The effect of methylxanthines on social psychological stress

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K11757
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
• Principal Investigator: Nomura Sachiko 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 果樹茶業研究部門, 上級研究員 (30348784)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 物部 真奈美 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 果樹茶業研究部門, 上級研究員 (90366427)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: カフェイン / テオブロミン / 社会心理学的ストレス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recent studies have shown that dietary methylxanthines such as caffeine and theobromine exert anti-stress effects. Although the psychological effects of caffeine are well-known, those of theobromine are yet to be established. In the present study, the anti-stress effects of theobromine were evaluated and compared with those of caffeine using a mouse stress model based on confrontational housing. Caffeine or theobromine was administered to the mice daily via oral gavage. As a result, theobromine, and not caffeine, suppressed the adrenal hypertrophy induced by confrontational stress. Our results suggest that orally administered theobromine influences neuroendocrine alterations induced by psychosocial stress in a different mode from that of caffeine.

Free Research Field

食品科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

我が国では現在、うつ病などの気分障害で治療を受けている患者が急増しており、生活習慣の改善や食品由来の機能性成分摂取による予防対策が注目されている。本研究で得られた成果が、日々のストレス対策における、メチルキサンチン類摂取の重要な役割を示すエビデンスにつながり、現代社会におけるストレスの緩和に貢献するものと期待される。