JP2022190205A - Mitochondrion activator, fat burning promoting composition, and anti-obesity composition - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a mitochondrion activator, and a fat burning promoting composition and an anti-obesity composition each containing the mitochondrion activator.SOLUTION: A mitochondrion activator contains C8, 10, and 12 fatty acids as active ingredients. There are also provided a fat burning promoting composition and an anti-obesity composition each containing the mitochondrion activator.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a mitochondrial activator, a composition for promoting fat burning, and an anti-obesity composition.

Mitochondria present in eukaryotic cells play essential roles in energy production, regulation of intracellular calcium ion concentration, lipid oxidation, thermogenesis, and the like. By enhancing (that is, activating) the function of mitochondria, effects such as improvement of brain function, improvement of endurance, and diet are expected.
Until now, a medium-chain fatty acid with 10 carbon atoms (decanoic acid) has been reported as a component having a mitochondrial activation effect (Patent Document 1), but there has been a demand for a component that provides a higher activation effect.

JP 2018-121635 A

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a mitochondrial activator, a composition for promoting fat burning containing the mitochondrial activator, and an anti-obesity composition.

The present inventors have unexpectedly found that a mixture of three kinds of fatty acids with different carbon numbers has an excellent mitochondrial activating action, and completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides the following.

(1) A mitochondrial activator containing fatty acids having 8, 10 and 12 carbon atoms as active ingredients.
(2) The mitochondrial activator according to (1), wherein the fatty acid is in the form of a constituent fatty acid of acylglycerol and/or a free fatty acid.
(3) The mitochondrial activator according to (1) or (2), further comprising β-hydroxybutyric acid as an active ingredient.
(4) A composition for promoting fat burning or anti-obesity, containing the mitochondrial activator according to any one of (1) to (3).
(5) The composition according to (4), which is a drug, quasi-drug or food.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the mitochondrial activator which has the outstanding mitochondrial activation effect is provided. Also provided are a composition for promoting fat burning and an anti-obesity composition containing the mitochondrial activator.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below, but the present invention is not particularly limited thereto.

<Mitochondrial Activator>
The mitochondrial activator of the present invention contains fatty acids having 8, 10 and 12 carbon atoms as active ingredients. Hereinafter, "fatty acids having 8, 10 and 12 carbon atoms" are collectively referred to as "medium chain fatty acids".
In the present invention, the term "mitochondrial activator" refers to biosynthesis that increases the volume and amount of mitochondria in cells when the mitochondrial activator is administered, compared to when the mitochondrial activator is not administered. It means an agent that can be activated. Intracellular mitochondrial activity can be identified, for example, by measuring citrate synthase activity.
The mitochondrial activator of the present invention reduces the citrate synthase activity by 120% or more, preferably 130% or more, when the mitochondrial activator is administered, compared to when the mitochondrial activator is not administered. More preferably, it has an effect of increasing by 150% or more.

(medium chain fatty acid)
The medium-chain fatty acids in the present invention are linear saturated fatty acids having 8, 10 and 12 carbon atoms, and are oil and fat components contained in ordinary foods (eg, edible oils and fats, dairy products, etc.). Caprylic acid (n-octanoic acid) is an example of medium-chain fatty acids having 8 carbon atoms. Capric acid (n-decanoic acid) is exemplified as the medium-chain fatty acid having 10 carbon atoms. The medium-chain fatty acid having 12 carbon atoms includes lauric acid. The medium-chain fatty acid in the present invention is obtained, for example, by hydrolyzing palm kernel oil or coconut oil and then purifying it. Commercially available products and reagents can also be used as medium-chain fatty acids.

The form of the medium-chain fatty acid contained in the mitochondrial activator of the present invention is not particularly limited. It may be a precursor (eg, salt, ester (acylglycerol, etc., described later)) or a mixture thereof.
The medium-chain fatty acid content in the mitochondrial activator of the present invention is preferably 80-100% by mass, more preferably 85-98% by mass, and most preferably 90-95% by mass. When the medium-chain fatty acid content is within the above range, the mitochondrial activation effect is more likely to be obtained. When the mitochondrial activator of the present invention contains a medium-chain fatty acid salt or ester, the content in terms of medium-chain fatty acid may be adjusted to a desired content.

The medium-chain fatty acid in the present invention is usually ingested into the body in the form of a fatty acid precursor, more specifically acylglycerol in which a medium-chain fatty acid and glycerin are ester-bonded. It is known that ingested acylglycerol is decomposed and absorbed in the digestive tract, releases medium-chain fatty acids, and is converted into energy in the liver and brain. From the standpoint of higher safety, the medium-chain fatty acid contained in the mitochondrial activator of the present invention is preferably acylglycerol.

Acylglycerol has a structure in which fatty acid and glycerin are ester-bonded, and exists in one of three forms (monoacylglycerol, diacylglycerol, and triacylglycerol) depending on the number of fatty acids bound to glycerin. do. Acylglycerol in the present invention may be in any of the above three forms. The type and amount of acylglycerol contained in the mitochondrial activator are not particularly limited as long as the medium-chain fatty acid content in the mitochondrial activator of the present invention is the desired amount.

As the acylglycerol in the present invention, triacylglycerol is preferable from the viewpoint that it is close to the usual food form. Moreover, in the present invention, fatty acids that constitute one diacylglycerol and one triacylglycerol may be of the same type or of different types. The bonding position of each fatty acid to glycerin in acylglycerol is not particularly limited. In addition, as a constituent fatty acid of acylglycerol, fatty acids other than the three medium-chain fatty acids in the present invention (e.g., caproic acid (n-hexanoic acid), pentanoic acid, heptanoic acid, nonanoic acid, etc.) Fatty acids other than chain fatty acids, short-chain fatty acids with 4 carbon atoms (butanoic acid), long-chain fatty acids with 14 to 22 carbon atoms, etc.) may be contained.

The mitochondrial activator of the present invention may further contain acylglycerols that do not contain the three medium-chain fatty acids of the present invention as constituent fatty acids. In such a case, the type and amount of the acylglycerol contained in the mitochondrial activating agent are not particularly limited as long as the medium-chain fatty acid content in the mitochondrial activating agent of the present invention is the desired content.

Although the method for producing acylglycerol in the present invention is not particularly limited, it can be obtained, for example, by subjecting a medium-chain fatty acid derived from palm kernel oil or coconut oil to esterification reaction with glycerin. Examples of the esterification reaction include a method of reacting under reduced pressure without a catalyst and a solvent, a method of reacting using a synthetic catalyst such as sodium methoxide, and a method of reacting using lipase as a catalyst. .

From the viewpoint that a more safe mitochondrial activator can be easily obtained, the acylglycerol in the present invention includes one triacylglycerol and one or more of the three medium-chain fatty acids in the present invention as constituent fatty acids. and a triglyceride containing a long-chain fatty acid (for example, a straight long-chain fatty acid having 14 to 22 carbon atoms), that is, a medium-long-chain fatty acid triglyceride, or all of the constituent fatty acids in one triacylglycerol are medium-chain Fatty acid triglycerides, ie medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides, are preferred. As the acylglycerol in the present invention, medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides in which all the constituent fatty acids in one triacylglycerol are any one of the three types of medium-chain fatty acids in the present invention are particularly preferred. Hereinafter, "medium and long chain fatty acid triglyceride" is also referred to as "MLCT", and "medium chain fatty acid triglyceride" is also referred to as "MCT".

The content of medium-chain fatty acids in the mitochondrial activator of the present invention is preferably 50-100% by mass, more preferably 75-100% by mass, and most preferably 90-100% by mass. When the medium-chain fatty acid content is within the above range, the mitochondrial activation effect is more likely to be obtained.
In addition, the content of MLCT and/or MCT in the mitochondrial activator of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the content of medium-chain fatty acids, which are constituent fatty acids, is adjusted to a desired content, but is preferably 52 ~100% by mass, more preferably 78-100% by mass, most preferably 94-100% by mass. When the content of MLCT and/or MCT is within the above range, the effect of activating mitochondria is more likely to be obtained.
In addition, the content of medium-chain fatty acids in the mitochondrial activator of the present invention is based on the Japan Oil Chemistry Society "Standard Oil Analysis Test Method 2.4.2.3-2013 Fatty Acid Composition (Capillary Gas Chromatograph Method). can be asked for.

In the mitochondrial activator of the present invention, the molar ratio (%) of fatty acids having 8, 10, and 12 carbon atoms (8 carbon atoms: 10 carbon atoms: 12 carbon atoms), which are active ingredients, is preferably 10 to 45. :10-45:10-45, more preferably 15-42.5:15-42.5:15-42.5, most preferably 20-40:20-40:20-40. When the molar ratio of fatty acids having 8, 10 and 12 carbon atoms is within the above range, the effect of activating mitochondria is more likely to be obtained.

(β-hydroxybutyric acid)
The mitochondrial activator of the present invention preferably contains β-hydroxybutyric acid as an active ingredient. The beta-hydroxybutyric acid in the present invention may include racemic DL-β-hydroxybutyric acid or single isomer β-hydroxybutyric acid. β-Hydroxybutyric acid in the present invention is obtained, for example, by purification through a fermentation process using β-hydroxybutyric acid-producing Halomonas bacteria. Commercially available products and reagents can also be used as β-hydroxybutyric acid. Hereinafter, "β-hydroxybutyric acid" is also referred to as "βHB".

The form of βHB contained in the mitochondrial activator of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be βHB itself or a fatty acid precursor (eg, salt, ester, etc.) that is converted to βHB in vivo. or a mixture thereof. Salts of βHB include alkali metal salts such as sodium and potassium, alkaline earth metal salts such as calcium and magnesium, and salts derived from organic bases such as salts with amino acids such as histidine, ornithine and creatine.

The content of βHB in the mitochondrial activator of the present invention is preferably 5-30% by weight, more preferably 10-30% by weight, most preferably 15-25% by weight. When the content of βHB is within the above range, the effect of activating mitochondria is more likely to be obtained. When the mitochondrial activator of the present invention contains a βHB salt or ester, the content in terms of βHB may be adjusted to a desired content.
When the mitochondrial activator of the present invention contains βHB, the medium-chain fatty acid content is preferably 69 to 94% by mass, more preferably 69 to 89% by mass, and most preferably 74 to 84% by mass. .
In addition, when the mitochondrial activator of the present invention contains βHB, the content of MLCT and/or MCT is not particularly limited as long as the content of medium-chain fatty acids, which are constituent fatty acids, is adjusted to a desired content. However, the MCT content is preferably 69 to 94% by mass, more preferably 70 to 90% by mass, and most preferably 71 to 86% by mass.

When the mitochondrial activator of the present invention contains medium-chain fatty acids and βHB as active ingredients, the molar ratio (%) of fatty acids having 8, 10, and 12 carbon atoms and βHB (8 carbon atoms: 10: carbon number 12: βHB) is preferably 10 to 45:10 to 45:10 to 45:10 to 45, more preferably 15 to 40:15 to 40:15 to 40:15 to 40, and even more preferably is 15-35:15-35:15-35:20-40, most preferably 20-30:20-30:20-30:30-40. When the molar ratio of fatty acids having 8, 10 and 12 carbon atoms and βHB is within the above range, the effect of activating mitochondria is more likely to be obtained.

(other ingredients)
The mitochondrial activator of the present invention may contain ingredients other than medium-chain fatty acids, βHB, and their related substances (salts, precursors, etc.) as active ingredients. For example, it may contain pigments, fragrances, antioxidants, emulsifiers and the like.

(mitochondrial activation effect)
The mitochondrial activator of the present invention can be used for activation of intracellular mitochondria. In the present invention, the term "mitochondrial activating action" means that the ingestion of the mitochondrial activator of the present invention increases the mitochondrial citrate synthase activity compared to when the mitochondrial activator is not ingested. It means an increase of 120% or more, preferably 130% or more, more preferably 150% or more. Activation of mitochondria can also be translated into promotion of mitochondrial biosynthesis.

In the present invention, “fat burning promotion” means a state in which β-oxidation of fatty acids and/or thermogenesis are promoted by activation of intracellular mitochondria to promote lipid metabolism (fat burning).

In the present invention, "anti-obesity" means that obesity is eliminated or prevented by promoting the reduction of body fat and/or suppression of body fat accumulation by the above-mentioned "promotion of fat burning". In the present invention, "obesity" means a condition in which fat is excessively accumulated in adipose tissue in vivo, and includes, for example, a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more.

(Composition containing mitochondrial activator)
As described above, the mitochondrial activator of the present invention can be used for fat burning promotion and anti-obesity purposes, and therefore, by incorporating it into a composition, a composition exhibiting desired effects can be obtained. Specifically, the composition containing the mitochondrial activator of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the composition of the present invention) can be a composition for promoting fat burning or an anti-obesity composition.

(Pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs)
An embodiment of the composition of the present invention includes pharmaceuticals. The drug in the present invention may be either a pharmaceutical composition for oral administration or a pharmaceutical composition for parenteral administration. Among these, pharmaceutical compositions for oral administration are preferable from the viewpoint of being easy to take continuously.
Forms of pharmaceutical compositions for oral administration include, for example, formulations such as capsules, tablets, pills, powders, fine granules, granules, liquids and syrups. Pharmaceutical compositions for parenteral administration include formulations such as injections and infusions.

The drug of the present invention may contain pharmacologically and pharmaceutically acceptable additives together with the mitochondrial activator of the present invention. As the "pharmacologically and pharmaceutically acceptable additive", a substance that is commonly used as an excipient or the like in the pharmaceutical field and that does not react with the active ingredient contained in the mitochondrial activator of the present invention can be used.
The dose of the drug in the present invention can be appropriately set according to the administration purpose (prevention or treatment), administration method, administration period, and other various conditions (eg, patient's symptoms, age, weight).

The dose of the drug in the present invention can be appropriately set according to the administration purpose (prevention or treatment), administration method, administration period, and other various conditions (eg, patient's symptoms, age, weight).
In the case of oral administration, the dosage of the drug in the present invention can be set to preferably 0.02 g/kg body weight/day or more, more preferably 0.08 g/kg body weight/day or more, as the medium-chain fatty acid. . The upper limit can be set to preferably 0.70 g/kg body weight/day or less, more preferably 0.45 g/kg body weight/day or less as medium-chain fatty acids.

In the case of oral administration, the dosage of the drug in the present invention can be set to preferably 0.03 g/kg body weight/day or more, more preferably 0.09 g/kg body weight/day or more, if it is MCT. . Regarding the upper limit, in the case of MCT, it can be set to preferably 1.00 g/kg body weight/day or less, more preferably 0.50 g/kg body weight/day or less.

In the case of parenteral administration, the dose of the drug in the present invention is preferably set at a lower limit of 0.026 g/kg body weight/day or more, more preferably 0.09 g/kg body weight/day or more as medium-chain fatty acid. can. The upper limit can be set to preferably 0.72 g/kg body weight/day or less, more preferably 0.56 g/kg body weight/day or less as medium-chain fatty acids.

In the case of parenteral administration, the dose of the drug in the present invention is preferably set to 0.029 g/kg body weight/day or more, more preferably 0.10 g/kg body weight/day or more in the case of MCT. can. Regarding the upper limit, in the case of MCT, it is preferably 0.80 g/kg body weight/day or less, more preferably 0.60 g/kg body weight/day or less. In the case of parenteral administration, it is preferable to administer the above doses over several hours (for example, over 4 to 8 hours).

The pharmaceutical composition of the present invention is less likely to cause side effects and is therefore suitable for continuous administration. Although the administration period is not particularly limited, it can be set to, for example, 7 days or more, preferably 14 days or more. The administration may be performed at intervals of several hours during the period described above, or may be performed at intervals (eg, one day to several days).

The aspect of the quasi-drug in the present invention conforms to the above drug.

(food)
Foods are mentioned as an aspect of the composition of this invention. Foods in the present invention include supplements, general foods, animal foods, and animal feeds.
The form of the supplement is not particularly limited, and may be either a solid formulation or a liquid formulation. Examples include formulations such as tablets, coated tablets, capsules, granules, powders, sustained-release formulations, suspensions, emulsions, oral liquids, sugar-coated tablets, pills, fine granules, syrups, and elixirs. .
The form of general food is not particularly limited. bars, high-fat bars, UHT desserts, pasteurized desserts, etc.), beverages (fruit juice drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, etc.), seasonings (dressings, sauces, mayonnaise, etc.), processed oils and fats (butter, margarine, prepared margarine, fat spread, shortening, bakery mix, etc.), dairy products (cheese spread, processed cheese, dairy desserts, flavored milk, fermented milk products, cheese, butter, condensed milk products, yogurt, cream, etc.), soups, frying oils, Fried oil, fried foods, processed meat products, frozen foods, fried foods, noodles, retort foods, liquid foods, swallowing foods, soybean products, gels, jelly, fillings (fat-based or water-containing fillings), and the like.

When the composition of the present invention is used for producing general foods, the mitochondrial activator of the present invention is preferably contained in the form of MCT as an active ingredient. In such a case, it is preferable to add MCT to the raw material or replace the oil and fat of the raw material with MCT.
The intake amount of the food in the present invention can be appropriately set according to the purpose of intake (prevention or treatment), the period of intake, and other various conditions (eg, symptoms, age, weight of the ingester).

The intake amount of the food in the present invention can be appropriately set according to the purpose of intake (prevention, etc.), the period of intake, and other various conditions (eg, symptoms, age, weight of the ingester).
The intake amount of the food in the present invention can be set at a lower limit of preferably 0.03 g/kg body weight/day or more, more preferably 0.09 g/kg body weight/day or more in the case of MCT. Regarding the upper limit, in the case of MCT, it can be set to preferably 1.00 g/kg body weight/day or less, more preferably 0.50 g/kg body weight/day or less.

The amount of food intake in the present invention is suitable for continuous intake. The ingestion period is not particularly limited, but can be set to, for example, 7 days or more, preferably 14 days or more. Ingestion may be performed at intervals of several hours during the above period, or may be performed at intervals (for example, one day to several days).

The food of the present invention is effective in reducing body fat by promoting fat burning and/or suppressing accumulation of body fat, and preventing or improving obesity by reducing body fat by promoting fat burning and/or inhibiting accumulation of body fat. A label may be attached to the effect that the product is used for
For example, "mitochondrial function", "fat burning", "fat consumption", "lipid metabolism", "increase burning", "increase consumption", "increase metabolism", "facilitate burning", "consumption "For those concerned about body fat", "For those who are slightly obese", "For those concerned about their weight (BMI)", "For those with a high body weight (BMI)", " Labels such as "reduce body weight and abdominal fat (visceral fat and subcutaneous fat)", "reduce waist circumference", "lose weight", "become ideal body", "diet", "slim", etc. can be attached. .

If the food of the present invention contains medium-chain fatty acids and/or βHB derived from raw materials other than the mitochondrial activator of the present invention, the molar ratio of medium-chain fatty acids and/or βHB in the entire food is , preferably within the range of the molar ratio described in the above "mitochondrial activating agent".

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to Examples, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the description of these Examples.

[Confirmation of mitochondrial activation using cultured cells]
A cell culture test (in vitro test) was performed by the following method to examine the effects of various medium-chain fatty acids and βHB on mitochondrial activation in myotube cells (C2C12 cells). The presence or absence of mitochondrial activation was confirmed by measuring citrate synthase activity, which is known as one of the indices for measuring mitochondrial function.

(1) Preparation of samples Various medium-chain fatty acid samples and βHB samples were prepared by the following method. A dimethylsulfoxide sample was also prepared as a control.
(1-1) Control Sample Dimethyl sulfoxide (trade name: Dimethyl Sulfoxide, Hybrid-Max, sterile-filtered, model number: D2650, manufactured by SIGMA-ALDRICH) was used as a control sample.
(1-2) n-octanoic acid sample In the same dimethyl sulfoxide as in (1-1) above, n-octanoic acid (trade name: octanoic acid, model number: 156-01775, manufactured by FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Co., Ltd.) was added to obtain a 1000 mM n-octanoic acid solution. Next, the n-octanoic acid solution was added to a 5 mass% BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin) solution so that the final concentration of n-octanoic acid was 5 mM, and sonication was repeated at a product temperature of about 40 ° C. to dissolve. Then, it was sterilized with a membrane filter (0.22 μm) to obtain an n-octanoic acid sample.
(1-3) n-decanoic acid sample Using n-decanoic acid (trade name: decanoic acid, model number: 041-23256, manufactured by FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.), the same procedure as in (1-2) above was performed. to obtain a 5 mM n-decanoic acid sample.
(1-4) Lauric acid sample Using lauric acid (trade name: lauric acid, model number: 042-23281, manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.), in the same manner as in (1-2) above, 5 mM A lauric acid sample was obtained.
(1-5) βHB sample Using βHB (trade name: 3-hydroxybutyric acid, model number: 589-60701, manufactured by Fuji Film Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.), 5 mM A βHB sample was obtained.

(2) Preparation of Myotube Cells (C2C12 Cells) C2C12 cells (cell number: RCB0987, RIKEN) were subcultured several times in a medium, and then 4×10 ⁶ cells were seeded in a T-75 flask ( day 0). Next, the medium was replaced with a differentiation-inducing medium (DMEM medium containing 2% Horse Serum) and cultured at 5% CO ₂ at 37° C. to obtain C2C12 cells for cell culture test (days 1 to 4).

(3) Cell culture test At the same time as replacing the differentiation induction medium on day5, the various samples prepared above were added so that the concentration (μM) in the medium was the concentration shown in Table 1, and the cells were collected on day6. (Examples 1 to 4, and Comparative Examples 1 to 6. The number of specimens was 3 each). In addition, a control sample (the number of specimens was 5) was prepared by adding only dimethyl sulfoxide.

(4) Mitochondria isolation For the cells collected above, a reagent for mitochondria isolation (trade name: Mammalian Mitochondria Isolation Kit for Tissue and Cultured Cells, catalog number: K288 and trade name: EZBlock Protease Inhibitor Cocktail, EDTA-Free, Mitochondria were isolated using Catalog No. K272, both manufactured by BioVision). Specifically, the medium was treated with trypsin, ice-cold buffer was added to collect the cells, and after centrifugation, ice ^- cold buffer was added to the discarded cells and resuspended. .5 mL tube. Centrifuge at 4 ° C., 600 × g for 10 minutes to remove the supernatant, add 400 μL of ice-cold K288 Mitochondrial Isolation Buffer (containing 1% v / v K272) to the tube, stir, and then add 4 μL of K288 Reagent A. Add and stir intermittently for 5 minutes (stir for 5 seconds every minute).
Next, the tube was centrifuged at 600×g at 4° C. for 10 minutes, the supernatant was collected in a new 1.5 ml tube, and further centrifuged at 7,000×g at 4° C. for 10 minutes to remove the precipitate (mitochondrion). After collection, 200 μL of Storage Buffer was added to obtain a mitochondrial suspension.

(5) Measurement of citrate synthase (CS) activity 6 μL of the above mitochondrial suspension was put into a 96-well plate, and a CS activity measurement reagent (trade name: Citrate Synthase Activity Colorimetric Assay Kit, catalog number: K318 , BioVision) was added to make a total volume of 50 μL to obtain a sample for measurement. Separately, a standard mix to which glutathione was added or a background mix to which glutathione was not added was prepared in a 96-well plate, and a total volume of 50 μL of specimen was also obtained. The absorbance at 412 nm of these specimens was measured using a plate reader (trade name: EnSpire, manufactured by PerkinElmer).
The CS activity was calculated from the following formula.
CS activity = B/(ΔT x V) x D (unit: U/ml)
B: SH group calculated from the calibration curve ΔT: Reaction time (min)
V: Liquid volume per well (μL)
D: dilution factor

Table 2 shows the results of the cell culture test. In addition, in Table 2, the measured value (unit: U/ml) of citrate synthase activity (CS activity) is expressed as "average ± standard deviation". "Additional component" in Table 2 indicates the composition ratio (mol%) of various medium-chain fatty acids and βHB in the entire additive component. In addition, "rate of increase" refers to a numerical value (%) obtained by dividing the average value of CS activity of each specimen by the average value of CS activity of control samples.
Significant difference test of CS activity of each specimen with respect to CS activity of control example was performed using t-test, significant (p < 0.05), highly significant (p < 0.01), and no significant difference (p ≧0.05).

As shown in Table 2, myotube cells to which n-octanoic acid, n-decanoic acid, and lauric acid were added (Example 1) showed a significant increase in CS activity. Furthermore, myotube cells to which βHB was also added (Examples 2 to 4) showed a more pronounced increase in CS activity.
Therefore, the mitochondrial activator of the present invention was considered useful for promoting fat burning and anti-obesity.

Claims (5)

A mitochondrial activator containing fatty acids having 8, 10 and 12 carbon atoms as active ingredients. 2. The mitochondrial activator according to claim 1, wherein the fatty acid is in the form of a constituent fatty acid of acylglycerol and/or a free fatty acid. 3. The mitochondrial activator according to claim 1, further comprising β-hydroxybutyric acid as an active ingredient. A composition for promoting fat burning or anti-obesity, containing the mitochondrial activator according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The composition according to claim 4, which is a pharmaceutical, quasi-drug or food.