Study on the mechanisms of anti-aging food compounds by suppressing amyloid formation in gut

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K05939
• 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: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Matsubara Kiminori 広島大学, 人間社会科学研究科(教), 教授 (90254565)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 味八木 茂 広島大学, 病院(医), 講師 (10392490)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 抗老化 / アミロイド / トランスサイレチン / 腸 / 発酵食品 / 微生物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As the formation of insoluble denatured proteins (amyloids) causes age-associated diseases, prevention of amyloid formation is important for anti-aging. Oral administration of a food-derived compound that stabilizes transthyretin (TTR), an amyloidogenic protein, in senescence-accelerated mice prone 8 (SAMP8) reduced TTR deposition, suppressed microglial activation, and maintained brain function. Amyloids also damage digest system and enhance aging. Oral administration of fermented food or microorganism using fermentation prevented changing of digest system and affected enteroendocrine cells in aged SAMP8. These results suggest that TTR-stabilizing food-derived bioactive compounds and fermented foods and microorganisms exert anti-aging effects by reducing TTR deposition and protecting the digesting system.

Free Research Field

食品機能学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

超高齢社会となり，健康寿命の延伸は重要な課題となっている。健康寿命を延伸するには，脳や運動器の機能低下を抑えることが必要であり，食生活も大きな影響を与える。本研究では，加齢に伴って体内で増加する不溶性タンパク質の形成を抑える食品機能成分を経口摂取することにより，吸収の段階から原因タンパク質の安定化に関与し，結果的に脳機能保護効果をもたらすことを明らかにした。また，発酵食品や発酵微生物の摂取も加齢に伴って増加する不溶性タンパク質による腸の機能低下を抑え，有効的に働く可能性を明らかにした。