Abstract
After seven days of incubation, both fungal isolates A. niger I-4 and A. terreus I-8 produce maximum lovastatin productivity at 30 degrees C when applying an inoculums size of 10(8) spores/ml with (maize stalk, rice husk and wheat straw) under solid state fermentation conditions and at pH 5 and 6 respectively. Type of nitrogen and carbon sources influenced lovastatin production by both the fungal isolates. Addition of Fe+2, Ca+2, Zn+2 and Mg+2 enhanced the production of lovastatin by the fungal isolates with the three substrates used. As Cu+2 had no effect on lovastatin production by A. niger I-4 and it reduced the lovastatin production by A. terreus I-8. Supplementation of the two vitamins, B-1 (thiamin) and B-6 (pyridoxine) to the fermentation media enhanced the fungal lovastatin biothynthesis. Results of animal studies revealed that the fungal lovastatin from A. niger I-4 induced significant decrease in total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL while increasing HDL level of albino rats.