ABSTRACT
Azaphilones are a class of fungal metabolites biosynthesized from acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA catalyzed by polyketide synthase. Various fungi sources lead to the natural azaphilone diversity. Azaphilone alkaloids are synthetized by amination reactions of azaphilones with various primary amines, and they have been exploited as an attractive source for potential food pigments due to their varied colors. Red Monascus pigments, classic azaphilone alkaloids, are a conventional edible pigment in China. We provided a new strategy for synthetizing red Monascus pigments with a special primary amine residue during submerged culture, where the amination reaction interfaced with Monascus sp. metabolism in a one-pot process. The benefits of the tailoring and the characteristics of the Monascus pigments derivates are profiled. Finally, the state of the search for citrinin-free producers (such as Talaromyces sp. or Penicillium sp.) by screening fungus sources for alternative azaphilone alkaloids to act as food colorants is reviewed.
