It is a pleasure to inform that BIOBANK CO., LTD. (located in Okayama Japan) concluded an official sponsorship agreement with 2017 MISS UNIVERSE JAPAN Miss OSAKA.

With traditional Japanese fermentation technique, Biobank Co., Ltd. develops, manufactures and sells plant based fermented extract named “OM-X” which utilizes the power from various locally grown food ingredients through fermentation by lactic acid bacteria. “OM-X” exhibits high functionality in health, beauty care and longevity not only in Japan but more than 20 countries in the world, and has also played a role in passing down traditional Japanese culture.

 MISS UNIVERSE JAPAN, under the theme of an inner-and-outer beauty pageant, presents the beautiful figure of Japanese female to the world. Through participating in various types of community activities, the beauty pageant executes a concept for creating and supporting the “opinion leaders” equipped with the inner beauty personality such as intelligence, sensitivity, honesty, humanity and positive sociality that should also be focus on, not just outer beauty. MISSUNIVERSE JAPAN puts special emphasis on the role of showing inner-and-outer beauty and presenting Japanese culture to the world. Therefore, Biobank concluded a sponsorship agreement for its resemblance to the concept of “OM-X”.

 Biobank will work with 2017 MISS UNIVERSE JAPAN Miss OSAKA to make a contribution for a healthy, glorious lifelong living for the people all over the world.    

BIOBANK CO., LTD. (located in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture) has conducted a collaborative research with associate professor Tomohiro Itoh and his colleagues from the Graduate School of Bioresources at Mie University (located in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture) and discovered that the fermented vegetable extract (OM-X) contributes to suppress fatigue and enhance muscle endurance.  

The results have been published in the first issue of the Natural Product Communications in 2017.

【Abstract】

About 60% of the working population in Japan is aware of the feeling of fatigue and a half of them are distressed by symptoms of chronic fatigue (lasted for over 6 months) ⁽¹⁾. At present, a number of studies pertaining to recovery from fatigue have been progressing and some studies have reported that natural ingredients such as imidazole dipeptide in chicken breast and astaxanthin in fish are effective ^{(2, 3)} for relieving fatigue.

BIOBANK CO., LTD. develops　and produces an extract (OM-X) that was made with fermented vegetables, fruits, seaweeds, mushrooms and other ingredients. Many OM-X users have given feedbacks saying that “they feel less tired after having OM-X”. Therefore, we started think about the potential of OM-X in relieving fatigue.

Based on these backgrounds, BIOBANK CO., LTD. conducted a collaborative research with associate professor Tomohiro Itoh in order to confirm the potential of OM-X in relieving fatigue and understand its mechanism.

As a result of a forced swimming test among mice, the swimming duration of the mice with OM-X is two times longer than the mice without OM-X. We analyzed the liver of mice and found an increased gene expression level of enzymes which are used for the metabolism of fatigue-related substances named ammonia. Therefore, we considered that the metabolism of fatigue-related substances was improved because of the intake of OM-X which in turn extended the swimming duration of the mice. The study results suggested that the fatigue-relieving effect was exerted and muscle endurance was improved by administering OM-X to the mice.

【Procedures】

We performed a forced swimming test with mice expecting to see the fatigue-relieving effect of OM-X.

 We separated mice into 2 groups as one group was given OM-X and the other group was not dosed with OM-X. The group with OM-X was given 85 mg/kg of their body weight for 4 weeks continually and was forced to swim every week for 4 weeks of the test period. The group without OM-X was also forced to swim following the same parameters as the group with OM-X. As a result, the swimming duration of the mice with OM-X became approximately two times longer than the mice without OM-X. The fatigue-relieving effect and the enhancement of muscle endurance have been confirmed through this test (Chart1).

After the forced swimming test, we analyzed the serum components and confirmed the decrease in concentration level of lipid components (cholesterol, neutral lipid and phosphatide) in serum and the liver of the mice with OM-X. This means that the lipid components have been consumed during exercise. In addition, the quantity of lactic acid in serum decreased. This suggested that lactic acid is reused as a source of energy during heavy exercise.

Furthermore, after analyzing the gene expression of enzymes Arg1 and Cps1 which detoxify ammonia: a cause of fatigue, we confirmed that the gene expression level of the group with OM-X was higher than the group without OM-X (Chart2).

According to these research results, an accumulation of fatigue was suppressed among the mice which were dosed with OM-X and their duration of exercising was elongated. These results encourage us to expect OM-X to be a helpful food/material for symptomatic relief of fatigue and an enhancement of muscle endurance.

【Introduction of instructor Tomohiro Itoh Ph.D.】

Name: Tomohiro Itoh

Affiliation: Mie University, Graduate School of Bioresources, Marine Biotechnology Course

Background:

1998　 Graduated from National Fisheries University

1998 ~ IMURAYA GROUP CO., LTD. Central Institute in position of researcher

2006 ~ Gifu Prefectural Global Institute of Biology Healthy Useful Substance Research Department in position of researcher

2007 ~ Gifu Prefectural Global Institute of Biology Healthy Useful Substance Research Department in position of research specialist

2011 ~ Kinki University, Faculty of Agriculture Fisheries Departments in position of instructor and associate professor

2016 ~ Mie University, Graduate School of Bioresources in position of associate professor until present    

BIOBANK CO., LTD. (located in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture) has performed a collaborative research with associate professor Koji Wakame and his study group from　the Department of Pharmacology at Hokkaido Pharmaceutical University School of Pharmacy (located in Sapporo City, Hokkaido). The fermented vegetable extract (OM-X) showed a potential to regulate the immune system and protect cells.

The results have been presented at the 23rd Meeting of the Japan Mibyou System Association in November 2016 and published in the Integrative Molecular Medicine in January 20, 2017.

【Abstract】

BIOBANK CO., LTD. develops and produces an extract (OM-X) that was made with fermented vegetables, fruits, seaweeds, mushrooms and other ingredients. Unfortunately, it is difficult to show the specific scientific basis about the function of health foods, which are a mixture of various kinds of raw materials like OM-X, to living organisms.

Based on this background, BIOBANK CO., LTD. has conducted a collaborative research with associate professor Koji Wakame from Hokkaido Pharmaceutical University School of Pharmacy in order to find the functionality and mechanisms of OM-X.

The in vitro study showed that the macrophages from mice were activated by OM-X. The in vivo study also showed that the administration of OM-X causes the change in the gene expression in the liver of the mice which will inhibit inflammation and protect cells.

【Procedures】

We added OM-X to a culture of lower gastrointestinal tract cells from rats and measured the production of GLP-1, one of the hormones which promotes the secretion of insulin, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). According to the results, the production of GLP-1 in the gastrointestinal tract cells increased proportionally with the added amount of OM-X (Chart1).

We added OM-X to a culture of macrophages from mice (RAW264.7 cells) and measured the production of nitric oxide (NO) which is an indicator of the activity of macrophages and cytokines (IL-6、TNF-α) which activates the immune system. Regarding the production of NO and cytokines, both were increased by adding OM-X. It showed that OM-X stimulates macrophages directly and activates the immune system (Chart2).

Furthermore, we administered OM-X to the mice and measured the expression levels of 597 genes in the liver. As a result, the expression level of 4 genes increased and the expression level of 23 genes decreased. Since the decreased 23 genes were involved into inflammation and apoptosis (cell death), this result suggested that the ingestion of OM-X provides the effects of suppressing inflammation in the liver and protecting cells (Chart3).