Solid-state fermentation for the production of Monascus pigments from jackfruit seed

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Food Science
• Microbiology

Background:

• Natural pigments are increasingly sought after as alternatives to synthetic colorants.
• Microbial pigments offer a sustainable and controllable source for the food industry.
• Jackfruit seeds are an underutilized agricultural byproduct with potential for bioprocessing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate jackfruit seed powder as a substrate for Monascus purpureus pigment production.
• To optimize solid-state fermentation (SSF) parameters for maximum pigment yield.
• To assess the stability of pigments produced on jackfruit seed powder.

Main Methods:

• Solid-state fermentation (SSF) using Monascus purpureus.
• Optimization of initial moisture content, incubation temperature, inoculum size, and incubation period.
• Spectrophotometric quantification of pigment yield (ODUnits/g).
• pH stability assessment of the extracted pigments.

Main Results:

• A pigment yield of 25 ODUnits/g dry fermented substrate was achieved.
• Optimal conditions included 50% initial moisture, 30°C incubation, 9x10^4 spores/g inoculum, and 7 days incubation.
• Pigments exhibited color stability across a wide pH range, attributed to the substrate's buffering capacity.

Conclusions:

• Jackfruit seed powder is a feasible and effective substrate for Monascus purpureus pigment production via SSF.
• The optimized process yields a significant amount of stable pigment suitable for food industry applications.
• This study represents the first report on jackfruit seed powder utilization for microbial pigment production in SSF.