bacteria isolated, followed by Bacillus spp. (primarily Bacillus pumilus). However, the onset of Bacillus spp. prominence was faster in LacA silage, and Klebsiella planticola was frequently recovered at later sample times (> or = 14 days). More filamentous fungi were recovered from LacA silage on media containing carboxylmethylcellulose, pectin, or xylan. The most commonly isolated taxa were Absidia sp., Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Byssochlamys nivea, Monascus ruber, Penicillium brevicompactum, Pseudoallescheria boydii, and M. brevicaulis. The results of this study indicated that the two bacterial inoculants incorporated into barley at the time of ensilage affected the microbial ecology of silage decomposition following exposure to air. However, neither of the microbial inoculants effectively delayed aerobic spoilage of barley silage, and the rate of decomposition of silage treated with one of the inoculants (LacA) was actually enhanced.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed1975

Abyssotrema pritchardae gen. et sp. n. (Digenea: Fellodistomidae) from the deep-sea fish, Alepocephalus agassizi Goode and Bean 1883.

Abyssotrema pritchardae gen. et sp. n. is described from the benthic teleost, Alepocephalus agassizi Goode and Bean 1883 (Alepocephalidae), taken from Hudson Canyon in the western North Atlantic. The new genus is placed in the subfamily Monascinae Dollfus 1947 and relationships among Abyssotrema, Elopsium Fischthal and Thomas 1972, and Monascus Looss 1907 are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

[Effect of microbial elicitors on sclerotia biomass and carotenoid yield in surface cultures of Penicillium sp.PT95].

Six kinds of elicitors were prepared respectively from Neurospora crassa, Monascus purpureus, Sporobolomyces roseus, Rhodotorula rubra, Nocardia sp. N89 and Actinoplanes sp. A05. When Penicillium sp. PT95 was incubated in Czapek's agar plates containing appropriate amounts of elicitors, both its sclerotia biomass and carotenoid content accumulated in sclerotia were enhanced significantly (P < 0.01). Among tested elicitors, the elicitors from the fungi N. crassa, M. purpureus, S.-roseus and R. rubra were more effective than those from the actinomycetes Nocardia sp. N89 and Actinoplanes sp. A05; the elicitor from M. purpureus gave the highest carotenoid yield of 599 micrograms/plate, 2.76 times higher than that of control. Every one of elicitors except that from M. purpureus could increase significantly the proportion of beta-carotene in total carotenoids (P < 0.01).

Actinomycetales↗