The yield of Monascus pigments (MPs) can be remarkably augmented by glycerol.This study aimed to investigate the role of glycerol in the pigment production process of Monascus spp.through physiological and metabolomic analyses.Results indicated that the highest MPs production in 160 g/L glycerol group was 2.02 times that of the control.Moreover, glycerol with the concentrations between (0.266±0.133) g/g and (0.711±0.013) g/g after 6 days of fermentation were accumulated in the mycelia, which reducing the influence of osmotic pressure on the permeability and integrity of cell membrane and maintaining cell viability.Metabolomics analysis showed that the osmotic pressure produced by glycerol and its compatible solute characteristics stimulated the synthesis pathway of cofactor and acetyl-CoA.In addition, carbon metabolic pathways, nucleotide metabolism and amino acid metabolism were promoted by the utilization of glycerol, providing sufficient precursors for MPs production.These findings offered clues for improving the growth and MPs production of Monascus spp.by coordinating roles of glycerol as carbon source, osmotic substance and compatible solutes.
HAN Haolan
,
SHI Jia
,
LIU Xianjin
,
ZOU Wei
,
HU Jun
,
YU Xiang
,
FENG Yanli
. Effects of glycerol-induced osmotic stress on growth, cellular state, and metabolome of Monascus spp.[J]. Food and Fermentation Industries, 2026
, 52(15)
: 180
-187
.
DOI: 10.13995/j.cnki.11-1802/ts.044672
[1] ARRUDA G L, REIS W S M, RAYMUNDO M T F R, et al.Biotechnological potential of Monascus:Biological aspects, metabolites of interest, and opportunities for new products[J].Microbiological Research, 2025, 297:128177.
[2] QIN X L, XIE B, ZONG X L, et al.Selective production, relationship and controversy between Monascus pigments and citrinin[J].Food Bioscience, 2023, 56:103233.
[3] HUANG T, WANG M H, SHI K, et al.Metabolism and secretion of yellow pigment under high glucose stress with Monascus ruber[J].AMB Express, 2017, 7(1):79.
[4] BREMER E, KRÄMER R.Responses of microorganisms to osmotic stress[J].Annual Review of Microbiology, 2019, 73:313-334.
[5] DURAN R, CARY J W, CALVO A M.Role of the osmotic stress regulatory pathway in morphogenesis and secondary metabolism in filamentous fungi[J].Toxins, 2010, 2(4):367-381.
[6] FENG Y L, SHAO Y C, ZHOU Y X, et al.Effects of glycerol on pigments and monacolin K production by the high-monacolin K-producing but citrinin-free strain, Monascus pilosus MS-1[J].European Food Research and Technology, 2015, 240(3):635-643.
[7] SHI J, ZHAO W, LU J, et al.Insight into Monascus pigments production promoted by glycerol based on physiological and transcriptome analyses[J].Process Biochemistry, 2021, 102:141-149.
[8] RODENBURG J, DIJKSTRA M, VAN ROIJ R.Van’t Hoff’s law for active suspensions:The role of the solvent chemical potential[J].Soft Matter, 2017, 13(47):8957-8963.
[9] WANG Y H, ZHANG B B, LU L P, et al.Enhanced production of pigments by addition of surfactants in submerged fermentation of Monascus purpureus H1102[J].Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2013, 93(13):3339-3344.
[10] NGONGANG D T, NYEGUE A M, NDEDI D F E, et al.Effect of four essential oils on cells release membrane and biofilm formation of clinical bacterial isolated from oral infection[J].Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics, 2019, 9(6):28-35.
[11] HE S S, LIU X, WANG Y L, et al.Metabolomics analysis based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS reveals effects of genistein on reducing mycotoxin citrinin production by Monascus aurantiacus Li AS3.4384[J].LWT, 2020, 130:109613.
[12] WANG J L, ZHANG T, SHEN X T, et al.Serum metabolomics for early diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by UHPLC-QTOF/MS[J].Metabolomics, 2016, 12(7):116.
[13] KOJIMA R, WATANABE T, KASUMI T, et al.Identification and functional characterization of ammonium transporters in Penicillium purpurogenum[J].Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 2025, 139(4):257-262.
[14] SINGH K, SETHI R, DAS E, et al.The role of the glycerol transporter channel Fps1p in cellular proteostasis during enhanced proteotoxic stress[J].Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2022, 106(18):6169-6180.
[15] ZHANG L C, JIN H Z, JIAO D N, et al.High-yield bioconversion of glycerol to L-malic acid in Aspergillus niger via systematic engineering of glycerol catabolism and minimal glucose supplementation[J].Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025, 515:163687.
[16] CHEN G, ZHAO W Q, ZHAO L, et al.Regulation of the pigment production by changing cell morphology and gene expression of Monascus ruber in high-sugar synergistic high-salt stress fermentation[J].Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2023, 134(10):lxad207.
[17] LIU H H, ZHANG J, LU G G, et al.Comparative metabolomics analysis reveals the metabolic regulation mechanism of yellow pigment overproduction by Monascus using ammonium chloride as a nitrogen source[J].Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2021, 105(16):6369-6379.
[18] ZHANG H, LIU H H, SHU L, et al.Metabolomics analysis coupled with weighted gene co-expression network analysis unravels the associations of tricarboxylic acid cycle-intermediates with edible pigments produced by Monascus purpureus (Hong Qu)[J].Foods, 2022, 11(14):2168.
[19] ZHANG Z B, CHENG Z H, WU J H, et al.Engineering of salt-tolerant Shewanella aquimarina XMS-1 for enhanced pollutants transformation and electricity generation[J].Science of the Total Environment, 2022, 807:151009.
[20] LEONARDI R, JACKOWSKI S.Biosynthesis of pantothenic acid and coenzyme A[J].EcoSal Plus, 2007, 2(2).DOI:10.1128/ecosalplus.3.6.3.4
[21] ISOGAI S, TAKAGI H.Enhancement of lysine biosynthesis confers high-temperature stress tolerance to Escherichia coli cells[J].Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2021, 105(18):6899-6908.
[22] LIU J W, DU Y, MA H M, et al.Enhancement of Monascus yellow pigments production by activating the cAMP signalling pathway in Monascus purpureus HJ11[J].Microbial Cell Factories, 2020, 19(1):224.
[23] CHEN W P, CHEN R F, LIU Q P, et al.Orange, red, yellow:Biosynthesis of azaphilone pigments in Monascus fungi[J].Chemical Science, 2017, 8(7):4917-4925.
[24] LIAO F, HU Z C, ZENG L Q, et al.MpDLDH gene is crucial for regulating growth and pigment biosynthesis through acetyl-CoA modulation in Monascus purpureus[J].Food Bioscience, 2024, 62:105215.
