BACKGROUND/PURPOSES Monascin (MS) and ankaflavin (AK) produced by Monascus purpureus NTU 568 were proven to show excellent hypolipidemic effects in our previous studies; however, the mechanism is still unclear. METHODS This study used MS, AK, and monacolin K as test substances and performed tests on rats fed high-fat and high-cholesterol diet for 8 weeks. The lipid levels and the related prot...

Monascus purpureus C322 was cultivated on well-established production media to yield prevailingly red or orange pigment-rich ethanolic extracts. Once these extracts had been diluted by an overall factor of 50, they were used as such to dye raw wool standard specimens differently premordanted using alum or stannic chloride. Independently of the mordant used, the specimens dyed with the red pigme...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Monascus Adlay (MA) prepared from fungal fermentation of Monascus purpureus inoculating with cooked adlay contains high content of monakolin K (MK) and phenolic compounds. We explored whether MA and MK improve FeCl3-induced arterial thrombosis in rats. METHODS The rats were divided into control, FeCl3-treated rat carotid artery occlusion (TTO), TTO determined with one-week MA,...

Increased oxidative stress induces inflammation to several tissues/organs leading to cell death and long-term injury. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and autophagic regulatory functions has been widely used as preventive or therapeutic strategy in modern medicine. Oxidative stress and inflammation have been widely reported to contribute to...

Monacolin M, a new specific inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis structurally related to monacolin K (mevinolin), was isolated from cultures of a strain of Monascus ruber. The structure of monacolin M was determined to be beta-hydroxybutyryl ester of monacolin J by a combination of physical techniques. It was suggested that monacolin M is derived from monacolin J via a synthetic pathway distin...

Fermented red yeast rice has been traditionally consumed as medication in Asian cuisine. This study aimed to determine the in vivo hypocholesterolemic and antioxidant effects of fermented red yeast rice water extract produced using Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Monascus purpureus strains in mice fed with high cholesterol diet. Absence of monacolin-k, lower le...

Red yeast rice is an ancient Chinese dietary staple and medication used by millions of patients as an alternative therapy for hypercholesterolemia. In recent years, the use of red yeast rice has grown exponentially due to increased public interest in complementary and alternative medications and the publication of several randomized, controlled trials demonstrating its efficacy and safety in di...

The optimal medium pH to produce biomass and fatty acids by the red yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides NCYC 921 is 4.0, and to produce carotenoids is 5.0. Based on this difference, a dual-stage pH control fed-batch cultivation strategy for the enhancement of lipids and carotenoids production by this yeast was studied. The results showed that when the yeast growth phase was conducted at pH 4.0, and...