Author: Fukuda, Kanako ; Izumo, Takayuki ; Kitagawa, Yoshinori ; Takano, Jiro ; Yoshimori, Tamotsu ; Takemoto, Daisuke ; Rogi, Tomohiro ; Tatebe, Hisashi ; Nakao, Yoshihiro ; Shoji, Shisako ; Ishido, Miwako

Sesamin and episesamin, the major lignans found in refined sesame oil, reportedly exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypocholesterolemic effects. Sesamin has also been suggested by previous studies to promote autophagy; however, concerns have been raised regarding the use of non-physiological concentrations, inaccurate methods for evaluating autophagic activity, and incomplete understanding of underlying mechanisms. Additionally, the effects of its metabolic kinetics on autophagy remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that sesamin, episesamin, and their metabolites induced autophagy flux at physiological concentrations in human cell cultures expressing monomeric red fluorescent protein-green fluorescent protein tandem fluorescent-tagged microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light-chain 3 proteins, a robust method for monitoring autophagy flux. Notably, the monocatechol metabolites of sesamin and episesamin exhibited higher autophagy flux than their unmetabolized forms. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that sesamin and its monocatechol metabolite promoted autophagy by inhibiting mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), leading to decreased phosphorylation of unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 and transcription factor EB. This suppression enhanced the isolation membrane formation and transcriptionally stimulated autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis. Importantly, mTORC1 inhibition by sesamin and its metabolites did not affect mTORC2 activity, mirroring the mTORC1-selective inhibition observed with rapamycin. These results suggest that sesamin and episesamin contribute to diverse biological activities via their metabolism in the human body, regulating autophagy and mTORC1 signaling pathways.

01 Jan 2023·Oleoscience

Cellular Care and Aging Control by Autophagy－From the Viewpoint of Activity Measurement Method－

Author: SHOJI, Shisako ; ISHIDO, Miwako ; YAGI, Emiko

Food Style 21

Toward social implementation of autophagy research results - latest research and application of functional food ingredients

Author: Ishido, Miwako

100 Deals associated with AutoPhagyGO, Inc.

100 Translational Medicine associated with AutoPhagyGO, Inc.

Corporation Tree

Boost your research with our corporation tree data.

view full example data

Pipeline

Pipeline Snapshot as of 16 Jul 2025

No data posted

Deal

Boost your decision using our deal data.

view full example data

Translational Medicine

Boost your research with our translational medicine data.

view full example data

Profit

Explore the financial positions of over 360K organizations with Synapse.

view full example data

Grant & Funding(NIH)

Access more than 2 million grant and funding information to elevate your research journey.

view full example data

Investment

Gain insights on the latest company investments from start-ups to established corporations.

view full example data

Financing

Unearth financing trends to validate and advance investment opportunities.

view full example data

AI Agents Built for Biopharma Breakthroughs

Accelerate discovery. Empower decisions. Transform outcomes.

Get started for free today!

Accelerate Strategic R&D decision making with Synapse, PatSnap’s AI-powered Connected Innovation Intelligence Platform Built for Life Sciences Professionals.

Start your data trial now!

Synapse data is also accessible to external entities via APIs or data packages. Empower better decisions with the latest in pharmaceutical intelligence.

Bio

Bio Sequences Search & Analysis

Chemical

Chemical Structures Search & Analysis

AutoPhagyGO, Inc.

Overview

Related

Corporation Tree

Pipeline

Pipeline Snapshot as of 16 Jul 2025

Deal

Translational Medicine

Profit

Grant & Funding(NIH)

Investment

Financing