Monascin

Monascin is an azaphilonoid pigment that has been found in the fungus Monascus and has diverse biological activities. It induces peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) activity in a coactivator assay (IC50 = 2,038 nM) and inhibits oleic acid-induced fatty acid uptake, lipogenesis, and fatty acid oxidation in FL83B mouse hepatocytes. In vivo, monascin reduces hepatic IL-6, TNF-alpha, and TGF-beta levels, plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, and alanine transaminase (ALT), and hepatic macrovesicular steatosis in a mouse model of high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Monascin reduces the number of papillomas per mouse and the number of mice with papillomas in a mouse model of two-stage carcinogenesis induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA, Cay-10008014) and UVB or peroxynitrite when administered in the drinking water at a concentration of 0.0025%. It also reduces serum insulin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and HDL concentrations in a rat model of diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ, Cay-13104).Formal Name: (3S,3aR,9aR)-3a,4,8,9a-tetrahydro-9a-methyl-3-(1-oxohexyl)-6-(1E)-1-propen-1-yl-2H-furo[3,2-g][2]benzopyran-2,9(3H)-dione. CAS Number: 21516-68-7. Molecular Formula: C21H26O5. Formula Weight: 358.4. Purity: >95%. Formulation: (Request formulation change), A solid. Solubility: Acetonitrile: Soluble, Chloroform: Soluble. SMILES: C[C@]12[C@@](CC3=C(COC(/C=C/C)=C3)C2=O)([H])[C@H](C(O1)=O)C(CCCCC)=O. InChi Code: InChI=1S/C21H26O5/c1-4-6-7-9-17(22)18-16-11-13-10-14(8-5-2)25-12-15(13)19(23)21(16,3)26-20(18)24/h5,8,10,16,18H,4,6-7,9,11-12H2,1-3H3/b8-5+/t16-,18+,21-/m1/s1. InChi Key: XXKNHBAFFJINCK-RVEJDSBJSA-N. Origin: Fungus/Monascus sp..