Monascus pilosus and cholesterol, red yeast rice and lovastatin, review of research studies and interaction with statin drugs, Lipitor and Zocor
Monascus pilosus and monascus purpureus are fungi, yeast or molds that grow on rice making red yeast rice. The importance of this is that red yeast rice contains several compounds, such as lovastatin, which has an influence on cholesterol levels. Red-Yeast-Rice supplements are sold over the counter.
Monascus pilosus and cholesterol
Red Yeast Rice Fermentation by Selected Monascus sp.
with Deep-Red Color, Lovastatin Production but No Citrinin, and Effect of
Temperature-Shift Cultivation on Lovastatin Production.
Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2009.
Monascus pilosus NBRC4520 was selected for functional fermented food inoculation
for its high lovastatin and low citrinin production with a deep-red color. For
koji (mold rice) with high lovastatin production, separation of the growth phase
and lovastatin production phase by shifting the temperature from 30 to 23
degrees C increased lovastatin production by nearly 20 times compared to
temperature-constant cultivation. In addition, citrinin was not produced even in
the lovastatin production phase, although the pigment was increased. With
temperature-shift cultivation, 225 mug lovastatin /g dry koji was produced in 14
days without citrinin.
Downregulation of hepatic lipoprotein assembly in rats
by fermented products of Monascus pilosus.
Nutrition. 2008.
In this study, we examined whether fermented
products of Monascus pilosus have regulatory effects on the hepatic lipoprotein
assembly. Maintenance on a 1% cholesterol diet for 2 wk significantly raised
animals' blood lipid levels and increased the expression of intestinal
microsomal triacylglycerol transfer protein, hepatic apolipoprotein B-100, and
acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase. Supplementation of Monascus pilosus
fermented products or garlic powder significantly lowered animals' blood lipid
levels and inhibited the expression of intestinal microsomal triacylglycerol
transfer protein and hepatic apolipoprotein B-100. The
3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase was downregulated by the
Monascus pilosus fermented product grown in regular medium but not in
garlic-containing medium. The expression of antioxidant enzymes was
significantly upregulated by the Monascus pilosus fermented product grown in
garlic-containing medium. Monascus pilosus fermented products exert the
cholesterol lowering effect by mechanisms other than the inhibition of
cholesterol biosynthesis.
Monacolin formation
Identification of the mokH gene encoding transcription factor for the
upregulation of monacolin K biosynthesis in Monascus pilosus.
J Agric Food Chem. 2010.
Monacolin K is a secondary metabolite synthesized by polyketide synthases
from Monascus. The monacolin K biosynthetic gene cluster, mokA-mokI, has been
characterized in Monascus pilosus. The mokH gene encoding Zn(II)2Cys6 binuclear
DNA binding protein is assumed to be an activator for monacolin K production. In
this study, the mokH gene was cloned and driven by the
glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd) promoter for overexpression in M.
pilosus. Our results indicated that mokH upregulated the transcription of
monacolin K biosynthetic genes and increased monacolin K production.
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