著者

Yoshiko Furukawa Satoshi Okuyama Yoshiaki Amakura Atsushi Sawamoto Mitsunari Nakajima Morio Yoshimura Michiya Igase Naohiro Fukuda Takahisa Tamai Takashi Yoshida

出版者

The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan

雑誌

Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin (ISSN:00092363)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.69, no.1, pp.2-10, 2021-01-01 (Released:2021-01-01)

参考文献数

74

被引用文献数

7

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The elderly experience numerous physiological alterations. In the brain, aging causes degeneration or loss of distinct populations of neurons, resulting in declining cognitive function, locomotor capability, etc. The pathogenic factors of such neurodegeneration are oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, reduced energy homeostatis, decreased levels of neurotrophic factor, etc. On the other hand, numerous studies have investigated various biologically active substances in fruit and vegetables. We focused on the peel of citrus fruit to search for neuroprotective components and found that: 1) 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone (HMF) and auraptene (AUR) in the peel of Kawachi Bankan (Citrus kawachiensis) exert neuroprotective effects; 2) both HMF and AUR can pass through the blood–brain barrier, suggesting that they act directly in the brain; 3) the content of AUR in the peel of K. Bankan was exceptionally high, and consequently the oral administration of the dried peel powder of K. Bankan exerts neuroprotective effects; and 4) intake of K. Bankan juice, which was enriched in AUR by adding peel paste to the raw juice, contributed to the prevention of cognitive dysfunction in aged healthy volunteers. This review summarizes our studies in terms of the isolation/characterization of HMF and AUR in K. Bankan peel, analysis of their actions in the brain, mechanisms of their actions, and trials to develop food that retains their functions.