Composition for preventing or ameliorating weakness, and composition for suppressing or ameliorating decrease in physical activity along with age growth

By using ergothionine or its salt composition, it acts on the sulfur metabolism pathway, and solves the problem of physical mobility decline with age, significantly extends healthy lifespan, prevents or improves weakness, and has the characteristics of high safety.

CN119604289APending Publication Date: 2025-03-11SUNTORY HLDG LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202380056126.8
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2022-08-17
Filing Date
2023-08-10
Publication Date
2025-03-11

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

With age, physical mobility declines, leading to weakness and dysmotic syndrome, the existing technology has not effectively solved this problem.

Method used

Compositions using ergothionine or its salts as active ingredient act on sulfur metabolism pathways to prevent or improve weakness and inhibit or improve physical mobility decline.

Benefits of technology

Through the use of ergothione or its salt, it significantly extends healthy lifespan, prevents or improves weakness, inhibits or improves the decline in physical mobility, and is characterized by high safety.

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Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a composition for preventing or ameliorating weakness; and a composition for suppressing or ameliorating a decrease in physical activity along with an increase in age. The present invention relates to a composition for preventing or ameliorating weakness, characterized by containing ergothioneine or a salt thereof as an active ingredient.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for preventing or improving frailty and a composition for inhibiting or improving the decline of physical activity accompanying aging. Background Art

[0002] In countries like Japan, where the proportion of elderly people in the population is high, extending the healthy life span has become a challenge. One of the main reasons for the shortening of healthy life span is the decline in physical activity that accompanies aging. The decline in physical activity leads to an increased risk of falls, injuries such as fractures, and long-term bed rest.

[0003] In addition, in the White Paper on Health and Labor (2014 edition) issued by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, healthy life expectancy is defined as "the period during which daily life is not restricted by health problems and one can lead a normal life". The period during which one can lead a normal life without the need for long-term care is synonymous with the period during which life activities are not restricted. One of the reasons why elderly people need long-term care in their later years is "weakness (frailty) due to advanced age" (Non-Patent Document 1). Fried's definition is often used in the diagnosis of frailty. In this definition, cases where three or more of the five signs of (1) weight loss, (2) fatigue (easy fatigue), (3) decreased activity, (4) decreased muscle strength, and (5) decreased walking speed are met are classified as "frailty", and cases where one to two of the signs are met are classified as "pre-frailty" (Non-Patent Document 2).

[0004] Non-patent literature Non-patent literature 1: Masafumi Katsuratani, The importance of evaluation and intervention of frailty in a super-aged society, Medical News 4599, 27-31, 2012 Non-patent document 2: Fried LP et al., Frailty in older adults: evidence for aphenotype. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2001; 56: M146-156. Non-patent document 3: Cheah IK et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun. (2016) 478(1): 162-167. Summary of the invention

[0005] Ergothioneine is a naturally occurring sulfur-containing amino acid, and its blood concentration decreases with aging, as reported in Non-Patent Document 3. However, it is not known that ergothioneine can improve or prevent frailty, or can inhibit or improve the decline in physical activity.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a composition for preventing or improving frailty. Another object of the present invention is to provide a composition for inhibiting or improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging.

[0007] The present inventors have conducted intensive studies to solve the above-mentioned problems and have found that ergothioneine or a salt thereof has a preventive or ameliorative effect on frailty, and further found that it has a suppressive or ameliorative effect on the decline in physical activity associated with aging.

[0008] The present invention relates to the following compositions, but is not limited thereto. [1] A composition for preventing or ameliorating frailty, comprising ergothioneine or a salt thereof as an active ingredient. [2] A composition for inhibiting or improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging, comprising ergothioneine or a salt thereof as an active ingredient. [3] The composition according to [1] or [2] above, characterized in that it acts on the sulfur metabolic pathway. [4] The composition according to any one of [1] to [3] above, which is a composition for oral administration. [5] The composition according to any one of [1] to [4] above, which is a food or beverage. [6] The composition according to any one of [1] to [5] above, which is used for preventing or ameliorating movement disorder syndrome.

[0009] According to the present invention, a composition for preventing or improving frailty can be provided. In addition, according to the present invention, a composition for inhibiting or improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 This is a graph showing the survival rate curves of the WT ergothioneine group and the WT control group in Example 1. Figure 2 This is a graph showing the life span distribution of the WT ergothioneine group and the WT control group in Example 1. Figure 3 This is a graph showing the healthy life span rate curves of the WT ergothioneine group and the WT control group in Example 1. Figure 4 This is a graph showing the distribution of healthy life span of the WT ergothioneine group and the WT control group in Example 1. Figure 5 This is a graph showing the survival rate curves of the MPST-1 ergothioneine group and the MPST-1 control group in Example 2. Figure 6This is a graph showing the healthy life span rate curves of the MPST-1 ergothioneine group and the MPST-1 control group in Example 2. Figure 7 This is a graph showing the survival rate curves of the CTH-1 ergothioneine group, the MPST-1 ergothioneine group in Example 2, and the WT ergothioneine group in Example 1. Figure 8 This is a graph showing healthy life span rate curves of the CTH-1 ergothioneine group, the MPST-1 ergothioneine group in Example 2, and the WT ergothioneine group in Example 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The composition for preventing or ameliorating debility of the present invention contains ergothioneine or a salt thereof as an active ingredient. The composition for suppressing or improving the decline of physical activity associated with aging of the present invention contains ergothioneine or a salt thereof as an active ingredient. The composition for preventing or improving frailty of the present invention and the composition for suppressing or improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging of the present invention are collectively referred to as the composition of the present invention.

[0012] In the present invention, frailty refers to the state of "frailty" or "pre-frailty" classified by the above-mentioned definition of Fried. Prevention of frailty includes: preventing the occurrence of frailty, delaying the occurrence of frailty, reducing the incidence of frailty, reducing the risk of frailty, etc. Improvement of frailty includes: suppressing frailty, alleviating frailty symptoms, recovering from frailty, delaying the progression of frailty, preventing the progression of frailty, etc. In the present invention, recovery also includes partial recovery.

[0013] In the present invention, physical activity refers to all actions that consume more energy than the resting state. Physical activity consists of exercise and daily life activities. Exercise refers to activities that are planned and consciously carried out in physical activities for the purpose of maintaining and improving physical strength, and are continuous. Daily life activities refer to physical activities such as labor, housework, commuting, going to and from school, etc. in daily life. Physical activity ability refers to the ability to perform these physical activities. Inhibiting the decline in physical activity capacity includes maintaining physical activity capacity, delaying the progression of the decline in physical activity capacity, and stopping the decline in physical activity capacity.

[0014] The composition for preventing or improving frailty of the present invention and the composition for suppressing or improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging of the present invention can also be used for preventing or improving movement disorder syndrome. In the present invention, movement disorder syndrome (dyskinesia syndrome) refers to a state with a high risk of requiring long-term care due to a disorder of the motor organs. Prevention of movement disorder syndrome includes: preventing the occurrence of movement disorder syndrome, delaying the occurrence of movement disorder syndrome, reducing the incidence of movement disorder syndrome, reducing the risk of movement disorder syndrome, etc. Improvement of movement disorder syndrome includes: suppressing movement disorder syndrome, alleviating the symptoms of movement disorder syndrome, recovering from movement disorder syndrome, delaying the progression of movement disorder syndrome, preventing the progression of movement disorder syndrome, etc. In one embodiment, ergothioneine or a salt thereof can be used as an active ingredient for preventing or improving movement disorder syndrome.

[0015] Ergothioneine is a kind of sulfur-containing amino acid. In the present invention, ergothioneine is preferably L-ergothioneine. As the salt of ergothioneine, as long as it is a pharmacologically acceptable salt or a salt allowed in a diet, there is no particular limitation, and it may be any of an acidic salt and an alkaline salt. As an acidic salt, for example, inorganic acid salts such as hydrochloride, sulfate, nitrate, and phosphate can be listed; organic acid salts such as acetate, citrate, maleate, malate, oxalate, lactate, succinate, fumarate, and propionate can be listed. As an alkaline salt, for example, alkali metal salts such as sodium salt and potassium salt can be listed; alkaline earth metal salts such as calcium salt and magnesium salt can be listed.

[0016] Ergothioneine or its salt is not subject to any restrictions such as its form or manufacturing method. Ergothioneine or its salt can be a chemically synthesized product, or it can be a substance extracted or purified from a natural product. L-ergothioneine is contained in a large amount in the golden top pleurotus (Golden / Yellow Oyster Mushroom) (scientific name: Pleurotuscornucopiae var.citrinopileatus) of the mushroom belonging to the genus Pleurotus of the family Pleurotus. L-ergothioneine is also contained in mushrooms such as Agaricus bisporus (scientific name: Agaricus bisporus), Grey Oyster Mushroom (scientific name: Pleurotus ostreatus), Lentinula edodes (scientific name: Lentinula edodes), Grifola Frondosa (scientific name: Grifola Frondosa), Ganoderma lucidum (scientific name: Ganoderma lucidum), Hericium erinaceus (scientific name: Hericiumerinaceus), Agrocybe aegerita (scientific name: Agrocybe aegerita), Chanterelles (scientific name: Cantharelus cibarius), Boletus (scientific name: Boletus edulis), Morchella esculenta (scientific name: Morchella esculenta), etc. When L-ergothioneine is obtained from natural products, it is preferably extracted from Pleurotus eryngii. Ergothioneine or its salt can also be produced by microbial fermentation. Ergothioneine or its salt may be an isolated substance.

[0017] The content of ergothioneine or a salt thereof contained in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited and can be set according to its form and the like. The content of ergothioneine or a salt thereof contained in the composition of the present invention is, for example, preferably 0.0001% by weight or more, more preferably 0.001% by weight or more, and preferably 90% by weight or less, more preferably 50% by weight or less, calculated as ergothioneine. In one embodiment, the content of ergothioneine or a salt thereof contained in the composition of the present invention is preferably 0.0001 to 90% by weight, more preferably 0.001 to 50% by weight, calculated as ergothioneine. The content of ergothioneine can be measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0018] The content of ergothioneine or a salt thereof in the composition of the present invention is preferably 2 to 50 mg, more preferably 5 to 25 mg, further preferably 5 to 20 mg, and particularly preferably 10 to 20 mg, in terms of ergothioneine per daily intake for adults. In this specification, the amount of thioneine conversion or similar expressions refer to the amount in the case of thioneine. In the case of a salt of thioneine, it refers to the value obtained by multiplying the number of moles of the salt by the molecular weight of thioneine.

[0019] In one way, when the composition of the present invention is taken orally or administered to humans (adults), its dosage is based on the dosage (ergothioneine conversion) of ergothioneine or its salt, preferably more than 2mg per body weight 60kg per day, more preferably more than 5mg, more preferably more than 10mg, in addition, preferably less than 50mg, more preferably less than 25mg, more preferably less than 20mg. In one way, the dosage of the composition of the present invention, based on the dosage (ergothioneine conversion) of ergothioneine or its salt, in the case of humans (adults), preferably 2-50mg per body weight 60kg per day, more preferably 5-25mg, more preferably 5-20mg, more preferably 10-20mg. Preferably more than 1 time a day, for example, 1 time a day or divided into several times (for example, 2-3 times) to take or administer the above amount. In one way, it is preferred that humans be taken orally or administer the above amount of ergothioneine or its salt. In one embodiment, the composition of the present invention can be used to allow humans to ingest or administer ergothioneine or a salt thereof in the above amount per 60 kg of body weight per day.

[0020] When two or more kinds of ergothioneine or its salt are used, the above content and dosage are the total amount thereof.

[0021] Ergothioneine or its salt and be included in natural products or food and drink, are compounds with edible experience.Therefore from the perspective of safety, it is generally believed that ergothioneine or its salt, for example, has fewer problems in daily intake.According to the present invention, a kind of safety can be provided, there is a weak prevention or improvement effect, the inhibition of the decline of the physical activity ability with age growth or the composition of the improvement effect.

[0022] The composition of the present invention can act on the sulfur metabolism pathway. As the sulfur metabolism pathway, the pathway involved in the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can be listed. The sulfur metabolism pathway has various physiological functions in the body, such as the regulation of the redox state. H2S, a physiologically active substance, is a type of sulfur metabolite, which is produced from cysteine ​​in the body and functions as a signal molecule or as a cell protective factor. As H2S synthases, CTH-1 (cystathionine-γ-lyase) or MPST-1 (3-mercaptopyruvate sulfhydryltransferase) are known. In one embodiment, the composition of the present invention can be used to prevent or improve frailty by acting on the sulfur metabolism pathway, or can be used to inhibit or improve the decline in physical activity that accompanies aging.

[0023] The composition of the present invention may be either an oral composition or a parenteral composition, and is preferably an oral composition. As oral composition, specifically can enumerate food and drink, oral medicine, quasi-medical product, feed etc., be preferably food and drink or oral medicine, more preferably food and drink.Composition of the present invention can also be for being deployed in food and drink, medicine, quasi-medical product, feed etc. and raw material or preparation etc. used.

[0024] The composition of the present invention can be used for either therapeutic use (medical use) or non-therapeutic use (non-medical use). The term "non-therapeutic" refers to a concept that does not include medical behavior, that is, human surgery, treatment or diagnosis.

[0025] As long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired, the composition of the present invention can also contain any additive, any composition on the basis of ergothioneine or its salt.These additives and composition can be selected according to the form of composition etc.When the composition of the present invention is made into oral composition, the additive etc. that can be generally used for oral composition such as food and drink, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, feed can be used.

[0026] When the composition of the present invention is made into a food or beverage, a medicine, a quasi-drug, a feed, etc., the production method is not particularly limited, and the composition can be produced by a general method. The form of the oral composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be solid (powder, granule, tablet, etc.), liquid, paste, or the like.

[0027] For example, when the composition of the present invention is made into food and drink, the composition (for example, food raw material, food additive used as required, etc.) that can be used for food and drink can be allocated in ergothioneine or its salt, and various food and drink are made. Food and drink are not particularly limited, and for example, general food and drink, health food, health supplement food, health drink, functional label food, specific health food, patient food and drink, etc. can be enumerated. Above-mentioned health food, health supplement food, functional label food, specific health food, etc., for example, can be used in the various preparation forms of granules, tablets, granules, powders, capsules, chewables, dry syrups, syrups, liquids, beverages, drinks, liquid food, etc.

[0028] When the composition of the present invention is made into pharmaceuticals or quasi-medical products, for example, in ergothioneine or its salt, the carrier allowed in pharmacology, the additive added as needed, etc., can be prepared, and the pharmaceuticals or quasi-medical products of various dosage forms can be prepared. Such carriers, additives, etc., as long as they can be used for pharmaceuticals or quasi-medical products, can be enumerated as long as the pharmacologically allowed material of pharmaceuticals or quasi-medical products, for example: one or more than two of excipients, binding agents, disintegrants, lubricants, antioxidants, coloring agents, etc. As the form of administration (intake) of pharmaceuticals or quasi-medical products, the form of oral or parenteral (dermal, mucosal, enteral, injection, etc.) administration can be enumerated. When the composition of the present invention is made into pharmaceuticals or quasi-medical products, it is preferably made into oral pharmaceuticals or oral quasi-medical products. As the dosage form for oral administration of pharmaceuticals or quasi-medical products, it can be enumerated: liquid, tablet, powder, fine granules, granules, sugar-coated tablets, capsules, suspensions, emulsions, chewing agents, etc. Examples of dosage forms for parenteral administration include injections, drips, ointments, lotions, patches, suppositories, nasal preparations, pulmonary preparations (inhalants), etc. The pharmaceutical product may be a pharmaceutical product for non-human animals.

[0029] When the composition of the present invention is made into feed, ergothioneine or its salt can be mixed into feed. Feed also includes feed additives. As feed, for example, feed for livestock such as cattle, pigs, chickens, sheep, horses, etc.; feed for small animals such as rabbits, rats, mice, etc.; pet food for dogs, cats, small birds, etc., etc.

[0030] The subject to which the composition of the present invention is ingested or administered (may also be referred to as the subject to be administered) is not particularly limited, but is preferably a human or a non-human mammal, and more preferably a human. In one embodiment, the subjects of administration include: subjects who need or want to prevent or improve frailty; subjects who need or want to inhibit or improve the decline in physical activity associated with aging; subjects who need or want to prevent or improve movement disorder syndrome. As such subjects, for example, middle-aged and elderly people can be listed. In one embodiment, the composition of the present invention is suitable for use as a composition for preventing or improving frailty for middle-aged and elderly people; a composition for inhibiting or improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging for middle-aged and elderly people; and a composition for preventing or improving movement disorder syndrome for middle-aged and elderly people. Middle-aged and elderly people include the elderly. For example, middle-aged and elderly people can be humans over 40 years old. In one embodiment, among the middle-aged and elderly people, the elderly are preferably used as the subject. For example, the elderly can be humans over 60 years old or over 65 years old. The subject of administration can also be a healthy person. The composition of the present invention can also be used for healthy people for the purpose of preventing or improving frailty, inhibiting or improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging, preventing or improving movement disorder syndrome, etc.

[0031] The composition of the present invention may be provided with a label indicating the function of preventing or improving frailty, inhibiting or improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging, or preventing or improving movement disorder syndrome. The composition of the present invention may be provided with a label indicating at least one function selected from the group consisting of "preventing frailty," "improving frailty," "inhibiting the decline in physical activity associated with aging," "improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging," "preventing movement disorder syndrome," and "improving movement disorder syndrome." In one embodiment, the composition of the present invention is preferably a food and beverage product with the above-mentioned indication, more preferably a food and beverage product. In addition, the above-mentioned indication can be the indication of the content used to obtain the above-mentioned function. The above-mentioned indication can be attached to the composition itself, or to a container or a packaging of the composition.

[0032] The present invention also includes the following methods. A method for preventing or improving frailty, characterized in that ergothioneine or a salt thereof is administered. A method for inhibiting or improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging, characterized in that ergothioneine or a salt thereof is administered.

[0033] The present invention also includes the following applications. An application of ergothioneine or a salt thereof, characterized in that it is used for preventing or improving weakness. An application of ergothioneine or a salt thereof, characterized in that it is used to inhibit or improve the decline of physical activity ability accompanying aging. By administering ergothioneine or a salt thereof to a subject, frailty can be prevented or improved, and the decline in physical activity associated with aging can be suppressed or improved.

[0034] In the above method and application, the preferred mode of ergothioneine or its salt is the same as the above-mentioned composition of the present invention. As ergothioneine or its salt, 1 kind of ergothioneine or its salt can be used, and 2 or more kinds can also be used. In the above method and application, preferably more than once a day, for example, once a day to several times (for example, 2 to 3 times) ergothioneine or its salt is administered to the object (so that it is ingested) one or more kinds. In the above method and application, ergothioneine or its salt is preferably administered (ingested) orally. The above application is preferably an application to humans or non-human mammals, more preferably an application to humans.

[0035] In the above method and application, as long as the amount (also known as effective dose) of the desired effect can be obtained, more than one of thioneine or its salt can be used. The preferred dosage or object of administration of thioneine or its salt are the same as the above-mentioned composition of the present invention.Thioneine or its salt can be directly administered, or it can be administered as a composition containing thioneine or its salt. For example, the above-mentioned composition of the present invention can also be used.

[0036] The present invention also includes a use of ergothioneine or a salt thereof for preparing the composition of the present invention.

[0037] In this specification, the numerical range represented by the lower limit and the upper limit, i.e., "lower limit - upper limit", includes the lower limit and the upper limit. For example, the range represented by "1 to 2" means 1 or more and 2 or less, including 1 and 2. In this specification, the upper limit and the lower limit can be set as a range of any combination. Example

[0038] The present invention will be described in more detail below based on examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0039] <Example 1: Effect of ergothioneine on the prevention of debilitation of wild-type (WT) nematodes> The debilitation-preventing effect of ergothioneine in WT nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) was investigated. The ergothioneine used in the examples is L-ergothioneine. First, 600 μL of NGM (nematode grouth medium) agar medium is added to 6 well culture plates, and test culture plates are made. In the NGM agar medium of thioneine group, thioneine is added in a manner that thioneine final concentration reaches 5mM. In the NGM agar medium of the control group, thioneine is not added. Then, the Escherichia coli (Escherichia coli) OP50 (30 μL) of 25mg / mL heated at 70°C for 30 minutes is added to the NGM agar medium of thioneine group and the control group respectively. The nematodes used in the test were inoculated with eggs collected from adult individuals treated with hypochlorite on NGM agar medium, and the resulting L4 larvae were moved to a culture plate containing floxuridine to sterilize them. On the third day after birth, the sterilized nematodes were moved to a test culture plate. The culture dish was imaged every 12 hours using Incucyte (registered trademark) S3 Live-Cell Analysis System (manufactured by Sartorius) placed in an incubator set at 20°C, and changes in the posture and position of the nematodes were detected by superimposing two consecutive images. The day when the nematodes were produced was set as day 0. Since the posture and position of the nematodes will continue to change during growth and development, the time point when the change disappears is recorded as death. The ratio of the number of surviving nematodes to the number of individuals on day 0 of the experiment is defined as the survival rate, and the survival rate of each day is calculated. The period from day 0 to death is defined as the lifespan. Before the nematode dies, only the head and tail move, and this state is defined as weakness. The period until the nematode becomes weak is defined as the healthy life span. The ratio of the number of nematodes that do not become weak to the number of nematodes produced is defined as the healthy life span rate, and it is calculated at each number of days. The survival rate, life span distribution, healthy life span rate and healthy life span distribution of the group to which ergothioneine was added (also referred to as the WT ergothioneine group. Number of individuals n=43) and the group to which ergothioneine was not added (also referred to as the WT control group. Number of individuals n=42) are shown in Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 .exist Figure 1 and Figure 3 In the figure, the solid line represents the WT control group, and the dotted line represents the WT ergothioneine group. The lifespan curve of nematodes was plotted using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, and the statistical difference was analyzed using the log-rank test. The difference in lifespan distribution between the two groups was detected by the Welch t-test. P < 0.05 was judged to be statistically significantly different.

[0040] <Results> like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, administration of ergothioneine to WT nematodes significantly prolonged lifespan and health span. From the above, it was confirmed that ergothioneine can prevent weakness in WT nematodes and inhibit the decline in physical activity associated with aging.

[0041] <Example 2: Effect of ergothioneine on the prevention of debilitation of nematodes with abnormal sulfur metabolism> The anti-debilitating effect of ergothioneine was investigated using nematodes genetically altered to cause abnormal sulfur metabolism. Two nematodes (purchased from Caenorhabditis Genetics Center) in which CTH-1 or MPST-1, which is a synthase of H2S, was knocked out were used. According to the same experimental procedures as in Example 1, the weakness-preventing effect of ergothioneine on each nematode was investigated. The survival rates of the group to which ergothioneine was added to the MPST-1 knockout nematodes (also referred to as the MPST-1 ergothioneine group. Number of individuals n=51) and the group to which ergothioneine was not added (also referred to as the MPST-1 control group. Number of individuals n=33) are shown in FIG. Figure 5 , the healthy life expectancy is shown in Figure 6 .exist Figure 5 and Figure 6In the figure, the solid line represents the MPST-1 control group, and the dotted line represents the MPST-1 ergothioneine group. The survival rates of the group to which ergothioneine was added to CTH-1 knockout nematodes (also referred to as CTH-1 ergothioneine group. Number of individuals n=49), the MPST-1 ergothioneine group, and the WT ergothioneine group in Example 1 are shown in FIG. Figure 7 , the healthy life expectancy is shown in Figure 8 .exist Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the figure, the solid line represents the WT ergothioneine group, the dotted line represents the MPST-1 ergothioneine group, and the dotted line represents the CTH-1 ergothioneine group.

[0042] <Results> like Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, thioneine does not significantly extend its life span and healthy life span for the administration of CTH-1 knockout nematodes and MPST-1 knockout nematodes. From these results, it can be seen that thioneine disappears on CTH-1 knockout nematodes and MPST-1 knockout nematodes for the weakening prevention effect of WT nematodes. From the above content, it can be seen that thioneine can show weakening prevention or improvement effect by acting on the sulfur metabolic pathway.

Claims

1. A composition for preventing or improving frailty, characterized in that: Contains ergothioneine or its salt as an active ingredient.

2. A composition for inhibiting or improving the decline in physical activity associated with aging, characterized in that: Contains ergothioneine or its salt as an active ingredient.

3. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that It acts on the sulfur metabolism pathway.

4. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that It is a composition for oral administration.

5. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that It is a food and drink.

6. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that It is used to prevent or improve movement disorder syndrome.