Abstract
Microglia associated with neuroinflammation in the brain are involved in the development of stress, sleep disorders, and depression, and it is necessary to maintain homeostasis of these. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of Tosa mucuna beans/tomato combination, developed through an industry-academia collaboration between Kochi University and Hidaka Village, Kochi Prefecture, in suppressing brain inflammation, using NO production in microglia-derived BV-2 cells in LPS-stimulated mice as an indicator. As a result, we suggest that Tosa mucuna beans/tomato combination had a neuroinflammatory inhibitory effect. Furthermore, clinical trials showed that Tosa mucuna beans/tomato combination significantly improved stress and sleep disturbances associated with neuroinflammation. These results suggest that daily intake of Tosa mucuna beans/tomato combination may help prevent neuroinflammation-induced mental disorders such as stress, sleep disorders, depression, and dementia.
