Monascus rice products effect

Rhabdomyolysis in a stable renal transplant recipient was attributed to the presence of red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus) in a herbal mixture (116). The condition resolved when he stopped taking the product. Rice fermented with red yeast contains several types of mevinic acids, including monacolin-K, which is identical to lovas-tatin. The authors postulated that the interaction of ciclosporin with these compounds through cytochrome P450 had resulted in the adverse effect. Transplant recipients must be cautioned against using herbal products to lower their lipid concentrations, in order to prevent such complications. 

Since citrinin is a mycotoxin and possesses nephrotoxic and hepato-toxic effects, it has a negative impact on the acceptance of red mold rice by consumers. Studies on MRP with a high concentration of monacolin K and a low concentration of citrinin have been conducted by several laboratories (Chen and Hu, 2005 Wang et al., 2004). Since citrinin possesses antibacterial activity for B. subtilis, a simple and quick selection method for mutant strains with low citrinin production was developed based on the formation of an inhibition zone around the colony of the Monascus strain (Wang et al., 2004). Their results showed that mutant strain, M. purpureus N 301, only produced 0.23 mg/kg citrinin, which was 50% less than that of the parent strain. Chen and Hu (2005) obtained... 

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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