Background:

Monascus ruber is a fungus used in the food industry as a natural pigment mainly in Asian countries, however, it has been found to produce a mycotoxin called citrinin, which causes hepatotoxicity, teratogenicity, tumors, mutations, this is causing disease and death in humans and animals.

Objective:

This study reports for the first time in Mexico the presence of Monascus ruber in corn and alfalfa silage.

Methods:

The strains were obtained from 16 samples of corn and alfalfa silage sampled in the states of Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Guanajuato and Jalisco, the strains were identified morphologically and molecularly, the obtained sequences were compared with the sequences reported in the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) gene bank database.

Results and conclusion:

The presence of Monascus ruber was confirmed in corn and alfalfa silage for the first time in Mexico.

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