Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activity of the pigment produced by Monascus purpureus

Abstract

Polyketide pigments were isolated and purified from Monascus purpureus (MTCC
1090). The quantity of pigment was higher in intracellular than extra cellular. The pigment
was produced by submerged and solid state fermentation. Pigment accumulation was
observed on 3rd day during solid state fermentation and the SEM spore morphology reveals
that the size of spore was 10µm long. The 3 different pigments Red, orange, yellow were
seperated from the methanol extract of intracellular pigment. The antimicrobial activity of
isolated pigment were done towards 4 bacteria namely S.aureus, E. coli, Klesiella sp.,
Providencia sp. Out of four test pathogen .three were sensitive for red and all are sensitive for
crude pigment but not against purified yellow and orange. The antioxidant activity of orange
pigment isolated from M. purpureus was confirmed by FRAP assay and compared with
ascorbic acid. The reducing power of the extract might be due to their hydrogen‐donating
ability. Microbial pigments can be an alternative to the use of synthetic compounds in food
and pharmaceutical technology. Further it was also observed that these pigments were non
toxic confirmed by in vivo larvicidal assay. The present study concludes pigments from
Monascus purpuresus holding various pigments having various potent biological activities
like antibacterial, and antioxidant effect without any side effect.