Bioactive Pigments of Monascus purpureus: Identification and Characterization

Abstract

Monascus purpureus is a filamentous fungus that has long been recognized as one of the mainproducers of natural pigments. These pigments, including yellow (ankaflavin, monascin), orange (rubropunctatin,monascorubrin), and red (rubropunctamine, monascorubramine), are widely used as natural coloring agents.Compared to synthetic dyes, Monascus pigments are considered safer and possess additional biologicalactivities, making them attractive for applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.Therefore, accurate identification of the pigments in Monascus purpureus is essential to ensure their safety,functionality, and potential industrial applications. The aim of this research is to determine the results ofpigment identification Monascus purpureus using UV-Vis Spectrophotometry, Fourier Transform Infra-Red(FTIR), Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), Preparative Thin Layer Chromatography (Preparative TLC), andLiquid Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). The method used is method laboratory experiments.Samples are tested using several instruments. The extraction results show that the % yield value meets therequirements, namely >10%, then the fractionation results show that the water fraction gets more thick extract,the TLC results for the water fraction show a spot height of 4.7 cm with a value of Rf 0.78, the results ofPreparative TLC on the water fraction show the presence of a single fluorescent band at wavelengths of 254 nmand 366 nm. The UV-Vis spectrophotometry results were identified at a wavelength of 477 nm with anabsorbance of 0.364, then the FTIR results on Preparative TLC scrapings from the water fraction showed thepresence of functional groups from the orange pigment structure and the LC-MS results showed that the samplewas a compound. Monascorubrin (C23H28O5) with a molecular weight of 384.99 g/mol and compoundrubropunctatin (C21H22O5) with a molecular weight of 354.74 g/mol. These results provide information that thesample is an orange pigment from Monascus purpureus with two compounds monascorubrin and rubropunctatin.