Elsevier

Neuropeptides

Volume 89, October 2021, 102166
Neuropeptides

Medicine and food with particular reference to chinpi, dried citrus peel, and a component of Ninjin'yoeito

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npep.2021.102166Get rights and content

Abstract

Kampo medicines contain many kinds of herbal drugs. Chinpi and Kippi, dried citrus peels, are components of a substantial number of Kampo medicine. They contain abundant flavonoids and studies on hesperidin, narirutin, and nobiletin as active ingredient have been conducted. Conversely, in Kagoshima prefecture, located in the southwestern part of the Japanese Islands, various citrus products are cultivated. Among them, Tankan and Daimasaki are specialies. In this study, we conducted high- performance liquid chromatography to determine the difference in flavonoid contents among Tankan, Daimasaki, Tankan related product, Chinpi, and Kippi. As a result, several active components, such as hesperidin, narirutin, nobiletin, and tangeretin, in common with crude drug, Chinpi, were detected in local citrus fruits. In addition, some active components little or not found in Chinpi, for example hesperetin and rutin, were detected in the local products. A detailed analysis of active components considering their genetic origin, the time of fruit collection, and different parts of the fruit used (peel, albedo, edible parts, and the whole) will need to be discussed to get the most out of the citrus fruits or make best use of them for health and longevity.

Introduction

Kampo medicines contain many types of herbal drugs, which is one of their characteristics. Chinpi, dried Citrus unshiu Markowicz, or Citrus reticulata Blanco peel, is a component of several Kampo medicines. Chinpi is listed in the Japanese Pharmacopeia (JP), which consists of a general notice, general rules for crude drugs, general rules for preparations, general tests, processes and apparatus, and official monographs. The JP has been established and published to regulate the properties and quality of drugs by the Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare based on the opinion of the Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council (Japanese Pharmacopoeia, 2016).

Regarding Chinpi, hesperidin is a type of flavonoid and specified as an active ingredient, and its content is regulated in JP.

Kippi is also listed in the Japanese standards for non-pharmacopoeial crude drugs (non-JPS) and is used as a component of herbal medicine as well as Chinpi. Kippi is a dried citrus peel of Citrus tachibana Tanaka, Citrus leiocarpa hort. ex Tanaka, Citrus grandis Osbeck, Citrus unshiu Marcowicz, or Citrus reticulata Blanco (The Traditional Medical & Pharmaceutical Database, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, 2012).

In Kagoshima prefecture, located in the southwestern part of the Japanese Islands, various citrus products are cultivated. They are, for example, Sakurajima komikan, which is certified by the Guinness World Records as the smallest citrus fruit in the world, Tankan (Citrus tankan), Daimasaki, or Unshiumikan (Citrus unshiu). Tankan is a natural hybrid of Ponkan (Citrus reticulata var. poonensis [Hayata] H. H.) and navel orange (Citrus sinensis var. brasiliensis), and Daimasaki is a bud sport of Shiranui (Citrus unshiu × Citrus sinensis) × Citrus reticulata), cross between Kiyomi (Citrus unshiu × Citrus sinensis) and Ponkan (Citrus reticulata var. poonensis [Hayata] H. H.) (Fig. 1).

In this study, we conducted a simultaneous analysis of flavonoids in Tankan, Daimasaki cultivated in Kagoshima prefecture, Tankan related product, Chinpi, and Kippi to investigate the abundance of flavonoids, including hesperidin. We also examined the components in comparison with other citrus fruits based on information gathered from the literature.

Section snippets

Citrus fruits and related products

Tankan and Daimasaki, harvested in Kagoshima prefecture, were used in this measurement. As a related product, Tankan-shu (Amami Oshima Shuzo Co. Ltd.) was also measured. Tankan-shu is a liqueur made from Honkaku (authentic) Shochu, Tankan, rock sugar, and granulated sugar, which has 14% alcohol by volume.

Chinpi and Kippi

Three lots of Chinpi (Chinpi①–③) and Kippi stocked in Kampo Research Labs were used. Chinpi①, Chinpi②, and Kippi were made of Citrus reticulata Blanco (Rutaceae), and Chinpi③ was made of Citrus

Result

Fourteen of 29 components were detected in the samples (Table 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5). In the fourteen components, quantitative values of Eriocitrin, Diosmin, Hesperetin and Rhoifolin were for reference purposes only. Because those components were overlapped with other components and/or smaller peaks than other components.Fourteen out of twenty-nine components were detected in the samples (Table 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5).

Discussion

Chinpi is a component of Ninjin'yoeito (NYT), Rikkunshito (RKT), Yokukansankachinpihange (YKH), and many other Kampo medicines. Previous research has suggested that Chinpi, especially its components hesperidin and narirutin, reverse age-induced demyelination (Sato et al., 2011). Another research has reported that the oral administration of RKT to AH-130 hepatoma cell-bearing rats showed improved food intake and median survival, and the oral administration of hesperidin and atractylodin also

Author contributions

AI and MS designed the study. KH and RT conducted investigation and data curation. MA, HA, and YT participated in discussion. MS wrote the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Funding

This work was supported by the President's Discretionary Expenses of Kagoshima University.

Declaration of Competing Interest

Pharmacological Department of Herbal Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences is a joint research department with Kracie Pharma, Ltd.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the researchers of Kampo Research Labs, Kracie Pharma, Ltd., who provided their experimental data used in this study and Shiroyama store Co., Ltd. for providing samples.

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