title: Monascus pigments.
abstract: Monascus pigments (MPs) as natural food colorants have been widely utilized in food industries in the world, especially in China and Japan. Moreover, MPs possess a range of biological activities, such as anti-mutagenic and anticancer properties, antimicrobial activities, potential anti-obesity activities, and so on. So, in the past two decades, more and more attention has been paid to MPs. Up to now, more than 50 MPs have been identified and studied. However, there have been some reviews about red fermented rice and the secondary metabolites produced by Monascus, but no monograph or review of MPs has been published. This review covers the categories and structures, biosynthetic pathway, production, properties, detection methods, functions, and molecular biology of MPs.
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yanchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Fusheng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D015394:Molecular Structure; D032741:Monascus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012275:Oryza / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010860:Pigments, Biological