title: Red mold dioscorea: a potentially safe traditional function food for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.
abstract: A study was undertaken to evaluate whether the interaction between Monascus-fermented products and lovastatin contributes to increased risk of rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a potentially dangerous side effect of statin drugs. In this study with hyperlipidemic hamsters fed lovastatin only, lovastatin with 1-fold red mold dioscorea (RMD), and lovastatin, the functional components of red mold fermented products, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, did not exacerbate pre-existing diseases, and actually helped in improving existing disease conditions, respectively, as compared with the control. Administration of RMD, alone or in combination with lovastatin did not cause significant rhabdomyolysis as assessed by measuring the levels of creatinine phosphokinase. Further, we did not find any study that clearly implicates the involvement of RMD, which have long been considered a food product, in liver and kidney toxicity. RMD alone or in combination with lovastatin, does not increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis, even when administered at a high dosage (including HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors >75 mg/day/adult).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tzu-Ming
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006224:Cricetinae; D027742:Dioscorea / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D005285:Fermentation; D055951:Functional Food / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D032741:Monascus / Q000378:metabolism*; D012206:Rhabdomyolysis / Q000209:etiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D008148:Lovastatin