Development of Monascusfermentation technologyfor high hypolipidemic effect

Monascus species has been used as the traditionalfood fungus in Eastern Asia for several centuries. Monascus-fermented products are gradually developed as the popularfunctional food for the prevention of cardiovasculardisease, but we know that culture condition affects thehypolipidemic effect of Monascus-fermented product. Inthe past, the cholesterol-lowering agent—monacolin K—isregarded as the most important hypolipidemic agent. Twonatural yellow pigments—monascin and ankaflavin—arealso proven as novel hypolipidemic agents in recent years.However, the hypolipidemic effect of Monascus-fermentedproduct should contribute from monacolin K, monascin,ankaflavin, and other unknown functional ingredients. Inaddition to hypolipidemic effect, the safety concern ofMonascus-fermented product is involved in the levels of mycotoxin—citrinin. The hypolipidemic effect and theproduction of these functional metabolites or mycotoxin areinfluenced by many factors such as the choice of culturesubstrates, carbon and nitrogen source, pH value, extranutrients, and so on. Therefore, this review focused on theeffect of various culture conditions and nutrients on the functionalmetabolites production, hypolipidemic effect as well ascitrinin concentration, and further organized the fermentationtechnologies used by previous studies for the promotion ofhypolipidemic effect and safety.