Oral care foods

Abstract

To provide an oral care food that sufficiently curbs proliferation of candida and hyphal formation and is effective in improving bacterial flora.SOLUTION: An oral care food includes at least one substance (X) selected from a group consisting of a compound (X1) having two or more hydroxy groups included in an oxo acid group and salt thereof. In the compound (X1), a ratio of the total of mass of the oxo acid group, mass of the hydroxy group not included the oxo acid group, mass of carbonyl group not included in the oxo acid group, mass of carbon atoms included in imidazole skeleton and in pyridine skeleton, and mass of nitrogen atoms included in the imidazole skeleton and in pyridine skeleton is 45 mass% or more on the basis of molecular mass of the compound (X1). The molecular mass of the substance (X) is 550 or less. An aqueous solution containing 1 wt.% of the oral care food has ph of 6-8. The oral care product is solid at 25°C.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an oral care food product. [Background technology]

[0002] The oral cavity contains both non-pathogenic resident bacteria and pathogenic bacteria. Normally, a balance is maintained between these resident bacteria and pathogenic bacteria, but poor oral hygiene can cause this balance to be disrupted. In such cases, pathogenic bacteria can increase, leading to disease.

[0003] Known examples of compositions that prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity include the composition described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for removing biofilms derived from Candida fungi using a composition containing a sugar alcohol such as erythritol and a cationic bactericide. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-303188 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Candida albicans, a type of Candida fungus, is a dimorphic fungus. When pathogenic, it changes form from yeast to hyphal, colonizes and grows in living tissue, and inflicts damage on target tissues [see, for example, Medical Testing Vol. 63, No. 5, 2014, pp. 545-549 (https: / / www.jstage.jst.go.jp / article / jamt / 63 / 5 / 63_13-104 / _pdf / -char / ja)].

[0006] Conventional technologies, including the technology described in Patent Document 1, exert a bactericidal effect on Candida fungi but do not sufficiently suppress the formation and proliferation of mycelia. Insufficient suppression of mycelia formation and proliferation can lead to the formation of tongue coating, which can cause bad breath, and the onset of mycosis, so improvements are needed. In addition, there is a need for an effect that improves the balance between non-pathogenic resident bacteria and pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity (a bacterial flora improvement effect).

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an oral care food that sufficiently inhibits the growth and hyphae formation of Candida and has the effect of improving the bacterial flora. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above problems and have arrived at the present invention. That is, the present invention provides an oral care food containing at least one substance (X) selected from the group consisting of compounds (X1) having two or more hydroxy groups contained in oxo acid groups and salts thereof, wherein the total mass of the oxo acid groups contained in the compound (X1), the mass of hydroxy groups not contained in the oxo acid groups, the mass of carbonyl groups not contained in the oxo acid groups, the mass of carbon atoms contained in the imidazole skeleton and the pyridine skeleton, and the mass of nitrogen atoms contained in the imidazole skeleton and the pyridine skeleton is 45 mass% or more based on the molecular weight of the compound (X1), the molecular weight of the substance (X) is 550 or less, the pH of an aqueous solution containing 1% by weight of the oral care food is 6 to 8, and the oral care food is solid at 25°C. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, an oral care food can be provided which sufficiently inhibits the proliferation and hyphae formation of Candida and has the effect of improving the bacterial flora. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The oral care food of the present invention is a food containing at least one substance (X) selected from the group consisting of compounds (X1) having two or more hydroxy groups in oxo acid groups and salts thereof. The total mass of the oxo acid groups in compound (X1), the mass of hydroxy groups not contained in oxo acid groups, the mass of carbonyl groups not contained in oxo acid groups, the mass of carbon atoms contained in the imidazole skeleton and pyridine skeleton, and the mass of nitrogen atoms contained in the imidazole skeleton and pyridine skeleton is 45 mass% or more based on the molecular weight of compound (X1), and the molecular weight of substance (X) is 550 or less. The pH of an aqueous solution containing 1 wt% of the oral care food is 6 to 8. The oral care food is solid at 25°C.

[0011] [Substance (X)] The oral care food of the present invention contains a substance (X), which is at least one selected from the group consisting of compounds (X1) having two or more hydroxy groups contained in an oxo acid group and salts thereof. The compound (X1) may have two or more oxo acid groups. In the present application, the term "oxo acid group" refers to a group having a structure in which a hydroxy group (-OH) and an oxo group (=O) are bonded to a central atom (carbon atom, phosphorus atom, sulfur atom, tungsten atom, etc.). Two or more hydroxy groups and two or more oxo groups may be contained in one oxo acid group. For example, triphosphate [ka] The oxo acid groups contained in this molecule are of two types: -P(=O)(OH)2 at both ends of the molecule and -P(=O)(OH)- in the center, and the oxo acid groups at both ends contain two hydroxy groups.

[0012] In terms of the Candida growth inhibitory effect, the total mass of the oxo acid group contained in compound (X1), the mass of the hydroxy group not contained in the oxo acid group, the mass of the carbonyl group (C═O) not contained in the oxo acid group, the mass of the carbon atoms contained in the imidazole skeleton and the pyridine skeleton, and the mass of the nitrogen atom contained in the imidazole skeleton and the pyridine skeleton is 45% by mass or more, preferably 55% by mass or more, based on the molecular weight of compound (X1). When compound (X1) is a salt, the above proportion is calculated using the mass and molecular weight of each compound converted into a free compound. When the oral care food contains multiple compounds as compound (X1), each compound satisfies this condition. In this application, the mass of the oxo acid group is the total mass of the central atom, the oxo group, and the hydroxy group. For example, malic acid has a molecular weight of 134.1. [ka] In the case of malic acid, it has two carboxyl groups (formula weight 45.0) which are oxoacid groups and one hydroxyl group (formula weight 17.0) which is not included in the oxoacid groups, so the ratio of the total mass of these groups based on the molecular weight of malic acid is [(45.0×2+17.0×1) / 134.1]×100=80(mass%) is. In the case of citrate, free citric acid has three carboxyl groups (formula weight 45.0) which are oxoacid groups and one hydroxyl group (formula weight 17.0) which is not included in the oxoacid group, so the ratio of the total mass of these groups is calculated based on the molecular weight of citric acid (192.1). [(45.0×3+17.0×1) / 192.1]×100=79(mass%) is. The compound (X1) has an oxo acid group as an essential group, but optionally has a hydroxy group not contained in an oxo acid group, a carbonyl group not contained in an oxo acid group, an imidazole skeleton, and a pyridine skeleton, which are not essential.

[0013] In the present application, the term "imidazole skeleton" refers to [ka] (R is a hydrogen atom or a group capable of bonding to imidazole). Also, the "pyridine skeleton" is [ka] It means a structure represented by the formula: These structures may be contained in a fused ring.

[0014] From the viewpoint of the Candida growth inhibitory effect, the total mass of the oxo acid groups, the hydroxy groups not contained in the oxo acid groups, and the carbonyl groups not contained in the oxo acid groups contained in the compound (X1) is preferably 45 mass% or more based on the molecular weight of the compound (X1).

[0015] Examples of compound (X1) include polyphosphoric acids (pyrophosphoric acid, triphosphate, tetrapolyphosphate, etc.), tungstic acid (H2WO4), organic acids (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, iminodiacetic acid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, adenosine triphosphate, guanosine triphosphate, etc.), and amino acids (glutamic acid, etc.). In the present application, tungstic acid is considered to be a compound containing two hydroxy groups and two oxo groups in one oxo acid group, as shown in the following chemical formula (1), and is included in compound (X1).

[0016] [ka]

[0017] From the viewpoint of the Candida growth inhibitory effect, it is preferable that the compound (X1) does not have an "-NH2" group.

[0018] When compound (X1) is a hydroxycarboxylic acid, the ratio of the number of moles of hydroxy groups to the number of moles of carboxy groups (-COOH) in the hydroxycarboxylic acid (number of moles of -OH / number of moles of -COOH) is preferably 1 / 3 or more, and more preferably 1 / 2 or more, from the viewpoint of the Candida growth inhibitory effect.

[0019] The salt of compound (X1) is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include inorganic acid salts such as hydrochloride, sulfate, nitrate, and phosphate; organic acid salts such as acetate, citrate, maleate, malate, oxalate, lactate, succinate, fumarate, and propionate; alkali metal salts such as sodium salt and potassium salt; alkaline earth metal salts such as calcium salt and magnesium salt; ammonium salt; salts with organic bases such as triethylamine, triethanolamine, and pyridine; and amino acid salts with basic or acidic amino acids such as arginine and glutamic acid. Among these, sodium salts and potassium salts are preferred.

[0020] As the compound (X1), polyphosphoric acid and its salts, organic acids and their salts, and amino acids are preferred. From the viewpoint of safety, as the compound (X1), polyphosphoric acid (the number of repeating phosphate units is preferably 2 to 5, more preferably 3 to 5) and its salts are more preferred, and pentasodium triphosphate is even more preferred.

[0021] From the viewpoint of the effect of inhibiting the growth of Candida, the molecular weight of the compound (X1) is 550 or less. When the oral care food contains a plurality of compounds as the compound (X1), the molecular weight of each molecule is 550 or less.

[0022] The compound (X1) preferably captures 1 g or more of magnesium per 100 g of the compound (X1) when measured by an ion electrode method. When compound (X1) is a hydrate, the amount means per 100 g of weight excluding water of hydration. The measurement by the ion electrode method is carried out at 20°C in a 1 mM MgCl2 aqueous solution at pH 7 using 2 mM of compound (X1).

[0023] [Cellulose derivatives (Y)] The oral care food of the present invention may contain a cellulose derivative (Y) in addition to the substance (X). Note that the compound (X1) does not fall under the category of components contained in the cellulose derivative (Y). In this specification, the "cellulose derivative (Y)" is also referred to as the "(Y) component."

[0024] Specific examples of the cellulose derivative (Y) include carboxyalkyl cellulose and its salts (such as carboxymethyl ethyl cellulose and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose), alkyl cellulose and its salts (such as methyl cellulose 4000), and hydroxyalkyl methyl cellulose (such as hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose). The cellulose derivative (Y) is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, and hydroxyalkylmethylcellulose.

[0025] The viscosity of a 2% aqueous solution of the component (Y) at 20°C is preferably 100 to 100,000 mPa·s, and more preferably 1,000 to 10,000 mPa·s. The component (Y) may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0026] [Other ingredients] The oral care food of the present invention may contain a component (Z) other than the above substances (X) and (Y).

[0027] Examples of the component (Z) include antioxidants, preservatives, fragrances, and solvents (water, etc.).

[0028] [Oral care foods] The content (weight proportion) of the substance (X) is preferably 0.01 to 5% by weight, more preferably 0.05 to 5% by weight, and even more preferably 0.1 to 3.5% by weight, based on the weight of the oral care food. In order to more effectively impart the Candida growth inhibitory effect, the content (weight ratio) of substance (X) is preferably at a lower limit of 0.01% by weight, and more preferably at a lower limit of 0.05% by weight, based on the weight of the oral care food of the present invention. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of favorably maintaining non-pathogenic resident bacteria, the content of substance (X) is preferably at most 5% by weight, more preferably at most 3% by weight, based on the weight of the oral care food of the present invention. By containing the substance (X) in the above range, it is possible to preferably provide the effects of having a high Candida growth inhibitory effect while maintaining non-pathogenic resident bacteria, and maintaining the above performance for a long period of time.

[0029] When the oral care food contains the component (Y), the content (weight proportion) of the component (Y) is preferably 0.1 to 5 wt %, more preferably 1 to 2 wt %, based on the weight of the oral care food. In order to more effectively impart the Candida growth inhibitory effect, the content (weight ratio) of the (Y) component is preferably at a lower limit of 0.1% by weight, and more preferably at a lower limit of 1% by weight, based on the weight of the oral care food of the present invention. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of favorably maintaining non-pathogenic resident bacteria, the content of the (Y) component is preferably at most 5% by weight, more preferably at most 2% by weight, based on the weight of the oral care food of the present invention.

[0030] The oral care food of the present invention has a pH of 6 to 8 in an aqueous solution containing 1% by weight of the food. An aqueous solution containing 1% by weight of the oral care food can be obtained by diluting the oral care food with water (e.g., ion-exchanged water) so that the concentration of the oral care food becomes 1% by weight. When the pH of the 1% by weight aqueous solution is 6 to 8, an excellent effect of inhibiting the growth of Candida fungi can be obtained. The pH of the aqueous solution is preferably 6.1 to 7.9.

[0031] The pH can be measured using a pH meter at 25° C. The pH may be adjusted by the type and blending ratio of compound (X1), or by adding a component other than compound (X1).

[0032] The oral care food is solid at 25°C. "Solid at 25°C" means that it has no fluidity at 25°C.

[0033] Oral care foods may contain ingredients that serve as the base material of the food. The base material can be selected appropriately depending on the form of the oral care food. For example, if the oral care food is a candy, it may contain starch syrup or the like as the base material. Examples of the form of oral care foods include candy, gummies, chewing gum, chocolate, tablet sweets (such as chewing soft candy), and jelly (solid at 25°C).

[0034] The oral care food of the present invention can be produced by blending the components and mixing them uniformly at room temperature or, if necessary, by heating (for example, 30 to 70° C.) The order and method of blending the components are not particularly limited.

[0035] The effects of the oral care food of the present invention will be explained. When the oral care food is contained in the oral cavity, substance (X) is eluted from the food and acts on Candida fungi contained in the oral cavity, suppressing their growth and mycelium formation. Furthermore, substance (X) selectively suppresses the growth of pathogenic bacteria, thereby balancing the oral flora. As a result, according to the present invention, an oral care food can be provided that sufficiently suppresses the growth and mycelium formation of Candida fungi and has the effect of improving the oral flora.

[0036] This specification discloses the following items [1] to [4]. [1] An oral care food containing at least one substance (X) selected from the group consisting of compounds (X1) having two or more hydroxy groups contained in an oxo acid group and salts thereof, the total mass of the oxo acid groups, the hydroxy groups not contained in the oxo acid groups, the carbonyl groups not contained in the oxo acid groups, the carbon atoms contained in the imidazole skeleton and the pyridine skeleton, and the nitrogen atoms contained in the imidazole skeleton and the pyridine skeleton contained in the compound (X1) is 45 mass% or more based on the molecular weight of the compound (X1); The molecular weight of the substance (X) is 550 or less, The pH of an aqueous solution containing 1% by weight of the oral care food is 6 to 8, An oral care food that is solid at 25°C. [2] The oral care food according to [1], further comprising a cellulose derivative (Y). [3] The oral care food according to [2], wherein the cellulose derivative (Y) is at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, and hydroxyalkylmethylcellulose. [4] The oral care food according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the weight proportion of the substance (X) is 0.01 to 5% by weight based on the weight of the oral care food. [Example]

[0037] The present invention will be further described below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Unless otherwise specified, parts mean parts by weight and % means % by weight.

[0038] <Examples 1 to 15 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5: Production of Oral Care Food> Reduced maltose syrup (Marumi Co., Ltd.) was heated in a microwave oven to 140-150°C. After cooling to 120°C, substance (X) or (X') and, if necessary, component (Y) were added and mixed at room temperature to achieve the concentrations (wt%) shown in Table 1-1 or Table 1-2. After dissolution, the mixture was allowed to cool and solidify at room temperature to produce candy (food) pieces weighing approximately 3 g each. An aqueous solution containing 1% by weight of each candy was prepared and the pH was measured. The results are shown in Tables 1-1 and 1-2.

[0039] <Explanation of each ingredient> The raw materials corresponding to the components used in the examples and comparative examples are as follows: [Substance (X)] (X-1): pentasodium triphosphate [manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., molecular weight: 367.86, ratio of total mass of oxo acid groups to molecular weight of triphosphate: 88% by mass] (X-2): Malic acid [manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., molecular weight: 134.09, ratio of the total mass of oxo acid groups and hydroxy groups not contained in oxo acid groups to the molecular weight of malic acid: 80% by mass] (X-3): glutamic acid [manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., molecular weight: 147.13, ratio of total mass of oxoacid groups to the molecular weight of glutamic acid: 61% by mass] (X-4): Citric acid monohydrate [manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., molecular weight: 210.14, ratio of the total mass of oxo acid groups and hydroxy groups not contained in oxo acid groups to the molecular weight of citric acid: 79% by mass] (X-5): Sodium citrate [manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., molecular weight: 258.06, ratio of the total mass of oxo acid groups and hydroxy groups not contained in oxo acid groups to the molecular weight of citric acid: 79% by mass] (X-6): Sodium pyrophosphate (tetrasodium phosphate) (molecular weight: 265.90, ratio of total mass of oxo acid groups to molecular weight of diphosphate: 91% by mass) (X-7): Sodium tetrapolyphosphate (molecular weight: 469.83, ratio of the total mass of oxo acid groups to the molecular weight of tetrapolyphosphate: 86% by mass) [Substance (X'): Substance used in place of substance (X)] (X'-1): Cetylpyridinium chloride [Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.] (X'-2): sodium lauroyl glutamate (molecular weight: 329.43, ratio of the total mass of oxo acid groups and carbonyl groups not contained in oxo acid groups to the molecular weight of lauroyl glutamic acid: 36% by mass) [(Y) component] (Y-1): Methylcellulose [Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., degree of methoxy group substitution: 1.8, viscosity of 2% aqueous solution at 20°C: 4,000 mPa·s] (Y-2): Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 60SH [Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., degree of methoxy group substitution: 1.9, number of hydroxypropyl group substitution moles: 0.25, viscosity of 2% aqueous solution at 20°C: 4,000 mPa s] (Y-3): Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 65SH [Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., degree of methoxy group substitution: 1.8, number of hydroxypropyl group substitution moles: 0.15, viscosity of 2% aqueous solution at 20°C: 4,000 mPa s] (Y-4): Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 90SH [Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., degree of methoxy group substitution: 1.4, number of hydroxypropyl group substitution moles: 0.2, viscosity of 2% aqueous solution at 20°C: 4,000 mPa s] (Y-5): Sodium carboxymethylcellulose [Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., viscosity of 1% aqueous solution at 25°C is 1,500 mPa·s]

[0040] <Evaluation test 1: In vitro mycelium formation inhibition test for Candida> (1) Candida albicans was used as the Candida fungus. The medium used was RPMI1640 medium (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) supplemented with 2.5% fetal bovine serum (manufactured by Biosera). Each candy prepared with the composition shown in Table 1-1 or Table 1-2 was added to 1 mL of the above medium and stirred at 500 rpm using a stirrer for 1 minute at 37°C. The supernatant was used as the sample solution for the test. The strains were cultured overnight at 37°C and diluted with each sample solution so that the absorbance at 600 nm was 0.15. 200 μL of each solution was dispensed into a 96-well plate and cultured statically at 37°C under aerobic conditions. After 48 hours, the plates were collected and the mycelia were stained as follows.

[0041] (2) Candida albicans hyphae staining The inhibitory activity against the mycelial growth of Candida albicans was evaluated by the crystal staining method. This method involves staining Candida albicans grown in the mycelial form with an aqueous solution of crystal violet (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and measuring the amount of staining relative to the number of colonies grown or [H 3 The amount of staining correlates with the amount of ]-glucose uptake into the cells, and the amount of staining is used as an indicator of the degree of mycelial growth of Candida albicans. After incubation, the supernatant culture medium was removed from the collected plate, and 200 μL of 70 vol% aqueous ethanol was added. After the supernatant was removed, 200 μL of 0.01% aqueous crystal violet was added and stained for 20 minutes. After staining, the plate was washed twice with 200 μL of ultrapure water, the supernatant was removed, and the plate was left to dry at room temperature for 10 minutes. 150 μL of 0.04N HCl-containing isopropyl alcohol and 50 μL of 0.25% aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate were added, and the plate was stirred for 5 minutes. The amount of Candida albicans mycelial growth was evaluated by measuring the absorbance at 620 nm. The inhibitory effect on mycelium formation was expressed as a relative value when the absorbance of a mixture of the same weight of component (Y) and reduced maltose syrup only (composition obtained by removing substance (X) or (X') from each candy) (Comparative Example 1) was used instead of each candy, was set at 100. The results are shown in Table 1-1 and Table 1-2.

[0042] <Evaluation test 2: In vitro Candida growth inhibition test> Candida albicans was used as the Candida fungus. The medium used was YM medium (manufactured by Sigma). Each candy prepared with the composition shown in Table 1-1 or Table 1-2 was added to 1 mL of the above medium and stirred at 500 rpm using a stirrer for 1 minute at 37°C. The supernatant was used as the sample solution for the test. The bacterial strains were cultured overnight at 30°C and diluted with each sample solution so that the absorbance at 600 nm was 0.00015. 200 μL of each solution was dispensed into a 96-well plate and cultured statically at 24°C under aerobic conditions. After 48 hours, the plates were collected and the absorbance at 600 nm was measured to evaluate the proliferation of each bacterium. The growth inhibitory effect was expressed as a relative value when the absorbance of a mixture of the same weight of component (Y) and reduced maltose syrup only (a composition in which substance (X) or (X') was removed from each candy) (Comparative Example 1) was used instead of each candy, was set at 100. The results are shown in Table 1-1 and Table 1-2.

[0043] <Evaluation test 3: Evaluation of oral hygiene improvement effects through volunteer testing> (1) Measurement of tongue coating amount and viable Candida albicans count Five volunteers (subjects 1 to 5) took each of the candies prepared with the compositions shown in Table 1-1 or Table 1-2 for four days. On the first day of the study (Day 1), participants scrubbed their tongues three times with a commercially available tongue brush immediately after waking up, and collected the samples in a tube containing physiological saline. The collected samples were transported refrigerated and centrifuged. The precipitate was collected and weighed, and this was used as the tongue coating mass. The precipitate was thoroughly dispersed and resuspended in RPMI 1640 medium, and then applied to a Candida selective medium. After incubation at 37°C for 48 hours, the viable Candida albicans count was measured. On the morning of the fifth day, tongue coating was collected and transferred using the same method, and the amount of tongue coating and the viable Candida albicans count were measured. Starting on the fifth day, the volunteers took approximately 3g (1 piece) of candy three times a day after each meal for four days. On the morning of the ninth day from the start of the study, after evaluating the tongue coating score described below, tongue coating was collected and transferred using the same method, and the amount of tongue coating and the viable Candida albicans count were measured. The amount of tongue coating and the viable Candida albicans count on the morning of the ninth day were expressed as relative values, with the amount of tongue coating and the viable Candida albicans count on the tongue coating collected on the morning of the fifth day set at 100, respectively. The results are shown in Tables 1-1 and 1-2. For Comparative Examples 2 and 3, the pH of a 1 wt% aqueous solution of the candy was greater than 8 or less than 6, which was not suitable for long-term testing on humans from a safety standpoint, so this test was not conducted. Also, for Comparative Example 4, the substance (X'-2) was not edible, so this test was not conducted. (2) Evaluation of tongue coating score (TCI) On the morning of the ninth day after the start of the test, the degree of tongue coating was evaluated using the Tongue Coating Index (TCI) method of Shimizu et al. The tongue surface was divided into nine sections, and the state of tongue coating in each section was visually evaluated using a three-level score (0: no coating, 1: thin coating with visible papillae, 2: thick coating with no visible papillae), and the TCI was calculated using the following formula. The results are shown in Tables 1-1 and 1-2. A lower TCI is preferable. TCI (%) = (total score of 9 domains / 18) x 100

[0044] <Evaluation test 4: Confirmation test of selective bacterial growth inhibition> The pathogenic bacteria used in the test were Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Prevotella intermedia, and the non-pathogenic bacteria was Streptococcus salivarius. Modified GAM bouillon "Nissui" (Shimadzu Diagnostics Co., Ltd.) was used as the medium for culturing each bacterium. Each candy prepared with the composition shown in Table 1-1 or Table 1-2 was added to 1 mL of modified GAM medium and stirred at 500 rpm using a stirrer for 1 minute at 37°C. The supernatant was used as the sample solution for the test. Each strain was cultured overnight at 37°C and diluted with each sample solution to an absorbance of 0.15 at 600 nm. 200 μL of each solution was dispensed into a 96-well plate, and static culture was performed at 37°C under anaerobic conditions using Anaeropack Kenki 10% (Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.). After 48 hours, the plates were collected and the absorbance at 600 nm was measured to evaluate the growth of each bacterium. The growth inhibitory effect was expressed as a relative value when the absorbance of a mixture of the same weight of component (Y) and reduced maltose syrup only (a composition in which substance (X) or (X') was removed from each candy) (Comparative Example 1) was used instead of each candy, was set at 100. The results are shown in Table 1-1 and Table 1-2.

[0045] When the oral care food of the present invention is applied to the oral cavity, if the growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Prevotella intermedia is inhibited compared to Comparative Example 1, and the growth of Streptococcus salivarius shows little change compared to Comparative Example 1, then the growth of the bacteria is selectively inhibited. For example, the above relative values ​​may fall within the following ranges. An embodiment in which the test results for Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Prevotella intermedia are all 0 to 30, and the test result for Streptococcus salivarius is 50 to 100.

[0046] [Table 1-1]

[0047] [Table 1-2]

[0048] As shown in Tables 1-1 and 1-2, it was confirmed that the foods of Examples 1 to 15 containing substance (X) had superior mycelium formation inhibitory effects and proliferation inhibitory effects compared to the food of Comparative Example 1. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the foods of Comparative Examples 2 to 5 had inferior mycelium formation inhibitory effects compared to Examples 1 to 15. Furthermore, the foods of Examples 1 to 15 containing the substance (X) selectively inhibited the growth of pathogenic bacteria, with little effect on non-pathogenic bacteria, and were therefore found to have a bacterial flora-improving effect. These results demonstrate that the present invention can provide an oral care food that sufficiently inhibits the growth and hyphae formation of Candida and has the effect of improving the bacterial flora.

Claims

1. An oral care food containing a substance (X) which is at least one selected from the group consisting of a compound (X1) having two or more hydroxy groups contained in an oxo acid group and a salt thereof, the total mass of the oxo acid groups, the hydroxy groups not contained in the oxo acid groups, the carbonyl groups not contained in the oxo acid groups, the carbon atoms contained in the imidazole skeleton and the pyridine skeleton, and the nitrogen atoms contained in the imidazole skeleton and the pyridine skeleton contained in the compound (X1) is 45 mass% or more based on the molecular weight of the compound (X1), The molecular weight of the substance (X) is 550 or less, The pH of an aqueous solution containing 1% by weight of the oral care food is 6 to 8, An oral care food that is solid at 25°C.

2. The oral care food according to claim 1, further comprising a cellulose derivative (Y).

3. 3. The oral care food according to claim 2, wherein the cellulose derivative (Y) is at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, and hydroxyalkylmethylcellulose.

4. 4. The oral care food according to claim 1, wherein the weight proportion of the substance (X) is 0.01 to 5% by weight based on the weight of the oral care food.

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