Fermentum Rubrum is a traditional Chinese fermented medicine and has been used for nearly 1 000 years in China.In recent years,its lipid-reducing effect has attracted attentions to its medicinal value and health care effect.In particular,its statins ingredients with the main lipid-reducing effect have become the focus of science research and development of Fermentum Rubrum industry.At present,only lactone-type lovastatin is recognized as an index component in the most of current domestic quality standards of Fermentum Rubrum.Lipid reducing ingredients in Fermentum Rubrum are complex.Its acid-type lovastatin has the main lipid-reducing effect,and other statins also have a synergistic lipid-reducing effect.It is unreasonable to regard lactone-type lovastatin as the only index component,which leads to varying qualities and impacts quality monitoring,safety and effectiveness of clinical medication.More seriously,it is difficult to detect the adulteration of lovastatin in Fermentum Rubrum,because of the unreasonable quality standard.Based on the previous studies,the authors collected,analyzed and summarized the literatures for Fermentum Rubrum at home and abroad in recent years,and systemically reviewed the research advances in detection methods of lipid-reducing ingredients of Fermentum Rubrum.This paper puts forward the suggestion of adding the quality control index components,in the hope of providing a theoretical reference for the comprehensive quality evaluation and standard improvement of Fermentum Rubrum.