Abstract
Hops, the immature inflorescences of the female hop plant (Humulus lupulus L.) are one of the main components of beer and provides flavor and bitterness. β-Eudesmol, an oxygenated sesquiterpene, is reported to accumulate in a particular hop cultivar. Recently, we revealed that β-Eudesmol ingestion affected autonomic nerve activity in an animal model. The effect on humans has not been elucidated, therefore, we investigated the effects of β-Eudesmol on reducing objective and subjective markers related to sympathetic nerve activity after the application of mental stress in healthy participants. Fifty participants (male and female aged 20 to 50 years) were randomly assigned to two groups. Five minutes before taking the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) as a mental stressor, participants in each group ingested a beverage containing β-Eudesmol, the active beverage, or a placebo beverage that did not contain β-Eudesmol. Saliva 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), a major product of noradrenaline breakdown and a representative marker of sympathetic nerve activity, was significantly lower just after the TSST in the active group compared with the placebo group. Saliva cortisol, a marker of the endocrine stress response system, was not significantly different between the two groups. No adverse events related to test beverage ingestion were observed. This is the first experimental evidence of β-Eudesmol effect for mental stress in human.
Highlights
Mental stress has been defined as “a set of events in the social milieu which modify steady state conditions so as to activate adaptive mechanisms” [1]
The time schedule of the test day is shown in Figure 1B; the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) start time is defined as 0 min
We investigated the effect of β-Eudesmol ingestion prior to exposure of mental stress via the TSST
Summary
Mental stress has been defined as “a set of events in the social milieu which modify steady state conditions so as to activate adaptive mechanisms” [1]. Mental stress itself is not a disorder; it affects. Axis [3], the immune system [4], and increases the risk of mental illnesses such as anxiety, nervousness, symptoms of depression [5], post-traumatic stress disorder [6], and irritable bowel syndrome [7]. Some natural products have been reported to be effective in reducing mental stress responses in humans [8,9,10,11]. It was reported that L-theanine intake resulted in a reduction in the heart rate responses to an acute stress task, suggesting that it affects autonomic nervous system [8]. Evidence from clinical trials of natural products is still limited
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