Publications by authors named "Ohki Higuchi"
(1) Background: Plasmalogens are vinyl ether-type glycerophospholipids that are characteristically distributed in neural tissues and are significantly reduced in the brains of individuals with dementia compared to those in healthy subjects, suggesting a link between plasmalogen deficiency and cognitive decline. Hen eggs are expected to be a potential source of dietary plasmalogens, but the details remain unclear. (2) Methods: We evaluated the fresh weight, dry weight, total lipid, neutral lipids, glycolipids, and phospholipids in the egg yolk and egg white of hen egg.
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- - This study compared germinated seeds and microgreens from Perilla frutescens, predicting that microgreens would have more nutrients and bioactive compounds due to their popularity in Asian cuisine.
- - Results showed that germinated seeds had higher levels of lipids, proteins, sugars, and minerals, while microgreens were richer in vitamins and polyphenols.
- - The study suggests that combining both germinated seeds (for macronutrients) and microgreens (for antioxidants) in diets can improve nutrition and health outcomes.
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- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is crucial for brain health, influencing processes like neurogenesis, learning, and memory, and its levels drop in Alzheimer's patients.
- The study investigated how combining lutein from Chlorella and plasmalogen (PlsEtn) from ascidian extracts affects BDNF signaling in the hippocampus of rats.
- Results indicated that while each substance alone didn’t activate the BDNF signaling pathway, their combination did, suggesting a potential preventive effect against dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
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- The study focused on extracellular vesicles from the probiotic Weizmannia coagulans lilac-01, specifically examining their membrane composition and potential effects on cell health.
- Researchers found that these vesicles (Lilac-01EVs) significantly reduced cell death in primary rat microglia, indicating a protective effect (P < .05).
- Additionally, when tested on senescent human dermal fibroblasts, Lilac-01EVs increased mitochondrial content without impacting membrane potential, suggesting a beneficial role in cellular function.
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- * A healthy diet and exercise are crucial for preventing these diseases, with marine resources offering valuable nutrients, particularly glycerophospholipid plasmalogens found in certain marine invertebrates.
- * Studies suggest that marine-derived plasmalogens can improve cognitive function and reduce inflammation, highlighting their potential role in health maintenance and disease prevention as we age.
Characterization of Glycolipids in the Strain Chlorella pyrenoidosa.
J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo)
September 2022
Plant-derived polar lipids have been reported to exhibit various beneficial effects on human health. The green alga Chlorella is known to be abundant in nutrients, including lipophilic components, and has varying nutrient content depending on the strain. In this study, to assess the nutritional functions of the strain Chlorella pyrenoidosa, we comprehensively analyzed the composition of fatty acids, polar glycerolipids, and sphingolipids.
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- Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) plays a crucial role in many biological processes, but its specific functions inside cells haven't been fully studied.
- Researchers developed a new analytical method using HPLC-ESI-MS/MS that can detect very low levels of ascorbic acid (as low as 1 picogram).
- This advancement allows for better understanding of how ascorbic acid behaves and functions within cells.
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- Turmeric products are popular for their health benefits and contain various active compounds, including curcumin and bisacurone.
- A study employed HPLC-ESI-MS/MS to measure the amounts of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and bisacurone in different turmeric products like powders and liquids.
- Findings revealed that curcumin levels were consistent across products, but bisacurone content varied significantly, with the highest concentration found in a high viscosity liquid turmeric product.
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- * Researchers used high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) to measure the extracted compounds.
- * After the extraction process, the remaining amounts of chlorophyll a and pheophorbide a in the residue were found to be undetectable.
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- * Researchers compared PlsEtn absorption from two sources: intact ethanolamine glycerophospholipids (EtnGpl) versus hydrolyzed EtnGpl, finding that hydrolysis significantly enhanced PlsEtn levels in the plasma.
- * The findings suggest that pre-hydrolyzing EtnGpl boosts the absorption of PlsEtn, indicating a more effective method for increasing its bioavailability.
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- Recent studies have highlighted the health benefits of aronia and haskap fruits, which are rich in anthocyanins, for both animals and humans.
- In an experiment using rats, it was found that aronia anthocyanins are absorbed less efficiently than haskap anthocyanins, indicating that absorption varies based on glycoside type.
- The study also discovered that co-administering aronia anthocyanins with capsaicin or capsiate significantly increased their absorption in the intestine.
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- * A study determined that mugwort paste contains 38 mg of lutein per 100 g of dry weight, suggesting it can be a good natural source of this nutrient.
- * The manufacturing processes of boiling and dehydrating significantly boost the lutein content in mugwort paste, making it a promising nutraceutical option.
Haskap (Lonicera caerulea L.) fruit contains some bioactive phenolic phytochemicals, mainly cyanidin-3-glucoside (cy3-glc) and chlorogenic acid. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of anthocyanin-rich phenolic phytochemical (containing 13.
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- Accumulation of phospholipid hydroperoxide (PLOOH) in red blood cell membranes is linked to senile dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
- A study was conducted with 12 seniors, where half took Chlorella (which contains lutein) for 2 months while the other half received a placebo.
- Results showed increased lutein levels and reduced PLOOH in the Chlorella group, suggesting that it may boost antioxidant levels in red blood cells and help prevent dementia progression.
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- * In a 2-month study with 12 healthy participants, taking 9 g of Chlorella daily significantly increased lutein levels in erythrocytes, showing a 4-fold rise after supplementation.
- * After stopping Chlorella for a month, lutein levels in erythrocytes returned to baseline, indicating that regular Chlorella intake can help maintain higher lutein concentrations in the blood.
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- Mulberry 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) effectively lowers post-meal blood glucose levels and may help prevent diabetes, but its short half-life requires multiple doses for efficacy.
- This study developed biodegradable DNJ-entrapped microspheres (DNJ-MSs) to slow the release of DNJ, aiming for a sustained hypoglycemic effect.
- In experiments with Wistar rats, DNJ-MSs showed a significantly increased absorption over time and effectively suppressed blood glucose levels for longer compared to traditional mulberry powder.
1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), a potent α-glycosidase inhibitor, has therapeutic applications in treatments of HIV, Gaucher's disease, and diabetes. DNJ has been extracted from natural sources (mulberry leaves) for therapeutic purposes; however, DNJ ingredients are in limited supply and are costly to obtain on a large scale. Since certain strains of Bacillus and Streptomyces species reportedly produce DNJ, they may serve as potential sources for high-yield DNJ production.
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- The study investigated the effects of mulberry leaf extract, rich in 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), on blood sugar levels in people with impaired glucose metabolism.
- In a randomized trial, results showed that a single intake of the extract significantly reduced post-meal blood sugar spikes in a dose-dependent manner, while a 12-week supplementation improved a specific indicator of glycemic control without changing overall glucose levels.
- The findings suggest that long-term consumption of mulberry leaf extract with DNJ may benefit those struggling with glucose management.
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- Mulberry 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) has been widely studied for its effects on diabetes, but other iminosugars like GAL-DNJ and fagomine have not received much attention.
- The research focuses on developing a method to simultaneously identify and measure DNJ, GAL-DNJ, and fagomine in mulberry leaves and silkworms using hydrophilic interaction chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.
- This new method reveals important variations in the amounts of iminosugars in different types of mulberry leaves and highlights significant concentrations of DNJ and low levels of GAL-DNJ in silkworms, aiding the development of nutraceutical products.
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- - Mulberry leaves contain a compound called 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), which helps in managing diabetes but exists in low amounts (about 0.1%).
- - The study focused on improving the extraction of DNJ from mulberry leaves using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and tested various factors for optimization.
- - The optimal extraction conditions were determined to yield 0.8% DNJ with a high efficiency of 98% and productivity of 20%, making it suitable for use as a nutraceutical.
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- * In lab studies, SF improved cell survival in human skin cells and decreased levels of the inflammatory marker interleukin-6 (IL-6) by altering the expression of inflammatory genes linked to UVB exposure.
- * Animal tests showed that SF not only reduced skin thickening and inflammatory responses in mice exposed to UVB but also suppressed COX-2 protein expression, highlighting its potential as a protective agent against skin inflammation caused by UV radiation.
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- Researchers have identified squalene monohydroperoxide (SQ-OOH) as a key product formed in human forehead skin, indicating squalene might be the main lipid affected by oxidative stress, especially from sun exposure.
- They developed a new analytical method to distinguish between different isomers of SQ-OOH using advanced mass spectrometry techniques, which allowed for sensitive detection of these compounds.
- The study found that while the baseline concentration of SQ-OOH isomers in forehead skin was around 956 micrograms per gram of lipids, this concentration significantly increased to 2,760 micrograms after just three hours of sun exposure, highlighting the potential link between SQ-OOH and skin disorders related to oxidative damage
The antioxidative activity and ameliorative effects on memory impairment by sulfur-containing compounds which occur in Allium vegetables such as onion and garlic were investigated. The antioxidative activities of S-alk(en)yl-L-cysteines and their sulfoxides, volatile alk(en)yl disulfides and trisulfides, and vinyldithiins were examined by using human low-density lipoprotein. It was elucidated that the alk(en)yl substituents and the number of sulfur atoms in the compounds were important for the antioxidative activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBroccoli sulforaphane has received attention as a possible anticarcinogen. Sulforaphane analysis is difficult due to the lack of a chromophore for spectrometric detection. Hence, we developed a method for determining sulforaphane by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with an evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD).
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- Researchers have developed a model to study lipid glycation involving phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and glucose, aiming to discover inhibitors for this reaction.
- Among various compounds tested, vitamin B6 derivatives like pyridoxal 5'-phosphate showed the strongest inhibition of lipid glycation, suggesting they could help reduce harmful lipid modifications in diabetic conditions and may play a role in diabetes prevention.