Dimerumic acid and deferricoprogen produced by Monascus purpureus attenuate liquid ethanol diet-induced alcoholic hepatitis via suppressing NF-κB inflammation signalling pathways and stimulation of AMPK-mediated lipid metabolism

The Role of Oxidative Stress in Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Preclinical Studies

Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (AFLD) is characterized by the accumulation of lipids in liver cells owing to the metabolism of ethanol. This process leads to a decrease in the NAD+/NADH ratio and the generation of reactive oxygen species. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to investigate the role of oxidative stress in AFLD. A total of 201 eligible manuscripts were included, which revealed that animals with AFLD exhibited elevated expression of CYP2E1, decreased enzymatic activity of antioxidant enzymes, and reduced levels of the transcription factor Nrf2, which plays a pivotal role in the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, animals with AFLD exhibited increased levels of lipid peroxidation markers and carbonylated proteins, collectively contributing to a weakened antioxidant defense and increased oxidative damage. The liver damage in AFLD was supported by significantly higher activity of alanine and aspartate aminotransferase enzymes. Moreover, animals with AFLD had increased levels of triacylglycerol in the serum and liver, likely due to reduced fatty acid metabolism caused by decreased PPAR-α expression, which is responsible for fatty acid oxidation, and increased expression of SREBP-1c, which is involved in fatty acid synthesis. With regard to inflammation, animals with AFLD exhibited elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-a, IL-1β, and IL-6. The heightened oxidative stress, along with inflammation, led to an upregulation of cell death markers, such as caspase-3, and an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Overall, the findings of the review and meta-analysis indicate that ethanol metabolism reduces important markers of antioxidant defense while increasing inflammatory and apoptotic markers, thereby contributing to the development of AFLD.

Utilization of agro-industrial by-products in Monascus fermentation: a review

The Monascus fermentation industry has gained global attention. Its key products, i.e., pigments, functional food ingredients, food supplements, and medicinal use, are growing in the world's market. Efforts to find the cost-effective substrate for Monascus fermentation have remained the target. This paper aimed to appraise the utilization of agro-industrial by-products (cereal, starchy tuber and root, legume, fruit, and coffee processing) as a cost-effective substrate for Monascus fermentation. The specific objective was to review the by-products pre-treatment, the fermentation process, product yield, and the bioactivity of the fermented products. Among all the by-products that could be used as the fermentation substrate, cereal brans do not need pre-treatment, but others need a suitable pre-treatment step, e.g., cassava peel, okara, and jackfruit seed to list a few, that need to be powdered beforehand. Other substrates, such as corn cob and durian seed, need soaking and size reduction through the pre-treatment step. During fermentation, Monascus produce many pigments, monacolin K, associated with rise in phenolic and flavonoid contents. These products possess antioxidant, antihypercholesterol, antidiabetes, and antiatherosclerosis activities which underpin their health significance. In conclusion, we report in this review the agro-industrial by-products which have potential prospects for pigments, functional food ingredients, food supplements, and therapeutic usages produced from Monascus fermentation.