Antimicrobial activity of red pigments derived from Monascus purpureus: A comparison to industrial red pigments

Abstract

Background In recent years, the various advantages of fungal pigments over other natural or synthetic pigments have opened new avenues for wide range of applications in different industries. This study aims to determine the antimicrobial activity of fungal pigment produced by Monascus purpureus CMU001, against some Gr(+) and Gr(−) bacteria, yeasts and molds. Method In this study, the 96‐well microplate dilution and macro dilution methods were used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of pigments on tested microorganisms. Therefore, the microbial plating method was performed to observe the antifungal activity of pigment since the MIC values could not be determined on molds. Results The antibacterial activity of Monascus pigment against all tested bacteria was higher than the commercial red pigment. The minimum bactericidal concentration on Bacillus cereus ATCC11778 was determined as 256 mg/ml for the commercial pigment and 128 mg/ml for Monascus pigment. The MIC values could not be determined for both pigments against yeast and molds even at the highest possible concentration. Conclusion The Monascus pigments have a big potential to use in different industries such as foods, textile, and biomedical products, since the high inhibitory effects was confirmed on various food‐borne and pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Although the specific mechanism and properties of the antimicrobial activity of Monascus pigments are still unknown, the differences between lab‐produced and commercial pigments showed that the antimicrobial activity was based on the type of microorganism, growth conditions, and the composition of culture medium.

Characterization of the Red Biochromes Produced by the Endophytic Fungus Monascus purpureus CPEF02 with Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities

“…Purpureusone is a known antifungal pigmented metabolite that is found in M. purpureus, as identified by [22], and inhibits the growth of Candida albicans and Streptomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, the antibacterial and antifungal activity of the Monascus purpureus colourant is similar to ones reported [21,23]. The antibacterial activity of the colourant isolated from M. purpureus has received less attention than the antimicrobial activity of fungal fermented rice powder or Monascus koji powder.…”

Inhibitory effect of Monascus purpureus pigment extracts against fungi and mechanism of action

“…These bioactive molecules play an important role in ameliorating metabolic disorders (Chen et al, 2022). Even though Monascus pigment's antimicrobial activities have been described, most of the studies were correlated to the anti-bacterial activities (Gökmen et al, 2021). Few studies on the antifungal activity of Monascus pigment against Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were reported (Cheng et al, 2011) and multicellular fungi (Kim et al, 2006).…”

“…Few studies on the antifungal activity of Monascus pigment against Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were reported (Cheng et al, 2011) and multicellular fungi (Kim et al, 2006). The reported antifungal activity of M. purpureus is limited to mostly unicellular fungi/yeast, and in some studies, the antifungal activity of Monascus pigment against Aspergillus niger and Penicillium nigricans was not determined (Gökmen et al, 2021).…”

Improvement of red pigment production and citrinin reduction from Monascus purpureus using dairy sludge: potential health benefits and fermentation strategies

“…The plates were incubated in the temperature of 37 ºC, and after 24 h and were examined for growth. The rst plate of concentrations cultured from the cell extract in which no colony was observed was considered as the MBC (19).…”

“…According to a study, the antibacterial activity of the Monascus pigment was found to be higher than that of the commercial red pigment against all tested bacteria. The MBC for Bacillus cereus ATCC11778 was determined to be 256 mg/ml for the commercial pigment, while it was lower at 128 mg/ml for the Monascus pigment (19). It is worth noting that Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli, have a complex cell membrane structure consisting of lipopolysaccharides and two layers of phospholipids.…”