Abstract: Disclosed is a novel aralkyl carboxylic acid compound which has an agonistic activity on GPR-120 and/or GPR-40, particularly GPR-120, and is therefore useful as an appetite regulator, an anti-obesity agent, a therapeutic agent for diabetes, a pancreatic beta differentiating cell growth enhancer, a therapeutic agent for metabolic syndrome, a therapeutic agent for a gastrointestinal disease, a therapeutic agent for a neuropathy, a therapeutic agent for a mental disorder, a therapeutic agent for a pulmonary disease, a therapeutic agent for a pituitary hormone secretion disorder or a lipid flavoring/seasoning agent. The aralkyl carboxylic acid compound is represented by the general formula (I).

Abstract: The present invention provides organic dye compounds which exert excellent recording characteristics in high-density optical recording media, and uses thereof. The present invention solves the objects of the present invention by providing non-symmetric trimethine cyanine dyes having a specific structure and properties, light absorbents and optical recording media comprising the cyanine dyes, and a process for preparing the cyanine dye comprising a step of reacting either 3,3-dimethyl-5-nitroindolium compounds or 3,3-dimethyl-5-sulfonamideindolium compounds, which have a reactive methyl group or an appropriate leaving group, with 3,3-dimethylbezoindolium compounds, which have a reactive methyl group or an appropriate leaving group.