Antioxidant foods are on the rise, thioneine is on the rise

Scientific research has confirmed that the occurrence of various diseases such as aging and cancer are related to the production of excessive free radicals in the body. Free radicals are a class of active molecules produced during human activities, which have the function of regulating signal transmission and cell growth between cells, and inhibiting viruses and bacteria. However, if the body accumulates too much free radicals, it will have an adverse effect on the body, causing protein and nucleic acid denaturation, causing damage to cells, tissues and organs, and inducing various diseases. Therefore, how to remove excessive free radicals in the body has become a hot topic in current health research.

The human body is a microscopic ecosystem, and it also has its own control system for the regulation of free radicals. Enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase) and non-enzymes (vitamin E, vitamin D, glutathione) and other antioxidant components exist in the human body, which can form a balance with free radicals in the body. However, with the increase of age and the continuous stimulation of the external environment such as diet, free radicals in the body will increase significantly, thus breaking the balance required to maintain health. The antioxidant components in the body will decrease with the occurrence of oxidative stress, and exogenous supplementation of antioxidant components becomes an important way to rebuild balance.

Natural Antioxidants attract attention

Plants are a natural treasure house of antioxidants. A plant usually contains a dozen or even dozens of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamins, and selenium. Due to the natural existence of antioxidants in plants, these substances are also called natural antioxidants. Because of their natural and safe properties, they have attracted much attention in the era of "natural" and have been used in food, cosmetics, and medicine. It occupies an important position in the development of new products in other fields.

According to different application scenarios, the use of antioxidants is also different. In food processing, people usually use synthetic antioxidants with outstanding antioxidant effect and good stability, such as BHT, BHA, TBHQ, etc.; in the field of functional foods, natural sources are usually used, and extracts are common forms. As people's requirements for food safety continue to increase, the demand for natural-derived antioxidants has penetrated into all aspects. Even the food processing field that easily affects performance is transitioning to natural antioxidants. However, the problem of poor stability of natural antioxidants Has always limited the wide application of the application.

Stable Ergothioine

Ergothioine was first discovered in ergot fungi in 1909, and then it was also found in animal and plant tissues, especially in mushrooms and other fungi. Ergothioneine is a natural antioxidant in the human body, which can protect cells in the human body and is an important active substance in the body.

There is no evidence that the human body can synthesize ergothione spontaneously, but it exists in some tissues and organs, and it is responsible for anti-oxidation, scavenging free radicals, preventing ultraviolet radiation damage, regulating the redox reaction in the cell, and participating in the cell Various physiological functions such as energy regulation and cell physiological protection agents indicate that the diet is of great significance for the supplementation of ergothioneine.

Ergothioine has various effects on the body, but its antioxidant effect is the most worthy of study. Ergothioine is equivalent to vitamin C and glutathione in antioxidant activity, and is far lower than natural ingredients such as resveratrol and ASTAXANTHIN, but its stability is much higher than other natural antioxidants. Ergothioneine can maintain good stability in the body's acid-base and strong alkaline environment, is not prone to spontaneous oxidation, and can participate in the body's metabolic cycle to the greatest extent. From the perspective of comprehensive efficacy, it is no less than Antioxidant ingredients such as astaxanthin with more outstanding antioxidant properties.

In addition, ergothioneine has a more diverse protective effect on cells. It can not only effectively remove -OH, but also chelate divalent iron ions and copper ions, prevent hydrogen peroxide from generating -OH under the action of iron or copper ions, and inhibit the copper ion-dependent oxyhemoglobin Oxidation. Ergothioneine is also a powerful hypochlorous acid scavenger, which can protect α1 anti-protease inhibitor (API) against the inactivation caused by hypochlorous acid.

Mature application of cosmetics

The antioxidant effect of ergothioneine can form a protective barrier on the surface of the skin, reduce the irritation of the external environment on the skin, and at the same time can enhance the anti-damage ability of skin cells, reduce the radiation damage of ultraviolet rays, and also absorb ultraviolet rays. In addition, ergothioneine can reduce the glycation of protein, maintain skin elasticity, and have whitening and elastic effects. When combined with other antioxidant effects, it can also play a synergistic effect.

Ergothioneine is an inherent component of the human body, so no matter what form of supplementation, as long as it is within the appropriate limit, it will not cause side effects to the human body. As early as 2013, the State Food and Drug Administration issued an approved use The list of cosmetic raw material names contains thioneine, and it has become a "fashion" to add thioneine in the cosmetics field.

Food supplements followed

Food supplements are the core application of natural antioxidants, and the application of thioneine in the food industry is gradually spreading. On July 13, 2017, the European Commission issued Regulation (EU) No. 2017/1281, authorizing the introduction of L-ergothioine as a new food ingredient on the market, which restricts its use in infants and pregnant women. On November 13 of the same year, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) issued a safety assessment report on L-ergothioine as a new resource food for infants, pregnant women and breastfeeding women’s diets. The report pointed out that in infants 2.82mg /(Kg.bw), 3.39mg/(kg.bw) for children, 1.31mg/(kg.bw) for pregnant and lactating women, L-ergothioine is safe. Even if the daily intake determined in the original assessment is 800mg/(kg.bw), there is no obvious damage. In August 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that thioneine is generally considered safe (GRAS) under "expected conditions of use".

With the continuous escalation of consumer demand, consumers' attention to products is gradually being refined, from focusing only on brand and function, to focusing on ingredients and content, to focusing on specific effects, products are constantly focusing on consumer needs. innovation. Antioxidant is one of the most popular functions of functional foods. Products with high stability and outstanding utility are more likely to be favored by the market. As a "new" functional ingredient, ergothioneine will definitely make a difference in the field of antioxidants.