Researcher Database

（Last updated : 2025-08-28 13:06:19）　

HAYASHI HIROAKI

Department / Course College of Pharmaceutical Sciences Department of Pharmacy

Title / Position Professor

Other Affiliations
1.	Graduate School of Pharmacy

Academic background
1.	1992/07 Degree Acquisition	│ Kyoto University Ph.D.
2.	～1987/03	Division of Pharmacy │ Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences │ Kyoto University │ Graduated
3.	～1989/03	Master Course │ Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences │ Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences │ Kyoto University Graduate School │ Completed
4.	～1992/03	Doctorial Course │ Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences │ Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences │ Kyoto University Graduate School │ Accomplished credits for doctoral program

Business career
1.	2019/04/01	Professor │ College of PharmaceuticalSciences, │ Ritsumeikan University,
2.	2007/04/01 ～ 2019/03/31	Associate Professor │ School of Pharmacy, │ Iwate Medical University,
3.	1998/05/01 ～ 2007/03/31	Assistant Professor │ Faculty of Pharmacy, │ Gifu Pharmaceutical University,
4.	1993/10/01 ～ 1998/04/30	Assistant Professor │ Faculty of Pharmacy, │ Niigata College of Pharmacy,

Research activities
1.		Japanese Society for Plant Biotechnology
2.		The Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy
3.		The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan

Qualification and license
1.	1988	Pharmacist License

Subject of research
1.	Analysis of various secondary metabolisms of higher plants.
2.	Field surveys of Glycyrrhiza and Ephedra Plants in the world.

Research summary
Basic and Applied Research of Various Secondary Metabolism in Higher Plants Higher plants produce many secondary metabolites, some of them are useful as pharmaceuticals. We are studying Glycyrrhiza and Ephedra plants, which are important medicinal plants. We are collecting these plants from their habitats in the world and from some botanical gardens in Japan. Many analogous saponins of glycyrrhizin, the main constituent of Glycyrrhiza plants, were isolated from these various strains.In addition, respective genes of cytochrome P450 and glycosyltransferase were isolated from these strains, which showed different saponin profile, to identify the mechanism of saponin variations. We are also planning to produce “non-natural saponin” using the recombinant yeast having the combination of these plant genes. On the other hand, we are studying the mechanism of alkaloid variation, ratio of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine, which are the main constituents in Ephedra plants. In addition, our interest is also focused on the variation of polyphenols in various Ephedra strains, since these polyphenols were shown to be active constituents in Ephedra plants.

Present specialized field
Natural medicines (Keyword：Crude Drug, Medicinal Plants, Saponin, Alkaloid, Biosynthesis)

Papers
1.	2024/07	Application of Monoclonal Antibodies against Naturally Occurring Bioactive Ingredients │ Antibodies │ 13 (60)
2.	2024/04	Comparison of Non-ephedrine Constituents from Ephedra Plants Cultivated in Japan │ Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin │ 72 (4),pp.385-388
3.	2022/05	Characterization of triterpene saponin glycyrrhizin transport by Glycyrrhiza glabra │ Plants │ 11 (1250)
4.	2021/09	Effect of glucoglycyrrhizin on IgE-mediated immediate hypersensitivity in mice │ Journal of Natural Medicines │ 75 (4),pp.994-997
5.	2021/06	Glycyrrhizin derivatives suppress cancer chemoresistance by inhibiting progesterone receptor membrane component 1. │ Cancers │ 13 (3265)
Display All（20）

Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research -KAKENHI-
1.	2015/04 ～ 2018/03	Saponin Production based on Variations of Glycyrrhiza Plants.
2.	2007/04 ～ 2010/03	Selection of useful strains based on variations of Glycyrrhiza plants.
3.	2001/04 ～ 2003/03	Metabolic engineering of triterpenes in higher plants.
4.	1997/04 ～ 1999/03	Analysis of Triterpene Biosynthesis in Licorice

Competitive grants, etc. (exc. KAKENHI)
1.	2011/03 ～ 2013/02	Study for Sustainable Medicinal Herb Cultivation in Tajikistan │ Research by External Competitive Fund │ Dispatch of Science and Technology Researchers (JSPS/JICA)

Subject
1.	英語JP1
2.	卒業研究B

Message
1.	The Variety of World,Secondary Metabolism in Higher Plants Higher plants produce wide varieties of secondary metabolites, and these compounds are useful for pharmaceuticals, such as morphine and paclitaxel. Recently, many genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes involved in secondary metabolism have been cloned from higher plants, and the mechanism of their variations of plant secondary metabolism have been elucidated. Variations among the DNA sequences of these gene resulted in the variation of their functions. It is possible to produce a new pharmaceutical using the variations of biosynthetic enzymes involved in secondary metabolism.