Performance Comparison of Auricularia auricula Monascus by Four Monascus Strains with Solid-state Fermentation

Objective:The Auricularia auricula was used as the fermentation raw material to screen the Monascus with high-yield pigment,high-yield lovastatin,and low-yield citrinin for the development of and Auricularia auricula Monascus products. Method:The content of the solid fermentation products(polysaccharide,reducing sugar,protein,lovastatin,citrinin,Monascus pigment) of four strains of Monascus purpureus(M.z507,M.c507,M.b2019,M.h2019) and the antioxidant activity of Monascus pigment were investigated. Result:After 14 d of fermentation,compared with the control group,the polysaccharide and protein contents of the four Monascus species reduced,and the reducing sugar contents increased. The total pigment color of M.h2019 was 50.90 U/mL;the content of lovastatin was 1724.19 μg/g,and the content of citrinin was 0.03 μg/g,its Monascus pigment had the most potent antioxidant activity. However,the total pigment color of M.b2019 was 10.52 U/mL,and the content of lovastatin was 684.56 μg/g,which did not produce citrinin. The total pigment color of M.z507 was 3.88 U/mL,and the content of lovastatin was 102.49 μg/g,which did not produce citrinin. The total pigment color of M.c507 was 2.71 U/mL,neither lovastatin nor citrinin. Conclusion:M.h2019 Monascus strain produced a higher yield of Monascus pigment and lovastatin,its Monascus pigment had the most potent antioxidant activity,and the content of citrinin was lower than the national standard limit,so it was suited to solid-state fermentation of Auricularia auricula Monascus products.