It is known that when cats are given the plant Actinidia polygama, they have a peculiar reaction such as rubbing against the body, but research groups such as Iwate University have announced that they have identified substances that act on cats from Actinidia polygama. ..
It was also found that this substance repels mosquitoes, and the reaction of rubbing Actinidia polygama may be the result of the evolution of cats to avoid mosquitoes.
It is known that cats like the leaves and fruits of Actinidia polygama and cause peculiar reactions such as rubbing against the body, and it has been said in a study about 60 years ago that a substance called "Actinidia polygama" is involved. I did.
Professor Masao Miyazaki of Iwate University and research groups such as Nagoya University re-analyzed with the latest technology, and found that a substance called "nepetalactol" contained in Actinidia polygama caused a stronger effect on cats than "Matatabilactone" and leaves. The amount contained in cats is more than 10 times higher, and it was found that the main substance that acts on cats is "nepetalactol".
When the artificially synthesized "Nepetalactol" was given to cats, a kind of leopard, which is a member of cats, and jaguar, the same reaction of rubbing the body was observed.
Furthermore, since "nepetalactol" tended to dislike mosquitoes, it is speculated that the behavior of rubbing Actinidia polygama on the body may be a property acquired by the cat's ancestors in the process of evolution to keep mosquitoes away.
Professor Miyazaki of Iwate University said, "It seems that this substance could not be separated by the previous method. It may be the result of the cat's ancestors evolving to avoid mosquitoes when hunting in bushes."
Was it not detected by the previous method?
Actinidia polygama is a favorite of cats and is known to cause a strong and unique effect, as is the analogy of "cats again".
In research about 60 years ago, the causative substance contained in Actinidia polygama was named "Actinidia polygama", and it has become common sense among researchers.
Research groups such as Iwate University responded strongly to components that do not contain "Actinidia polygama" when trying to investigate the behavior of cats against these substances, which led to this discovery. I was surprised at the unexpected result.
Analytical technology has evolved significantly over the last 60 years, and the research group suspects that previous methods could not detect "nepetalactol" due to a chemical reaction.
Professor Miyazaki said, "I thought it was a mistake at first, and repeated the experiment many times. Compared to that time, the progress of analysis technology is as different as that of a black phone and a smartphone, so it is important to move your hand and check it yourself. I felt that again. "