Monascus pigment production in bioreactor using a co-product of biodiesel as substrate

The study and use of natural pigments in food industries have increased in recent years due to the toxicity presented by artificial pigments. Monascus ruber is a filamentous fungus that produces red, orange, and yellow pigments under different growing conditions. The growth of health food market has increased in parallel with the growth in biofuels production, such as biodiesel, which generates a concomitant increase in the production of glycerin that can be used in bioprocesses. The objective of this study was to use glycerin and glucose as substrates in the production of natural pigments in a bioreactor. The culture of Monascus ruber was carried out in a Bioflo III reactor with 4 L of working volume and pH, temperature, aeration, and agitation control. The highest pigment production was observed after 60 hours of fungal culture with 8.28 UA510 of red pigment. The pH range remained from 5.45 to 6.23 favoring the release of red pigment in the medium. This study shows the feasibility of the production of natural pigments by Monascus ruber in a bioreactor using a co-product of biodiesel without previous treatment as a substrate.

Enhanced extraction of phenolic compounds from coffee industry’s residues through solid state fermentation by Penicillium purpurogenum

Abstract The use of agroindustrial residues is an economical solution to industrial biotechnology. Coffee husk and pulp are abounding residues from coffee industry which can be used as substrates in solid state fermentation process, thus allowing a liberation and increase in the phenolic compound content with high added value. By employing statistical design, initial moisture content, pH value in the medium, and the incubation temperature were evaluated, in order to increase the polyphenol content in a process of solid state fermentation by Penicillium purpurogenum. The main phenolic compounds identified through HPLC in fermented coffee residue were chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and rutin. Data obtained through HPLC with the radical absorbance capacity assay suggest the fermented coffee husk and pulp extracts potential as a source of phenolic acids and flavonoids. Results showed good perspectives when using P. purpurogenum strain to enhance the liberation of phenolic compounds in coffee residues.