Prevention of Gout inhibition of Uric Acid Production -Anti-wrinkle*
KIKU Flower is Chrysanthemum flower in Japanese. It belongs to compositae family. And Chrysanthemum flower is the common name for chrysanthemum morifolium, one of the most well-known flowers in Japan. In floriography, the chrysanthemum signifies “nobleness.” Its elegant beauty was believed to resemble a “person of virtue”, and it was included as one of the “Four Noble Plants” along with plum tree, bamboo and orchid. In the ancient Chinese herbal medicine book, “The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica” (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing), the chrysanthemum was believed to prolong life and was described as being able to “enhance vitality, soothe the body and lengthen one’s lifespan when taken for a prolonged period.” In herbal medicine, the chrysanthemum is used to treat a variety of symptoms including eye disorders (decreased vision, blurred vision, bloodshot and stinging eyes, eyelid swelling or pain) and symptoms of the common cold (fever, headache, cough, sore throat).
Chrysanthemum flowers contain several dozen kinds of flavonoids as active ingredients, with a high proportion of luteolin and apigenin in particular. In the product “Kiku Flower Extract (KFE)”, luteolin and apigenin are identified, and the amount of luteolin in “Kiku Flower Extract- P” is standardized at over 10%.
Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co., LTD., after undertaking extensive research over a ten-year period, has discovered the secret of this edible flower’s ability to promote long life. It lies in the flavonoids (e.g. luteolin) contained in the chrysanthemum’s buds, and the company has succeeded in producing this as an anti-gout product as well as a skincare product that acts from deep within the skin.*
“Gout” is a common word for Japanese people in modern times. Gout is caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid forms in needle like crystals and they deposit in the inner surfaces of joints, causing pain. Uric acid is a type of waste produced when cells are destroyed by metabolism or produced from purine contained in food. When the uric acid level in the body elevates too much because of an imbalance between its production and discharge, it cannot be dissolved in blood or urine. In this condition, uric acid crystallizes and deposits in various parts of the body causing pain.*
The average uric acid level in the blood of the seven subjects was tested to be 7.3 mg / dL (abnormal value) before ingestion. The average value lowered to 7.0 mg / dL (upper limit of normal value) after 1 taking KFW for 1 month. The uric acid level of five of the seven subjects lowered. Moreover, the uric acid level of four of them lowered to a normal range. There was no change in uric acid level (6.8 mg / dL) of one subject which was in the normal range from the beginning. The test results indicate that ingestion of KFE (one month) lowers uric acid level in the blood without causing any adverse event.*
KFE was also tested as a topical for treatment of “Crows Feet”, the wrinkles of the skin in the outer corners of the eyes. In-house volunteers were requested to topically use the sample lotion and control lotion on the right and left tails of the eyes, respectively, twice a day in the morning and at night for 5 weeks. The use of the sample lotion contained Kiku Flower Extract-LC decreased the wrinkles as compared with that of the control lotion. The results of replica analyses showed the improvement of deep and fine wrinkles on the right tails of the eyes. Therefore, it is expected that continuously topical use of Kiku Flower Extract-LC will decrease the wrinkles.*
