Role of zinc supplementation on improving activity of taste abnormality and anorexia

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23248020
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Food science
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: KOMAI MICHIO 東北大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 教授 (80143022)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): GOTO Tomoko 東北大学, 大学院農学研究科, 助教 (00342783) ; SHIMAZAKI Nobuko 岩手医科大学, 歯学部, 研究員 (30337258) ; SHIRAKAWA Hitoshi 東北大学, 大学院農学研究科, 准教授 (40206280) ; ISONO Kunio 東北大学, 大学院農学研究科, その他 (70124550) ; KAMBE Taiho 京都大学, 生命科学研究科, 准教授 (90303875)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 亜鉛 / 炭酸脱水酵素(CA) / 唾液 / CAVI / ZnTs / ZIP4

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have clarified that carbonic anhydrase, a zinc enzyme, is a key factor to normalize taste abnormality and anorexia. Actually, immunochromatograph measurement of salivary CA 6 (gustin) of the taste abnormal patients showed the lower activity than healthy subjects. After trying to clarify this mechanism, it has been shown that one of the ZnTs transporter may be involved in this mechanism to activate CA and normal taste sensation. These results provided much more adequate and bettter therapy information for human taste disorder by zinc deficiency.

Free Research Field

農芸化学、食品科学