Studies on pharmaceutical activities on cis carotenoids contained in foods.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K05934
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38050:Food sciences-related
• Research Institution: Japan Women's University
• Principal Investigator: SHINDO Kazutoshi 日本女子大学, 家政学部, 教授 (80350180)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: cis lycopenes / cis crocetin / cooking / 1O2 quenching activity / anti-diabetic activity / HPLC / NMR

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Study A (a research on tomato-related cis carotenoids):For 5Z, 9Z, 13Z-lycopene (hereinafter 5Z-L, 9Z-L, 13Z-L, respectively), which are mono cis forms of all trans lycopene (hereinafter AE-L), these were reported to be produced by cooking tomatoes. There has been no reports on their pharmacological activities. We have established an efficient method for preparing cis lycopenes (5Z-L, 9Z-L, 13Z-L) by heating AE-L. Using these compounds, we evaluated the pharmacological activities (singlet oxygen scavenging activity, mouse 3T3-L1 differentiation-inducing activity) of them for the first time.
Study B (a research on saffron-related cis carotenoids):Crocin, tricrosin, and crocin-3, which are the main red pigments contained in saffron. we conducted a sumilated cooking experiment and found that crocin, tricrosin, and crocin-3 change to crocetin and 13 cis-crocetin by strong cooking such as grilling. We also evaluated singlet oxygen quenching activities of these compounds for the first time.

Free Research Field

食品化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

健康への志向は年々強まっており、我々が日々摂取している成分に新しい薬理活性が見つかることにも大きな注目が集まっている。そこで、我々が日々摂取している食品成分の中に含まれており優れた薬理活性があることが期待されているにも関わらず、薬理活性が不明であった微量成分のうち、一般的にall trans体より吸収効率が高く特に優れた薬理活性が期待されるcisカロテノイドに注目し、これまで同系統化合物の薬理活性評価の壁となっていた詳細な化学構造解析、純品の量的確保、といった点を乗り越えてこれらの点を明らかにすることができた。従って本研究は大きな学術的意義、社会的意義を有していると自負している。