Intestinal bacterial catabolic metabolism of dietary steroids produces steroid hormone-like molecules

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H04109
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: University of Shizuoka
• Principal Investigator: Miyoshi Noriyuki 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 准教授 (70438191)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 吉川 悠子 日本獣医生命科学大学, 獣医学部, 准教授 (00580523)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ステロイドホルモン / 腸内細菌代謝 / LC-MS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The yam (Dioscorea japonica) is a member of the yam genus, and edible yam varieties such as yam are called yam. We have analyzed the functionality of yam soup, an important food culture that has contributed to people's health, and reported that the active ingredient diosgenin has preventive effects against colon cancer, anti-diabetic activity, and lipid metabolism improvement. In this study, we investigated the possibility that diosgenin is converted into an endogenous hormone-like substance by microbial metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract, but were unable to confirm its activity. On the other hand, we examined the effect of diosgenin on steroid hormone biosynthesis and suggested that it may affect the synthesis of several steroid hormones.

Free Research Field

栄養学および健康科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では検出できたステロイドホルモンがごくわずかと限られていたことからもあり、diosgeninの機能性によるステロイドホルモン生合成遺伝子発現への影響およびホルモンの分泌に与える影響の解明には不十分な結果である。そのため、Y1細胞に対するステロイドホルモン生合成遺伝子の強制発現や、主要な副腎皮質酵素をすべて発現しているヒト由来の副腎細胞株NCI-H295Rへのdiosgenin曝露試験など、複数の副腎細胞を利用し、in vitroにおけるdiosgeninの機能性を評価することが今後、diosgeninの詳細な機能性を解明するために実施すべきことであると示唆された。