紅麴發酵產品為傳統使用之食品添加劑，其保健功效最常被提及的是調節血脂。經過學者們努力研究，其保健功效不但已包含調節血脂、調節血壓與調節血糖等三高，更擴及不易形成體脂肪、預防脂肪肝與改善阿茲海默症與帕金氏症等老人失智症之症狀。其中阿茲海默症是年長者非常容易罹患的失智症。本文針對紅麴發酵產物或其萃取物在阿茲海默症改善學習記憶能力之學術研究，包括細胞模式；線蟲模式；基因轉殖阿茲海默症鼠、類澱粉樣胜肽輸注、鋁誘導等動物模式；以及已罹患阿茲海默症長者之小型人體臨床試驗，進行功效評估之回顧綜述。功效評估項目在動物試驗有被動迴避試驗、參考記憶試驗、空間記憶試驗、工作記憶試驗以及海馬迴組織沉積之類澱粉樣胜肽量。人體臨床試驗之功效評估測試項目則有簡易智能量表、痛苦指標、感情行為指標。結果得知：Monascus purpureus NTU 568發酵所得產物，或經萃取所得之純化合物—紅麴黃色素monascin與ankaflavin或以monascin與ankaflavin製成之產品(以1：3混成)之Ankascin 568-R均有不錯之改善效果。

Fermentation products of Monascus strain are used as functional food for the regulation of blood lipid, blood sugar, and blood pressure. After the studies of researchers, the functions of Monascus fermented product extended to the improvement of body fat, liver fat and dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is a very popular dementia in old persons. This paper reviews the effects of Monascus fermented metabolites on the improvement of memory and learning ability of Alzheimer’s disease. The animal models used include transgenic J20 mouse model, intracerebroventricular amyloid β-infused rat, aluminum-induced rat, and Caenorhabditis elegans model. A small-scale clinical trial is also performed. The evaluated items in animal trial are passive avoidance task, reference memory task, probe trial, working memory task, and the Aβ40 accumulation in hippocampus. The evaluated items in clinical trial are mini-mental state examination, distress scale, and the emotional behavior scale and so on. The results are all positive in every test.