KR102225792B1 - Pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of postmenopausal syndrome containing Echinochrome A - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition comprising echinochrome A, which is effective in the treatment, prevention or alleviation of menopausal syndrome, as an active component, and uses thereof. The composition comprising echinochrome A according to the present invention as the active component exhibits an excellent effect in the prevention or treatment of menopausal syndrome that occurs following menopause such as abdominal obesity, abdominal obesity complications, visceral obesity, osteoporosis, postmenopausal dry skin, skin aging, dry eye syndrome, dry mouth, and voice disorders.

Description

Pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of postmenopausal syndrome containing Echinochrome A}

The present invention relates to a composition comprising, as an active ingredient, echinochrome A, which is effective in the treatment, prevention or improvement of menopausal syndrome, and a use thereof.

The average life expectancy of the female population in Korea is 87.14 years old, which is significantly higher than that of males 80.98 years, and the interest in health problems of elderly women is increasing. The average menopause age of Korean women as defined by the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology is 48 years old, and as they lived an average of more than 30 years after menopause, their life after menopause and menopause was significantly longer than in the past (Statistics Yearbook).

Menopause is the last transformation in women's lives, and when menopause comes, there are many changes in the body and psychology as female hormones decrease. As for menopausal symptoms, 93% of middle-aged women in Korea have a high incidence of more than 50% and are reported to experience considerable discomfort, so they are attracting attention as a problem related to the quality of life (Aerie Song, 2005, menopausal women). On health factors related to menopause management in women, Journal of Women's Health Nursing, 11(1):12-19).

When menopause comes, various diseases occur according to hormonal changes, such as a decrease in estrogen production and an increase in follicle-stimulating hormone and progesterone. Estrogen blocks the accumulation of visceral fat, lowering cholesterol levels and protecting blood vessels. Therefore, in postmenopausal women, visceral fat accumulates, cholesterol easily accumulates in blood vessels, and as the secretion of estrogen decreases, the concentration of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein increases, increasing the risk of arteriosclerosis, and cardiovascular and liver related diseases. do. Also, symptoms of menopause may include reddening of the face or weakening of the bones. Also, typical symptoms following menopause include dry mouth, dry eyes, vaginal dryness, and decreased skin elasticity and dryness. These symptoms greatly reduce the quality of life of the elderly after menopause.

One of the representative methods used to prevent or treat menopausal symptoms is hormone replacement therapy. Menopause improves symptoms by regularly supplementing female hormones. However, there is controversy over prolonged duration of hormone replacement therapy. Long-term use of hormone replacement therapy has known side effects such as breast cancer or stroke, and physical symptoms include nausea, headache, breast pain, abdominal bloating, swelling, and uterine bleeding, and mental symptoms include anxiety, agitation, and depression. I can. On the other hand, such hormone replacement therapy has a limitation in that it cannot completely eliminate various symptoms due to decreased estrogen secretion, and there is a hassle and rejection of having to perform frequent tests. Thus, effective in preventing or treating menopausal symptoms, there is no side effect, and a new active ingredient is required.

Sea urchins, known as echinoderms, contain proteins, vitamins B and C, and minerals (Ca and Mg), and are used in various forms of cooking, food materials, and production processing. Most of the content is about growth, and pharmacological studies and molecular biological reports on the single component extracted from sea urchin are insufficient. Echinochrome A is a natural product of marine origin known relatively recently as a red substance of polynaphthoquinoid pigments mainly extracted from reproductive organs such as ovaries and eggs such as sea urchins.

As described above, some of the chemical structures and pharmacological effects of echinochrome A have been known, but whether echinochrome has pharmacological activity against menopausal syndrome has not yet been identified.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of menopausal syndrome comprising echinochrome A as an active ingredient.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or improving menopausal syndrome comprising echinochrome A.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a use of a composition comprising echinochrome A.

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of menopausal syndrome comprising echinochrome A as an active ingredient.

In the present invention, the menopausal syndrome may be any one or more selected from the group consisting of abdominal obesity, abdominal obesity complications, visceral obesity, osteoporosis, menopausal skin dryness, skin aging, dry eye syndrome, dry mouth and negative disorders.

As used herein, the term "menopause" refers to a period in which fertility is completely eliminated by switching from a period of having fertility to a period of disappearing fertility.

In the present invention, the dry mouth may be induced by one or more symptoms selected from the group consisting of fibrosis in menopause-derived salivary glands, increased oxidative stress in the salivary glands, and lipid peroxidation due to fat accumulation in the salivary glands.

In addition, the present invention provides a food composition for preventing or improving the menopausal syndrome comprising echinochrome A.

In addition, the present invention provides a diet aid for reducing any one or more body fat selected from abdominal fat, visceral fat, and blood fat including echinochrome A.

In addition, the present invention provides a health functional food for preventing or improving degeneration containing echinochrome A.

The composition containing ecinochrome A according to the present invention as an active ingredient is caused by menopause such as abdominal obesity, abdominal obesity complications, visceral obesity, osteoporosis, menopausal skin dryness, skin aging, dry eye syndrome, dry mouth and negative disorders. It shows an excellent effect in the prevention or treatment of menopausal syndrome.

1 is a graph measuring the change in body weight and food intake in a menopause-induced animal model.
2 is a graph showing changes in fat mass in the menopause-induced animal model, Fig. 2A shows the total fat mass, and Fig. 2B shows the results of changes in abdominal fat mass.
3 is a bone marrow density (BMD) result in a menopause-induced animal model.
Figure 4 is a measurement of the expression levels of fat synthesis genes FASN, CD36, SREBP-1C and ACC in the salivary gland in the menopause-induced animal model.
5 is a result of measuring the amount of fat accumulated in the salivary glands in the menopause-induced animal model.
6 is an evaluation of the effect of reducing lipid peroxidation in blood and salivary glands in a menopause-induced animal model.
7 is an evaluation result of reduction of oxidative stress in salivary glands, improvement of antioxidant and mitochondrial function in a menopause-induced animal model.
8 is a result of evaluating the antifibrotic effect in a menopause-induced animal model.
9 is a result of evaluating the expression level of aquaporin 5 involved in salivary gland secretion in a menopause-induced animal model.
10 is an evaluation of the increase in the expression of collagen in the vocal cords in the menopause-induced animal model.
11 is an evaluation of the amount of reduction in MMPs in the vocal cords in the menopause-induced animal model.

The present inventors completed the present invention by confirming the pharmacological effect of echinochrome A on the menopausal syndrome as a result of intensive research to find a novel natural substance-derived substance that can exhibit an effect on diseases that may occur after menopause. Was done.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail.

The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of menopausal syndrome comprising Echinochrome A as an active ingredient.

Echinochrome is a naphthoquinone pigment present in echinoderm sea urchins, which differs according to species, and even if the same species is present, it differs according to the difference in the location or season, and two types of A and B are known. Echinochrome A is extracted from eggs, ovaries, shells, thorns, etc. of sea urchins, and it was found to have the following formula (1).

[Formula 1]

According to the present invention, the menopausal syndrome may be any one or more selected from the group consisting of abdominal obesity, abdominal obesity complications, visceral obesity, osteoporosis, menopausal skin dryness, skin aging, dry eye syndrome, dry mouth and negative disorders.

Abdominal obesity or visceral obesity is a symptom of fat accumulation in the subcutaneous or visceral of the abdomen and is known to accompany various complications. The weight gain and body fat percentage of menopausal women are 17% higher than that of premenopausal women. In obesity in women, an increase in subcutaneous fat is common, but after menopause, it is observed that the distribution of fat changes toward an increase in abdominal visceral fat. When estrogen decreases after menopause, muscle mass decreases, which leads to a decrease in basal metabolism, leading to obesity. In addition, since estrogen has the effect of promoting the breakdown of abdominal fat, as estrogen disappears, abdominal obesity, a male-type obesity, increases. In particular, since abdominal obesity increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, degenerative arthritis, and metabolic syndrome, postmenopausal obesity can cause complications as well as a single disease. However, since the pharmaceutical composition containing echinochrome A according to the present invention as an active ingredient can reduce fat synthesis and accumulation, abdominal obesity, abdominal obesity complications, visceral obesity and visceral obesity complications can be treated or prevented.

Osteoporosis is a "systemic skeletal disease characterized by a decrease in bone mass and abnormal microstructure, and as a result, a disease in which bone strength is weakened and is easily broken" is defined. Such osteoporosis is a problem caused by persistent female hormone deficiency in postmenopausal women, and is a disease that causes serious complications such as spinal and femur fractures. However, the pharmaceutical composition containing ecinochrome A according to the present invention as an active ingredient does not cause a change in bone density despite weight loss in a diet animal model, so it can prevent or treat osteoporosis.

Menopausal skin dryness and skin aging are one of the typical symptoms of menopause, which is a decrease in elasticity due to a decrease in collagen and dryness that occurs due to depletion of water in the body. Collagen decreases in all parts of the body, such as the eyes, mouth, and skin, and dryness occurs, promoting skin aging and causing various diseases.

In the present invention, skin aging may be a decrease in skin elasticity.

Xerostomia is one of the clinical symptoms in the oral cavity as a symptom complex, not accompanied by gross mucosal lesions, and for which no clear mechanism or treatment has been established. Dry mouth can occur even if no decrease in salivation is observed objectively, and it is known that the symptoms are caused even if there is a change in the composition of saliva. In general, it is known that patients with a reduction of saliva secretion by 50% or more may develop symptoms of dry mouth. Patients with dry mouth complain of difficulties when speaking or eating, while patients with dry mouth with low saliva secretion complain of symptoms such as tooth decay, bacterial infection, taste change, bad breath, and burning sensation in the mouth. Sometimes it does. It is also known that the elderly are also at increased risk of developing systemic diseases such as pneumonia due to poor oral hygiene and dysphagia. The existing treatment for dry mouth is about the use of salivation accelerators and artificial saliva, and there is no effective treatment yet. In the treatment of dry mouth, which is a side effect of taking drugs, the amount of secretion can be restored to normal by controlling the drug. However, it may be difficult to recover if taken for a long time. The reason is that once the function of the salivary gland cells that secrete saliva drops, it is not easy to treat dry mouth. The problem is that when you have already taken the drug for a long time and your dry mouth worsens and you feel serious discomfort, most of the symptoms do not feel until your saliva is secreted by more than half. However, the pharmaceutical composition containing echinochrome A according to the present invention as an active ingredient has inhibitory, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects in the salivary glands, and inhibits lipid peroxidation in the salivary glands, so that dry mouth can be effectively treated or prevented.

Voice is closely related to changes in women's sex hormones. Laryngeal changes systematically fluctuate during reproductive time according to the menstrual cycle, which influences the determination of negative changes throughout life During menopause, reduced amounts of estrogen lead to dysfunction of connective tissue due to ECM degradation Previous studies According to the report, the vocal cords are estrogen-sensitive target organs, and estrogen reduction due to menopause can affect the expression of several extracellular matrix-related molecules in the vocal folds. The pharmaceutical composition containing echinochrome A according to the present invention as an active ingredient prevents fibrosis of salivary gland cells and increases the collagen of the skin and vocal cords, thereby restoring damaged skin and vocal cords, so it is effective in restoring dryness and elasticity of the skin. It is helpful and can protect your vocal cords from vocal changes and/or vocal changes caused by vocal cord deformation.

According to the present invention, dry mouth may be induced by one or more symptoms selected from the group consisting of fibrosis in menopause-derived salivary glands, decreased salivary gland secretion, increased oxidative stress in the salivary glands, and lipid peroxidation due to fat accumulation in the salivary glands.

According to the present invention, the change in the vocal cord may be a modification due to a decrease in vocal cord collagen and an increase in MMPs.

In the present invention, the term "treatment" refers to all actions of curing menopausal syndrome by administration of the composition, and refers to a disease, a symptom of a disease, a secondary disease of a disease or a disease, or a predisposition thereof. Application of the composition to a subject (human or animal) having a disease, symptom of a disease, a secondary disease of a disease or disease, or a predisposition therefor with the purpose of treatment, alleviation, alleviation, remedy, or improvement, or It is defined as administration.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the echinochrome A may be formulated in a form suitable for oral administration or parenteral administration by mixing with a conventional carrier, adjuvant or diluent and formulated by a conventional formulation method.

Examples of the carrier, adjuvant or diluent include lactose, dextrose, sucrose, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, maltitol, starch, alginate, gelatin, calcium phosphate, calcium silicate, cellulose, methyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, poly Vinyl pyrrolidone, water, methylhydroxybenzoate, propylhydroxybenzoate, talc, magnesium stearate, and mineral oils.

In addition, when formulated, a conventional filler, extender, binder, wetting agent, disintegrant, surfactant, etc. may be further included, and lubricants such as magnesium stearate and talc may be further added.

In the case of oral administration, it can be prepared in the form of tablets, capsules, solutions, syrups, suspensions, etc. In the case of parenteral administration, intravenous, intrauterine dura mater, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, transdermal and cerebrovascular injection It can be prepared in the form of an injection.

The pharmaceutical composition of the present invention is an amount of an active ingredient or pharmaceutical composition that induces a biological or medical response in a tissue system, animal or human, conceived by a researcher, veterinarian, doctor or other clinician, that is, the symptom of the disease or disorder to be treated. It can be administered in a therapeutically effective amount, which is an amount that induces remission. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the therapeutically effective dosage and frequency of administration of the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention will vary depending on the desired effect. Therefore, the optimal dosage to be administered can be easily determined by those skilled in the art, and the type of disease, the severity of the disease, the amount of active ingredients and other ingredients contained in the composition, the type of formulation, the patient's age, weight, and general health condition. , Sex and diet, administration time, administration route and secretion rate of the composition, treatment period, it may be adjusted according to various factors, including drugs used simultaneously. The pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can be administered to a subject by various routes. For example, intravenous, intraperitoneal, intramuscular, intraarterial, oral, intracardiac, intramedullary, intrathecal, transdermal, intestinal, subcutaneous, sublingual or topical administration may be performed, but is not limited thereto.

The pharmaceutical composition of the present invention may be administered in an amount of 1 to 10,000 mg/kg/day, preferably 1 to 200 mg/kg/day, and may be administered once a day or divided into several times. .

In addition, the present invention provides a food composition for preventing or improving the menopausal syndrome comprising echinochrome A.

The menopausal syndrome may be any one or more selected from the group consisting of abdominal obesity, abdominal obesity complications, visceral obesity, osteoporosis, menopausal skin dryness, skin aging, dry eye syndrome, dry mouth, and negative disorders.

The food composition of the present invention can be used as a health functional food. The term "health functional food" refers to a food manufactured and processed using raw materials or ingredients that have functions useful for the human body according to the Health Functional Food Act, and the term "functional" refers to the structure and function of the human body. On the other hand, it means ingestion for the purpose of obtaining useful effects for health purposes such as controlling nutrients or physiological effects.

The food composition of the present invention may contain conventional food additives, and the suitability as the "food additive" is, unless otherwise specified, according to the general rules and general test methods of food additives approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. It is judged according to the standards and standards for the item.

Items listed in the "Food Additives Code" include, for example, chemical compounds such as ketones, glycine, potassium citrate, nicotinic acid, and cinnamic acid, natural additives such as dark pigments, licorice extract, crystalline cellulose, high color pigments, and guar gum, Mixed preparations such as sodium L-glutamate preparation, an alkali additive for noodles, a preservative preparation, and a tar color preparation.

The food composition of the present invention may contain 0.01 to 95% by weight, preferably 1 to 80% by weight, of echinochrome A based on the total weight of the composition.

In addition, the food composition of the present invention can be manufactured and processed in the form of tablets, capsules, powders, granules, liquids, pills, etc. for the purpose of preventing and/or improving menopausal syndrome.

For example, the health functional food in the form of a tablet granulates a mixture of echinochrome A, an excipient, a binder, a disintegrant, and other additives by a conventional method, and then compression molding by putting a lubricant or the like, or The mixture can be directly compression molded. In addition, the health functional food in the form of a tablet may contain a mating agent or the like, if necessary, and may be coated with a suitable coating agent if necessary.

Among the health functional foods in the form of capsules, hard capsules can be prepared by filling conventional hard capsules with a mixture of additives such as echinochrome A and excipients, or granular or skinned granules thereof, and soft capsules It can be prepared by filling a mixture of an additive such as echinochrome A and an excipient into a capsule base such as gelatin. The soft capsule agent may contain a plasticizer such as glycerin or sorbitol, a colorant, a preservative, and the like, if necessary.

Ring-shaped health functional foods can be prepared by molding a mixture of echinochrome A, excipients, binders, and disintegrants in an appropriate way. Substances can also be used to create a pleasing feeling.

Health functional foods in the form of granules can be prepared in granular form by a suitable method of a mixture of echinochrome A, excipients, binders, disintegrants, etc., and may contain flavoring agents, flavoring agents, etc., if necessary. For health functional foods in the form of granules, use No. 12 (1680 μm), No. 14 (1410 μm) and No. 45 (350 μm) sieves, and when the next particle size test is carried out, the total amount of the No. 12 sieve passed through the No. 14 sieve is the total amount. It is less than 5.0% and passing through No. 45 may be less than 15.0% of the total amount.

The definitions of terms for the excipients, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, flavoring agents, flavoring agents, and the like are described in documents known in the art and include those having the same or similar functions (Explanation of the Korean Pharmacopoeia, Moonseongsa, Korea College of Pharmacy Council, 5th edition, p.33-48, 1989).

There is no particular limitation on the type of the food. Examples of foods to which echinochrome A of the present invention can be added include beverages, gums, vitamin complexes, drinks, and the like, and include all health functional foods in the usual sense.

In addition, the present invention provides a diet aid for reducing any one or more body fat selected from abdominal fat, visceral fat, and blood fat including echinochrome A.

In addition, the present invention provides a health functional food for preventing or improving degeneration containing echinochrome A.

The food composition may include a food supplement additive, and foods include, for example, beverages, gums, teas, vitamin complexes, health supplement foods, and the like, capsules, tablets, powders, granules, liquids, pills, flakes, and pastes. It can be used in the form of a phase, syrup, gel, beverage, jelly or vine.

The content of echnochrome A may be contained in an amount of 0.01 to 15% by weight based on the total weight of the health functional food, and in the case of a health beverage composition, 0.02 to 10 g, preferably 0.3 to 1 g, based on a total of 100 g It can contain as.

The food auxiliary additives include food additives conventional in the art, for example, flavoring agents, flavoring agents, coloring agents, fillers, stabilizers, and the like. In addition, the health drink composition is an essential ingredient in the indicated ratio, and there is no particular limitation on the ingredients added other than the echinochrome A, and may contain various flavoring agents or natural carbohydrates, etc. as an additional ingredient like a normal beverage. . Examples of the natural carbohydrate include monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, and the like; Disaccharides such as maltose, sucrose, and the like; Polysaccharides such as dextrin, cyclodextrin; And sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol, and erythritol. As flavoring agents other than those described above, natural flavoring agents (taumatin, stevia extract (e.g., rebaudioside A, glycyrrhizin, etc.)) and synthetic flavoring agents (saccharin, aspartame, etc.) can be advantageously used. have.

In addition to the above, food compositions, diet supplements or health functional foods containing echinochrome A include various nutrients, vitamins, minerals (electrolytes), flavoring agents such as synthetic flavoring agents and natural flavoring agents, coloring agents, and thickening agents (cheese, Chocolate, etc.), pectic acid and salts thereof, alginic acid and salts thereof, organic acids, protective colloidal thickeners, pH adjusters, stabilizers, preservatives, glycerin, alcohols, carbonates used in carbonated beverages, and the like.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment is presented to aid in the understanding of the present invention, but it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention and the scope of the technical idea, but the following examples are only illustrative of the present invention, It is natural that such modifications and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Example

Preparation and experimentation of animal models

An artificial menopause animal model was established by removing bilateral ovaries from 9-week-old female rats at the completion of sexual maturation of rodents under inhalation anesthesia. A technology development study (OVX+ECH) was conducted with the control group (CON) without surgery, the menopause group (OVX), and the group in which echinochrome A was administered by intraperitoneal injection at 10 mg/kg three times a week for 6 weeks after menopause induction. .

Test example 1. Weight and Abdominal fat Effectiveness verification

Changes in body weight and abdominal fat were measured in the menopause-induced animal model.

1A is a graph of changes in body weight, and FIG. 1B is a graph of changes in food intake. Referring to FIG. 1, the weight of the menopausal group (OVX) increased compared to the control group (CON), and thus the weight increase according to the menopause was confirmed. On the other hand, the body weight of the echinochrome A administration group (OVX+ECH) decreased significantly compared to the menopause group (OVX), but the food intake between the echinochrome A administration group (OVX+ECH) and the menopause group (OVX) was different. There is no.

On the other hand, Figure 2 is a graph measuring the change in the amount of fat, Figure 2A is the total fat amount, Figure 2B is the result of the change in the amount of abdominal fat. It can be seen that the abdominal fat of the menopausal group (OVX) was increased compared to the control group (CON). On the other hand, it was confirmed that the abdominal fat was significantly reduced in the echinochrome A administration group (OVX+ECH) compared to the menopause group (OVX).

Test example 2. Verification of effects on osteoporosis

An osteoporosis test was performed with a menopause-inducing animal model, which is shown in FIG. 3. Diet is known to be associated with increased osteoporosis. The BMD of the echinochrome A group (OVX+ECH) decreased in diet and weight compared to the menopausal group (OVX), but there was no difference in bone marrow density (BMD). This suggests that it is effective against osteoporosis.

Test example 3. Assessment of fat synthesis and accumulation in salivary glands

In the menopause-induced animal model, the amount of fat synthesis and accumulation in the salivary gland was evaluated, and it is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Figure 4 is a measure of the expression levels of fat synthesis genes FASN, CD36, SREBP-1C and ACC in the salivary gland. Fat synthesis genes FASN, CD36, SREBP-1C and ACC in the salivary glands of the menopausal group (OVX) are increased compared to the control group (CON), and FASN, CD36, the fat synthesis genes in the salivary glands of the echinochrome A group (OVX+ECH) , It was confirmed that SREBP-1C and ACC were significantly reduced compared to the menopausal group (OVX).

5 is a result of measuring the amount of fat accumulated in the salivary glands in the menopause-induced animal model. It was confirmed that fat accumulation in the salivary glands of the menopausal group (OVX) was increased compared to the control group (CON), and the fat accumulation in the salivary glands of the echinochrome A group (OVX+ECH) was significantly reduced compared to that of the menopausal group (OVX). . That is, a lot of fat was accumulated in the salivary gland tissue due to menopause, but fat accumulation was decreased in the group administered with echinochrome A.

Test example 4. Evaluation of lipid peroxidation reduction effect

In the menopause-induced animal model, the effect of reducing lipid peroxidation in blood and salivary glands was evaluated, and this is shown in FIG. 6. Compared to the control group (CON), lipid peroxidation due to fat accumulation in the salivary glands of the menopausal group (OVX) and (A) lipid peroxidation in the blood increased, and (B) fat accumulation in the salivary glands of the echinochrome A group (OVX+ECH) It was confirmed that lipid peroxidation and lipid peroxidation in blood were significantly reduced compared to the menopausal group (OVX).

Test example 5. Oxidative stress Evaluation of lowering, antioxidant and mitochondrial function improvement

In the menopause-induced animal model, it was evaluated whether the oxidative stress generated in the salivary gland was reduced and whether there was an effect of improving antioxidant and mitochondrial function, and this is shown in FIG. 7. Compared to the control group (CON), oxidative stress in the salivary glands of the menopausal group (OVX) increased and mitochondrial function decreased, but inhibited oxidative stress in the salivary glands of the echinochrome A group (OVX+ECH) and (A, B) mitochondrial function It was also confirmed that it improves (C).

It was confirmed that the composition containing ecnochrome A according to the present invention reduces oxidative stress generated by menopause, increases the expression of antioxidant GPX4, and improves mitochondrial function.

Test example 6. Antifibrotic Effectiveness evaluation

The antifibrotic effect was evaluated in the menopause-induced animal model, and it is shown in FIG. 8. Compared to the control group (CON), fibrosis in the salivary glands of the menopausal group (OVX) was increased, but cell fibrosis was suppressed in the salivary glands of the echinochrome A administration group (OVX+ECH) (A,B). Anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects were observed in the echinochrome A-administered group.

Test Example 7. Evaluation of the expression level of aquaporin 5

In the menopause-induced animal model, the expression level of aquaporin 5 involved in salivary gland secretion was evaluated, and it is shown in FIG. 9. Compared to the control group (CON), aquaporin in the salivary glands of the menopausal group (OVX) decreased, but aquaporin expression was increased in the salivary glands of the echinochrome A group (OVX+ECH) (A,B). This means that in the echinochrome A administration group, aquaporin, which is involved in salivary gland secretion, is increased compared to the menopausal group, thereby improving salivary gland function.

Test example 8. Collagen and MMPs Expression level evaluation

In order to evaluate the negative improvement effect and the effect on the extracellular matrix, the effect of increasing the expression of collagen in the vocal cords and the amount of MMPs decreased in the menopause-induced animal model were evaluated, and are shown in FIG. 10. Compared to the control group (CON), collagen in the vocal cords of the menopausal group (OVX) decreased, but collagen expression was increased in the vocal cords of the ecinochrome A group (OVX+ECH). This shows that the vocal cord changes due to menopause improved and the extracellular matrix was changed in the vocal cords of the echinochrome A-administered group.

In addition, a result of reducing the increase in MMP, a collagenase, was confirmed. As shown in FIG. 11, MMP, a collagenase, was increased in the vocal cords of the menopausal group (OVX) compared to the control group (CON), but MMP, a collagenase, decreased in the vocal cords of the echinochrome A-administered group (OVX+ECH). .

Claims (9)

A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of menopausal syndrome comprising echinochrome A as an active ingredient. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein the menopausal syndrome is at least one selected from the group consisting of abdominal obesity, visceral obesity, osteoporosis, menopausal skin dryness, dry eye syndrome, dry mouth and negative disorders. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 2, wherein the menopausal syndrome is at least one selected from the group consisting of abdominal obesity, visceral obesity, osteoporosis, menopausal skin dryness, dry mouth and negative disorders. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 2, wherein the dry mouth is induced by one or more symptoms selected from the group consisting of fibrosis in menopause-derived salivary glands, increased oxidative stress in the salivary glands, and lipid peroxidation due to fat accumulation in the salivary glands. A food composition for preventing or improving menopausal syndrome comprising echinochrome A as an active ingredient. The food composition according to claim 5, wherein the menopausal syndrome is at least one selected from the group consisting of abdominal obesity, visceral obesity, osteoporosis, menopausal skin dryness, skin aging, dry eye syndrome, dry mouth and negative disorders. The food composition according to claim 6, wherein the menopausal syndrome is at least one selected from the group consisting of abdominal obesity, visceral obesity, osteoporosis, menopausal skin dryness, dry mouth and negative disorders. The food composition of claim 6, wherein the dry mouth is induced by one or more symptoms selected from the group consisting of fibrosis in menopause-derived salivary glands, increased oxidative stress in the salivary glands, and lipid peroxidation due to fat accumulation in the salivary glands. The food composition according to claim 5, wherein the food composition is a health functional food.

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