2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Functionality and applications of Monascus koji to food products

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23500936
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Eating habits, studies on eating habits
Research Institution	Showa Women's University
Principal Investigator	TAKAHASHI Mami 昭和女子大学, 生活科学部, 講師 (10245912)
Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha)	MATSUMOTO Takashi 昭和女子大学, 生活機構研究科, 教授 (30119317)
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2013
Keywords	モナコリンK / 紅麹 / 生理機能 / 官能評価
Research Abstract	Monacolin K, a cholesterol-lowing agent, is a secondary metabolite of Monascus koji. The effective utilization of M.koji contaiing monacolin K in bread have not been reported. So,the influence of M.koji in making bread on the microstructure and sensory evaluation were investigated. Bread containing 2% M.koji, the gas cell walls of the breads contained small holes. The results of sensory evaluation indicated that bread containing 0.05% to 0.1% M.koji were provided high evaluation in all six items investigated.In the experiment to breed rats with the bread containing M.koji,the increase in body weight did not have significant difference compared with the control rats, but, contents of plasma total cholesterol were decreased.

(1 results)