Monascin and ankaflavin prevents metabolic disorder by blood glucose regulatory, hypolipidemic, and anti-inflammatory effects in high fructose and high fat diet-induced hyperglycemic rat

Monascin (MS) and ankaflavin (AK) produced by Monascus purpureus fermented red mold dioscorea (RMD) elicit an anti-diabetes effect in streptozocin-induced type 1 diabetes. However, their effects on preventing metabolic disorder with type 2 diabetes induced by long-term high fat and high fructose diet (HFFD) remain unclear. In this study, RMD, MS, and AK were orally administered to HFFD-fed rats for 10 weeks. The result showed that orally administered MS, AK, and RMD were able to prevent the develop-ment. MS had a more potent effect on lowering blood glucose, fructosamine, and insulin resistance, and increasing hepatic glucose transporters-2, adipocyte glucose transporters-4, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α. AK had a greater effect on lowering blood lipid, adipose pad, and adipose inflammatory factors (interlukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interlukin-6) levels. Therefore, the prevention of type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders of RMD could be mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of MS and AK.