Ergothioneine，EGT："Great devil" of Anti-oxygen and anti-aging ?
Source of Ergothioneine
Ergothioneine (EGT), chemically known as 2-thiimidazole amino acid, is a natural strong antioxidant of the thiimidazole amino acid group, originally produced by Tanret in the grass family of rye Secale cereale L. The ergot fungus Clavieps purpurea (Fr.)Tul. In the separation.
Ergothione mainly exists in edible fungi and medicinal fungi such as Ganoderma lucidum. Among them, edible fungi are known as health food or have medicinal value, one of the reasons is rich in EGT, an effective antioxidant, the EGT content of edible fungi is affected by the type, nutrient supply and cultivation environment. The content of EGT varied greatly among different edible fungi, ranging from 0.02 to 7.27 mg/g dry weight.
Ergothionein has effects of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, nerve protection, cardiovascular protection, prevention of liver disease and other effects. Based on the characteristics of strong antioxidant, high stability and non-toxicity, ergothione has a good application prospect in the biomedical field.
In addition, ergothione plays an important role in the current field of cosmetics and food, and has strong potential in areas such as pet nutrition and sports nutrition.
The potential of Anti-aging
According to the data of the National Health Commission, it is expected that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the total number of elderly people aged 60 and above in China will exceed 300 million, accounting for more than 20%, entering the stage of moderate aging. Around 2035, the elderly population aged 60 and above will exceed 400 million, accounting for more than 30% of the total population, entering the stage of severe aging. Around 2050, the size and proportion of China's elderly population, the elderly dependency ratio and the social dependency ratio will reach a peak one after another.
According to the current situation and growing trend, China's anti-aging market demand is still expanding and has great market potential. How to effectively prevent aging, make up for the loss of nutrients in the aging process and delay the deterioration of human function will be paid more and more attention.
Anti-aging demand It is understood that anti-aging is the fastest growing claimed effect among consumers' basic demands for skin-nourishing sunscreen products.
At present, studies have shown that ergothioneine can inhibit the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and MMP-1, reduce ROS levels, and play an important role in alleviating skin aging and the formation of wrinkles.
In addition, the non-toxic and safe natural antioxidant - ergothioneine, as an effective sunscreen ingredient, can effectively reduce the damage caused by ultraviolet rays and products on the skin, and can be used as a skin protection agent added to outdoor protective cosmetics to meet the needs of consumers for skin protective sunscreen products.
The current situation of ergothione
In 2021, the State Drug Administration(China) revised the Name of the Catalogue of Used Cosmetic Raw Materials (2015 edition) and formed the Catalogue of Used Cosmetic Raw Materials (2021 edition), which will come into effect on May 1, 2021. Among them is ergothioneine (EGT).
At present, ergothione is approved for use in cosmetics, and its application in food is pending approval.
Picture from State Drug Administration
The Commission's executive decision (EU) 2017/1281 of 13th July 2017 authorizes the placing on the market of L-ergothione as a new food ingredient in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified in accordance with document C (2017) No 4844).
On November 13 of the same year, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a safety assessment report of synthetic l-ergothioneine as a new resource food for use in the diets of infants, pregnant and breastfeeding women, based on overall toxicological data. The maximum expected daily intakes of L-ergothione are: Infants 2.82mg/ (kg. bw), infants 3.39mg/ (kg. bw), pregnant and lactating women 1.31mg/ (kg. bw), and pregnant and lactating women with a daily intake of 800mg/ (kg. bw) as determined in the original evaluation, no significant harm was observed.
In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that ErgoActive® (Ergothioneine) is generally considered safe (GRAS) under "conditions of intended use." This suggests that ergothionein can be added to products such as cosmetics, beauty products, food, beverages and health supplements.
