The isolation and chemical characterization of yellow food pigments from Monascus purpureus were studied according to the compositions of media. Monascus yellow pigments were isolated and purified by solvent fractionation, silicagel column chromatography, TLC and HPLC. The retention time of Monascus yellow pigments isolated by HPLC was respectively 5 min(I) and 9 min(II) at the yeast malt extract agar(YMA) media and was respectively 4.6 min(III), 5 min(I) 5.7 min(IV), 8.3 min(V), 9 min(II) and 10.7 min(VI) at the malt extract agar (MEA) media. The structure of monascin(I), ankaflavin(II), 6,11-dihydrorubropunctatin(III), 6,11-dihydromonascorubrin(V) and unknown compounds(IV, VI) was elucidated by EI-Mass, H' and C'9 NMR, UV-visible spectrnmeter. Therefore, it was suggested that 6,11-dihydrorubropunctatin (III) and 6,11-dihydromonascorubrin(V) are new intermediates of Monascus yellow pigments.

Monascus purpureus MMK2를 이용하여 황색색소 생산을 위한 배양 조건의 최적화에 관한 결과는 다음과 같다. 실험 균주가 생산하는 황색색소의 최적 배양 조건은 탄소원으로 wheat flour 3.0% 첨가, 질소원으로 0.15%, 인산염으로 의 농도가 0.25% 및 의 농도가 0.15%일 때 가장 높은 황색색소 생성을 나타내었다. 배양 온도는 , 초기 PH가 6.5 및 배양 시간 7일 일 때 황색색소의 생성능이 28.91 unit