The current application status of nucleotides
Nucleotides are composed of three molecules: nitrogen-containing bases, cyclic ribose or deoxyribose, and phosphate. The bases and sugars are connected by glycosidic bonds to form nucleosides, while nucleosides and phosphate are connected by ester bonds to form nucleotides. Nucleotides mainly participate in the formation of nucleic acids, and nucleotides in the human body are mainly synthesized by the body's cells themselves. Nucleotides are widely distributed in the body and mainly exist in the form of 5 '- nucleotides in cells. Nucleotide compounds have important biological functions and participate in almost all biochemical reactions in organisms. Nucleotides have a wide range of applications, including the following aspects:
1. Application of nucleic acid in infant formula milk powder
As the gold standard for infant nutrition, breast milk can provide various immune protection and maturation factors, among which nucleotides are one of the most studied components. Breast milk contains various nucleotides such as UMP, CMP, AMP, GMP, IMP, etc. These nucleotides can promote the growth, development, and repair of intestinal cells in infants and young children, and even play a positive role in improving memory and promoting physical growth. During rapid growth, immune suppression, reduced protein intake, and intestinal injury, infants will increase their demand for nucleic acid synthesis. Therefore, Many countries advocate adding trace nucleotide functional components to the bovine (sheep) milk matrix of infant formula milk powder, striving to be similar to human milk.
The EU 2006/141/EC recommends that the maximum amount of nucleotides added to infant formula milk powder is 5 '- CMP 2.5 mg/100kcal, 5' - AMP 1.75 mg/100kcal, 5 '- AMP 1.5 mg/100kcal, and 5' - IMP 1.0 mg/100kcal, with a total amount of nucleotides of 5 mg/100kcal. China implements a registration system for infant formula milk powder, and the production and nutritional supplementation of products are strictly regulated. According to GB 14880-2012 "National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Nutrient Fortifiers", nucleotides added to infant formula powder can exist in 7 forms as optional ingredients, including 5 '- CMP, 5' - AMP, 5 '- AMP, 5' - inosine disodium, 5 '- guanosine disodium, 5' - uridine disodium, and 5 '- cytidine disodium. The usage amount is 0.12-0.58 g/kg (calculated based on the total amount of nucleotides), and the specific limit for each nucleotide is not specified.
2. The application of nucleic acid in food additives
The flavor of food affects the acceptance of consumers, and the flavor enhancing activity of 5 '- nucleotide is more than 100 times that of monosodium glutamate. 5' - flavored nucleotide disodium is a food additive obtained by reprocessing 5 '- inosine disodium and 5' - guanosine disodium, which has been commonly used in the ingredient lists of various flavored foods in recent years. Low salt is a trend in the development of food seasonings, and 5 '- nucleotides not only exhibit a fresh taste but also a slight salty taste, which can be used as a substitute to reduce sodium content in food.
3. The application of nucleic acid in health products
Modern research has shown that functional foods and natural health foods contain bioactive substances that are effective in promoting health and preventing diseases. Pharmacological research suggests that dietary nucleotides are involved in regulating various physiological processes through purinergic or pyrimidine receptors, which are beneficial for immune regulation, anti infection, promoting growth and development, maintaining liver function, improving memory, promoting small intestine development, and lipid metabolism. Under certain clinical conditions, especially when the supply of endogenous nucleosides in tissues such as intestinal mucosa, bone marrow hematopoietic cells, and brain is limited, exogenous nucleotides play an important role as a remedial pathway
In addition to being added in monomeric form, nucleotides can also be ingested through food. Yeast is a rich source of dietary nucleic acid, and as a food ingredient, nucleic acid substances interact with other nutrients in yeast, playing a complex health enhancing role. The traditional Chinese medicine ingredient Dilong is rich in nucleoside compounds such as adenine, guanine, and hypoxanthine, and has been commonly used in functional foods in recent years. In addition, nucleotide based bioactive substances have broad application prospects in the field of biotechnology. Like cyclic nucleotides β- Nicotinamide mononucleotide β- New health ingredients such as nicotinamide purine dinucleotide are also attracting people's attention.
4. Research on the Application of 4 Nucleotides in Cosmetics
Nicotinamide mononucleotide not only affects the level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to improve age-related diseases, but also has certain anti-aging, photoprotective, antioxidant, and soothing effects on the skin, laying the foundation for its application in cosmetics. NMN has been applied and marketed in cosmetics abroad, but there has been ongoing debate about its safety. Currently, it is a new raw material for cosmetics in China, and its safety is also under monitoring.
5. Research on the Application of Nucleotides in Animal Health
Nucleotides, as a safe and effective feed additive, play an important role in the growth, development, and reproduction of aquatic animals, as well as in their gut health, antioxidant capacity, and immunity. Therefore, nucleotides have good application prospects in the aquatic feed industry. For example, the mechanism of improving fish meat quality is to maintain cell structural integrity by enhancing the antioxidant capacity, anti apoptotic ability, and tight junction characteristics of functional organs; By increasing the content of antibacterial substances, the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes, and regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokine genes, the immune function of functional organs is improved; By improving the nutritional quality, flavor quality, health quality, and physicochemical properties, the quality of fish can be improved.
6. Research on the Application of Nucleotide Drugs
According to the characteristics of clinical manifestations, nucleotide based antiviral drugs have gradually developed into drugs for treating different viral infections, including anti hepatitis virus drugs, anti cytomegalovirus drugs, anti retroviral drugs, and anti herpesvirus drugs. At present, the drugs for HIV infection are zidovudine and telovvir, the nucleotides for herpes virus are adenosine arabinoside and acyclovir, the nucleotides antiviral drugs for hepatitis B are clevudine and itracitabine, and the nucleotides antiviral drugs for COVID-19 are lopinavir and ribavirin. Although efficient and low toxicity antiviral drugs such as acyclovir have been successfully developed, the antiviral drugs used in clinical practice still have problems such as high toxic side effects, strong resistance, and easy recurrence after treatment, which cannot completely cure patients.
Nucleotides are essential organic small molecules for life activities, and abnormal synthesis and catabolism of purine nucleotides are the basis for certain diseases and also the target for treatment. The occurrence and development of tumors involve a large number of pathological and physiological processes, including purine nucleotide metabolism imbalance. Multiple enzymes are involved in purine nucleotide synthesis and catabolism, and are associated with tumor cell proliferation and drug resistance. Abnormal purine nucleotide metabolism can also lead to an imbalance between uric acid antioxidant and pro-inflammatory properties, thereby inducing tumors and promoting their progression.
Abnormal purine nucleotide metabolism affects gene and protein expression by regulating signal transduction pathways, promoting malignant transformation, invasion, and metastasis of cells. The nucleotide metabolism characteristics vary among different tumor patients.
