LIFE-EXTENDING AGENT, ANTI-AGING AGENT, COSMETIC, AND FOOD/BEVERAGE COMPOSITION

Abstract

This invention provides a life-extending agent comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of D-proline, D-hydroxyproline, and D-aspartic acid.

Claims

1.-3. (canceled)

4. A method for suppressing aging, comprising applying a composition comprising D-proline to a subject in need thereof.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the composition is a cosmetic composition.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the composition is applied to skin.

7. A method for suppressing aging, comprising administrating a composition comprising D-proline to a subject in need thereof.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the composition is a food or beverage composition.

9. A method for extending life span, comprising applying a composition comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of D-proline and D-hydroxyproline to a subject in need thereof.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the composition comprises D-proline.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the composition is a cosmetic composition.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the composition is applied to skin.

13. A method for extending life span, comprising administrating a composition comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of D-proline and D-hydroxyproline to a subject in need thereof.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the composition comprises D-proline.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the composition is a food or beverage composition.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the lifespan-extending effect of D-proline on adult Drosophila flies in a concentration-dependent manner. Tester strain: Drosophila flies, premature aging strain, male. Feeding was performed at a concentration of 20, 60, 200, or 400 mg/ml after mixing with feed. This graph shows that D-proline dose-dependently extends the life span of aging-promoting adult Drosophila flies. L-proline shows no effect.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a graph showing the lifespan-extending effect of proline-like D-amino acids on adult Drosophila flies. Tester strain: Drosophila flies, premature aging strain, male. Feeding was performed at a concentration of 60, 200, or 400 mg/ml after mixing with feed. This graph indicates that D-aspartic acid at 400 g/ml extends the life span of aging-promoting adult Drosophila flies (log-rank test p<0.05).

[0025] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the lifespan-extending effect of proline-like D-amino acids on adult Drosophila flies. Tester strain: Drosophila flies, premature aging strain, male. Feeding was performed at a concentration of 60, 200, or 400 mg/ml after mixing with feed. This graph indicates that D-hydroxyproline at 400 g/ml extends the life span of aging-promoting adult Drosophila flies (log-rank test p<0.05).

[0026] FIG. 4 is a protocol diagram showing the procedures of Examples 4 to 6.

[0027] FIG. 5 is graphs showing the analytical results of CD27/CD62L expression in spleen-derived mononuclear cells (flow cytometry) (Day 495). The CD27()/CD62L() cells serve as indices of senescence.

[0028] FIG. 6 is graphs with regard to the Menin and Bach2 expression in spleen-derived mononuclear cells (real-time RT-PCR) (Day 495).

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Examples of the active ingredients of the life-extending agent of the present invention include D-proline, D-hydroxyproline, and D-aspartic acid. These ingredients can be used alone, or in a combination of two or more. These D-compounds may be pure D-compounds, or a mixture of the D-compounds and L-compounds at any ratio (including racemic mixtures).

[0030] The structural formulas of D-proline, D-hydroxyproline, and D-aspartic acid are shown below.

##STR00001##

[0031] Examples of the active ingredients of the anti-aging agent of the present invention include D-proline. This D-compound may be the pure D-compound, or a mixture of the D-compound and L-compound at any ratio (including racemic mixtures).

[0032] Only D-compounds serve as the active ingredients for life extension or anti-aging. L-compounds do not exert a life-extending action or anti-aging action.

[0033] The life-extending agent and anti-aging agent of the present invention, as well as a cosmetic and a food or beverage composition comprising the life-extending agent or anti-aging agent, can be applied to humans and pets, such as dogs and cats; and are preferably applied to humans.

[0034] For oral ingestion of the life-extending agent of the present invention, the amount per day for an adult is about 1 mg to 25 g, preferably about 10 mg to 20 g, and more preferably about 100 mg to 15 g. The life-extending food or beverage composition of the present invention comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of D-proline, D-hydroxyproline, and D-aspartic acid. For oral ingestion of this composition, the amount per day for an adult is about 1 mg to 25 g, preferably about 10 mg to 20 g, and more preferably about 100 mg to 15 g.

[0035] For oral ingestion of the anti-aging agent of the present invention, the amount per day for an adult is about 1 mg to about 25 g, preferably about 10 mg to about 20 g, and more preferably about 100 mg to about 15 g. The anti-aging food or beverage composition of the present invention comprises D-proline. For oral ingestion of this composition, the amount per day for an adult is about 1 mg to 25 g, preferably about 10 mg to 20 g, and more preferably about 100 mg to 15 g.

[0036] For application of the life-extending agent of the present invention to humans as a medicine or an external skin preparation of a cosmetic, the concentration of the at least one member selected from the group consisting of D-proline, D-hydroxyproline, and D-aspartic acid is about 0.001 to 10% by mass, and preferably about 0.01 to 5% by mass.

[0037] For application of the anti-aging agent of the present invention to humans as a medicine or an external skin preparation of a cosmetic, the concentration of D-proline is about 0.001 to 10% by mass, and preferably about 0.01 to 5% by mass.

[0038] The life-extending agent and anti-aging agent of the present invention can be ingested as pharmaceutical preparations. Examples of the formulations include tablets, capsules, granules, powders, pills, troches, liquids, injections, drops, inhalants, drinks, syrups, suppositories, transdermal absorbents, patches, sachets, plasters, ointments, and the like.

[0039] The cosmetic of the present invention include foundations, emulsions, lotions, lotions, lipsticks, blushers, makeup bases, and the like.

[0040] Examples of foods and beverages include milk drinks, fermented milk drinks, carbonated drinks, fruit juice drinks, soft drinks, sports drinks, supplemental nutrition drinks, and other drinks, candy, candy, gum, chocolate, tablet confections, snacks, biscuits, jellies, jams, cream, baked confections, ice cream, yogurt, butter, breads, supplements, dietary supplements, liquid foods, and the like.

EXAMPLES

[0041] Hereinafter, the present invention is described in more detail with reference to Examples. However, the present invention is obviously not limited to these Examples.

Example 1

[0042] Mutants of adult Drosophila flies (male) containing Cu/Zn-SOD with reduced activity due to amino acid substitution (sod1[n1]) were bred in a plastic tube having a diameter of 25 mm, and fed with a simple medium (instant medium) for Drosophila that contains D-proline (D-Pro) at a concentration of 20, 60, 200, or 400 g/ml, or L-proline (L-Pro) at a concentration of 400 g/ml, followed by measuring the life span of the flies. FIG. 1 shows the results, together with the number (n) of Drosophila melanogaster flies used in the test. For the control, a simple medium to which no D-Pro or L-Pro was added was used.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, the life span of the Drosophila flies increased in a concentration-dependent manner.

Example 2

[0044] Mutants of adult Drosophila flies (male) containing Cu/Zn-SOD with reduced activity due to amino acid substitution (sod1[n1]) were bred in a plastic tube having a diameter of 25 mm, and fed with a simple medium (instant medium) for Drosophila that contains D-proline (D-Pro) at a concentration of 400 g/ml, or D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) at a concentration of 60, 200, or 400 g/ml, followed by measuring the life span of the flies. FIG. 2 shows the results, together with the number (n) of Drosophila melanogaster flies used in the test. For the control, a simple medium to which no D-Pro or D-Asp was added was used.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2, D-Asp extended the life span of Drosophila flies in a concentration-dependent manner, but D-Pro showed a significantly higher effect.

Example 3

[0046] Mutants of adult Drosophila flies (male) containing Cu/Zn-SOD with reduced activity due to amino acid substitution (sod1[n1]) were bred in a plastic tube having a diameter of 25 mm, and fed with a simple medium (instant medium) for Drosophila that contains D-proline (D-Pro) at a concentration of 400 g/ml, or D-hydroxyproline (D-HP) at a concentration of 60, 200, or 400 g/ml, followed by measuring the life span of the flies. FIG. 3 shows the results, together with the number (n) of Drosophila melanogaster flies used in the test. For the control, a simple medium to which no D-Pro or D-HP was added was used.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3, D-HP extended the life span of Drosophila flies in a concentration-dependent manner, but D-Pro showed a significantly higher effect.

Example 4

[0048] Normal water (control group; N=3), water in which L-proline (produced by Nacalai Tesque, Inc.) was dissolved at a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml (L-proline group; N3), or water in which D-proline (produced by Nacalai Tesque Inc.) was dissolved at a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml (D-proline group; N3) was administered to C57BL/6 mice (8 weeks old) (purchased from Shimizu Laboratory Supplies Co., Ltd.) by free water intake. After euthanasia on Day 495, the spleen was removed and ground through a 0.45-M strainer to prepare a suspension of spleen-derived cells (FIG. 4). After centrifugation at 1000 g for 5 minutes, the supernatant was removed by suction. Thereafter, 2 ml of ammonium chloride hemolytic agent (distilled water containing 8.99 mg/ml of NH.sub.4Cl, 1 mg/ml of KHCO.sub.3, and 37 g/ml of EDTA4Na) was added to the cell pellets, followed by suspension. The resulting product was then allowed to stand at room temperature for 2 minutes. Subsequently, 10 ml of RPMI 1640 medium with 10% FBS was added thereto, the mixture was centrifuged at 1000 g for 5 minutes, and the supernatant was removed by suction. Then, 5 ml of RPMI 1640 medium with 10% FBS was added thereto to prepare a cell suspension (spleen-derived mononuclear cells). This cell suspension was used in Examples 5 and 6.

Example 5

[0049] After placing 110.sup.6 spleen-derived mononuclear cells of Example 4 into a 1.5-ml Eppendorf tube, centrifugation was performed at 900 g for 5 minutes. Then, the supernatant was removed by suction, and 50 l of FACS buffer (PBS() in which 0.5% BSA, 0.01% NaNO, and 1 mM EDTA were dissolved) was added thereto. Thereafter, incubation was performed on ice for 20 minutes with an FITC-labeled mouse anti-CD27 antibody (NOVUS; NPB-1-44021) and a PE-labeled mouse anti-CD62L antibody (ABGENT; ATB10190). After washing twice with an FACS buffer, analysis was performed with flow cytometry (Becton Dickinson, FACSCalibur).

[0050] FIG. 5 shows the results. In the D-proline administration group, a significantly reduced number of T cells with a senescence marker of CD62-negative or CD27-negative were found, compared to the control group or the L-proline administration group. This suggests that the administration of D-proline contributed to suppression of aging of the immune system.

Example 6

[0051] Total RNA was extracted from 110.sup.5 spleen-derived mononuclear cells of Example 4 using an RNeasy Mini Kit, produced by Qiagen. Then, cDNA was synthesized from this RNA using ReverTra Ace qPCR RT Master Mix, produced by Toyobo Co., Ltd. This cDNA was mixed with Real-Time PCR Master Mix, primers specific to the Menin gene, Bach2 gene, or -actin gene, and a TaqMan probe. qRT-PCR was performed using an AB 7300 Real-Time PCR System, produced by ABI. The mRNA levels of the Menin gene and the Bach2 gene were quantified as a ratio relative to the -actin gene mRNA level, and calculated taking the value of the spleen-derived mononuclear cells of the control group as 1.

[0052] FIG. 6 shows the results. In the D-proline administration group, a higher mRNA expression of the Menin gene and Batch gene was seen, compared to the control group or the L-proline administration group. This suggests that the Menin-Bach2 pathway is involved in suppressing T-cell senescence by D-proline administration.