Extraction, Purification and Evaluation of Bioactivity of Lovastatin From <i>Monascus purpureus</i> Fermented Finger Millet

ABSTRACT Red yeast rice (RYR), a traditional fermented food product derived from Monascus purpureus cultivation on rice, has been utilized as both food and food additive throughout East Asian countries for centuries. RYR contains lovastatin, a primary bioactive component with cholesterol‐lowering properties. This study investigated lovastatin extraction from Monascus purpureus fermented finger millet. Thin‐layer chromatography detected lovastatin in the extract with an Rf value of 0.68, comparable to the standard (0.69). HPLC analysis quantified lovastatin at 7.63 mg/g with a retention time (6.02 min) similar to the standard (6.10 min). The compound was purified via column chromatography with fractions confirmed by TLC. FTIR analysis of the purified compound revealed a characteristic lactone ring peak at 1765 cm −1 , matching standard lovastatin. NMR spectroscopy further verified its molecular formula and weight as identical to reference standards. The purified lovastatin demonstrated significant antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay, with 71% inhibition at 400 μg/mL concentration compared to standard ascorbic acid (85%). These findings suggested that finger millet is a viable substrate for Monascus purpureus ‐mediated lovastatin production with promising antioxidant properties, which could be adopted for large‐scale production of lovastatin, and this fermented food can be used as a functional food.