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KR-20260066835-A - Composition for prevention, improvement or treatment of muscular disorders comprising extract of Zanthoxylum schinifolium as an active ingredient

KR20260066835AKR 20260066835 AKR20260066835 AKR 20260066835AKR-20260066835-A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition for the prevention, improvement, or treatment of muscle diseases comprising a prickly ash extract as an active ingredient. The prickly ash extract according to the present invention has excellent effects in increasing the expression of MyoD, Myf-5, Myogenin, or Myf-6, which are involved in the differentiation of muscle cells and/or muscle protein synthesis, and in inhibiting the expression of Myostatin, FoxO3a, MuRF1, or Atrogin-1, which are involved in muscle protein degradation. Furthermore, by promoting muscle protein synthesis or inhibiting muscle protein degradation, it can prevent, treat, or improve muscle function decline and muscle loss caused by various diseases. Since the present invention is a natural product, it can be used safely without side effects and is useful for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, food, or animal feed.

Inventors

  • 황경아
  • 김민아
  • 황혜정

Assignees

  • 대한민국(농촌진흥청장)

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20241105

Claims (10)

  1. A food composition for the prevention or improvement of muscle diseases containing prickly ash tree extract as an active ingredient.
  2. In paragraph 1, A food composition characterized in that the above-mentioned prickly ash tree extract is a prickly ash tree leaf extract.
  3. In paragraph 1, A food composition characterized in that the above-mentioned prickly ash tree extract is a hot water extract of the prickly ash tree.
  4. In paragraph 1, A food composition characterized by the above-mentioned prickly ash extract increasing the expression of one or more selected from muscle differentiation-related factors, such as MyoD, Myf-5, Myogenin, and Myf-6.
  5. In paragraph 1, A food composition characterized by the above-mentioned prickly ash extract reducing the expression of one or more selected from Myostatin, FoxO3a, MuRF1, and Atrogin-1, which are factors related to muscle protein degradation.
  6. In paragraph 1, A food composition characterized by the above-mentioned prickly ash extract promoting the synthesis of muscle protein or inhibiting the breakdown of muscle protein.
  7. In paragraph 1, A food composition characterized by the above-mentioned muscle disease being one or more selected from sarcopenia, muscular atrophy, cachexia, muscular dystrophy, myopathy, myasthenia, muscular injury, myotonia, hypotonia, muscular weakness, and atony.
  8. A food composition for muscle growth or muscle loss inhibition containing prickly ash extract as an active ingredient.
  9. A feed composition for the prevention or improvement of muscle diseases containing prickly ash tree extract as an active ingredient.
  10. A pharmaceutical composition for the prevention or treatment of muscle diseases containing prickly ash extract as an active ingredient.

Description

Composition for prevention, improvement or treatment of muscular disorders comprising extract of Zanthoxylum schinifolium as an active ingredient The present invention relates to a composition for the prevention, improvement, or treatment of muscle diseases comprising a prickly ash extract as an active ingredient. Muscle is a tissue formed from the development of mesenchymal stem cells and consists of bundles of myofibers formed by the fusion of myoblasts. Muscles account for 40-50% of body weight, supporting and protecting bones and internal organs while enabling the motility of other tissues, such as the heartbeat (Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 61: 188-194, 2015). In addition to protecting organs, muscles have a significant impact on nutrient metabolism as well as physical activity, including exercise; therefore, they are closely linked to the development of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Muscle atrophy refers to the weakening and degeneration of muscles caused by a progressive decrease in muscle mass (Cell, 119(7): 907-910, 2004). Muscle atrophy is accelerated by inactivity, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation, and impairs muscle function and exercise capacity (Clinical Nutrition, 26(5): 524-534, 2007). The most important factor determining muscle function is muscle mass, which is maintained by the balance between protein synthesis and breakdown. Muscular dystrophy occurs when protein breakdown occurs more than synthesis (The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 37(10): 1985-1996, 2005). Muscle size is regulated by intracellular signaling pathways that induce anabolism or catabolism within the muscle, and when signaling responses that induce synthesis rather than breakdown of muscle protein occur more frequently, muscle protein synthesis increases, which manifests as an increase in muscle size (hypertrophy) or an increase in the number of muscle fibers (hyperplasia) due to the increase in muscle protein (The Korea Journal of Sports Science, 20(3): 1551-1561, 2011). Factors involved in muscle protein synthesis induce protein synthesis by phosphorylating downstream proteins initiated by the stimulation of the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway within muscle cells. The activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) via PI3K/Akt signaling is recognized as a central growth signaling factor that integrates various growth signals within the cell. mTOR contributes to muscle mass increase by inducing muscle protein synthesis through the activation of two mRNA translation initiators: 4E-binding protein (4EBP1) and phosphorylated 70-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (p70S6K) (The Korea Journal of Sports Science, 20(3): 1551-1561, 2011; The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 43(9): 1267-1276, 2011). Conversely, when the transcription factor forhead box (FoxO) moves from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, it increases the expression of E3 ubiquitin ligase factors atrogin-1 and MuRF-1, which are involved in protein degradation (Disease Models and Mechanisms, 6: 25-39, 2013). Increased expression of these factors promotes protein degradation within muscle, leading to a decrease in muscle mass. Therefore, promoting the activity of mTOR, 4EBP1, or S6K and inhibiting the expression of atrogin-1 or MuRF-1 increase the amount of muscle protein, thereby increasing muscle mass. The differentiation of muscle cells and muscle formation are regulated by various muscle regulatory factors. Among them, MyoD initiates the expression of muscle-specific genes and induces the differentiation of muscle satellite cells into myoblasts. The induction of myogenin expression by MyoD activation is the most important factor in myoblast fusion and is involved in the formation of myotubes. Muscle fibers formed through this process bundle together to ultimately form muscle (Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 70: 4117-4130, 2013). Meanwhile, the Japanese pepper tree ( Zanthoxylum schinifolium ) is an aromatic plant that grows abundantly in warm and subtropical regions, and is known to grow particularly in Asia. Japanese pepper oil, extracted from the pericarp or fruit of the Japanese pepper tree, is widely used as a seasoning in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, and Japan. In traditional Korean medicine, the fruit or oil of the Japanese pepper tree is mainly used for epigastric pain and as invigorants for blood circulation; coumarin, alkaloids, triterapenoids, steroids, and flavonoids are also isolated from the tree for use. The inventors completed the present invention while developing a treatment for muscle diseases using a natural product that has been used for a long time and has been proven safe for the human body, by confirming that prickly ash extract promotes muscle formation (myogenesis). Figure 1a is an image obtained by microscopy confirming whether a prickly ash extract according to one embodiment of th