276 Document heading doi: 10.12980/JCLM.3.2015JCLM-2015-0007 ©2015 by the Journal of Coastal Life Medicine. All rights reserved. Effect of fermentation with Monascus pilosus on the antioxidant activities and phenolic acid contents of adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) Jinhua Cheng 1,3# , Sung-Kwon Lee 1# , Sasikumar Arunachalam Palaniyandi 1,2 , Joo-Won Suh 1,3 * , Seung Hwan Yang 1,2 * 1 Center for Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Materials, Myongji University, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-Do 449-728, Korea 2 Interdisciplinary Program of Biomodulation, Myongji University, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-Do 449-728, Korea 3 Division of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, College of Natural Science, Myongji University, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-Do 449-728, Korea Journal of Coastal Life Medicine 2015; 3(4): 276-283 Journal of Coastal Life Medicine *Corresponding authors: Joo-Won Suh, Center for Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Materials, Myongji University, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-Do 449-728, Korea. E-mail: jwsuh@mju.ac.kr Seung Hwan Yang, Center for Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Materials, Myongji University, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-Do 449-728, Korea. E-mail: ymichigan@mju.ac.kr # These authors equally contributed to this work. Foundation project: Supported by a grant from the Next-Generation BioGreen 21 Program (No.PJ009517), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea. 1. Introduction The oxidation induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) can result in cell membrane disintegration, membrane protein damage and DNA mutation, which can further initiate or propagate the development of many diseases, such as cancer, liver injury, and cardiovascular disorders[1]. Although there are defense mechanisms in the body to arrest the damaging properties of ROS, continuous exposure to pollutants may lead to the accumulation of large amounts of free radicals in the body, and cause irreversible oxidative damage[2]. Dietary compounds (i.e. vitamin C, vitamin E, phenolic compounds, and carotenoids), which are present in fruits, grains, vegetables, and legumes, reduce oxidative damages with its radical scavenging activities. Previous studies have reported beneficial effects of dietary antioxidant compounds on the oxidative stress-induced diseases[3,4]. Vigna angularis (V. angularis), also known as adzuki bean or small red beans, belongs to the plant family Fabaceae and has been widely cultivated in South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Japan. In the Orient, adzuki bean is a popular ingredient to make confections with its sweet flavor[5]. Adzuki bean is a rich source of phenolic compounds, including anthocyanin and other catechins, ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Objective: To enhance physiological activities of adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) via fermentation with Monascus pilosus (M. pilosus). Methods: The adzuki bean fermentation conditions with M. pilosus were optimized, and the effect of Monascus-fermentation on the antioxidant capacity and phenolic acid contents of adzuki bean was investigated. Results: Optimal fermentation conditions were determined by the production of monacolin K. The highest monacolin K production was observed in 5% inoculum sized on day 15 in fermentation. Free and bound phenolic acids were isolated from native and fermented adzuki bean. A 1.9-fold decrease was observed in bound p-coumaric acid content, whereas the contents of bound ferulic and sinapic acids were increased by 28- and 1.7-fold, respectively. However, the contents of free phenolic acids such as p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic acids were increased by 2.6-, 5.2-, and 7.2-fold, respectively. The fermentation of adzuki bean by M. pilosus enhanced the activities of DPPH ● radical scavenging, ferrous ion-chelating, nitric oxide scavenging, and ferric antioxidant reducing activities 2.2-, 1.7-, 1.2-, and 1.8-fold, respectively. Conclusions: Results from our study suggest that the contents of p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic acids in adzuki bean were highly increased by fermentation with M. pilosus, resulting in enhanced various antioxidant activities. journal homepage: www.jclmm.com Keywords: Adzuki bean Monascus pilosus Fermentation Monacolin K Phenolic acids Antioxidant activity Article history: Received 12 Feb 2015 Received in revised form 26 Feb 2015 Accepted 2 Mar 2015 Available online 5 Mar 2015