The production of hypocrellin colorants by submerged cultivation of the medicinal fungus Shiraia bambusicola

Hypocrellin production using submerged cultivation of the medicinal fungus Shiraia bambusicola revealed that both glucose and (NH4)2SO4 were optimal carbon and nitrogen sources. Hypocrellin production increased with increasing initial glucose concentration within the range of 10–50 g l−1 and (NH4)2SO4 concentration in the range of 1–2 g l−1. The effects of carbon and nitrogen concentration were optimized using central composite experimental design and response surface analysis; maximum hypocrellin production (196.94 ± 6.93 mg l−1) was achieved using 45.7 g l−1 glucose and 1.93 g l−1 (NH4)2SO4.