New Zealand blackcurrants may improve mood, mental fatigue: study

WELLINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) — Consuming blackcurrant powder and juice may positively affect mood and mental fatigue in healthy adults, according to a New Zealand study released on Tuesday.
The study, published in The Journal of Agricultural Chemistry, identified a novel bioactive compound, sarmentosin, as the primary inhibitor of MAO-B enzymes in the human brain after consuming blackcurrant products.
MAO-B enzymes break down important chemicals in the brain, like dopamine which plays a key role in mood and mental performance, said scientists from New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research and Callaghan Innovation.
The new molecule sarmentosin has been patented for use to support and improve mood and cognitive function.
While previous studies suggested that MAO-B inhibition was linked to bioactives other than anthocyanins in blackcurrants, it was not until this study that scientists identified sarmentosin as the primary bioactive behind this function, said the study’s lead Dominic Lomiwes at Plant & Food Research.
Sarmentosin was a potent inhibitor of MAO-B, effectively reducing the activity of the enzyme, supporting the maintenance of dopamine which assists with mood and cognitive performance, according to the blood test results.
“We observed MAO-B inhibition in every participant who consumed the blackcurrant products containing sarmentosin,” Lomiwes said.
Plant & Food Research Chief Scientist Richard Newcomb stressed the importance of this discovery for both the scientific and commercial sectors. ■