The improvements of ankaflavin isolated from Monascus-fermented products on dyslipidemia in high-fat diet-induced hasmster

Impact of Red Yeast Rice on Metabolic Diseases: A Review of Possible Mechanisms of Action

Metabolic diseases constitute a major public health burden and are linked with high morbidity and mortality. They comprise atherosclerosis dyslipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. However, there is no single drug that can simultaneously treat multiple diseases with complex underlying mechanisms. Therefore, it is necessary to identify a class of adjuvant drugs that block the development of metabolic diseases from a preventive perspective. Red yeast rice is a food fermentation product widely used to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. Modern pharmacology has shown that red yeast rice exerts potential protective effects on the liver, pancreas, blood vessels, and intestines. Therefore, this study was carried out to analyze and summarize the effect of red yeast rice on several metabolic diseases and the mechanisms of action involved. It was found that red yeast rice may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases.

The Effect of Blue Light on the Production of Citrinin in Monascus purpureus M9 by Regulating the mraox Gene through lncRNA AOANCR

Blue light, as an important environmental factor, can regulate the production of various secondary metabolites of Monascus purpureus M9, including mycotoxin-citrinin, pigments, and monacolin K. The analysis of citrinin in Monascus M9 exposed to blue light for 0 min./d, 15 min./d, and 60 min./d showed that 15 min./d of blue light illumination could significantly increase citrinin production, while 60 min./d of blue light illumination decreased citrinin production. Analysis of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) was performed on the transcripts of Monascus M9 under three culture conditions, and this analysis identified an lncRNA named AOANCR that can negatively regulate the mraox gene. Fermentation studies suggested that alternate respiratory pathways could be among the pathways that are involved in the regulation of the synthesis of citrinin by environmental factors. Aminophylline and citric acid were added to the culture medium to simulate the process of generating cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in cells under illumination conditions. The results of the fermentation showed that aminophylline and citric acid could increase the expression of the mraox gene, decrease the expression of lncRNA AOANCR, and reduce the yield of citrinin. This result also indicates a reverse regulation relationship between lncRNA AOANCR and the mraox gene. A blue light signal might regulate the mraox gene at least partially through lncRNA AOANCR, thereby regulating citrinin production. Citrinin has severe nephrotoxicity in mammals, and it is important to control the residual amout of citrinin in red yeast products during fermentation. LncRNA AOANCR and mraox can potentially be used as new targets for the control of citrinin production.

Monascus yellow, red and orange pigments from red yeast rice ameliorate lipid metabolic disorders and gut microbiota dysbiosis in Wistar rats fed on a high-fat diet

This study aimed to compare the hypolipidaemic activities of different Monascus pigments (yellow, red and orange pigments) and elucidate their possible regulatory mechanisms on lipid and cholesterol metabolism in rats fed on a high-fat diet (HFD). Results showed that oral administrations of Monascus yellow, red and orange pigments can markedly alleviate the disturbance of lipid metabolism through ameliorating the serum lipid levels and suppressing hepatic lipid accumulation and steatosis. Meanwhile, the excretion of fecal cholesterol, triacylglycerols and bile acids was also promoted by the oral administrations of different Monascus pigments (MPs). Furthermore, Monascus pigment (MP) supplementation produced significant structural changes in the intestinal microbiota of HFD-fed rats, and modulated the relative abundance of functionally related microbial phylotypes compared with the HFD group in particular. Key phylotypes in response to the HFD and Monascus pigment (MP) intervention were found to strongly correlate with the lipid metabolism disorder associated parameters using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Some beneficial gut microbiota (such as Oscillibacter sp., Ruminococcus albus, Clostridium sp., etc.) were found to be negatively correlated with the serum and hepatic lipid indicator. Moreover, Monascus pigment (MP) treatments regulated the mRNA expression levels of the genes responsible for lipid and cholesterol metabolism. In general, different Monascus pigments (MPs) regulate the homeostasis of lipid and cholesterol metabolism through different regulatory pathways. These findings illustrated that not only Monascus yellow pigments, but also Monascus red and orange pigments have the potential to ameliorate lipid metabolic disorders, and therefore could be used as potential functional food ingredients for the prevention or treatment of hyperlipidemia and gut microbiota dysbiosis.

(-)-Hydroxycitric acid reduced fat deposition via regulating lipid metabolism-related gene expression in broiler chickens

BACKGROUND

Chicken as a delicious food for a long history, and it is well known that excess fat deposition in broiler chickens will not only induced metabolic diseases, but also lead to adverse effect in the consumer's health. (-)-Hydroxycitric acid (HCA), a major active ingredient of Garcinia Cambogia extracts, had shown to suppress fat accumulation in animals and humans. While, the precise physiological mechanism of HCA has not yet been full clarified, especially its action in broiler chickens. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effect of (-)-HCA on lipid metabolism in broiler chickens.

METHODS

A total of 120 1-day-old broiler chickens were randomly allocated to four groups, with each group was repeated three times with 10 birds. Birds received a commercial diet supplemented with (-)-HCA at 0, 1000, 2000 or 3000 mg/kg, respectively, for a period of 4 weeks ad libitum.

RESULTS

Body weight (BW) in the 2000 and 3000 mg/kg (-)-HCA groups was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) than that in control group. A significantly decreased of serum triglyceride (TG) and density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) content were observed in 3000 mg/kg (-)-HCA group (P < 0.05). Broiler chickens supplmented with 2000 and 3000 mg/kg (-)-HCA had pronouncedly higher hepatic lipase (HL) activity, hepatic glycogen and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) contents in liver (P < 0.05). Serum free triiodothyronine (FT3) and thyroxin (T4) contents were significantly higher in 3000 mg/kg (-)-HCA group (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. Supplemental (-)-HCA markedly decreased fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) (P < 0.05) mRNA levels, while the mRNA abundance of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinaseβ2 (AMPKβ2) (P < 0.05) was significantly increased. In addition, ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) mRNA level (P < 0.05) was significantly decreased in broiler chickens supplemented with 3000 mg/kg (-)-HCA. No differences was observed on carnitine palmitoyl transferase-I(CPT-I), while peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor α (PPARα) mRNA level (P < 0.05) was significantly increased in broiler chickens supplemented with 2000 and 3000 mg/kg (-)-HCA.

CONCLUSIONS

Supplemental (-)-HCA inhibited lipogenesis by inhibiting ACLY, SREBP-1c and FAS expression, and accelerated lipolysis through enhancing HL activity and PPARα expression, which eventually led to the reduced abdominal fat deposition in broiler chickens. Graphical abstract Mechanism of (-)-HCA effect on hepatic lipids metabolism.

Resveratrol protects against methylglyoxal-induced hyperglycemia and pancreatic damage in vivo

Methylglyoxal (MG) has been found to cause inflammation and insulin resistance in vitro and in vivo in recent studies. Resveratrol has been proposed as an effective treatment that helps lower the risk of developing complications of diabetes. To study the significance of glycosylation-related stress on the pathology of diabetes, the effects of resveratrol were examined in a mouse model of diabetes induced by MG. Resveratrol was given via oral gavage in MG-treated mice, and diabetes-related tests and markers were assessed using biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses. Treatment with resveratrol markedly improved blood glucose level from the oral glucose tolerance test and promoted nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) phosphorylation (p < 0.05) in the pancreas of MG-treated mice. However, these effects were abolished by retinoic acid, Nrf2 inhibitor, in resveratrol and retinoic acid-treated and MG-induced mice. These findings support that resveratrol may be useful in the treatment of type-2 diabetes by protecting against pancreatic cell dysfunction.