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Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Mar 2012Tobacco and alcohol consumption have been reported as major factors for the development of oral cancer. Edible fungi of the Monascus species have been used as... (Review)
Review
Tobacco and alcohol consumption have been reported as major factors for the development of oral cancer. Edible fungi of the Monascus species have been used as traditional Chinese medicine in eastern Asia for several centuries. Monascus-fermented products have many functional secondary metabolites, including monacolin K, citrinin, ankaflavin, and monascin. In several recent studies performed in our laboratory, these secondary metabolites have shown anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-tumor activities. Many published studies have shown the efficacy of Monascus-fermented products in the prevention of numerous types of cancer. The current article discusses and provides evidence to support that Monascus-fermented metabolites may be developed as painting drugs for the mouth to prevent or cure oral carcinogenesis. This is a novel therapeutic approach focusing on tumor growth attenuation to improve patient survival and quality of life.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Asia; Fermentation; Humans; Monascus; Mouth Neoplasms
PubMed: 22290648
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-012-3891-9 -
International Journal of Food... Oct 2022Red fermented rice (RFR) is rice fermented using Monascus spp. This product contains monacolin K, providing health benefits including mitigation of diarrhoea and... (Review)
Review
Monascus spp. and citrinin: Identification, selection of Monascus spp. isolates, occurrence, detection and reduction of citrinin during the fermentation of red fermented rice.
Red fermented rice (RFR) is rice fermented using Monascus spp. This product contains monacolin K, providing health benefits including mitigation of diarrhoea and improving blood circulation. RFR can produce pigments that can act as natural colour and flavouring agents. However, Monascus spp. (a fungal starter to ferment RFR) can also produce the mycotoxin, citrinin (CIT) which is believed to have adverse effects on human health. CIT in RFR has been reported worldwide by using different methods of detection. This review focuses on the production of RFR by solid-state fermentation (SSF) and submerged fermentation (SmF), the occurrence of CIT in RFR, CIT quantification, the factors affecting the growth of Monascus spp., pigments and CIT production in RFR, and possible methods to reduce CIT in RFR. This review will help the food industries, researchers, and consumers understand the risk of consuming RFR, and the possibility of controlling CIT in RFR.
Topics: Citrinin; Fermentation; Humans; Lovastatin; Monascus; Oryza
PubMed: 35863149
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109829 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2018The production of pigments and related byproducts, via microbial fermentation, has been broadly utilized as coloring by traditional food industries and as a natural... (Review)
Review
The production of pigments and related byproducts, via microbial fermentation, has been broadly utilized as coloring by traditional food industries and as a natural textile dye. In addition to these traditional purposes, pigments have been recently favored for a variety of commercial and academic purposes. Pigments and derivatives formed during fermentation have pharmaceutical and clinical properties that can counteract common diseases, including obesity, type-2 diabetes, and cancer. Various research attempts have investigated the optimum conditions for this derived compound synthesis, as well as the still-unknown bio-functional effects. Recently, several studies were conducted using sp. KCCM 10093 and its derivatives. These experimental outcomes potentially reflect the bio-functional features of sp. KCCM 10093. However, no publication to date provides an overview of sp. KCCM 10093's unique metabolite products, functionalities, or biological pathways. In order to develop profitable commercial applications of sp. KCCM 10093, it is necessary not only to conduct continuous research, but also to systematically organize previous studies. The goals of this review are to investigate the current derivatives of sp. KCCM 10093 pigments-some of which have demonstrated newly-identified functionality-and the relevant uses of these molecules for pharmaceutical or nutraceutical purposes.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Obesity Agents; Antiviral Agents; Cholesterol; Fermentation; Food Coloring Agents; Food Industry; Humans; Monascus; Pigments, Biological; Secondary Metabolism
PubMed: 29301350
DOI: 10.3390/molecules23010098 -
Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology of Highland Barley Went: A Comprehensive Review.Combinatorial Chemistry & High... 2023Highland barley Monascus purpureus Went, a traditional Tibetan medicine with food functions, which is fermented by Monascus purpureus with highland barley as substrate.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Highland barley Monascus purpureus Went, a traditional Tibetan medicine with food functions, which is fermented by Monascus purpureus with highland barley as substrate. It possesses various medical functions of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, invigorating spleen and promoting digestion in folk of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. This review provides a comprehensive overview of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of highland barley Monascus purpureus Went.
METHODS
The references of highland barley Monascus purpureus Went were retrieved from the online database, such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, SciFinder, PubMed, SpringLink, Elsevier, Willy, CNKI, and so on.
RESULTS
Phytochemical research revealed that highland barley Monascus purpureus Went contained multiple chemical components, including Monascus pigments, monacolins, lactones, and other compounds. The reported pharmacological activities of highland barley Monascus purpureus Went included hypolipidemic, anti-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and hepatoprotective activities.
CONCLUSION
In a word, botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of highland barley Monascus purpureus Went were reviewed comprehensively in this paper. In the future, highland barley Monascus purpureus Went needs further study, such as paying more attention to quality control and utilization of medicine. Therefore, this review may provide a theoretical basis and valuable data for future studies and exploitations on highland barley Monascus purpureus Went.
Topics: Ethnopharmacology; Monascus; Hordeum; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Phytochemicals; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 35984024
DOI: 10.2174/1386207325666220818153054 -
Critical Reviews in Food Science and... 2022pigments are a kind of high-quality natural edible pigments fermented by filamentous fungi, which have been widely used in food, cosmetics, medicine, textiles, dyes... (Review)
Review
pigments are a kind of high-quality natural edible pigments fermented by filamentous fungi, which have been widely used in food, cosmetics, medicine, textiles, dyes and chemical industries as active functional ingredients. Moreover, pigments have a good application prospect because of a variety of biological functions such as antibacterial, antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, regulating cholesterol, and anti-cancer. However, the low productivity and color value of pigments restrict their development and application. In this review, we introduced the categories, structures, biosynthesis and functions of pigments, and summarized the current methods for improving the productivity and color value of pigments, including screening and mutagenesis of strains, optimization of fermentation conditions, immobilized fermentation, mixed fermentation, additives, gene knockout and overexpression technologies, which will help to develop the foundation for the industrial production of pigments.
Topics: Antioxidants; Fermentation; Monascus; Pigmentation; Pigments, Biological
PubMed: 34132617
DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2021.1935443 -
Nutrients Sep 2023Dyslipidemia, a condition implying high cardiovascular risks, has been widely studied on its potential nutrition interventions, including functional foods. This study... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Dyslipidemia, a condition implying high cardiovascular risks, has been widely studied on its potential nutrition interventions, including functional foods. This study aims to examine the effect of nattokinase monascus supplements (NMSs) on cardiovascular biomarkers and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in patients with dyslipidemia. A total of 113 eligible subjects were randomly assigned to receive either NMSs or a placebo (55 and 58, respectively). After a 120-day intervention, there were significant mean absolute changes in total cholesterol (TC), low-density cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high-density cholesterol (non-HDL-C), and low-density cholesterol to high-density cholesterol ratio (LDL-C to HDL-C ratio), with values of -0.52 (95% CI: -0.51 to -0.54) mmol/L, -0.43 (95% CI: -0.45 to -0.41) mmol/L, -0.52 (95% CI: -0.52 to -0.52) mmol/L, and -0.29 (95% CI: -0.30 to -0.28) mmol/L, respectively, between the two groups. However, no significant differences were found in triglycerides (TGs), high-density cholesterol (HDL-C), and CIMT. Furthermore, the results for lipids and CIMT remained essentially unchanged after adjusting for various confounding factors using the analysis of covariance model. There were no significant differences in coagulation, liver function, renal function, or other indicators. No intervention-related adverse events, such as mouth ulcers, drooling, and stomach pain, were reported. The study results demonstrate that NMSs can ameliorate lipid levels (TC, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and the LDL-C to HDL-C ratio) without the occurrence of adverse events. However, it did not significantly affect serum TG, HDL-C, and CIMT.
Topics: Humans; Cholesterol, LDL; Monascus; Cholesterol, HDL; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; Hypercholesterolemia; Triglycerides; Dyslipidemias; Hyperlipidemias; Double-Blind Method
PubMed: 37836525
DOI: 10.3390/nu15194239 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Jun 2012Monascus species has been used as the traditional food fungus in Eastern Asia for several centuries. Monascus-fermented products are gradually developed as the popular... (Review)
Review
Monascus species has been used as the traditional food fungus in Eastern Asia for several centuries. Monascus-fermented products are gradually developed as the popular functional food for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, but we know that culture condition affects the hypolipidemic effect of Monascus-fermented product. In the past, the cholesterol-lowering agent--monacolin K--is regarded as the most important hypolipidemic agent. Two natural yellow pigments--monascin and ankaflavin--are also proven as novel hypolipidemic agents in recent years. However, the hypolipidemic effect of Monascus-fermented product should contribute from monacolin K, monascin, ankaflavin, and other unknown functional ingredients. In addition to hypolipidemic effect, the safety concern of Monascus-fermented product is involved in the levels of mycotoxin--citrinin. The hypolipidemic effect and the production of these functional metabolites or mycotoxin are influenced by many factors such as the choice of culture substrates, carbon and nitrogen source, pH value, extra nutrients, and so on. Therefore, this review focused on the effect of various culture conditions and nutrients on the functional metabolites production, hypolipidemic effect as well as citrinin concentration, and further organized the fermentation technologies used by previous studies for the promotion of hypolipidemic effect and safety.
Topics: Animals; Fermentation; Humans; Hyperlipidemias; Hypolipidemic Agents; Industrial Microbiology; Monascus
PubMed: 22562164
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-012-4083-3 -
Steroids Feb 2020Using a cell-based cytotoxicity assay, two new polyhydroxylated sterols, 16(S),22(S)-epoxy-3β,5α,6β,20(R),23(R),25-hexahydroxy-7-ergostene and...
Using a cell-based cytotoxicity assay, two new polyhydroxylated sterols, 16(S),22(S)-epoxy-3β,5α,6β,20(R),23(R),25-hexahydroxy-7-ergostene and 3β,7β,8α,25-tetrahydroxy-5,22E-ergostadiene were isolated from the ethyl acetate portion of the ethanolic extract of Monascus purpureus. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and in comparison with those reported in the literature. Both compounds showed cytotoxic activity against the lung adenocarcinoma (A549) with IC values of 12.6 and 18.5 μM, exhibited moderate activities against human ovarian cancer (A2780), with IC values of 8.8 and 9.4 μM.
Topics: A549 Cells; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Proliferation; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Fermentation; Humans; Hydroxylation; Molecular Conformation; Monascus; Oryza; Sterols; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tumor Cells, Cultured
PubMed: 31758964
DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2019.108546 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Jun 2012γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been reported to play a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system thereby exerting an inhibition in nerve impulse, in turn... (Review)
Review
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been reported to play a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system thereby exerting an inhibition in nerve impulse, in turn ameliorating depression; in addition, recent study also reveals the anti-hypertensive effect of GABA in vivo. Edible fungi of the Monascus species have been used as traditional Chinese medicine in eastern Asia for several centuries. Monascus-fermented products possess a number of functional secondary metabolites, including anti-inflammatory pigments (such as monascin and ankaflavin), monacolins, dimerumic acid, and GABA. Several scientific studies have shown that these secondary metabolites have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-tumor activities. Moreover, many published reports have shown the efficacy of Monascus-fermented products in the prevention or amelioration of some diseases, including hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, and numerous types of cancer in recent studies. The current article discusses and provides evidence to elucidate the anti-hypertensive benefit of Monascus-fermented metabolites, including anti-inflammatory pigments and GABA.
Topics: Antihypertensive Agents; Hypertension; Monascus
PubMed: 22526810
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-012-4076-2 -
Food & Function Jun 2017The metabolites of Monascus with multiple benefits are popular subjects for the development of functional foods. The yellow pigments, monascin and ankaflavin, which are... (Review)
Review
The metabolites of Monascus with multiple benefits are popular subjects for the development of functional foods. The yellow pigments, monascin and ankaflavin, which are the constituent metabolites of M. purpureus, M. pilosus and M. ruber, are becoming the focus of research on Monascus. Monascin and ankaflavin are azaphilone compounds with similar structures that exhibit multiple beneficial effects including anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-diabetes, immunomodulation, attenuation of Alzheimer's disease risk factor, and anti-tumorigenic effects. Monascin and ankaflavin not only possess pleiotropic bioactivities, but are also more potent than monacolin K in lowering lipid levels and have lower toxicity. Monascin and ankaflavin act as the activators of PPARγ agonist/Nrf-2 that subsequently ameliorate metabolic syndrome. Following the intensive exploration of Monascus bioactivities in recent years, the focus of research on Monascus-functional foods has shifted from whole fermented products/extracts to specific bioactive compounds. Therefore, the production of monascin and ankaflavin is an important topic with respect to Monascus-functional foods. Although several genomic studies have paved the way for understanding the production of secondary metabolites in Monascus, efforts are still required to effectively manipulate the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites with genetic engineering and/or culture techniques.
Topics: Animals; Fermentation; Flavins; Functional Food; Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; Humans; Metabolic Syndrome; Monascus
PubMed: 28608901
DOI: 10.1039/c7fo00406k