Monascus , Mevinolin

In 1976, mevastatin (ML-236B, 6-demethylmevinolin) (2) was first reported as a potent competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase from the culture of Penicillium citrinum [23,24], which is identical with compactin, an antifungal compound isolated from P. brevicompactum [25,26]. Lovastatin (mevinolin, monacolin K) (3) has been isolated from the cultures of Aspergillus terreus [27] and Monascus ruber [28,29], separately. 

It was discovered by the Merck Sharp Dohme Research Laboratories that a strain of Aspergillus terreus obtained from a soil sample produced the cholesterol lowering fungal metabolite lovastatin (initially named mevinolin). Details of the isolation, structural characterization and biochemicai properties of iovastatin have been summarized by Alberts et al. (1). Lovastatin is identicai to monacoiin K isoiated independently from Monascus ruber by Endo (2). 

Pattanagul, R, Pinthong, R., Phianmongkhol, A., Tharatha, S. (2008). Mevinolin, citrinin and pigments of adlay angkak fermented by Monascus sp. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 126, 20-23. 

Mevastatin (compactin) and lovastatin (mevinolin) are fungal fermentation products naturally produced by certain higher fungi. Mevastatin was first isolated by Akira Endo and co-workers in the 1970s from Penicillium citri-num Lovastatin is produced by Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) and closely related to Pleurotus spp. as well as to Monascus purpureus (Chinese red yeast rice). Both mevastatin and lovastatin have a powerful inhibitory effect on HMG-CoA reductase. Discovered in the 1970s, they were taken into clinical development as potential dmgs... 

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