Monascus purpureus mutant and its use in preparing yellow pigment

Abstract

The invention relates to a mutant of Monascus purpureus , designated as Monascus purpureus M011, which is useful in a process for production of yellow pigments, and the products prepared thereby.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A mutant of the microorganism  Monascus purpureus , which designated as  Monascus purpureus  M011, and mutants thereof.  
     
     
         2 . The mutant according to  claim 1 , which is deposited with the American Type Culture Collection on Sep. 22, 2000, and assigned the accession No. ATCC PTA-2496.  
     
     
         3 . A method for producing a yellow pigment, the method comprising incubating under proper conditions a mutant of the microorganism  Monascus purpureus  M011, which is deposited with the American Type Culture Collection on Sep. 22, 2000, and assigned the accession No. ATCC PTA-2496, or mutants thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3  wherein the mutant according to  claim 3 , or the mutant thereof is incubated in a solid or liquid medium.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein natural materials are used as the carbon and nitrogen sources of the medium.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the carbon source is selected from the group consisting of rice powder, corn starch, rice starch, wheat starch, glucose, maltose, sucrose and glycerol, or combination thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the nitrogen source is selected from the group consisting of soybean powder, soybean albumen, digestive albumen, yeast extract, corn steep liquor, glutamic acid, ammonium chloride, and potassium nitrate, or combination thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the pH of the medium is between about 3 to about 9.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the fermentation liquid produced is useful as an additive of foods.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the amount of the citrinin in the product obtained is lower than 1.0 ppm.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 3 , which further comprises a purifying step to obtain the purified yellow pigments.  
     
     
         12 . A yellow pigment composition obtained from fermentation liquid of a mutant of the microorganism  Monascus purpureus  M011, which is deposited with the American Type Culture Collection on Sep. 22, 2000, and assigned the accession No. ATCC PTA-2496, wherein the amount of the citrinin is lower than 1.0 ppm.  
     
     
         13 . A yellow pigment composition purified from the fermentation liquid of  claim 12 .  
     
     
         14 . The yellow pigment composition of  claim 12 , wherein the amount of the citrinin is lower than 0.3 ppm.  
     
     
         15 . The yellow pigment composition of  claim 12 , wherein the amount of the citrinin is lower than 0.2 ppm.  
     
     
         16 . The yellow pigment composition of  claim 12 , which is useful as an additive.  
     
     
         17 . The yellow pigment composition of  claim 16 , which is useful as the additive of foods, cosmetic products, and pharmaceutical products.