Aphanothece sacrum (Sur.) Okada is a species of cyanobacteria found in Japan. Although it has been used in local cuisine in Kyushu, Japan, for 250 y, little is known about its beneficial effect as food. The daily intake of health beneficial phytochemicals is believed to be useful for preventing lifestyle-related diseases, such as diabetic cataracts. In this study, the inhibitory effect of freeze-dried A. sacrum (Asa) on the formation of diabetic cataracts (DCs) was evaluated. Type 1 diabetes was induced in mice using streptozotocin (STZ). The mice were divided into two groups: one was fed a normal diet (DM-control group) and the other was fed a diet containing 1% Asa (DM-Asa group). During the study, changes in blood glucose levels and the amount of food and water consumed were measured. After 3 mo, the amount of Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), an oxidative stress marker, in the lens was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Although the blood glucose levels (p=0.91) and food consumption did not significantly change in any group, the oral administration of Asa tended to suppress CML accumulation (p=0.15) and significantly inhibited the progression of cataractogenesis in the diabetic lens compared with that reported for the normal diet (p=0.009). These results suggested that the daily intake of A. sacrum prevents the pathogenesis of cataracts, and indicated that may reduce the number of DC patients.
Keywords: A. sacrum; AGEs; cataract; diabetes mellitus.