Ergothioneine is a natural antioxidant that can protect cells in the human body and is an important active substance in organisms. Natural antioxidants are safe and non-toxic and have become a research hotspot. Ergothioneine has entered people’s field of vision as a natural antioxidant. It has various physiological functions such as scavenging free radicals, detoxifying, maintaining DNA biosynthesis, normal cell growth and cellular immunity.
Due to the significant and unique biological functions of ergothioneine, scholars from various countries have been studying its application for a long time. Although it still needs further development, it has great inspiration for its application in various fields. Ergothioneine has wide application and market prospects in the fields of organ transplantation, cell preservation, medicine, food and beverages, functional foods, animal feed, cosmetics and biotechnology.
Here are some applications of ergothioneine:
Acts as a unique antioxidant
Ergothioneine is a highly cell-protective, non-toxic natural antioxidant that is not easily oxidized in water, allowing it to reach concentrations of up to mmol in some tissues and stimulating the cells’ natural antioxidant defense system. Among the many antioxidants available, ergothioneine is particularly unique because it chelates heavy metal ions, thereby protecting red blood cells in the body from free radical damage.
For organ transplantation
The amount and duration of preservation of existing tissue play a decisive role in the success of organ transplantation. The most commonly used antioxidant for organ preservation is glutathione, which is highly oxidized when exposed to the environment. Even in refrigerated or liquid environments, its antioxidant capacity is greatly reduced, causing cytotoxicity and inflammation, and inducing tissue proteolysis. Ergothioneine seems to be an antioxidant that is stable in aqueous solution and can also chelate heavy metal ions. It can be used as a substitute for glutathione in the field of organ protection to better protect transplanted organs.
Added to cosmetics as skin protectant
Ultraviolet UVA rays in the sun can penetrate into the dermis layer of human skin, affecting the growth of epidermal cells, causing surface cell death, leading to premature skin aging, while ultraviolet UVB rays can easily cause skin cancer. Ergothioneine can minimize the formation of reactive oxygen species and protect cells from radiation damage, so ergothioneine can be added to some cosmetics as a skin protectant for the development of outdoor skin care products and protective cosmetics.
Ophthalmic applications
In recent years, it has been discovered that ergothioneine plays a key role in eye protection, and many researchers hope to develop an ophthalmic product to facilitate therapeutic eye surgeries. Ophthalmic surgeries are generally performed locally. The water solubility and stability of ergothioneine provide the feasibility of such surgeries and have great application value.
Applications in other fields
Ergothioneine is used in many fields due to its excellent properties. For example, it is used in the pharmaceutical field, food field, health care field, cosmetics field, etc. In the field of medicine, it can be used to treat inflammation, etc., and can be made into tablets, capsules, oral preparations, etc.; In the field of health products, it can prevent the occurrence of cancer, etc., and can be made into functional foods, functional drinks, etc.; In the field of cosmetics, it can be used It is used for anti-aging and can be made into sunscreen and other products.
As people’s awareness of health care increases, the excellent properties of ergothioneine as a natural antioxidant will gradually be widely recognized and applied.
Post time: Dec-12-2023
