Basic investigations on the obesity-preventive effects of miracle fruit extracts - Experimental and epidemiological approaches

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17984
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: Azabu University
• Principal Investigator: Yamamoto Junpei 麻布大学, 生命・環境科学部, 講師 (20756043)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 肥満

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Obesity is caused by the hypertrophy of adipocytes. Although it has been suggested that fat accumulation and hypertrophy in adipocytes are strongly regulated by lipid droplet surface proteins, there have been few reports on food-derived functional components that act on these proteins. We found that miracle fruit extracts inhibit fat accumulation in adipocytes by affecting lipid droplet surface proteins.

Free Research Field

食品科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

肥満はがんや糖尿病、脳血管疾患などの要因となるため、その対策は生活習慣病予防において重要である。よって、効果的な抗肥満作用を有する機能性成分の創出は肥満対策の一助となる。本研究では、ミラクルフルーツ抽出物が脂肪滴表面タンパク質に作用し、脂肪細胞への脂肪蓄積を抑制することを見出した。これらの成果は、肥満を効果的に予防・改善する新規の機能性成分開発の糸口となる可能性がある。