1.
Food Funct
; 10(4): 1787-1791, 2019 Apr 17.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30882807
ABSTRACT
Monacolin K (MK, lovastatin), a naturally occurring statin, only exerts lipid-lowering effects in its active ß-hydroxy acid form (MKA). This activation was thought to be mediated by the gut microbiota (GM). We report here for the first time that the GM does not convert MK into MKA (a spontaneous pH-dependent conversion) but catabolises MKA. The GM might hamper the lipid-lowering effects by degrading the active metabolite MKA.