In marine organisms and its food products, there are many characteristic compounds that is not found in terrestrial organisms. Some of them show high bioactivity based on their various molecular structures. Our laboratory handles many analytical techniques such as open column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to perform structure determination and quantitative analysis of fat-soluble components extracted from marine organisms.  Through functional evaluation of them, furthermore, we are exploring novel functional marine lipids.

We have isolated allenic and acetylenic carotenoids from ascidian and scallop ovaries and clarified their anti-inflammatory effects on activated macrophages and their ability to suppress differentiation into adipocytes from preadipocytes. Recently, we have identified non-methylene-interrupted polyunsaturated fatty acids and furan fatty acids contained in bivalves and salmon testes, and monocyclic carotenoids biosynthesized by marine bacteria, and we are currently conducting detail functional analysis. We believe that research on exploration of novel marine lipids will contribute to the advanced utilization of marine organisms and its food products.