2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Challenges into the definite control of human odor by regulating the oxidation of a newly conceptualized terpenoid "squalene"

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	19K22265
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Review Section	Medium-sized Section 38:Agricultural chemistry and related fields
Research Institution	Tohoku University
Principal Investigator	Nakagawa Kiyotaka 東北大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (80361145)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	永塚貴弘東北大学, 農学研究科, 准教授 (30445895) 伊藤隼哉東北大学, 農学研究科, 助教 (50781647)
Project Period (FY)	2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
Keywords	テルペノイド / 酸化 / 体臭
Outline of Final Research Achievements	To prove that human odor is derived from the oxidation of squalene, we conducted (1) evaluation of the oxidation of squalene and fatty acids in human sebum, (2) analysis of odor components derived from squalene oxidation products, and (3) screening of antioxidants effective towards the regulation of human odor via controlling squalene oxidation. From (1), we were able to identify that squalene oxidation is a potential cause of human odor as in the known case of fatty acids. In (2), we analyzed the chemical structures of odor components derived from the oxidation of squalene, and partially estimated their generation pathways. In (3), we identified antioxidants that are effective towards preventing squalene oxidation, which potentially may be effective towards controlling human odor.
Free Research Field	食品科学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	2-ノネナールが体臭（特に加齢臭）の主原因とする二十年前の報告を契機に、ヒトの体臭に関する研究が広がり、現在では加齢臭という言葉は一般にまで広く認知されるに至った。また昨今は、体臭をはじめとする臭いによって他者に不快感を与えるスメルハラスメントが問題になるなど、社会的に体臭への関心が高まりつつある。しかし、こうした問題が生じるのは、結局の所、既存の方法による体臭制御が未だ実現していないためである。こうした現状の中で、スクアレンの酸化を体臭の新たな原因と示唆する本研究成果の学術的・社会的意義とインパクト、波及性は大きいと考えられる。