Development of goshajinkigan products for the prevention of sarcopenia

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07149
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 47050:Environmental and natural pharmaceutical resources-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Toshiaki Makino 名古屋市立大学, 医薬学総合研究院(薬学), 教授 (80326561)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ブシ / サルコペニア / ユビキチンリガーゼ / ヒゲナミン / サルソリノール

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A Kampo medicine Goshajinkigan is effective for muscle atrophy. The objective is to explore the active ingredients from Goshajinkigan. Using dexamethazone-induced induction of muscle RING-Finger Protein-1 (MuRF1) in C2C12 cells derived from mouse striated muscle, I found that the hot water extract of Processed aconite root, one of the components in Goshajinkigan has the suppressive effects. Furthermore, I isolated higenamine and salsolinol as the active ingredient from processed aconite root with their IC50 values 0.49 μM and 50 μM, respectively. There was a large variation in their contents in the preparations of processed aconite root marketed in Japan. It is suggested that when processed aconite root is used for muscular atrophy, a higher effect can be expected by selecting aconite root with higher contents of these compounds.

Free Research Field

生薬学、漢方薬物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

漢方薬、牛車腎気丸が、高齢に伴う筋肉の萎縮を主な症状とするサルコペニアに対して有用であることの科学的根拠を示すととともに、その有効成分としてブシの役割を明らかにした。また、ブシに含まれる有効性を担う化合物としてヒゲナミンとサルソリノールを単離、同定し、それら化合物の含量がブシまたは牛車腎気丸の有効性を保証する指標成分として、製剤の品質を管理する際に利用できることを示した。