Studies on the search and evaluation of food ingredients to increase the cerebral blood flow of the prefrontal cortex

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25350174
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Eating habits
• Research Institution: 秋田県総合食品研究センター
• Principal Investigator: Kumagai Masanori 秋田県総合食品研究センター, 食品加工研究所, 上席研究員 (90425471)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 食品の機能性 / 近赤外分光法 / 脳血流変化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Myouga (Japanese ginger, Zingiber mioga) is one of the most popular potherbs in Akita Prefecture, however, it is said that it is easy to make forgetfulness when you eat too much Myouga. But there is no scientific evidence on the relationship of Myouga and forgetfulness. Rather, there is a report that the α- pinene, which is the essential oil component included in the Myouga, suppresses the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and makes the relax states.
In this study, functional brain imaging method using near-infrared spectroscopy, that is easy to measure and evaluate the cerebral blood flow of the prefrontal cortex, was applied to examine the effect of α-pinene gives to working memory. Working memory is a system for temporarily storing and managing the information required to carry out complex cognitive tasks such as understanding, learning, and reasoning.

Free Research Field

分析化学（近赤外分光法）