Monascus Yellow Pigments as Functional Food Ingredients
Abstract
The application of Monascus-fermented products is undergoing a notable transition from traditional red pigments and monacolin K to Monascus yellow pigments, in response to reported myopathic and hepatotoxic risks associated with monacolin K. This comprehensive review elucidates the structural diversity, biosynthetic pathways, and multi-target pharmacological mechanisms of key Monascus yellow pigments, including monascin, ankaflavin, and the recently characterized derivative monascinol. Advanced metabolic engineering and precision fermentation have enabled high-yield production of these chemically stable azaphilone compounds. Mechanistically, monascin and ankaflavin act as selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-α/γ) agonists and AMP-activated protein kinase activators. They exhibit hypolipidemic, anti-diabetic, and cardiovascular-protective effects without the creatine phosphokinase elevation associated with statin-related muscle toxicity. Furthermore, emerging evidence highlights the capacity of monascinol to modulate the gut-liver axis by enriching probiotic taxa, notably Akkermansia muciniphila and butyrate-producing bacteria, suggesting potential prebiotic- and postbiotic-like metabolic benefits. Conclusively, supported by robust in vitro, in vivo, and clinical evidence, Monascus yellow pigments offer a substantially superior safety margin compared to monacolin K, positioning them as highly promising, candidate precision functional ingredients for the…
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