This technology is a pharmaceutical composition for treating diabetes and a health functional food for preventing diabetes, using myrcene or its salts—isoprenoids that are key components of phytoncides emitted by conifers—as an active ingredient. Myrcene increases glucose uptake in muscle cells and regulates the activity of AMPK, a key enzyme in glucose metabolism, to produce a blood sugar-lowering effect.
While phytoncides are well-known for their forest bathing benefits such as antibacterial, deodorizing, and stress-relieving effects, their practical application has largely been limited to household items like air purifiers and diffusers. Myrcene was previously known only as a component found in extracts like mugwort, with no known effects on blood sugar regulation or diabetes improvement, which limited the use of phytoncide components as direct therapeutic agents for diseases.
Based on the discovery that myrcene, a single component derived from phytoncides, lowers blood sugar in muscle cells via AMPK, this technology is designed to allow the same active ingredient to be used in both pharmaceuticals and daily dietary products. As a natural plant essential oil component, it is highly accessible for long-term consumption. It can be applied to type 2 diabetes drug candidates, health functional foods for blood sugar management, and functional beverages based on forest resources, transforming phytoncides from simple air purification agents into high-value raw materials for the blood sugar management market.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning for exploring the potential of newly discovered AMPK activators and binding proteins as factors for controlling blood glucose and cancer cell apoptosis.
WO2014-142535A1
