Objectives To improve the content of monacolin K in rice wine, fermentation properties and monacolin K formation by red yeast rice collected from Southern China were studied while brewing new functional rice wine . Results Red yeast rice â…  and red yeast rice â…¢ have fast fermentation dynamics. The content of monacolin K is higher in red yeast rice â…  that can be up to 0.86 ug / ml; the rice wine brewed by the red yeast â…  tasted more coordinated and was found to have better health function. Conclusions Red yeast rice â…  is more suitable for brewing new rice wine than the other two.

Keywords: red yeast rice • monacolin K • new health function wine • fermentation