According to a new study published in the journal Antioxidants, a new antioxidant that was found in chicken, pig, and beef can help in relieving fatigue and preventing dementia. A group of researchers from Japan revealed that derivatives of imidazole dipeptides (IDPs) have remarkably high antioxidant activity.

However, the physiological mechanism by which IDPs display these behaviors has not yet been identified. Osaka Metropolitan University researchers led by Professor Dr. Hideshi Ihara were the first to identify 2-oxo-imidazole-containing dipeptides (2-oxo-IDPs), which have one more oxygen atom than regular IDPs. They discovered that these IDP derivatives are the most prevalent kind in the body.

In the study, mass spectrometry was used by the researchers to develop a method for the selective and highly sensitive identification of five different kinds of 2-oxo-IDPs. By using this technique, researchers demonstrated that beef, hog, chicken, and other meats contain antioxidants, including a range of 2-oxo-IDPs in addition to IDPs. 

(Source: https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1051634 )