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Most of the synthetic dyes found to be hazardous to human health therefore; we need to develop alternative source of natural food colorants. The current study aimed to study different factors affecting on pigment production by Monascus purpureus. The optimal growth and pigment production factors were carbon and nitrogen source (Corn starch & yeast extract), medium pH 6 after fermentation time 12 days under shaking (150 rpm) at 30 ± 1 °C. The impact of testing different amino acids, metal ions and vitamins addition to the medium was explored by applying (100 μg/l) for each of them on the medium. The addition of Tryptophan was effective and enhanced both growth and production (3.9 g/l dry mass and 2.376 A500), Manganese improve growth and production with 4.6 g/l dry mass and 1.997 A500 and the addition of ascorbic acid also increase the production (4 g/l dry mass and 2.652 A500). The isolate seems to be tolerated the salinity stress until 2% for growth and production then production decrease until it stops completely at 6% NaCl. Maximum optical density values of red yeast pigment recorded at wavelength 500nm followed by 460nm. Red pigment shows various optical density values in different solutions (salicylic acid; citric acid and ascorbic acid. Testing different factors affecting on production is an efficient approach for the production of pigment through microbial fermentation by Monascus purpureus and could be utilized in industrial application.

Objective. — The aim was to identify the incidence of the causal agents from dermatophytes, non-dermatophytes and yeasts in Assiut Governorate employing, beside the morphological and physiological techniques, the genotypic ones. Patients. — Samples from infected nails, skin and hair were taken from 125 patients. Materials and methods. — Patients who presented with onychomycosis, tinea capitis, tinea corporis, tinea cruris and tinea pedis during the period from February 2012 to October 2015 were clinically examined and diagnosed by dermatologists and were guided to Assiut University Mycological Centre for direct microscopic examination, culturing and identification. Results. — Onychomycosis was the most common infecting (64.8% of the cases) followed by tinea capitis (17.6%). Direct microscopic preparations showed only 45 positive cases, while 96 cases showed positive cultures. Infections were more frequent in females than males. Fifty-one fungal species and 1 variety were obtained. Yeasts were the main agents being cultured from 46.02% of total cases. Non-dermatophytes were the second etiologic agents. Aspergillus was responsible for infecting 19.47% of total cases and dermatophytes appeared in only 15.93% of the cases.