A variety of chromatographic techniques, including silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20, and HPLC, were employed to isolate and purify the fermentation products of rice with Monascus sanguineus. A total of 38 compounds were isolated, and their structures were identified by UV, IR, NMR, MS, calculated ECD, and comparison with literature data. Compounds 1-4 were identified as new natural products, and other compounds were isolated from this fungus for the first time. A RAW264.7 macrophage model of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced inflammation was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities of all the compounds. The results showed that compound 6 exhibited a certain inhibitory effect on the production of nitric oxide in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells, with an inhibition rate of 53.08%.
Monascus/chemistry* ; Mice ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification* ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Macrophages/immunology* ; Nitric Oxide/immunology* ; Oryza/metabolism* ; Fermentation

Trace chemical constituents from the ethyl acetate extract of Red Yeast Rice were investigated. Four phenolic compounds were isolated by various column chromatographies, and their structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic analysis including UV, MS, IR and NMR. The four compounds were identified as 2-methyl-5-(2'R-methyl-4'-hydroxy-butyl)-cinnamic acid(1), 5-(2'-hydroxy-6'-methyl phenyl)-3-methylfuran-2-carboxylic acid(2), daidzein(3), and genistein(4). Compound 1 was new and 2 was firstly discovered from the genus Monascus, while 3-4 were obtained from Red Yeast Rice for the first time.
Biological Products ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Monascus ; Phenols ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of Monascus purpureus metabolite.

METHODThe compounds were isolated by column chromatography methods, and their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods.

RESULTEight compounds were isolated from the petroleum ether fraction of ethanolic extract and elucidated as stigmast-4-en-3-one (1), 3-oxo-24-methylenecycloarane (2), stigmasterol (3), 7beta-hydroxystigmasterol (4), 3beta-hydroxystigmast-5-en-7-one (5), 3beta-hydroxystigmast-5,22-dien-7-one (6), 5alpha, 8alpha-epidioxyergosta-6,22-dien-3beta-ol (7), sitosterol (8).

CONCLUSIONAll of the compounds were isolated from this genu for the first time except compound 3 and 7.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Monascus ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Steroids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo establish an instant determination method of citrinin in red kojic by high performance capillary electrophorphores for the first time.

METHODRed kojic was extracted with the mixtrue of Toluene and ethyl acetate (70:30). Separation was carried out in an uncoated fused silica capillary (50 microm x 45.0 cm). Meanwhile, a running voltage 15 kV, 20 mmol L(-1) borax buffer with 10.0 mmol L(-1) sodium deoxycholate (pH 9.3) and a UV detector at 212 nm were adopted.

RESULTRegression equation of citrinin was Y=9434 + 16781X (r =0.990), The lower limit of quantification (S/N > or =3) was 0.5 mg mL(-1). The assay coefficients of variation ranged from 98.8% to 101.1%. The intra and inter recovery ranged from 0.83 to 1.54% and from 1.86 to 5.09%. Twenty samples were determined with the method.

CONCLUSIONThe method is proved to be simple, rapid and accurate, and it can be used to determine citrinin in red kojic.

Citrinin ; analysis ; Electrophoresis, Capillary ; methods ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Monascus ; chemistry ; Reproducibility of Results

OBJECTIVETo obtain the full-length cDNA of a novel gene (named yp05) associated with citrinin production-related genes in Monascus aurantiacus.

METHODSTotal RNA was extracted from mycelium, 3' and 5' cDNA end of yp05 gene was amplified using smart trace cDNA amplification kit, and the full-length cDNA of a novel gene (named yp05) was obtained from the electronic assembly of 3'-RACE and 5'-RACE products.

RESULTSThis yp05 gene was 787 bp including a 597 bp open reading frame (ORF) and encoded a deduced protein with 199 amino acid residues, and the amino acid sequence of this protein was found similar with the sequences of many fungal manganese-superoxide dismutases in the GenBank with the aid of BLASTp. The transcription of yp05 gene in Monascus strains was analyzed with the aid of Northern blotting. The transcription of yp05 gene was only detected in Monascus strains, provided that citrinin was produced.

CONCLUSIONThe transcription of yp05 gene belongs to differential expression genes of citrinin yielded from Monascus and has no correlation with the biosynthesis pathway of red pigments.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Blotting, Northern ; Citrinin ; biosynthesis ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; chemistry ; Fungal Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; Gene Library ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Monascus ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mycelium ; genetics ; metabolism ; Pigments, Biological ; biosynthesis ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA