Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) contains several compounds that have been reported to alleviate menopausal symptoms via interacting with estrogen receptors (ERs). The compounds exist mainly in the form of glycosides, which exhibit low bioavailability and function. To bioconvert liquiritin and isoliquiritin, the major estrogenic compounds, to the corresponding deglycosylated liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin, respectively, licorice was fermented with Monascus, which has been demonstrated to deglycosylate other substances. The contents of liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin in Monascus-fermented licorice increased by 10.46-fold (from 38.03 µM to 379.75 µM) and 12.50-fold (from 5.53 µM to 69.14 µM), respectively, compared with their contents in non-fermented licorice. Monascus-fermented licorice exhibited 82.5% of the ERβ binding activity of that observed in the positive control (17 β-estradiol), whereas the non-fermented licorice exhibited 54.1% of the binding activity in an in vivo ER binding assay. The increase in the ERβ binding activity was associated with increases in liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin contents. Liquiritigenin acts as a selective ligand for ERβ, which alleviates menopausal symptoms with fewer side effects, such as heart disease and hypertension, compared with a ligand for ERα. In addition, Monascus-fermented licorice contained 731 mg/kg of monacolin K, one of the metabolites produced by Monascus that reduces serum cholesterol. Therefore, Monascus-fermented licorice is a promising material for the prevention and treatment of menopausal syndrome with fewer side effects.

中文翻译：

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使用红曲霉通过生物转化开发改良的更年期症状缓解甘草 (Glycyrrhiza uralensis)。

甘草 ( Glycyrrhiza uralensis ) 含有多种化合物，据报道这些化合物可通过与雌激素受体 (ER) 相互作用来缓解更年期症状。这些化合物主要以糖苷的形式存在，其生物利​​用度和功能较低。为了将主要的雌激素化合物甘草苷和异甘草苷分别生物转化为相应的去糖基化甘草素和异甘草素，将甘草与红曲霉一起发酵，红曲霉已被证明可以使其他物质去糖基化。与未发酵甘草中的含量相比，红曲霉发酵甘草中甘草素和异甘草素的含量分别增加了 10.46 倍（从 38.03 µM 到 379.75 µM）和 12.50 倍（从 5.53 µM 到 69.14 µM）。红曲霉发酵的甘草表现出阳性对照（17 β-雌二醇）中观察到的 82.5% 的 ERβ 结合活性，而未发酵的甘草在体内 ER 结合测定中表现出 54.1% 的结合活性。ERβ结合活性的增加与甘草素和异甘草素含量的增加有关。甘草素作为 ERβ 的选择性配体，与 ERα 的配体相比，可减轻更年期症状，并减少副作用，例如心脏病和高血压。此外，红曲霉发酵的甘草含有 731 mg/kg 的莫纳可林 K，这是一种由红曲霉产生的可降低血清胆固醇的代谢物。因此，红曲发酵甘草是一种有前途的防治更年期综合症的材料，副作用小。