Induction of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and glutathione S-transferase in cultured fetal rat hepatocytes by laccaic acid and monascus pigments

Beneficial effects of Monascus purpureus NTU 568-fermented products: a review

Monascus-fermented products have been used in food, medicine, and industry dating back over a thousand years in Asian countries. Monascus-fermented products contained several bioactive metabolites such as pigments, polyketide monacolins, dimerumic acid, and γ-aminobutyric acid. Scientific reports showed that Monascus-fermented products proved to be effective for the management of blood cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, and prevention of cancer development. This review article describes the beneficial effects about using Monascus-fermented products in human beings and animals.

Biological activities of oligoketide pigments of Monascus purpureus

Rubropunctatin (1), monascorubrin (2), monascin (3) and ankaflavin (4) were purified from the mycelium of Monascus purpureus by flash chromatography on silica gel or reversed phase. Their embryotoxicity towards chicken embryos decreased in the order 2 > 1 > 3 > 4. The lower homologues 1 and 3 exhibited teratogenic effects on these organisms. Significant antibiotic activities against Bacillus subtilis and Candida pseudotropicalis were found with compounds 1 and 2. Immunosuppressive activity on mouse T-splenocytes was most pronounced with compounds 3 and 4. None of the compounds showed significant cytotoxic activity towards rat hepatocytes in vitro. Incubation of resting cells of M. purpureus with glycine afforded the dark-red compounds 5 and 6 where the pyran moiety of 1 and 2 changed into the N-substituted dihydropyridine moiety by replacement of the O-atom by the amino group of glycine. Compounds 5 and 6 were less biologically active than the major pigments 1-4.

Reproductive and neurobehavioural effects of lac dye administered in the diet to mice

The natural colour additive, lac dye, was given in the diet to provide levels of 0 (control), 0.15, 0.30, and 0.60%, from 5 weeks of age in the F0 generation to 9 weeks of age in the F1 generation in mice, and selected reproductive and neurobehavioural parameters were measured. There were no adverse effects of lac dye on either litter size or litter weight and sex ratio at birth. The average body weight of offspring during the late lactation period was significantly increased in treatment groups of each sex. In the neurobehavioural parameters, swimming head angle was significantly affected in male offspring during the early lactation period in a dose-related manner, and olfactory orientation was significantly accelerated in female offspring in a dose-related manner. The dose levels of lac dye in the present study produced few adverse effects in reproductive and neurobehavioural parameters in mice.