Natural Product Communications. 12, 111-114 (2017)

OM-X®, a Fermented Vegetables Extract, Facilitates Muscle Endurance Capacity in Swimming Exercise Mice

The results of a collaborative research with associate professor Tomohiro Itoh and his colleagues from the Graduate School of Bioresources at Mie University have been published in the Natural Product Communications.  

【Objective】

We conducted a study to evaluate an anti-fatigue effect and the enhancement of muscle endurance by dosing the fermented vegetable extract (OM-X) to mice. 

【Methods】

We compared the duration of the forced swimming between the mice which were dosed with OM-X daily and the mice which were not dosed with OM-X. The forced swimming tests were conducted once a week for 4 weeks. We set their swimming duration which was recorded at the first week as 100% and evaluated their swimming duration at the second week or after to confirm whether it was shorter or longer than the based time. We also measured the level of the enzyme which is used for the metabolism of fatigue-related substances (ammonia) in the liver of the mice.

【Results】

The swimming duration of the mice which were not dosed with OM-X decreased to about 40% at the second week compared to their swimming duration at the first week. However, the mice which were dosed with OM-X maintained about 65% of their swimming duration. Furthermore, the swimming duration of the mice without OM-X decreased to about 50% at the fourth week. However, the swimming duration of the mice with OM-X prolonged more than their record at the first week.

We analyzed the liver of the mice as well and found that the mice with OM-X showed an increase in the gene expression of the enzyme which is used for the metabolism of fatigue-related substances (ammonia) when compared to the mice without OM-X. On the basis of these results, we consider that the ingestion of OM-X enhances the metabolism of fatigue-related substances which results in the extension of the swimming duration of the mice.