Effect of Carbon and Nitrogen Sources on Stimulation of Pigment Production by Monascus purpureus on Jackfruit Seeds

Food colorants from natural sources are preferred over the synthetic variants which elicits various adverse effects including teratogenicity and carcinogenicity. Pigments produced from Monascus spp. are of microbial origin and can be used as food grade biocolorants. The aim of the present work was to investigate the feasibility of Jackfruit seed as a substrate supplemented with carbon sources like mannitol, lactose, starch and fructose and nitrogen sources like yeast extract, peptone, ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate for the production of pigments by Monascus purpureus in solid-state fermentation (SSF). The absorbance maxima of pigment extract was measured by spectral analysis. The maximum pigment production was found when Monascus purpureus culture is supplemented with fructose as carbon source and yeast extract as the nitrogen source.