JP-2026075833-A - Telomere shortening inhibitor and method for inhibiting telomere shortening

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a telomere shortening inhibitor and a method for inhibiting telomere shortening that can suppress telomere shortening associated with cellular senescence. [Solution] A telomere shortening inhibitor comprising at least one component (A) selected from the group consisting of α-glucosylrutin and ferulic acid. [Selection Diagram] None

Inventors

• 杉山 弘
• 中西 章仁
• 橋爪 雄志
• タンジャ マハマドゥ

Assignees

• 東洋精糖株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20241023

Claims (5)

1. A telomere shortening inhibitor comprising at least one component (A) selected from the group consisting of α-glucosylrutin and ferulic acid.
2. The telomere shortening inhibitor according to claim 1, wherein the α-glucosylrutin comprises α-monoglucosylrutin.
3. The telomere shortening inhibitor according to claim 2, wherein the α-monoglucosylrutin content in the α-glucosylrutin is 65% by mass or more.
4. The telomere shortening inhibitor according to claim 1, wherein the ferulic acid is contained as a composition comprising 65% by mass or more of ferulic acid and 15% by mass or more of α-monoglucosyl hesperidin.
5. A method for inhibiting telomere shortening, comprising the step of administering a telomere shortening inhibitor according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Description

This invention relates to a telomere shortening inhibitor and a method for inhibiting telomere shortening. Telomeres are complexes of DNA containing a TTAGGG serial repeat sequence (also called a telomere sequence) and telomere-binding proteins, located at the ends of chromosomes. Telomeres connect the chromosome ends to the nuclear membrane, protecting chromosomes from degradation and loss of genetic information. Because telomere sequences are not completely replicated during chromosome replication due to their structure, they shorten with each cell division. As a result, cells gradually exhibit signs of aging, and cellular senescence progresses. It is known that when telomere sequences shorten to a certain length, cell division stops (reaching the Hayflick limit), inducing cell death (apoptosis). Furthermore, the accumulation of senescent cells leads to the deterioration of tissues and organs in the body, resulting in individual aging; therefore, telomere length is thought to be related to lifespan. In addition, lack of sleep, obesity, smoking, stress, and excessive eating and drinking are known to accelerate telomere shortening (Non-Patent Documents 1, 2, 3, and 4). Therefore, telomere length can be considered not only an indicator of cellular aging but also an indicator of healthy life expectancy, and suppressing telomere shortening is thought to be of great importance in terms of improving healthy life expectancy. Regarding methods that influence telomere length, a method has been reported in which telomere length is increased using aqueous extracts of species in the genus Uncaria (Patent Document 1). Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-99562 Jeong-Hwa Jin et al., Association between sleep parameters and longitudinal shortening of telomere length, Aging (Albany NY). 2022 Apr 2;14(7):2930-2944AM Valdes et al., Obesity, cigarette smoking, and telomere length in women, The Lancet, Volume 366, Issue 9486, 20-26 August 2005: 662-664Elissa S Epel et al., Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Dec 7;101(49):17312-5Lucia Alonso-Pedrero et al., Ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of short telomeres in an elderly population of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Projec, Am J Clin Nutr., 2020 Jun 1;111(6):1259-1266 Figure 1 is a graph showing the results of the telomere maintenance test. Next, the present invention will be described in detail. Unless otherwise specified, the notation "A to B" in relation to a numerical range means that it is greater than or equal to A and less than or equal to B. Also, % refers to mass percentage. The telomere shortening inhibitor of the present invention comprises at least one component (A) selected from the group consisting of α-glucosylrutin and ferulic acid. The aforementioned component (A) may be α-glucosylrutin and ferulic acid, or either α-glucosylrutin or ferulic acid, but ferulic acid is preferred from the viewpoint of telomere shortening inhibitory effect. [α-Glucosylrutin] α-glucosylrutin (also called α-glucosylrutin) is a general term for compounds in which one or more glucose molecules are added to a glucose residue in the rutinose residue of rutin via an α1→4 bond. In the present invention, α-glucosylrutin may consist of one type of compound having such a structure alone, or it may be a mixture of two or more types. α-Glucosylrutin can be represented by the following formula (1). In formula (1), n is an integer greater than or equal to 0 or 1, for example, an integer between 1 and 19. α-glucosylrutin is a compound that is the main component of products known as "enzyme-treated rutin" (sometimes called "glycosyl rutin"). Among α-glucosylrutin compounds, those with only one glucose molecule attached are called "α-monoglucosylrutin," and those with two or more glucose molecules attached are called "α-polyglucosylrutin." In other words, in formula (1), α-monoglucosylrutin is a compound where n is 0, while α-polyglucosylrutin is generally a compound where n is between 1 and 19. Enzyme-treated rutin is an aggregate of compounds produced by enzymatic treatment of rutin's sugars. It typically contains a mixture of compounds with different numbers of glucose molecules attached to rutin, such as a mixture of α-monoglucosylrutin and α-polyglucosylrutin. Furthermore, because enzyme-treated rutin is generally produced by enzymatic treatment, it may also contain unreacted rutin or other derivatives, such as isoquercitrin. Isoquercitrin (sometimes called "isoquercitrin") is a compound in which β-D-glucose is attached to the hydroxyl group at position 3 of the quercetin skeleton; in other words, it is a compound in which the rhamnose residue in the rutinose residue of rutin is cleaved. Enzyme-treated rutin is a product obtained, for example, by treating rutin with a glycosyltransferase (such as cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase, EC2.4.1.19), an enzyme that has the function of adding glucose to rutin) in t