Mevinolin production by some fungi

The potentiality of twenty-five fungal species belonging to 14 genera isolated from Egyptian soils to produce mevinolin, a hypocholesterolemic agent, when grown on selected substrates was tested. For the first screening samples of culture filtrates were tested by TLC and the positive results were further estimated by HPLC analysis. It was found that nearly one-third of the tested fungi showed positive results as to production of mevinolin. Aspergillus terreus was distinguished by its capacity to produce mevinolin when cultivated on a selected medium. The maximum mevinolin yields were achieved after on 8-d incubation at 30 degrees C. An initial pH value of 5-6 was found to be the optimum for growth of A. terreus and mevinolin production.