• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.187-195
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• 2021

This study was performed to investigate the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of soybean fermented with Monascus. Also, the changes in the content of isoflavones and Monacolin K were analyzed. It was observed that the glycoside forms of daidzin and genistin were converted to aglycones of daidzein and genistein within 6 days of fermentation. The product can be used as a health functional material that can increase bioavailability. Monacolin K production was found to increase significantly with the progression of fermentation with an increase to 0.04 mg/g and 0.44 mg/g on 6 and 12 days of fermentation, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of soybean fermented with Monascus was significantly increased compared to that of soybean. The protein expression of inflammation-related genes (TNF-α, IL-6, and COX-2) in the MIN cell was significantly increased in the presence of alloxan compared to the normal group, but a decrease was observed in the presence of soybean fermented with Monascus. In conclusion, soybean fermented with Monascus showed the highest antidiabetic and antioxidant effects. These results suggest that soybean fermented with Monascus has the potential to be used as a beneficial ingredient with antidiabetic and antioxidant effects.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.526-536
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• 2021

This study was conducted to investigate the anti-obesity effect of Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus After inducing obesity by feeding hight fat diet (diet induced obesity model: DIO) for four weeks, each 8 rats were assigned to normal (Nor), high fat diet (HF), high fat diet containing orlistat (PC), high fat diet containing different concentration of Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus (UPDM_L, UPDM_H) and Discorea Japonica Thunb. (UPD) extract. Although the UPD, UPDM_L (ultrafine pulverized Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus: 400 mg/kg) and UPDM_H (DIO oral administration ultrafine pulverized Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus: 800 mg/kg) showed weight gain inhibition effects, the results of poor obesity inhibition rather than PC were confirmed. However, it showed a more effective weight loss effect in UPDM_H than UPD, and significantly reduced the weight of epididymal fat and subcutaneous fat. Furthermore, the possibility of anti-obesity effects of Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus can be confirmed by observing the effects of reducing serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL concentrations, reducing ALT and AST levels, and inhibiting fat build-up in liver tissue. It is believed that Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus can be expected to utilize as a functional material that is important to improve anti-obesity and metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.178-186
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• 2020

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) contains several compounds that have been reported to alleviate menopausal symptoms via interacting with estrogen receptors (ERs). The compounds exist mainly in the form of glycosides, which exhibit low bioavailability and function. To bioconvert liquiritin and isoliquiritin, the major estrogenic compounds, to the corresponding deglycosylated liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin, respectively, licorice was fermented with Monascus, which has been demonstrated to deglycosylate other substances. The contents of liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin in Monascus-fermented licorice increased by 10.46-fold (from 38.03 μM to 379.75 μM) and 12.50-fold (from 5.53 μM to 69.14 μM), respectively, compared with their contents in non-fermented licorice. Monascus-fermented licorice exhibited 82.5% of the ERβ binding activity of that observed in the positive control (17 β-estradiol), whereas the non-fermented licorice exhibited 54.1% of the binding activity in an in vivo ER binding assay. The increase in the ERβ binding activity was associated with increases in liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin contents. Liquiritigenin acts as a selective ligand for ERβ, which alleviates menopausal symptoms with fewer side effects, such as heart disease and hypertension, compared with a ligand for ERα. In addition, Monascus-fermented licorice contained 731 mg/kg of monacolin K, one of the metabolites produced by Monascus that reduces serum cholesterol. Therefore, Monascus-fermented licorice is a promising material for the prevention and treatment of menopausal syndrome with fewer side effects.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.451-456
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• 2007

The potential antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts from soybean and rice fermented with Monascus sp. were investigated. M. pilosus IFO 480 and M. anka IFO 478 were screened as a suitable strain to promote the antioxidant activities in soybean- and rice- fermentation. The methanol extracts from soybean and rice after fermenting for 20 days at $30^{\circ}C$ resulted in a significant increase in the antioxidant capacities expressed as radical (ABTS and DPPH) scavenging assay and peroxidation inhibition (%) by thiocyanate method and increased (p<0.01) by a 2.6 to 3.1-fold compared with those of the unfermented products. The average antioxidant potentials of Monascus-fermented soybean extracts (MFSE) were significantly (p<0.01) stronger than Monascus-fermented rice extracts (MFRE). A linear correlations between free radical scavenging activity of MFSE and the total phenolics content (r=0.84) and total flavonoids content (r=0.81) were observed. These results indicated that MFSE exhibited stronger (p<0.01) antioxidant activity and contained significantly higher levels (p<0.05) of phenolics than MFRE.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.829-832
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate antioxidative and physiological activities of ethanol extracts concentration from Monascus-Fermented Chinese Yam (MFCY). The ethanol extracts from MFCY were measured to examine pigments, DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power and monacolin K contents. As a results show that Monascus sp. MK805, with Dioscorea japonica as the substrate can produce pigments (yellow, orange and red), DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power and monacolin K content at 29.6 (yellow), 15.1 (orange), 20.4 (red), 72.8%, 1.74(OD at 700nm), 480.6 mg/kg in EtOH extract, respectively. Therefore, fermented chinese yam (Dioscorea japonica) was estimated to be effective biological activity material.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

To enhance the physiological activities of roasted coffee (RC), 30 kinds of green coffee beans (GCB) with different cultivating areas and varieties were fermented with Monascus ruber mycelium (MR) by solid-state culture. After the dried MR-fermented GCB was subjected medium roasting, each RC was extracted with hot-water. Among the hot-water extracts, the highest yield was the hot-water extract of RC from MR-fermented Indonesia Mandheling GCB (15.5%). However, the hot-water extract of RC from MR-fermented Ethiopia Sidamo GCB showed significantly higher polyphenolic contents (3.08 mg GAE/100 mg) and ABTS free radical scavenging activity (25.41 mg AEAC/100 mg). Meanwhile, the hot-water extract of RC from MR-fermented Vietnam Robusta GCB showed not only the effective inhibition of $TNF-{\alpha}$ level (73.7% inhibition of LPS-stimulated control) from LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells but also significant inhibition of lipogenesis (63.5% inhibition of lipid differentiation control) in 3T3-L1 pre-adipose cells. In conclusion, these results suggest that roasted coffees from Ethiopia Sidamo and Vietnam Robusta green coffee beans fermented with Monascus ruber mycelium using solid-state culture could have industrial applications as functional coffee beverages.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.256-261
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• 2006

Soybeans were fermented with Monascus sp. to select strain with highest mevinolin production through solidstate fermentation. Monascus pilosus IFO 480 showed highest yield of 2.2 mg mevinolin per g dry weight without citrinin, toxic fungal secondary metabolite, as byproduct. Nutrient broth used for soybean fermentation with Monascus sp. was composed of 3.4 rice powder, 1.1 peptone, 2.6 glycine, 12.9 glucose, initial pH 6.0 (%, w/v). Mevinolin was present in fermentation substrate largely as hydroxy carboxylate form (open lactone, 91.8-96.8%), which is used as hypocholesterolemic agent. Production of mevinolin continued up to 50 days fermentation time at $30^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2012

Green tea leaves were fermented for 15 and 30 days with Monascus pilosus which is known to produce functional statins (TMs), and the content of various biochemical constituents such as total polyphenol (TP), total flavonoid (TF), theaflavin, and thearubigin were analyzed and compared with that of non-fermented green tea (GT) and Pu-erh Chinese post-fermented tea (PU). In addition to the electron donating ability (EDA), ferric iron reducing power (FIRP), xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity, iron chelating activity (ICA) and hydrogen peroxide contents were also measured and compared with that of GT and PU. Content of TP and TF in the water and ethanol extracts in TMs were lower than those in GT and PU. Theaflavin and thearubigin contents of water and ethanol extracts in TMs were higher than those of GT. And, these components were increased depending on the period of fermentation. While, EDA and FIRP of TMs were lower than those of GT, XO inhibitory activity of TMs was higher than non-fermented tea. While, ICA of TMs was slightly higher than GT and PU, the content of hydrogen peroxide in TMs was markedly lower than GT. This results suggested that the green tea fermented by M. pilosus was valuable for oxidative stress-induced diseases by decreasing hydrogen peroxide, and forming theaflavins and thearubigins with functionality of genus Monascus.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2007

The production of mevinolin, a potent hypocholesterolemic drug, and the bioconversion of isoflavones were investigated in soybeans fermented with Monascus pilosus KFRI-1140. The highest yields of 2.94 mg mevinolins and 1.13 mg isoflavone aglycones per g dry weight of soybean were obtained after 20 days of fermentation. Mevinolin was present in the fermentation substrate predominantly in the hydroxycarboxylate form (open lactone, 94.8$\sim$96.7%), which is currently being used as an hypocholesterolemic agent. The significant (p<0.01) bioconversion (96.6%) of the glucoside isoflavones (daidzin, glycitin, genistin) present in the soybean to the bioactive aglycones (daidzein, glycitein, genistein), with a 15.8-fold increase of aglycones was observed. The results suggest that Monascus-fermented soybean has potential as a novel medicinal food or multifunctional food supplement.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.293-298
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• 2005

This study was investigated to examine the physicochemical properties of functional rice and the adaptable food processing of the added functional rice. The functional rice are Sanghwang rice, Agaricus rice(fermented with basidiomycota), Tochukaso rice, fermented with Monascus rubber rice. Fermented with Monascus rubber rice contains more crude protein, curde lipid, moisture, and total dietary fiber. The cross sectional shapes of the functional rice show polygon shapes, the starch granules of those rice are transformed. In sensory evaluation, fermented with Monascus rubber rice was showed the lowest values for glossness, color, flavor, sweetness, harshness, overall acceptability. The textural properties for those ratios were also affected by the period of storage. After 48 hours, the lowest hardness level was 30% Tochukaso rice addition, and the highest hardness level was 10% Sangwhang rice addition case. In 30% Sangwhang rice, and 30% tochukaso rice case gumminess values were decreased after 48 hours. But in 30% Sangwhang rice, and 30% Tochukaso rice case, the chewiness values decreased. This result suggest that the most suitable addition ratio for the rice cooking condition is 10% functional rice addition.