The physico-chemical alteration of lovastatin and enhanced antioxidant effect of Bacillus subtilis fermented-red yeast rice product

•The red yeast product of Monascus was converted by B. subtilis.•B. subtilis fermentation showed physico-chemical alteration of lovastatin.•The 3(2H)-benzofuranone was produced by B. subtilis fermentation.•Antioxidant effect of the fermented red yeast product was enhanced.•A novel process of B. subtilis-fermented red yeast should be considered.

Red yeast rice product (RYP) has been used as a food supplement because of its lipid lowering, and in food additives as a natural colorant. Lovastatin of RYP is a hypolipidemic commercial drug. To enhance the beneficial effects of RYP, we performed a bioconversion with Bacillus subtilis. This B. subtilis-fermentation process of RYP increased the ratio of the active open-hydroxyl acid form and the prodrug lactone form of lovastatin, which is a potent cholesterol synthesis inhibitor. 3(2H)-benzofuranone was newly produced in the fermented red yeast rice product (FRYP) as analyzed by GC-MS. FRYP increased the free radical scavenging activity compared with RYP. FRYP blocked xanthine oxidase (XO)-induced oxidative cytotoxicity and inhibited the H2O2-induced intracellular ROS in cells. This is the first study to illustrate that B. subtilis-fermented FRYP is useful for facilitating the alteration in the physico-chemical property of lovastatin and enhancing antioxidant activity, which may have greater pharmacological activity.