Functional evaluation of yuzu ( Citrus junos ) extracts containing limonoids and polyamine for life extension

Abstract We determined high concentrations of arginine and polyamines( putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) in yuzu ( Citrus junos) seeds. Yuzu produces large quantities of limonoids. We fed limonoid aglyconesextracted from yuzu seeds and commercial spermineas a polyamineto Sandhoff disease(SD) mice with abnormal glycolipidmetabolism and autosomal recessive inheritance, as found in humans. Ingestion of limonoid aglyconesand spermineby SD mice extended their longevity by about 10–12%, where it alleviated inflammation of the central nervous system. After administering limonoid aglyconesor limonoid aglycones/ spermine, analyses of the bacterial flora in the feces based on 16S rDNA indicated changes in the relative ratio between Bacteroidetes( Bacteroidalesand Lactobacillus ) and Firmicutes( Clostridialesand Erysipelotrichaceae). In both SD and wild-type mice, the amount of short-chain fatty acidsproduced by the bacterial flora increased according to the intake of limonoid aglyconesand spermine.