Monascus Yellow Pigments Ameliorate Hyperuricemia via Dual Mechanisms: Xanthine Oxidase Inhibition and Uric Acid Transporter Modulation (ABCG2, URAT1, and GLUT9)

The increasing global prevalence of hyperuricemia (HUA), particularly among younger populations, underscores the urgent need for safe and effective dietary interventions. Monascus fungi, long utilized in East Asian food culture, ferment rice to produce red yeast rice (RYR), a functional food rich in monacolin K and Monascus pigments. Among these, Monascus yellow pigments (MYPs)—natural azaphilone compounds used as food additives and colorants—have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic regulatory activities. However, their potential to alleviate hyperuricemia remains unexplored. This study investigates the urate-lowering and organ-protective effects of MYPs through a combination of in vitro, in vivo, and gut microbiota analyses. MYPs exhibited significant xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitory activity, and molecular docking confirmed that monascin (MS) and ankaflavin (AK) competitively bind to the XOD active site. In a murine HUA model, MYPs significantly reduced serum uric acid (SUA) levels without causing hepatic or renal toxicity. Mechanistically, MYPs downregulated renal UA reabsorption transporters (URAT1, GLUT9) and upregulated the excretory transporter ABCG2, enhancing uric acid (UA) excretion. These findings highlight MYPs as promising food-derived bioactives with dual XOD inhibition and uricosuric effects, offering a novel nutraceutical strategy for hyperuricemia prevention and management.