A rational selection of the fermentation condition that can force the production of monascus pigment towards selected color characteristics requires a thorugh understanding of the relevant biosynthetic pathway. although the biosynthesis of monascus pigment still remains mostly unclear. It is belived that the orange pigments are the first biosynthetic product and they are successively transformed into the other pigment (3-5) the red pigment,which are chemically similar to the orange one, differing only for the presence of a -NH- group in place of -o- group, are belived to be formed by amination of the orange pigment through reaction with a NH unit