AUTHOR=Liu Lujie , Zhao Jixing , Huang Yaolin , Xin Qiao , Wang Zhilong 

TITLE=Diversifying of Chemical Structure of Native Monascus Pigments

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.03143

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2018.03143

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Red Yeast Rice, produced by solid state fermentation of <italic>Monascus</italic> species on rice, is a traditional food additive and traditional Chinese medicine. With the introduction of modern microbiology and biotechnology to the traditional edible filamentous fungi <italic>Monascus</italic> species, it has been revealed that the production of red colorant by fermentation of <italic>Monascus</italic> species involves the biosynthesis of orange <italic>Monascus</italic> pigments and further chemical modification of orange <italic>Monascus</italic> pigments into the corresponding derivates with various amine residues. Further study indicates that non-<italic>Monascus</italic> species also produce <italic>Monascus</italic> pigments as well as <italic>Monascus</italic>-like pigments. Based on the chemical modification of orange <italic>Monascus</italic> pigments, the diversification of native <italic>Monascus</italic> pigments, including commercial food additives of Red <italic>Monascus</italic> Pigments<sup>®</sup> and Yellow <italic>Monascus</italic> Pigments<sup>®</sup> in Chinese market, was reviewed. Furthermore, <italic>Monascus</italic> pigments as well as their derivates as enzyme inhibitors for anti-obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia was also summarized.</p>