• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.341-348
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• 2014

We investigated the anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic effects of extracts of two roasted coffee beans (Vietnam robusta and Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2) and fermented coffee beans with Monascus rubber mycelium (MR) by solid-state culture. C57B/L6 mice were divided into seven groups: normal diet (ND) group, high fat diet (HFD) group, and HFD groups with hot water extracts from Vietnam robusta coffee beans (HFD-VR), MR-fermented Vietnam robusta coffee beans (HFD-VR-MR), MR-fermented Vietnam robusta coffee beans with 10% brown rice (HFD-VR-MR-BR10), Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2 coffee beans (HFD-ES), and MR-fermented Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2 coffee beans (HFD-ES-MR). After 6 weeks, body weight gain and food efficiency ratio were higher in the HFD group, but significantly reduced in the coffee extracts-fed groups. The HFD-ES-MR group showed greater body weight reduction than the HFD-ES group. The serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels as well as the atherogenic index and cardiac risk factor all tended to decrease in groups fed Vietnam robusta coffee extracts compared to the HFD group. These results suggest that Vietnam robusta and Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2 may be used to make functional coffee beverages with anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic activities.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.1646-1652
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• 2002

Si-Raw is a raw cured meat (raw, cured meat fermented with steamed rice) produced by the aboriginal people of Taiwan. In order to prevent food poisoning or intoxication from botulism, new methods of monitoring the production base on hurdle technology were investigated. New methods investigated incorporated citric acid, sodium hypophosphite, Monascus anka mash, plum paste or lactic acid bacteria inoculum added separately to meat with steamed rice and salt to lower the Aw (water activity) and pH values of the products to control the microbial growth. Results showed that anaerobic bacterial counts, lactic acid bacterial counts and aerobic bacterial counts for the products of all treatments were less than $10^6$, $10^5$ and $10^2cfu/g$, respectively. Sodium chloride content of all products was above 5.46%, water activity was below 0.939 and pH value was below 4.27. IMP was lower and ATP and hypoxanthine were higher. ATP concentrations were higher in the samples which contained the anka mash. Result of sensory panel test indicated that most people preferred the products with added sodium hypophosphite. Except for the fact that the content of tryptamine in the sample with Monascus anka mash was higher, the amine concentrations for all treatments were lower than those of other fermented meat products. The amino acid nitrogen content was higher in the product made from raw meat treated with citric acid, but lower in the other products. Neither Clostridium botulinum nor Trichinella spiralis were detected in any of the treatments. The result may indicate that hurdle technology is effective for hygiene and safe producing Si-Raw.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.1153-1160
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• 2009

Monascus-fermented Korean red ginseng (MFRG), fermented by Monascus purpureus KCCM 12002, may be an ideal candidate for the hepatoprotectic, hypolipidemic and antioxidative activities. Effect of MFRG powder on these parameters in rats was investigated. Body weight gain, food intake, and water consumption were not significantly different among the groups. Total and relative weights of liver were significantly higher in MFRG group than that in other groups. The activities of AST and $\gamma$-GTP were highly lowered in MFRG group compared to control group. Contents of serum total lipid and triglyceride were significantly lowered in silymarin group and were significantly increased in MFRG group compared to control group, but tended to be lowered in RG group. Serum content of total cholesterol tended to be lowered in silymarin, RG, and MFRG groups compared to control group. HDL-cholesterol contents was only significantly increased in MFRG group compared to control group. At the same time, atherogenic index (AI) was also significantly lowered in silymarin, RG and MFRG groups compared to control group, and this effect was more pronounced in MFRG group. Content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the liver was significantly lowered in MFRG group and tended to lowered in silymarin and RG groups compared to control group. The hepatic glutathione concentration was significantly higher in silymarin and MFRG groups. Hepatic morphology in all experimental groups revealed clear-cut hepatic lobules with the uniform pattern of the polyhedral hepatocytes radiating towards the periphery from the central vein. These results suggested that MFRG may have anti-atherogenic index (AI) and antioxidative activity in normal dietary feeding rats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.1186-1193
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• 2015

This study was performed to investigate the changes in monacolin K content and antioxidant activities of Monascus-fermented brown rice with different germination temperatures and periods. Brown rice was germinated at 32, 35 and $37^{\circ}C$ for 1~4 days, after white rice (WB), brown rice (BR), and germinated brown rice (GBR) were fermented with M. pilosus 305-9 at $30^{\circ}C$ for 20 days. The redness, yellowness and Monascus pigments increased after germination. Total monacolin K content increased from 215.85 mg/kg of BR to 1,263.04 mg/kg of GBR ($32^{\circ}C$/1 day), whereas monacolin K content decreased with increase in germination period. Citrinin was not detected in any of the samples. Total polyphenol (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC) increased with increase in germination temperature and period, whereas electron donating ability (EDA) and total antioxidant activities (TAA) decreased due to reduction of Monascus pigment content. The TPC and TFC showed the highest values (13.80 mg/g and 1.30 mg/g, respectively) in GBR ($37^{\circ}C$/4 day), whereas EDA and TAA showed the highest values (22.16 mg Trolox equivalent/g and 62.27 mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g, respectively) in GBR ($32^{\circ}C$/1 day). These results indicated that the optimal germination temperature and period for increasing monacolin K content and antioxidant activities was found to be at $32^{\circ}C$ for 1 day. In addition, it was found that M. pilosus 305-9 was a useful strain for increasing monacolin K content without producing citrinin in functional foods and pharmaceutical industrial regions.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.757-766
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant effects of non-fermented (CAC) and Monascus pilosus-fermented Columbia arabica coffee (FCAC), as well as Luwak coffee (LC) beans. The results indicated that total polyphenols content (mg/g of dry basis) was highest in CAC (70.69), followed by LC (62.07), and FCAC (41.38). However, the ratio of total flavonoids/polyphenols in FCAC was the highest. In terms of electron donating ability (%, coffee mg/mL), CAC was significantly higher than LC and FCAC. Regardless of fermentation, ferric reducing antioxidant powers were similar in CAC and FCAC and lowest in LC. LC also had the highest inhibitory activity against xanthine oxidase (XO). However FAAC had the highest inhibitory activity against aldehyde oxidase (AO), with nearly three times the levels found in CAC and LC. According to the above results, FCAC had a higher ratio of flavonoids/polyphenols and iron chelating activity than CAC. FCAC also had the highest AO inhibitory activity among the three experimental coffee beans. The results suggest that further studies are required to evaluate the bioactive components of various coffee beans so as to determine the potential benefits that coffee may have on preventing oxidative stress-related conditions.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2014

This study investigated anti-obesity and antioxidant effects of dietary non-fermented soybean crud residue (SCR) and fermented SCR by Monascus pilosus (FSCR) in high-fat induced-obese mice. SCR and FSCR were supplemented with high-fat diet at 2% (wt/wt) dose for 8 weeks. Both SCR and FSCR significantly lowered body weight, epididymal fat weight and weight gain rate compared to high-fat diet control (HC) group and FSCR group showed lowest weight gain rate. In addition, it was observed that serum and hepatic lipid profiles including triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were significantly improved by supplementing SCR or FSCR. Furthermore, SCR and FSCR administration showed increase of glutathione content and decrease of hepatic lipid peroxide content, serum aminotransferase activity, and hepatic xanthine oxidase activity. On the other hand, activities of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzyme such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase in two test groups were higher than those of HC. Lastly, in comparison with SCR, FSCR was more effective in restoring obesity-related biomarkers to normal level in high-diet induced obese mice. In conclusion, the present study indicates that FSCR could have not only anti-obese effects such as inhibition of abdominal fat accumulation, but also protective effects of cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis by decreasing serum and hepatic lipid contents. Furthermore, these results suggest that experimental diets in this study could alleviate hepatic damage caused by overproduction of reactive oxygen spices (ROS) due to obesity via inhibition of ROS generating activities and induction of ROS scavenging activities.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.706-713
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the contents of monacolin K and citrinin, along with the sensory quality and antioxidant activity of mulberry leaf tea fermented by $Monascus$ $pilsous$ (FMM). Total monacolin K content of FMM was 0.058%, but citrinin was not detected. Redness of brewed FMM was remarkably higher than that of unfermented mulberry leaf tea (UFM). In sensory evaluation of brewed FMM, while astringent taste and savory taste were lower, flavor, color, and overall acceptability were significantly higher than those of UFM. Total polyphenol contents of UFM and FMM were 83.1 and 23.61 mg/g (dry basis), total flavonoid contents of UFM and FMM were 17.96 and 3.99 mg/g (dry basis), respectively. Xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity of FMM were lower than those of UFM. Electron-donating ability and ferric-reducing antioxidant power of FMM were slightly lower than those of UFM. However, the antioxidant activities of FMM per polyphenol content were markedly higher than those of UFM. These results suggest that FMM may scavenge excessive reactive oxygen spices (ROS) via inhibition of XO and SOD-like activity. Furthermore, FMM demonstrated relatively higher acceptability and antioxidant ability along with functionality of $Hongguk$ (red yeast rice), and therefore could be utilized to prevent various ROS-induced diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1516-1524
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• 2013

To find a novel skin whitening agent, the effect of cordycepin-enriched Cordyceps militaris (CM${\alpha}$) extract fermented by fungi on anti-melanogenesis in B16F0 mouse melanoma cells was investigated. Fermented CM${\alpha}$ was prepared with fungi, including Monascus purpureus (Mp), Aspergillus oryzae (Ao), Aspergillus kawachii (Ak), and Rhizopus oryzae (Ro), respectively. When the content of the phenolics and the flavonoids and the activities of the antioxidant and the mushroom tyrosinase inhibition were measured in the CM fermented by Ak (AkF-CM), the highest content of the phenolics was 46 mg/g dry weight and the highest content of the flavonoids was 0.93 mg/g; the highest activity of the DPPH radical scavenging was 62.74% and the highest activity of the mushroom tyrosinase inhibition was 79.97% CM${\alpha}$CM${\alpha}$. From this result, AkF-CM${\alpha}$ exhibited the highest mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity and so it was used in subsequent anti-melanogenesis. B16F0 melanoma cells were treated with 1-10 mg/ml concentrations of AkF-CM${\alpha}$ and 200 ${\mu}M$ arbutin as the positive control. The melanin content and cell viability of the melanoma cells by arbutin treatment decreased to 43% and 92% of the control, respectively. AkF-CM${\alpha}$ treatment at 1, 3, and 5 mg/ml concentrations decreased the extracellular melanin release induced by IBMX treatment by 35%, 45%, and 53%, respectively. AkF-CM${\alpha}$ showed inhibitory activity against both intracellular tyrosinase in melanoma cells and mushroom tyrosinase. AkF-CM${\alpha}$ reduced the protein level of tyrosinase in the IBMX-stimulated cells. These results indicate that AkF-CM${\alpha}$ suppressed the activity and protein content of cellular tyrosinase and decreased the total melanin content in cultured B16F0 melanoma cells.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.88-92
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• 2006

Physicochemical, texture, and sensory properties of Jeung-pyun prepared with different concentrations of Monascus rubber DSJ-20 (Red yeast rice) were determined. Acidities and pH values of 3-5% M. rubber DSJ-20-treated groups were similar to those of control group. Degree of surface color increased in proportion to M. rubber DSJ-20 concentration. Hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of 1-2% M. rubber DSJ-20-treated groups were higher than those of control. Network structures of 3-15% M. rubber DSJ-20-treated groups were well-formed, similar to that of control. Strong bitter taste and flavor of Monascus were detected in 5-15% M. rubber DSJ-20-treated groups through sensory evaluation. These results suggest is 3% M. rubber DSJ-20 is desirable leavening concentration for making Jeung-pyun.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.983-993
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• 2009

The effects of Monascus-fermented Korean red ginseng (MFRG) on the contents of serum lipids and tissues lipid peroxidation was investigated in alcohol feeding rats (AC group). Serum contents of total lipid and free fatty acid in alcohol feeding rats were significantly increased, but these increases tended to decrease in the AMFRG group. Serum triglyceride content was also significantly decreased in the AMFRG group compared to other groups. Serum content of total-cholesterol was significantly increased in AC group compared to normal control (NC) group, whereas there was no significant difference between the AC and AMFRG groups. Content of HDL-cholesterol in serum was slightly increased in the AC group compared to the NC group, but this increase in the AC group was more significantly increased in the AMFRG group. At the same time, atherogenic index (AI) was also significantly decreased in the AMFRG group compared to the AC group. Contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the liver, heart, spleen and testes were significantly increased in the AC group compared to the NC group, but these increases were significantly less in the AMFRG group. Contents of liver nonheme ion was increased in the AC group and was significantly decreased in the AMFRG group, which suggested that lipid peroxidation contents are inversely correlated with liver nonheme ion content. Hepatic glutathione concentration was significantly decreased in the AC group, but this content was significantly increased in the AMFRG group and it showed the antioxidant abilities of glutathione. These results suggested that Monascus-fermented Korea red ginseng has anti-atherogenic index (AI) effects as well as antioxidative activities through reduced tissue oxidative stress in alcohol feeding rats.