Synthesis of Statin Drug from Fungal Sources and their Preclinical Studies
Fungal-Derived Statin Synthesis and Preclinical Studies
Abstract
Statins are a type of medication that helps to lower high cholesterol (Hypercholesterolemia). Statins generally fall into three groups: natural statins that come straight from the fungi, semi-synthetic statins, which are the modified version of natural statins, and fully synthetic statins, which are fully made in labs. Some statins come from natural sources. They are made from the fermentation of certain fungi they are, Monascus species, Penicillium species, and Aspergillus species. Lovastatin and Pravastatin are naturally obtained Statins. Hydroxymethyl glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase is the enzyme that is used in cholesterol biosynthesis. For lowering of cholesterol and triglyceride levels, nicotinic acid and fibrates were the options before the discovery of statins. Not only do statins reduce the cholesterol level, but they also treat various types of disorders such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. The studies of statins in animals take place before the clinical trials.
Downloads
References
2. Vaughan CJ, Gotto AM Jr, Basson CT. The evolving role of statins in the management of atherosclerosis. J Am CollCardiol. 2000 Jan;35(1):1-10.
3. Stancu C, Sima A. Statins: mechanism of action and effects. J Cell Mol Med. 2001 Oct-Dec;5(4):378-87.
4. Wierzbicki AS, Poston R, Ferro A. The lipid and non-lipid effects of statins. PharmacolTher. 2003 Jul;99(1):95-112.
5. Subhan, M., Faryal, R., &Macreadie, I.G. (2017). Production of statins by fungal fermentation. Microbiology Australia, 38, 70-72.
6. Subhan M, Faryal R, Macreadie I. Exploitation of Aspergillus terreus for the Production of Natural Statins. J Fungi (Basel). 2016 Apr 30;2(2):13.
7. Pecoraro V, Moja L, Dall'Olmo L, Cappellini G, Garattini S. Most appropriate animal models to study the efficacy of statins: a systematic review. Eur J Clin Invest. 2014 Sep;44(9):848-71.
8. Krauth D, Anglemyer A, Philipps R, Bero L. Nonindustry-sponsored preclinical studies on statins yield greater efficacy estimates than industry-sponsored studies: a meta-analysis. PLoS Biol. 2014 Jan;12(1):e1001770.
9. Merx MW, Liehn EA, Graf J, van de Sandt A, Schaltenbrand M, Schrader J, Hanrath P, Weber C. Statin treatment after onset of sepsis in a murine model improves survival. Circulation. 2005 Jul 5;112(1):117-24.
10. Merx MW, Liehn EA, Janssens U, Lütticken R, Schrader J, Hanrath P, Weber C. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor simvastatin profoundly improves survival in a murine model of sepsis. Circulation. 2004 Jun 1;109(21):2560-5.
11. Inoue K, Takano H, Yanagisawa R, Sakurai M, Yoshikawa T. Statin, inflammation, and sepsis. Chest. 2004 Jun;125(6):2365.
12. Adam O, Laufs U. Antioxidative effects of statins. Arch Toxicol. 2008 Dec;82(12):885-92.
13. Asaad A. Bustan, Abdullah M. Jawad. The Effect of Two Types of Statins (Rosuvastatin and Atorvastatin) on the Fertility of Male and Female Mice. J. Adv. Med. Med. Res. [Internet]. 2017 Feb. 27 [cited 2025 Aug. 25];19(12):1–11.
14. Moja L, Pecoraro V, Ciccolallo L, Dall'Olmo L, Virgili G, Garattini S. Flaws in animal studies exploring statins and impact on meta-analysis. Eur J Clin Invest. 2014 Jun;44(6):597-612.
15. Patel KK, Sehgal VS, Kashfi K. Molecular targets of statins and their potential side effects: Not all the glitter is gold. Eur J Pharmacol. 2022 May 5;922:174906.
