title: Immunomodulatory activities and antioxidant properties of polysaccharides from Monascus-fermented products in vitro.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Monascus-fermented products have featured in Chinese cuisine for thousands of years and are widely used as food colourants and dietary materials in many Asian countries. Rice and dioscorea fermented with Monascus purpureus NTU 568 have health-promoting attributes in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects of polysaccharides from red mould rice (RMRP) and red mould dioscorea (RMDP) in Raw 264.7 cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed the antioxidant capabilities (including scavenging, chelating, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and reducing power) of RMRP and RMDP at a concentration of 10 mg mL(-1). RMRP and RMDP also stimulated cell proliferation, nitric oxide production, phagocytosis and cytokine production (including IL1-β, IL-6 and TNF-α) in Raw 264.7 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings demonstrate that RMRP and RMDP have antioxidant and immunomodulation potential to be developed as novel dietary supplements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Chuan
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Tony J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Shen-Shih
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Chin-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Cheng-Lun
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Tzu-Ming
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D027742:Dioscorea / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D032741:Monascus / Q000378:metabolism*; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D028321:Plant Preparations; D011134:Polysaccharides