Monascin (monascoflavin) is a yellow-orange pigment isolated from the fungus, Monascus purpureus used to produce red yeast rice. The structure of monascin was elucidated in 1960. Monascin has a broad bioprofile, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective and antitumor effects. Monascin is a PPAR-γ agonist and attenuates proinflammatory mediators, including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression as well as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE2) formation caused by ovalbumin-induced inflammation in the human THP-1 monocyte cell line. Monascin inhibits the skin tumor-initiating effects of peroxynitrite or UVB and the tumor-promoting effects of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in a mouse model.
