FOOD SCIENCE ›› 2020, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (8): 91-99.doi: 10.7506/spkx1002-6630-20190408-095

• Bioengineering • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Extraction and Stability of Monascus Pigments from Fermentation Broth of Monascus purpureus YY1-3 Using Ethanol/Ammonium Sulfate Aqueous Two-Phase System

KONG Weibao, YANG Shuling, YANG Yang, CHEN Dong, GUO Baomin, ZHANG Aimei, NIU Shiquan   

  1. (1. College of Life Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China; 2. Jinhui Wine Co. Ltd., Longnan 742500, China)
  • Online:2020-04-25 Published:2020-04-20

Abstract: Monascus pigments (MPs) were extracted from the fermentation broth of Monascus purpureus YY1-3 in a simple and efficient way using an ethanol/ammonium sulfate aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was used to analyze the composition of the MPs and their stability was also tested. The results showed that when the ATPS was composed of 16% (m/m) ethanol and 28% (m/m) ammonium sulfate, the maximum partition coefficient and recovery rate of MPs of 171.91 and 98.13% were obtained respectively. When the volume proportion of the top phase extraction solution-ethanol was 1:0.5, ammonium sulfate could be effectively removed from it. TLC showed that the extract was composed of six components, mainly Monascus red and yellow pigments. The MPs were stable in darkness, pH 4–8 and 25–65 ℃, as well as in the presence of common metal ions and food additives.

Key words: Monascus pigments, Monascus purpureus, extraction, aqueous two-phase system, stability

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