RICE RED CHINA or red yeast rice is a natural preservative and food coloring and healthful. Also considered a cure various diseases. Based on research, products processed from this rice could reduce excess cholesterol.
Angkak word more often heard as the outbreak of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). DHF cases appear regularly every year, especially in the rainy season. Some citizens believe that red yeast rice can be used as a platelet booster drug.
So far there is not sufficient scientific evidence to support it. However, if the empirical evidence in the community has shown it, certainly does not hurt to try. In the paper following the discussion about red yeast rice was associated only with its role as colorants, preservatives, as well as lowering blood cholesterol.
Ordinary people call Chinese red yeast rice as brown rice because the product is red, made from rice, and in the history of Chinese origin. In some countries, known as red yeast rice is different, such as beni-koji, hong qu, hung-chu, Monascus, red koji, red leaven, red yeast rice, xue zhi kang, and tai zhi. In China, the term tai zhi means Angkak in the form of dry powder, while xue zhi kang means Angkak been extracted with alcohol.
Preparation of red yeast rice in China was first performed during the reign of the Ming dynasty in power at the XIV-XVII centuries. In China, red yeast rice used since centuries ago, either for food or medicine. Angkak created through the fermentation of rice with the mold Monascus purpureus.
Along with the development of the slogan back to basics, use as dyes and preservatives Angkak began ogled the community. Several recent scientific evidence shows that red yeast rice can also be used as a cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood pressure. Because such a large red yeast rice benefits, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, has received red yeast rice as food supplements.
As a Drug
The use of red yeast rice as a medicine in China began in the Tang Dynasty. More detailed description of the red yeast rice may be read in a book of ancient Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the Ben Cao Gang Mu-And Shi Bu Yi, published during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In the book, red yeast rice has been declared as an upset stomach (indigestion and diarrhea), blood circulation, as well as for the spleen and stomach health.
In the art of traditional Chinese medicine, red yeast rice is used for the treatment of diseases indigestion, muscle injury, dysentery, and anthrax. Angkak also often used to relieve the work strengthens the function of the spleen and stomach, an organ which outlines the red blood cells that have been worn and filter out foreign substances.
Medicinal compounds contained in red yeast rice is actually a product of secondary metabolites of mold Monascus purpureus, namely lovastatin. Levels of lovastatin in red yeast rice about 0.2 percent. Lovastatin (C24H36O5) or Mevacor or monacolin K has been known as medicinal compounds that can lower blood cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia.
Some recent research shows that red yeast rice contains a compound gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholine chloride, which is an active compound that is hypotensive, means capable of lowering blood pressure. Therefore, red yeast rice is often used as a blood pressure-lowering drugs by people with hypertension.
Currently, red yeast rice has been marketed commercially as a supplement to improve heart health. Examples of products that have been circulating: Cholestini with Angkak content of 600 mg per capsule and Ruby Herbalin Monascusi with Angkak content of 500 mg per capsule. Nevertheless, children and adolescents under the age of 20 years is not recommended to use these supplements.
In traditional Chinese medicine, red yeast rice supplement dose used is very high, reaching 6000-9000 mg per day. While the recommended dose is 600 mg (oral doses), repeated 2-4 times per day. One study showed that administration of red yeast rice to adults with a dose of 1,200 mg per day for eight weeks, does not cause negative effects.
However, because information about the security impact of the use of high doses of red yeast rice in the long term is still very limited, the use should be limited only in the short term. Although rare, side effects that can be provided by the consumption of red yeast rice is a headache, stomach pain, gas arises, dizziness, and burning in the stomach.
People who are at risk of liver disease or are suffering from liver disease should not take red yeast rice. By the same mechanism as the decrease in cholesterol, red yeast rice may also affect liver function.
Alcoholics, people who are experiencing serious infections and physical disorders, or who have organ transplants, it is recommended to avoid the use of red yeast rice. Impact on people who are pregnant and lactating women have not been evaluated, but should be avoided.
Lowering Cholesterol
Since the 1970s several studies showed that red yeast rice may lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Some research indicates that Monascus purpureus could produce various compounds that are collectively called monacolin, are compounds that can lower blood cholesterol levels in the body.
Monacolin compounds are capable of inhibiting the action of the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), an enzyme which is necessary for the synthesis of cholesterol. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors can reduce intracellular deposits of cholesterol and inhibits the synthesis of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) in the liver.
Given VLDL is the precursor of LDL, VLDL synthesis inhibition will automatically reduce the amount of LDL. High cholesterol levels are very undesirable because it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke, and hypertension. With impaired work HMG-CoA reductase enzyme by compounds that exist in the red yeast rice, the rate of synthesis of cholesterol in the body is inhibited, so that could dramatically lower the body's cholesterol levels. Tersebutlah beliefs that encourage the use of red yeast rice as well as lowering cholesterol and drugs for heart disease.
The study of red yeast rice used 83 people with high cholesterol have been conducted at the UCLA School of Medicine. Compared with patients given placebo (without red yeast rice), red yeast rice over a 12-week administration can significantly reduce levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides (fatty compounds that can also accumulate in the blood vessels and cause damage). On the other hand, the provision of red yeast rice has no effect on levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).
A study presented at the annual congress of the American Heart Association's 39th in 1999 showed that giving Angkak in patients with hypercholesterolemia for eight weeks can lower total cholesterol by 16 to 22.7 percent, LDL by 21-31 percent and triglycerides by 24 - 34 percent. While HDL cholesterol increased by 14-20 percent.
Red yeast rice should not be consumed together with the cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) that are inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (such as atorvastatin, lovastatin, fluvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, cerivastatin). Therefore, it can increase the effect of the drug that would eventually raise the risk of liver damage.
Dyes are Safe and Healthy
Since time immemorial, our ancestors have been accustomed to using natural dyes in foods and beverages are made. The use of natural dyes clearly safer and healthier than synthetic dyes. Natural dyes are pigments derived from plant materials, animal, bacteria, and algae.
Attention to the importance of using natural dyes in foods is increasing lately. It was triggered by fears of negative impacts that can be caused by synthetic dyes. Some suspected carcinogenic synthetic dyes, which can lead to cancer cells.
Mold Monascus purpureus grown on rice as a substrate can produce a yellow pigment, red, and orange. Red pigment produced by fungi have been used as natural dyes in foods since many centuries ago, especially by people in Asian countries, like China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Philippines.
The red color of red yeast rice as a potential replacement for synthetic red color, which is currently very wide use in various food products. Some examples of food products that have used the red dye is red yeast rice wine, cheese, vegetables, fish paste, fish sauce, alcoholic beverages, cakes, and processed meat products (sausages, ham, corned beef).
As a natural dye, red yeast rice has a fairly stable trait that can be mixed with other color pigments, and non-toxic. The main color pigments produced by Monascus purpureus in fermentation Angkak is monaskorubrin and monaskoflavin. There are three primary colors that can be caused by the pigment in red yeast rice, which is yellow, orange, and red.
Angkak pigment stability is strongly influenced by sunlight, ultraviolet light, acid and alkaline conditions (pH), temperature, and oxidizing. Angkak pigment is more stable at pH 9 compared with pH 7 and pH 3. Heating at a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius for one hour did not result in real damage to the pigment red yeast rice.
Preservatives are hindering Bacterial Pathogens
Today the use of synthetic preservatives in various food quite disturbing. The addition of preservatives are intended to prolong the durability store a food product.
Preservative distinguished on food preservatives and not food preservatives. Food preservatives, although its use be allowed on the diet, excessive dosage is not recommended because it creates a negative impact on consumer health.
Some examples of types of preservatives are allowed and commonly used in the food industry is benzoic acid or benzoate salts (potassium benzoate, calcium benzoate, sodium benzoate); sulfite salts (potassium sulfite, potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite), nitrate and nitrite ; sulfur dioxide.
Preservatives not food, such as formaldehyde and borax, although banned, in fact widely used in various food products. These two facts are of course very disturbing that people always want to live healthy. Therefore, the search for a natural preservative is necessary.
The results showed that as a pigment Angkak have antimicrobial activity, making it very suitable for use as a coloring agent in foods that are easily contaminated microbes. Thus, red yeast rice can double role, namely as well as dyes and preservatives. Angkak shown to inhibit the growth of bacterial pathogens (disease causing) bacteria and destroyer berspora, such as Bacillus cereus and Bacillus stearothermophilus.
The use of red yeast rice can reduce the use of nitrites in foodstuffs. Nitrites are often used as a component of saltpeter, which is a substance used to preserve the red color of meat, especially in the manufacture of sausages, bacon, and corned beef. In some studies, nitrite is suspected as a trigger cancer cells. Nitrite can react with amine components of food proteins to form nitrosamines, a carcinogenic substance. Therefore, the use of nitrites in foods should be limited.
Through its nature as an antimicrobial, the use of red yeast rice in the manufacture of sausages are meant as a provider other than red, is also simultaneously function as a preservative that is safe for health. Another advantage of using red yeast rice in sausage making is to improve the texture and flavornya.
More Match with Rice Pera
Traditionally, the manufacture of red yeast rice is generally done by using rice as a substrate, through a system of solid fermentation. Rice is suitable for use as substrates are rice Pera, ie having a high amylose content, but low amilopetin.
Given Pera rice price is much cheaper than the fluffier rice, red yeast rice production of rice Pera is expected to provide economic value added is greater.
Red yeast rice is made by inserting about 25 grams of rice into a petri dish, which was then sterilized using an autoclave at 121 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes. Sterilization purpose is to kill all the microbes so as not to contaminate and disrupt the process of making red yeast rice.
Once cooled to a temperature of about 36 degrees, the rice is inoculated with 2 grams of inoculum Monascus purpureus. Thereafter, the mixture was stirred to mix and incubated at 27-32 degrees for 14 days.
During the incubation period, the mold Monascus purpureus will grow and multiply rapidly, covering the surface of rice with red pigment. If you want produced in powder form, the incubation was oven-dried at a temperature of 40-45 degrees, and then smoothed using the blender. If you want Angkak pigment produced in a purer form, the pigment can be extracted with ethanol and dried.
It should be noted that not all the metabolites of Monascus strains can be used safely. Certain strains of the fungus is known to produce citrinin in high enough quantities. Citrinin is a toxic chemical that can be produced by the mold Monascus. Therefore, contamination by bacteria and molds Angkak other dangerous should be avoided, both in the process of manufacture or storage.
The author is a nutritionist from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture
