Monascus spp. is a filamentous fungus that can produce beneficial secondary metabolites including Monascus pigments (MPs), monacolin K and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which possess the important biological activities such as acting as a colorant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammation agent. Therefore, Monascus is widely used in such industries such as foods, medicine and brewing. However, Monascus can produce citrinin with nephrotoxicity, which limits its application. In this review, we systematically summarize the latest research progress on the synthesis pathway, biological activity and synthesis regulation of MPs, monacolin K, GABA and citrinin, as well as the application of Monascus in dairy products. We hope that this review can provide new ideas for the safe development of dairy products fermented by Monascus.

Mold-ripened cheese was prepared using a commercial starter culture combined with Monascus, and its physicochemical properties, free amino acids, microstructure and volatile flavor substances were evaluated. The results showed that the yield of cheese was 16.55%, and the protein, fat, calcium, water, and salt contents of the cheese were 18.03%, 33.40%, 376.67 mg/100 g, 44.47%, and 863.67 mg/100 g, respectively. During the ripening process, pH value first decreased, then increased and finally leveled off. The microstructure indicated that Monascus had a significant effect on the internal structure of mature cheese. A total of 23 free amino acids and 32 volatile compounds were identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). At the end of the ripening period (21 days), the content of free amino acids in mold-ripened cheese was increased by an average of 58.8 times over the beginning of ripening, and the types and contents of volatile compounds also changed significantly.

In this investigation, emulsifiers with different values of hydrophile lipophilic balance (HLB) were prepared with different ratios of mono- and di-glycerin fatty acid esters and sucrose esters in order to study their effect on fat coalescence and crystallization in whipped cream and on its emulsion properties and whipping properties. The results showed that as the HLB value of emulsifiers increased, the particle size and apparent viscosity of emulsions increased, thereby prolonging the whipping time. Based on the results of thermodynamics and Avrami isothermal crystallization kinetics, it was found that the melting temperature of high melting point milk fat was significantly improved by using the emulsifier with an HLB value of 10, resulting in the fastest crystallization rate. The emulsifier with HLB value between 8 and 10 improved the whipping characteristics of whipped cream, reduced the percentage of serum leakage and improved the spreadability and therefore could be more suitable for the industrial production of high-quality decorative whipped cream.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of Monascus on bioactive peptides, particularly angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides, during cheese maturation. The content of soluble nitrogen, α-glucosidase and ACE inhibitory activities during the ripening process were investigated. Cheese not inoculated with Monascus as a control group. The peptide profile of Monascus cheese was identified. The potential bioactive peptides were screened by bioinformatics and molecular docking, and the selected peptides were synthesized and evaluated. The results showed that compared with the control group, the pH 4.6 soluble nitrogen content (pH 4.6-SN) and trichloroacetic acid soluble nitrogen (TCA-SN) of Monascus cheese were increased by 57.98% and 38.34%, and the α-glucosidase and ACE inhibitory activities were increased by 32.21% and 73.98%, respectively. A total of 1796 peptides were identified in the extract of Monascus cheese, including 51 ACE inhibitory peptides, 28 antioxidant peptides and 7 glucose-lowering peptides. Two ACE inhibitory peptides YPFPGPI and FPEVFGK were selected, whose half-maximal inhibitory concentration values were 207.31 and 410.61 μmol/L, respectively. The inhibition type was non-competitive. This study has provided a rapid screening method for ACE inhibitory peptides, and has proved that the addition of Monascus in cheese can effectively improve the ACE inhibitory activity, which provides a reference for exploring the potential functional properties of Monascus cheese.

Probiotics exert numerous beneficial effects by regulating gut microbiota composition and are considered a promising nutritional strategy for ameliorating lipid metabolism disorders. This study evaluated the beneficial effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum FS5-5 (L. plantarum FS5-5), a candidate probiotic with lipid-lowering ability, on diet-induced lipid metabolism disorders. The results showed that strain FS5-5 significantly decreased weight gain, fat coefficient, and lipid levels while alleviating liver oxidative stress damage in high-fat diet (HFD) mice. Serum metabolomics results showed that L. plantarum FS5-5 modulated lipid metabolism, particularly in linoleic acid metabolism, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, and primary bile acids (BAs) biosynthesis pathways. Mechanism analysis suggested that L. plantarum FS5-5 promoted fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) by regulating the expression of key genes in the lipid metabolism pathway, including Fxr, Fgf15, Shp, Pparγ, Pgc1α, etc. This effectively reduced several medium/long-chain acylcarnitines levels in serum and promoted fat breakdown. Further analysis showed that the abundance of gut-beneficial bacteria was increased, and intestinal permeability and barrier damage were alleviated after FS5-5 intervention. Spearman correlation analysis showed that several specific genera were notably associated with HFD-related indicators. These findings demonstrated that L. plantarum FS5-5 was a potential functional food for preventing lipid metabolism disorders.

The use of Monascus has a history of over 1000 years in China and it is commonly used for making red yeast rice and fermented bean curd. Its metabolites demonstrate broad application potential in the fields of food, health products and medicine. This review summarizes recent advances in research on the metabolites of Monascus in terms of their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, blood glucose-lowering, and blood pressure-lowering effects. Studies indicate that Monascus metabolites contain various functional components, such as Monascus pigments, monacolin K and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which exhibit their biological activities through multiple mechanisms. Some Monascus pigments have antibacterial properties, monacolin K is an ideal lipid-lowering agent, and GABA shows a significant blood pressure-lowering effect. Additionally, Monascus metabolites demonstrate good anti-inflammatory activity and blood glucose-lowering effects, and show significant anti-inflammatory effects in inflammation models. In conclusion, Monascus metabolites have broad application prospects, but further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism of their health benefits. This review will promote their development and application in the food, health and medical fields.

In this research, the effect of different secondary homogenization pressures on the quality of ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilized (UHT) whipped cream was analyzed. The results showed that secondary homogenization of whipped cream at pressures ranging from 4 to 8 MPa shifted the size distribution of the emulsion droplets toward smaller values, and increased the apparent viscosity, which improved the stability of the emulsion. However, too high homogenization pressure led to fat aggregation within the emulsion droplets, affecting the apparent viscosity and foam stability of whipped cream. With an increase in secondary homogenization pressure, whipping time of whipped cream was prolonged, whipping rate, foam stability and hardness was decreased, and even at 12 MPa, it could not be whipped into shape. Therefore, it is recommended that the secondary homogenizing pressure be controlled in the range of 4 to 6 MPa.

A lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strain BD-1 was isolated from red fermented bean curd, and the effect of BD-1 and its fermentation supernatant on the production of Monascus pigments (MPs) by Monascus purpureus ATCC 16365 was studied. The results showed that BD-1 was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum through Gram staining, physiological and biochemical profiles and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Five different inoculum sizes of 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8% and 1.0% were tested for strain BD-1 and ATCC 16365 was cultured for 0, 24 or 48 h. It was found that adding 0.6% BD-1 to the fermented medium with ATCC 16365 after culture for 24 h markedly increased the color value and synthesis of extracellular Monascus pigments (EMPs) and intracellular Monascus pigments (IMPs). Under this condition, the color values of EMPs and IMPs were (6.24 ± 0.05) and (288.14 ± 6.82) U/mL, and their synthesis was increased by (146.55 ± 7.84)% and (16.07 ± 0.30)% compared with the control group, respectively. In addition, adding the fermentation supernatant of BD-1 to ATCC 16365 also remarkably increased the color value and synthesis of EMPs, which were increased to 4.20 U/mL and by (29.85 ± 5.40) % compared to the control group, respectively. In summary, the optimal inoculum size of BD-1 for MPs production was 0.6%.

Probiotics are living microorganisms that provide health benefits to the host when consumed in certain amounts. Autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis are immune diseases that cause tissue and organ damage due to immune dysfunction in the body. Patients with autoimmune diseases often suffer from intestinal flora disorders. Probiotic intervention can restore intestinal microecological balance, avoiding the toxic side effects of medications, so it provides a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases. This article reviews the recent progress in research on autoimmune diseases and presents the current status and future prospects of the application of probiotic intervention strategies in autoimmune diseases.