JP-7856910-B2 - Neuropsychological function improving agent

Inventors

• 鹿島 康浩
• 安田 琢和
• 松川 泰治
• 長田 健二
• 山田 泰正

Assignees

• ユーハ味覚糖株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20220222

Priority Date

20210302

Claims (6)

1. This is a neuropsychological function improving agent containing soy peptide and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as active ingredients, for the prevention and/or improvement of symptoms and/or diseases caused by impaired neuropsychological function. Soy peptides are thermolysin digests of soy protein. A neuropsychological function enhancer for which symptoms and/or diseases resulting from a decline in neuropsychological function are Alzheimer's disease or depression .
2. The neuropsychological function improving agent according to claim 1 , wherein the soybean peptide comprises a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence LSSTQAQQSY (Sequence ID 1).
3. A neuropsychological function improving agent according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the weight ratio of soy peptide/GABA is 1 to 1000.
4. A pharmaceutical composition for improving neuropsychological function, comprising a neuropsychological function improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 3, for the prevention and/or improvement of symptoms and/or diseases caused by a decline in neuropsychological function, wherein the symptoms and/or diseases caused by a decline in neuropsychological function are Alzheimer's disease or depression .
5. A food and beverage composition for improving neuropsychological function, comprising a neuropsychological function improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the symptoms and/or diseases caused by the decline in neuropsychological function are Alzheimer's disease or depression.
6. A method for preventing and/or improving symptoms and/or diseases caused by a decline in neuropsychological function, comprising the step of administering a neuropsychological function improving agent described in any one of claims 1 to 3 to a non-human animal that requires the neuropsychological function improving agent , wherein the symptoms and/or diseases caused by a decline in neuropsychological function are Alzheimer's disease or depression .

Description

This invention relates to a neuropsychological function improving agent that has preventive and/or ameliorative effects on symptoms and diseases caused by a decline in neuropsychological function, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and depression. More specifically, it relates to a neuropsychological function improving agent that contains soy peptide and gamma-aminobutyric acid as active ingredients, which can be safely and easily ingested, and can prevent and/or improve a decline in neuropsychological function. In recent years, the rapid increase in the number of elderly people with dementia due to the global aging population has become a major problem, leading to increased social security burdens. Furthermore, even healthy seniors desire improvements in age-related decline in brain function. Therefore, there is a social need for preventative measures to avoid the decline of brain function, particularly cognitive function. In Japan, in particular, it is predicted that one in four people aged 65 and over will develop dementia, and it is estimated that more than 60% of these will be Alzheimer's disease (AD) (Non-Patent Literature 1). It has been shown that in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ), the main component of senile plaques in the brain, occurs. Following the accumulation of Aβ, abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein occurs, leading to the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). This sequence of events is called the amyloid cascade hypothesis (Non-Patent Literature 2). Furthermore, the previously proposed hypothesis of intracranial inflammation in AD is once again attracting attention. Specifically, in 1987, it was reported that activated microglia accumulated around senile plaques in autopsy brains of AD patients (Non-Patent Literature 3), and in 1990, it was found that the risk of developing AD was reduced to one-sixth in rheumatoid arthritis patients who had been taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for a long period, highlighting the importance of intracranial inflammation in the development of AD (Non-Patent Literature 4). In addition to cognitive impairment, primarily progressive memory loss, AD is characterized by various behavioral and psychological symptoms (behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: BPSD) that occur during its course. One of the main symptoms of BPSD is depression (Non-Patent Literature 5). Studies have reported that patients with depression exhibit reduced hippocampal volume and impaired hippocampal function (Non-Patent Literature 6). The hippocampus is known as a brain region involved in cognitive functions such as memory and learning, but in patients with depression, not only mood disorders but also cognitive functions, including memory, are impaired. Furthermore, the hippocampus negatively regulates the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis), but in patients with depression, the HPA axis is overactive, and impaired hippocampal function is considered a contributing factor. Traditionally, the prevailing view was that nerve cells are newly generated during the embryonic and juvenile stages, and not during maturity. However, recent studies have revealed that in certain brain regions, such as the subventricular zone and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, nerve stem and progenitor cells exist even during maturity, and that nerve cells are newly generated through their proliferation and differentiation (Non-Patent Literature 7). Furthermore, it has been reported that nerve cells newly generated in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus form neural networks and play important roles in memory formation (Non-Patent Literature 8). Recently, it has been reported that nerve cell generation in the hippocampus rapidly decreases as Alzheimer's disease (AD) progresses, and this may be related to the onset of AD (Non-Patent Literature 9). In recent years, as our understanding of brain function has advanced, there has been a surge in efforts to discover substances that improve neuropsychological functions such as memory, and prevent or alleviate symptoms and diseases associated with a decline in neuropsychological function. One example is the active search for substances in naturally occurring foods that can be consumed daily that improve cognitive function. For instance, studies have revealed that ingesting a compound of five amino acids—arginine, citrulline, glycine, proline, and tyrosine—enhances cognitive function (assessed using the Stroop test) (Patent Document 1), that oral intake of lipopolysaccharide derived from the wheat symbiotic bacterium Pantoea agglomerans significantly reduces the accumulation of Aβ peptide in the brain and improves learning function (Patent Document 2), and that ingesting chlorogenic acids, polyphenols found in coffee beans, potatoes, rice bran, etc., improves higher-order brain functions such as cognitive flexibility, executive function, and attentional co