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The Monascus Red Color is a species of mould purplish-red. It also has a few common names such as red yeast rice pigment,red kojic rice,monascorubrin,rice kernel discoloration, maize silage mould, corn silage mould. <br>
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The Monascus Red Color is a species of mould purplish-red. It also has a few common names such as red yeast rice pigment,redkojicrice,monascorubrin,rice kernel discoloration, maize silage mould, corn silage mould. During its growth, the Monascus spp. breaks down starch substrate hence forming pigments, which are produced by secondary metabolites. • The pigments structure is dependent on the type of substrate and the specific factors, such as temperature, moisture content, and PH, during culture. • The Monascus spp. is categorized as a natural food color. It is widely used in traditional medicines and as a food supplement. With efforts to replace synthetic food colours with natural colorants, Monascus Red color has become one of the favorite. • The fungus Monascus spp. is fermented using solid-state fermentation (SSF) or submerged fermentation (SmF). Just like other natural colorants, Monascus spp. cannot be used alone for a whole range of food products. This is due to its sensitivity to physical parameters.
A traditional method of pigment production is employed where the fungus is grown on a solid medium such as steamed rice. However, this method does not offer easy control of environmental parameters as it requires intensive space. • Traditionally, red fermented rice production is through a combination of Monascus spp. (M. purpureus) and yeast. The Monascus spp. breaks down the starch in rice to simple sugars, while yeast continues the breakdown process converting it to alcohol. • The fungus ferments in rice, causing rapid development of mycelium, until a crimson pigment permeates the grain completely. This gives the product a characteristic red color. The red-coloured rice is later ground to powder and used as a coloring agent.
Phycocyanin Benefits • There are reports that the Monascus Red color can be cultured in a submerged culture system, which can overcome the disadvantages of other traditional processes.