Monascinol
Application Notes
Monascinol is a yellow-orange pigment isolated from the fungus Monascus purpureus used to produce red yeast ric . Monascinol increases the efficacy of irradiation in PC-3 prostate cancer cells, enhancing DNA damage and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Monascinol induces autophagy and cell death primarily via inhibition of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. Monascinol is a moderately potent inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase. Monascinol has potent anti-androgen activity.
References
- Monascuspiloin enhances the radiation sensitivity of human prostate cancer cells by stimulating endoplasmic reticulum stress and inducing autophagy. Chiu H-W. et al. PLoS One 2012, 7:e40462.
- HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors from monascus-fermented rice. Li X et al. J Chem. 2013, 872056:1.
- Screening of azaphilone derivatives from Monascus pilosus-fermented rice (red yeast rice) and their evaluation as nonsteroidal androgen receptor antagonists. Wu M-D. et al. Nat Prod Commun. 2019, 14, 1.