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Mevastatin, also known as compactin or ML-236B, is a member of the class of
statins belonging to the polyketide groups and has been an attractive molecule over the past
few decades for its anticholesterol activity (Endo, 1985; and Chakravarti and Sahai,
2004). Mevastatin and its hydroxy derivative pravastatin have been proved to be a potent
inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme-A reductase, which is a regulatory enzyme
for cholesterol biosynthesis (Peng and Demain, 2000).
Microorganisms are highly dependent on environmental conditions for their growth
and the product yield. Optimization of physicochemical parameters is traditionally done by
one-factor-at-a-time, i.e., varying one factor while keeping the other factors at a
constant level or by trial-and-error method. These techniques are tedious when a large number
of factors have to be investigated, whereas statistically-based experimental designs are
more efficient approaches to deal with a large number of variables and help in the analysis
of statistical interaction between factors. Hence, the necessity for investigating the
interaction effects of physicochemical parameters, such as incubation temperature, pH of liquid
medium, fermentation period, weight of the substrate and solid to liquid ratio on mevastatin
production by Penicillium citrinum, was felt. |
