RECOVERY OF MORE THAN 10 YEARS-DRYING Monascus CULTURES AND ITS PURIFICATION METHODS FROM FUNGAL AND BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION

Authors

  • Nandang Suharna
    nsuharna@yahoo.com
    Microbiology Division, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Cibinong, Jakarta, Indonesia, Indonesia
Vol. 15 No. 1 (2008)
Research Paper
September 1, 2008
September 1, 2008

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This study was carried out to understand the recovery capability of more than 10 years- drying Monascus cultures. A new simple purification technique from fungal contamination using ethanol-soaking treatment was also reported as a part of this study. The result showed that all drying cultures were recovered well and retained their characters such as good growth, pigmen­tation and production of fruit bodies (ascomata), sexual spores (ascospores) and asexual spores. Several cultures showed its good growth in 20% ethanol medium. This study also reported suc­cessful purification of cultures from fungal contamination using ethanol-soaking treatment. This self-drying method, therefore, could be suggested as a good long-term preservation method for Monascus cultures. Moreover, purification method from fungal contamination soaked in ethanol 70% or 95% was successfully effective.