Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co., Ltd.

Keio University

Hiromichi Murai

Hiroshi Shimoda

Tadashi Okada

Junji Tanaka

Michio Aitani

Shigeru Nakamura

Kazuo Tsubota

Hiroshi Yamaguchi

Toru Takarada

Masayuki Yoshikawa

Kenchi Miyasaka

Norihito Shimizu

Tomoko Sugishita

Tsutomi Arimuba

Takashi Watanabe

Hiroyo Yamamoto

Takashi Kadekaru

Emi Yamada

Toshihiro Imada

Shaojie Shan

Yotaro Konishi

A 5α-reductase inhibitor contains saw palmetto extract and seaberry extract as an active ingredient in a synergistic compounding ratio, wherein the compounding ratio by weight of the saw palmetto extract and the seaberry extract is 3:1˜2. The 5α-reductase inhibitor containing the saw palmetto extract and seaberry extract or just the seaberry extract as a 5α-reductase inhibitor can be administered to the human body in order to inhibit 5α-reductase. The 5α-reductase inhibitor is useful as a prostate enlargement inhibitor, an androgenic alopecia inhibitor, and an acne prevention and amelioration agent. The 5α-reductase inhibitor can be part of a food or drink composition or a cosmetic composition.

Method of administering seaberry and saw palmetto extracts to inhibit 5α-reductase activity

A method of reducing muscle damage in a human being includes providing an extract of Kenyan purple tea (scientific name:; variety name: TRFK306) containing 1,2-di-O-galloyl-4,6-O—(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-β-D-glucose (GHG). Then, an effective amount of the purple tea extract is administered to a body of a human being engaged in intensive exercise to reduce muscle damage associated with the intensive exercise.

Method of reducing muscle damage associated with intensive exercise by administering purple-tea extract

An AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activating agent comprises 1,2-di-O-galloyl-4,6-O&#x2014;(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-b-D-glucose ('GHG') as an active ingredient. The AMPK activating agent can be a GHG-containing composition wherein the GHG is an active ingredient of the composition. The GHG-containing composition can be derived from Kenyan purple tea, whose scientific name is, variety name: TRFK306. An effective amount of the GHG can be administered to a cell to activate the AMPK. Drinks, foods, and cosmetics can have the GHG as an active ingredient.

AMPK activating agent

This invention provides a prophylactic and therapeutic agent for dry eye, having new ingredients to reduce the deterioration of the lacrimal secretory ability and to inhibit the generation of radical oxygen in lacrimal gland tissue. The prophylactic and therapeutic agent for dry eye of this invention contains the maqui berry extract as the active substance of this invention, i.e. containing delphinidin glycoside extracted from the maqui berry and at least one or more of the active substances delphinidin-3-sambubioside-5-glucoside, delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside, delphinidin-3-sambubioside and delphinidin-3-glucoside, preferably delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside.

Method of improving lacrimal secretion for dry eye treatment using maqui berry extract

Disclosed is an AGE production inhibitor or the like, which effectively inhibits the production of an advanced glycation end product (AGE), while having improved biological safety. Specifically disclosed is an AGE production inhibitor or the like, which contains en extract of cherry tree (preferably blossoms or leaves thereof) and/or a processed product of the extract as an active substance. The AGE production inhibitor or the like contains, as an active substance, at least one compound that is selected from among 1-O-(E)-Caffeoyl-&#x3b2;-D-glucopyranoside, 1-O-(E)-Coumaroyl-&#x3b2;-D-glucopyranoside, 1-O-(E)-Cinnamoyl-&#x3b2;-D-glucopyranoside, Kaempferol 3-O-&#x3b2;-D-glucopyranoside, Quercetin 3-O-&#x3b2;-D-glucopyranoside, Kaempferol 3-O-(6&#x2033;-malony)-&#x3b2;-D-glucopyranoside, and Quercetin 3-O-(6&#x2033;-malony)-&#x3b2;-D-glucopyranoside.

Methods for inhibiting advanced glycation end product production, inhibiting fibroblast apoptosis, and/or promoting human fibroblast-collagen grating formulation using cherry blossom and cherry leaf extract

(PROBLEMS) To provide a highly safe dietetic composition originating in green coffee beans by which excellent dietetic effects can be obtained and which contributes to the prevention and treatment of life style-related diseases such as diabetes. (MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS) A dietetic composition characterized by comprising, as the active ingredient, a polar solvent extract of defatted green coffee beans. It is preferable that the above-described polar solvent extract is an extract obtained by using water-containing ethanol, still preferably water-containing ethanol having an ethanol concentration of from 40 to 90% (wt/wt). It is preferable that the above-described defatted green coffee beans are those obtained by extracting green coffee beans with N-hexane to thereby separate oily components therefrom. It is recommended to combine the above-described dietetic composition with one or more members selected from amongextract, evening primrose extract, sesamine and. This dietetic composition is usable as a material for foods, drinks, drugs, or skin preparations for external use.

Method for promoting carnitine palmitoyltransferase activity using green coffee bean extract

This invention provides an anti-inflammatory agent or the like which is safer and less adverse and has the great effectiveness to prevent and treat arthritis, or the like. An anti-inflammatory agent or the like in this invention is characterized by comprising anthocyanidin and gingerol as an active substance. Also, the abovementioned anthocyanidin and gingerol are preferably extracted from red ginger.

Anti-inflammatory agent

This invention provides carbohydrate absorption inhibitor derived from evening primrose seed which is significantly effective to prevent and cure diabetes mellitus and prevent obesity, and the manufacturing method of the same. Carbohydrate absorption inhibitor in this invention is characterized that the effective component is an alcohol extract of evening primrose seed. The aforementioned evening primrose seed is preferably a defatted evening primrose seed. Extracting solvent of the aforementioned evening primrose seed is preferably ethanol, or preferably a 70 to 85% (v/v) aqueous ethanol. Also, this invention is characterized that the carbohydrate absorption inhibitor is an effective component of polyphenol derived from evening primrose seed. The polyphenol is preferably one or more substances selected from among gallic acid, ellagic acid, catechin, pentagalloylglucose, procyanidin, and proantocyanidin. The manufacturing method of the carbohydrate absorption inhibitor in this invention is characterized to be composed of the following processes A to C. Process A: evening primrose is compressed, oil is separated then the compressed cake is obtained. Process B: The aforementioned compressed cake is defatted in fat-soluble organic solvent, and defatted substance is obtained. Process C: The aforementioned defatted substance is extracted by alcohol, and then this extracted liquid is concentrated or evaporated.

Carbohydrate absorption inhibitor and method for manufacturing the same

Novel inhibitors of the enzyme action of lipoxygenase, especially 5-lipoxygenase and 12-lipoxygenase that are derived from the extraction of the seeds of the perilla (crispa) or perilla (frutescens) plant. These inhibitors are suitably extracted from these seeds using alcohol, preferably ethanol, to form an extract or more preferably to further extract the alcoholic extract with ethyl acetate and water to partition the active inhibitors to the ethyl acetate. The particularly preferred inhibitors are luteolin and chrysoeriol.

Growing community of inventors

Aichi, Japan

Hiromichi Murai