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10 pages, 750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Antihypertensive Effects of Oral Doses of Acetylcholine between Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats and Normotensive Rats

by Shohei Yamaguchi, Kento Matsumoto, Wenhao Wang and Kozo Nakamura

Foods 2021, 10(9), 2107; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10092107 - 6 Sep 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2390

Abstract

Acetylcholine (ACh) is a novel antihypertensive food component. Here, we demonstrate the differential effects of oral ACh on high and normal blood pressure in rats. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats were administered ACh orally. The blood pressure and heart rate of SHRs were significantly lowered with ACh doses of 10⁻⁵ and 10⁻³ mol/kg body weight (b.w.), and the urinary catecholamine levels were significantly decreased with 10⁻³ mol/kg b.w. In contrast, oral ACh administration had no effect on WKY rats. This difference was likely caused by differences in sympathetic nervous activity and the baroreflex between strains. Comparison of gene sequences between the two strains revealed Chga mutations, suggesting that changes in the expression of chromogranin A might be involved in the baroreflex in SHRs. Oral ACh had an antihypertensive effect under hypertension but not normotension, indicating that this may be used safely to prevent hypertension. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solanaceous Vegetables and Human Health)

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10 pages, 1045 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the Distribution and Content of Acetylcholine, a Novel Functional Compound in Eggplant

by Wenhao Wang, Shohei Yamaguchi, Ayako Suzuki, Naomi Wagu, Masahiro Koyama, Akihiko Takahashi, Risa Takada, Koji Miyatake and Kozo Nakamura

Foods 2021, 10(1), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010081 - 4 Jan 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3165 | Correction

Abstract

Eggplants are rich in acetylcholine (ACh), which can improve high blood pressure and negative psychological states. However, information on ACh content in individual parts of eggplant and the changes in ACh content during eggplant development is limited. Therefore, we investigated the ACh content in various parts of eggplant, namely, the leaf, root, bud, calyx, ovary, fruit, exocarp, mesocarp, partition, placenta, core, fruit base, fruit center, and fruit top in 26 eggplant varieties. Furthermore, the effect of heat treatment on ACh content was investigated. The ACh content significantly differed among the eggplant varieties. The difference between the varieties with the highest and lowest ACh content was 100-fold (Tosataka: 11 ± 0.61 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW) and Ryoma: 0.11 ± 0.046 mg/100 g FW, respectively). Eggplant fruit presented the highest ACh content (4.8 mg/100 g FW); it was three times higher than that in other parts combined (1.6 mg/100 g FW). The root contained the lowest ACh content among all parts. The ACh content increased with growth after flowering. The ACh content in the fruit 1.5 months after flowering was 400 times that in the ovary. ACh was uniformly distributed in eggplant flesh. Heat treatment did not cause ACh loss in eggplant. Thus, eggplant is an excellent raw material for functional foods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solanaceous Vegetables and Human Health)

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17 pages, 674 KiB

Open AccessArticle

LC–MS/MS Analysis of Choline Compounds in Japanese-Cultivated Vegetables and Fruits

by Wenhao Wang, Shohei Yamaguchi, Masahiro Koyama, Su Tian, Aya Ino, Koji Miyatake and Kozo Nakamura

Foods 2020, 9(8), 1029; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9081029 - 31 Jul 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4872 | Correction

Abstract

Choline is an essential nutrient and choline esters are potential functional food ingredients. We aimed to analyze the choline compound content in 19 cultivated fruits and vegetables and identify those with high acetylcholine content. We utilized liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry to quantify choline compounds according to the standard addition method. Choline compounds were extracted from lyophilized fruit/vegetable powders and passed through a weakly acidic cation exchange column, resulting in a concentrated solution of choline compounds. The compounds were separated on a pentafluorophenyl column and then analyzed using positive mode electrospray ionization. Results showed that acetylcholine and choline were the primary choline compounds in all agricultural products; propionylcholine and butyrylcholine were minor compounds in 17 and 12 agricultural products, respectively. The acetylcholine concentration was 2900-fold higher in eggplants (6.12 mg/100 g fresh weight [FW]) than in other agricultural products (average: 2.11 × 10⁻³ mg/100 g FW). The concentration of acetylcholine differed only 2-fold between eggplant cultivars with the highest (′Higomurasaki′: 5.53 mg/100 g FW) and lowest (′Onaga nasu′: 2.79 mg/100 g FW) concentrations. The half-life of acetylcholine in eggplants was approximately 16 days, which is longer the shelf life of eggplants. Thus, eggplants can be a good source of acetylcholine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solanaceous Vegetables and Human Health)

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