Research Progress in the Blood Lipid-Lowering Activity and Application Status of Monascus

Abstract:

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases with increasing incidence rates in recent decades have become a great challenge to public health on a global scale, posing a threat to human health. Monascus can produce various bioactive components such as statins, Monascus pigment, and γ-aminobutyric acid through metabolic processes. These components can help decrease the levels of blood lipid, blood pressure, and blood glucose while preventing and treating diseases such as tumors, inflammation, and osteoporosis. Therefore, Monascus has been widely used in multiple fields such as medical treatment, food supplements, brewing foods, and biocatalysis. Especially, blood lipid-lowering preparations based on Monascus are gradually becoming a new choice for people's health management. The author provides an overview of the blood lipid-lowering effects of Monascus and its metabolites, as well as the current application status of blood lipid-lowering supplements produced from Monascus, providing reference for the research and application of functional foods related to Monascus.