Eye-protecting food as well as preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an eye protection food which comprises astaxanthin, soybean saponin, triterpenic acid, protein and dietary polysaccharide, and the mass ratio of the astaxanthin to the soybean saponin to the triterpenic acid to the protein to the dietary polysaccharide is 1: (10-30): (1-5): 20: 7. According to the invention, a nutrition compatibility technology for promoting intestinal absorption is adopted, and dietary components which are up-regulated and responsible for astaxanthin transmembrane transport protein expression and are helpful for astaxanthin to form fused micelles are screened for compatibility. Astaxanthin, soyasaponin and triterpenic acid are embedded in a protein shell in a fused micelle form by adopting a pulsed electric field coupled high-pressure homogenization technology and a low-temperature ion driven self-assembly technology, so that the water solubility, the processing stability and the digestion stability of the protein are synchronously improved, and the application problem of the protein in the food industry is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of health-care foods, and in particular to an eye-protecting food and a preparation method and application thereof. Background Art

[0002] Modern lifestyles, characterized by prolonged staring at screens of electronic devices like computers, mobile phones, and televisions, expose the retina to prolonged photo-oxidative stress, resulting in symptoms such as dry eyes, stinging, fatigue, and blurred vision. This has led to a rapid increase in the number of people suffering from retinal eye diseases. Currently, nutritional supplements or functional foods that significantly enhance the eye's antioxidant capacity and effectively protect retinal function are in urgent demand in the market.

[0003] Astaxanthin has multiple functional properties, including antioxidant, myopia prevention, anti-cancer, and anti-aging properties, and has broad application prospects in the food industry. However, as a fat-soluble nutritional active substance, astaxanthin has disadvantages such as poor water solubility, instability under light / heat and acid-base conditions, and low bioavailability. The reason for the low intestinal absorption efficiency of astaxanthin is not only due to its poor stability during digestion, but more importantly, astaxanthin is strictly regulated by lipid transport proteins during trans-intestinal epithelial transport. Therefore, how to simultaneously improve the solubility, processing stability, and intestinal absorption efficiency of astaxanthin has become a key technical problem that needs to be solved in the development of food nutritional preparations and functional foods using astaxanthin. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an eye protection food with good oral absorption effect and eye protection function, and propose a method for preparing the eye protection food.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the first aspect of the present invention provides an eye protection food, comprising astaxanthin, soybean saponin, triterpenic acid, protein and dietary polysaccharides, wherein the mass ratio of astaxanthin, soybean saponin, triterpenic acid, protein and dietary polysaccharides is 1:10-30:1-5:20:7.

[0006] The second aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing the eye protection food provided in the first aspect of the present invention, comprising:

[0007] Astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpenic acid are mixed and dissolved to obtain fused micelles, the fused micelles are added to a denatured protein solution, mixed and homogenized to obtain a complex aqueous solution having a protein shell and astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpenic acid as a core, antifreeze peptides and dietary polysaccharides are added and mixed, and the pH is adjusted to an acidic state under low temperature conditions so that the protein shell has an opposite charge to that of the dietary polysaccharide, thereby obtaining a complex suspension having dietary polysaccharides adsorbed on the surface of the protein shell;

[0008] Preferably, the protein solution is treated by any one of pulsed electric field, ultrasound, microwave and high static pressure to obtain a denatured protein solution; more preferably, the electric field is a pulsed electric field with an intensity of 30-40 kV / cm, and the treatment time is 6-8 min;

[0009] Preferably, the protein in the protein solution is any one of bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin, whey protein, peanut protein, and soy protein;

[0010] Preferably, the dietary polysaccharide is any one of pectin, hyaluronic acid, fucoidan, and sulfated galactan.

[0011] Furthermore, the method further includes centrifuging and drying the complex suspension to obtain an astaxanthin composite preparation.

[0012] Furthermore, the method further includes mixing the above-obtained astaxanthin composite preparation with water or a solid filler excipient in proportion to obtain an aqueous solution mixture or a solid mixture, homogenizing and filtering the aqueous solution mixture, or sieving and sterilizing the solid mixture.

[0013] Further, after mixing and homogenizing, a complex aqueous solution with protein as the shell and astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpene acid as the core is obtained. The homogenization is performed by high-pressure homogenization at 60 MPa-120 MPa for 1-5 minutes.

[0014] Furthermore, the molecular weight of the antifreeze peptide is 500 Da-2000 Da.

[0015] Furthermore, adjusting the pH at low temperature is adjusting the pH to 3.0-4.0; preferably, adjusting the pH at low temperature is adjusting the pH to 3.0-4.0 at -2°C.

[0016] The eye-protecting food proposed in the first aspect of the present invention and the eye-protecting food obtained by the preparation method proposed in the second aspect of the present invention have the purpose of improving the antioxidant capacity of the eyes and effectively protecting the retina.

[0017] The eye-protecting food proposed in the first aspect of the present invention and the eye-protecting food obtained by the preparation method proposed in the second aspect of the present invention are in the form of one or more of capsules, tablets, granules, oral liquids or beverages.

[0018] The present invention utilizes nutritional compatibility technology to promote intestinal absorption, by screening dietary ingredient combinations that upregulate the expression of astaxanthin transmembrane transport proteins and facilitate the formation of fusogenic micelles. Using pulsed electric field-coupled high-voltage homogenization and low-temperature ion-driven self-assembly technology, astaxanthin, soybean saponins, and triterpenoid acids are embedded in a protein shell in the form of fusogenic micelles, simultaneously improving their water solubility, processing stability, and digestion stability, thereby resolving the application challenges of astaxanthin in the food industry. Given that astaxanthin is closely regulated by lipid transport proteins during transmembrane transport, dietary polysaccharides are used to modify the outer surface of the protein shell to regulate the expression of transport proteins responsible for astaxanthin absorption across the intestinal epithelium, thereby effectively improving the efficiency of astaxanthin transmembrane transport and increasing the oral absorption rate of astaxanthin by 10-25 times, effectively enhancing the physiological and nutritional functions of astaxanthin in eye protection. Therefore, the highly absorbable water-soluble astaxanthin composite preparation prepared by the present invention has the characteristics of good absorption effect, easy water solubility, and high stability. The eye-protecting functional food prepared with this raw material as the core functional ingredient is effective, green, and safe.

[0019] The present invention also proposes a method for preparing an eye-protecting food. In view of the fact that astaxanthin is sensitive to acidic and alkaline reagents and easily decomposed by heat, during the encapsulation process of astaxanthin, astaxanthin and its compatible soybean saponin and triterpenic acid are first prepared into fused micelles, and then a protein solution is added to prepare a complex aqueous solution. The complex aqueous solution uses protein as the shell to encapsulate the fused micelles, so that astaxanthin is encapsulated inside the protein to form a shell-core structure. Electric field treatment will partially denature the protein, exposing its hydrophobic amino acids, so that it can self-assemble with the aforementioned micelles. The protein is adsorbed outside the micelles to form a core-shell structure with a micelle cluster at the center and a protein shell. The pH of the system is adjusted to acidic, so that the protein shell has an opposite electrical property to that of dietary polysaccharides, which is conducive to the adsorption of dietary polysaccharides on the surface of the protein shell. At the same time, it effectively avoids the isoelectric point of the protein, prevents protein aggregation, and reduces the encapsulation efficiency.

[0020] This process utilizes pulsed electric field-coupled high-voltage homogenization technology, completely eliminating the need for heating and acid-base reagents. This ensures that the processing environment for protein-encapsulated astaxanthin remains at a low temperature and neutral pH. Furthermore, low-temperature ion-driven self-assembly technology is employed to further modify the protein particles with polysaccharide surface molecules. Processing at low temperatures effectively minimizes the damage to astaxanthin caused by processing conditions, achieving an astaxanthin encapsulation efficiency exceeding 98%. The resulting astaxanthin composite preparation has a particle size of 500-700 nm.

[0021] Astaxanthin, soybean saponin, triterpenic acid, protein, and dietary polysaccharides are combined to achieve an eye-protecting effect. The astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpenic acid are then assembled into fusion micelles using the preparation method proposed in the present invention. This is followed by protein encapsulation and dietary polysaccharide modification to produce the high-temperature-resistant, oral-absorption-efficient complex suspension described in the present invention. This complex suspension can be used as an eye-protecting food. Furthermore, the complex suspension is further centrifuged and dried to prepare an astaxanthin composite preparation for use in eye-protecting foods. This composite preparation is more conducive to sales and use than the use and storage of liquids or the preparation of commercial products as an additive.

[0022] The astaxanthin in this eye-protecting food has a high retention rate, namely, after heating at 121°C for 15 minutes, the astaxanthin retention rate is ≥90%. While common astaxanthin-containing products on the market have a retention rate of less than 20% and a loss rate of over 80% under the same conditions, the loss rate of the astaxanthin and fucoxanthin composite preparations prepared by the present invention can be controlled to less than 10%. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. The examples of the embodiments are intended to be used to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. In the embodiments, if no specific techniques or conditions are indicated, the techniques or conditions described in the literature in this area or the product specifications are used. The reagents or instruments used are not indicated by manufacturer and are commercially available conventional products. In the following examples, if not explicitly stated, "%" refers to percentage by weight.

[0024] The preparation method of the eye protection food of the present invention is as follows:

[0025] Astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpenic acid are mixed and dissolved to obtain fused micelles, and the fused micelles are added to a denatured protein solution. After mixing and homogenization, an aqueous solution of a complex having a protein shell and astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpenic acid as a core is obtained. Antifreeze peptides and dietary polysaccharides are added and mixed, and the pH is adjusted to an acidic state under low temperature conditions so that the protein shell has an opposite charge to that of the dietary polysaccharide, thereby obtaining a suspension of the complex having the dietary polysaccharide adsorbed on the surface of the protein shell.

[0026] Preferably, the denatured protein solution is obtained by treating the protein solution by any one of pulsed electric field, ultrasound, microwave and high static pressure; more preferably, the electric field is a pulsed electric field with an intensity of 30-40 kV / cm, and the treatment time is 6-8 min;

[0027] Preferably, the protein in the protein solution is any one of bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin, whey protein, peanut protein, and soy protein;

[0028] Preferably, the dietary polysaccharide is any one of pectin, hyaluronic acid, fucoidan, and sulfated galactan.

[0029] The complex suspension obtained in the above steps can also be further processed to prepare an eye protection food: the complex suspension is centrifuged and dried to obtain an astaxanthin composite preparation.

[0030] In the present invention, a denatured protein solution is used to embed the fusion micelles. Any physical means that can denature proteins can be used to denature the protein solution in the present invention. For ease of comparison, a pulsed electric field is used to denature the protein solution in the following examples.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] Preparation of the astaxanthin complex: Astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpenic acid were weighed in a mass ratio of 1:10:5, dissolved in a small amount of anhydrous ethanol, stirred, and sonicated for 2 minutes to obtain fused micelles. Bovine serum albumin was dissolved in deionized water to obtain a 2% protein solution. The fused micelles were added to the protein solution treated with a pulsed electric field at 30 kV / cm for 6 minutes, stirring to achieve a mass ratio of astaxanthin to bovine serum albumin of 1:20. After mixing with a blender, the solution was homogenized in a high-pressure homogenizer at 60 MPa for 5 minutes to obtain a complex aqueous solution containing fused micelles encapsulated by a protein shell. An antifreeze peptide with an average molecular weight of 500 Da was added to the complex aqueous solution to a 1% concentration of the antifreeze peptide. Pectin was then added to a 0.7% concentration of the pectin. The solution was mixed and placed in a -2°C freezer. When the temperature of the complex aqueous solution dropped to -2°C, the pH was adjusted to 3.0 to obtain a complex suspension. The resulting structure consists of a core-shell structure with astaxanthin encapsulated within a protein shell and dietary polysaccharides adsorbed onto the exterior. The astaxanthin encapsulation efficiency in the complex suspension was 98.0%, and the particle size of the core-shell structure encapsulating astaxanthin was 500 nm. The complex suspension was centrifuged and dried to obtain a dry astaxanthin composite powder. The dry astaxanthin composite powder was re-dissolved in deionized water and heated at 121°C for 15 minutes, resulting in an astaxanthin retention rate of 92.4%.

[0033] Preparation of eye protection functional food: Mix the astaxanthin compound preparation with an appropriate amount of magnesium stearate and starch, sieve and fill them into hard capsules using a fully automatic capsule filling machine. The filling amount per capsule is 0.5g, and each capsule contains 40mg of astaxanthin, thus obtaining a capsule functional food.

[0034] Example 2

[0035] Preparation of the astaxanthin complex: Astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpenic acid were weighed in a mass ratio of 1:15:3, dissolved in a small amount of anhydrous ethanol, stirred, and sonicated for 2 minutes to produce fused micelles. Ovalbumin was dissolved in deionized water to obtain a 2% protein solution. The fused micelles were added to the protein solution treated with a 30 kV / cm pulsed electric field for 7 minutes, stirring to achieve a mass ratio of astaxanthin to ovalbumin of 1:20. After mixing with a blender, the solution was homogenized in a high-pressure homogenizer at 80 MPa for 4 minutes to produce a complex aqueous solution containing astaxanthin encapsulated by a protein shell. An antifreeze peptide with an average molecular weight of 1000 Da was added to the complex aqueous solution to a 1% concentration of the antifreeze peptide. Fucoidan was then added to the complex aqueous solution to a 0.7% concentration. The solution was mixed and placed in a -2°C freezer. When the temperature of the complex aqueous solution dropped to -2°C, the pH of the system was adjusted to 3.5 to obtain a complex suspension. This resulted in a core-shell structure with astaxanthin encapsulated within a protein shell and dietary polysaccharides adsorbed on the exterior. The astaxanthin encapsulation efficiency in the complex suspension was 98.6%, and the particle size of the core-shell structure encapsulating astaxanthin was 580 nm. The complex suspension was centrifuged and dried to obtain a dry powder of the astaxanthin complex preparation. The dry powder of the astaxanthin complex preparation was redissolved in deionized water and heated at 121°C for 15 minutes, resulting in an astaxanthin retention rate of 93.5%.

[0036] Preparation of eye protection functional food: Mix the astaxanthin compound preparation with an appropriate amount of one or more auxiliary materials of dextrin, starch, microcrystalline cellulose and lactose, moisten with an appropriate amount of 70% (v / v) ethanol, make a soft material, pass through a 30-mesh sieve to granulate, dry at 70-80°C, sieve the whole granules through a 60-mesh sieve, and press into tablets to obtain tablets, each tablet is 0.25g, and each tablet contains 20mg of astaxanthin, thus obtaining a tablet-type functional food.

[0037] Example 3

[0038] Preparation of the astaxanthin complex: Astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpenic acid were weighed in a mass ratio of 1:20:2, dissolved in a small amount of anhydrous ethanol, stirred, and sonicated for 2 minutes to produce fused micelles. Peanut protein was dissolved in deionized water to obtain a 2% protein solution. The fused micelles were added to the protein solution treated with a pulsed electric field at 30 kV / cm for 8 minutes, stirring to achieve a mass ratio of astaxanthin to peanut protein of 1:20. After mixing with a blender, the solution was homogenized in a high-pressure homogenizer at 100 MPa for 2 minutes to produce a complex aqueous solution containing astaxanthin encapsulated by a protein shell. An antifreeze peptide with an average molecular weight of 1500 Da was added to the complex aqueous solution to a 1% concentration of the antifreeze peptide. Galactose sulfate was then added to the complex aqueous solution to a 0.7% concentration. The solution was mixed thoroughly and placed in a -2°C freezer. When the temperature of the complex aqueous solution dropped to -2°C, the pH of the system was adjusted to 4.0 to obtain a complex suspension. The resulting structure contained astaxanthin encapsulated within a protein shell and adsorbed with dietary polysaccharides. The astaxanthin encapsulation efficiency in the complex suspension was 98.6%, and the particle size of the astaxanthin-encapsulated core-shell structure was 650 nm. The complex suspension was centrifuged and dried to obtain a dry powder of the astaxanthin complex preparation. The dry powder of the astaxanthin complex preparation was redissolved in deionized water and heated at 121°C for 15 minutes, resulting in an astaxanthin retention rate of 94.2%.

[0039] Preparation of eye protection functional food: Mix the astaxanthin compound preparation with an appropriate amount of one or more of soluble starch, dextrin, sucrose, lactose and mannitol, moisten with an appropriate amount of 70% (v / v) ethanol, make a soft material, granulate through a 20-mesh sieve, dry at 70-80°C, and granulate with 60 mesh. The astaxanthin content is 80mg / 12g (one small bag), and the functional food of the granule type is obtained.

[0040] Example 4

[0041] Preparation of the astaxanthin complex formulation: Astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpenic acid were weighed in a mass ratio of 1:30:1, dissolved in a small amount of anhydrous ethanol, stirred, and sonicated for 2 minutes to produce fused micelles. Soy protein was dissolved in deionized water to obtain a 2% protein solution. The fused micelles were added to the protein solution treated with a pulsed electric field at 30 kV / cm for 8 minutes, stirring to achieve a mass ratio of astaxanthin to soy protein of 1:20. After mixing with a blender, the solution was homogenized in a high-pressure homogenizer at 120 MPa for 1 minute to obtain a complex aqueous solution containing fused micelles encapsulated by a protein shell. An antifreeze peptide with an average molecular weight of 2000 Da was added to the complex aqueous solution to a 1% concentration of the antifreeze peptide. Hyaluronic acid was then added to the complex aqueous solution to a 0.7% concentration. The solution was mixed and placed in a -2°C freezer. When the temperature of the complex aqueous solution dropped to -2°C, the pH was adjusted to 4.0 to obtain a complex suspension. The resulting structure consists of a core-shell structure with astaxanthin encapsulated within a protein shell and adsorbed with dietary polysaccharides. The astaxanthin encapsulation efficiency in the complex suspension was 98.4%, and the particle size of the core-shell structure encapsulating astaxanthin was 700 nm. The complex suspension was centrifuged and dried to obtain a dry powder of the astaxanthin complex formulation. The dry powder was then re-dissolved in deionized water and heated at 120°C for 15 minutes, resulting in an astaxanthin retention rate of 91.9%.

[0042] Preparation of eye protection functional food: dissolve the astaxanthin compound preparation in water with the astaxanthin concentration being 40 mg / 100 mL, add appropriate amount of sweetener and stabilizer, mix well, homogenize, filter, fill, and sterilize to obtain a beverage-type functional food.

[0043] Example 5 (Absorption effect evaluation)

[0044] Table 1. Astaxanthin test samples and their preparation methods

[0045]

[0046]

[0047] Experimental animals: SPF male ICR mice, 15-20 g, were purchased from Shanghai Slake Laboratory Animal Co., Ltd.

[0048] The basic mouse feed composition was: carbohydrates 64%, protein 21%, fat 4%, fiber 5%, and water 6%. All of the above feeds were purchased from Shanghai Slake Laboratory Animal Co., Ltd. The feeding room temperature was 23 ± 2°C, and the relative humidity was 55 ± 5%.

[0049] Animal grouping and treatment method: After one week of adaptive feeding, the mice were randomly divided into 24 groups according to their body weight, with 7 mice in each group, including a blank group (gavage with deionized water) and the above 23 test groups. The test samples in groups 1-23 were dissolved in deionized water and used as test solutions. Each mouse was gavaged with 200 μL of test solution or deionized water each time, and the astaxanthin dosage was 10 mg / kg. Four hours after gavage, the mouse eyeballs were removed to collect blood, and the changes in the astaxanthin content in the plasma were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The astaxanthin content in the plasma was calculated according to the standard curve method to reflect the intestinal absorption efficiency of astaxanthin. The small intestine was taken and homogenized, and the total protein was extracted. The expression levels of lipid transport proteins SR-B1 and NPC1L1 in the small intestine were analyzed using an Elisa kit.

[0050] Experimental results:

[0051] Table 2. Astaxanthin absorption effect evaluation table

[0052]

[0053]

[0054] HPLC analysis of astaxanthin concentrations in the serum of mice in each treatment group was performed, and the results are shown in Table 2. The results showed that after oral gavage, the serum concentration of unencapsulated astaxanthin was only 31.21 pmol / mL. When astaxanthin was combined with soy saponins at a mass ratio of 1:10 to 1:30, it exhibited a significant absorption-enhancing effect (P < 0.01). However, further increasing the soy saponin concentration (astaxanthin to soy saponin mass ratio, 1:40 to 1:60) still enhanced the absorption-enhancing effect, but not significantly (P < 0.05). Correspondingly, the expression of the transporters SR-B1 and NPC1L1, responsible for astaxanthin absorption across the intestinal epithelium, also increased. In particular, when the astaxanthin to soy saponin mass ratio reached 1:25 or above, the expression of SR-B1 and NPC1L1 increased significantly compared to Group 1 (P < 0.01), indicating that soy saponins can promote intestinal absorption of astaxanthin by upregulating the expression of these transporters. Further introduction of triterpenic acids revealed that when the ratio of soy saponins was low, more triterpenic acids needed to be introduced. For example, when the mass ratio of astaxanthin + soy saponins + triterpenic acids was 1:10:5, the serum concentration of astaxanthin reached 294.43 pmol / mL, which was 8.43 times higher than that of untreated astaxanthin in Group 1 (P<0.01). When the ratio of soy saponins was high, relatively fewer triterpenic acids could be introduced. For example, when the mass ratio of astaxanthin + soy saponins + triterpenic acids was 1:30:1, the serum concentration of astaxanthin reached 637.26 pmol / mL, which was 19.42 times higher than that of untreated astaxanthin in Group 1 (P<0.01). Further increasing the soy saponins content still increased the absorption-promoting effect of astaxanthin, but it was not significant (P<0.05). Therefore, considering the economic cost, the mass ratio of astaxanthin, soybean saponin and triterpene acid is 1:10-30:1-5, which has a better absorption-promoting effect.

[0055] On this basis, astaxanthin, soybean saponin, and triterpenic acid were molecularly embedded according to the method of the present invention, and the absorption effect of the astaxanthin composite preparations of Examples 1-4 was evaluated. The results showed that after the astaxanthin composite preparations of Examples 1-4 were gavaged into mice, the serum concentrations reached 347.79 pmol / mL, 496.13 pmol / mL, 676.48 pmol / mL, and 812.42 pmol / mL, respectively. Compared with the unencapsulated astaxanthin, the absorption effect was increased by 10 times, 14.9 times, 20.7 times, and 25 times, respectively, and the improvement effect was very significant (P<0.01). At the same time, the expression of the transport proteins SR-B1 and NPC1L1 responsible for the absorption of astaxanthin across the intestinal epithelium was also increased accordingly. This shows that the absorption-promoting nutrient compatibility technology, pulsed electric field coupled high-voltage homogenization technology, and low-temperature ion-driven self-assembly technology jointly adopted by the present invention can promote the efficient oral absorption of astaxanthin by regulating the expression of intestinal epithelial transport proteins and improving stability. (The above multiple is calculated as: (serum astaxanthin concentration of this group - serum astaxanthin concentration of group 1) / serum astaxanthin concentration of group 1).

[0056] Example 6 (Evaluation of eye protection function)

[0057] Table 3. Eye protection function samples and their preparation methods

[0058]

[0059] Sample preparation: Dissolve the formulated product directly in deionized water at a mass-to-volume ratio of 1:10 (use a small amount of ethanol to assist dissolution if necessary) to obtain the test solution.

[0060] Experimental animals and housing environment: SPF-grade blue rabbits, half male and half female, weighing 2.0 ± 0.2 kg, were provided by the Animal Center of Beijing Tiantan Biological Products Co., Ltd. The room was well ventilated, with a normal diurnal cycle (8:00 am–8:00 pm), a relative humidity of 55 ± 5%, and a room temperature of 23 ± 2°C.

[0061] Animal Grouping and Treatment: Chinchilla rabbits were acclimated for one week with free access to food. After one week, they were randomly divided according to body weight into 11 groups (7 animals per group): a normal group, a model group, and intervention groups 1 to 9 described above. Feeding continued for two weeks at the following dosages: the normal group received 2.5 mL of water daily by gavage, the model group received 2.5 mL of water daily by gavage, and each intervention group received 50 mg / kg of astaxanthin daily by gavage (the intervention groups were gavaged with the nine test samples described above, with each chinchilla rabbit receiving 50 mg / kg of astaxanthin daily). After two weeks, a light experiment was performed. A homemade light box measuring 50 × 40 × 30 cm was used for the light experiment. The bottom and sides of the box were mirrored, and a white cold fluorescent lamp was installed at each of the four corners to maintain a constant illuminance of 15,000 ± 1,000 lux in all directions (measured with a TES-1332A illuminometer). After 24 hours of dark adaptation in a 60-100 lux light environment, the blue rabbits in the model group and the intervention groups 1-9 were treated with compound tropicamide eye drops to dilate their eyes. 20 minutes later, they were placed in a homemade light box for light exposure. One blue rabbit was placed in each light box for 2 hours, and the activity of the blue rabbits was not restricted. Ventilation was maintained throughout the entire lighting process to ensure that the temperature in the light box remained at a relatively constant temperature of 21-24°C. After the light exposure, the experimental animals were returned to the animal room for dark adaptation. The animals in each group were fed according to the aforementioned gavage dose and feeding method for 7 days. The changes in the total antioxidant capacity of the eyes were then analyzed using a kit method. The maximum mixed reaction ERG value of the retina of each group of animals was detected by electro-visual physiology ERG to evaluate the changes in retinal function.

[0062] Experimental results:

[0063] Table 4. Eye protection function evaluation table

[0064]

[0065] The results are shown in Table 4. Excessive light irradiation causes significant damage to the eyes. Compared with the normal group, the total antioxidant capacity and retinal maximum mixed reaction ERG of the blue rabbits in the model group decreased by 62.5% and 59.12%, respectively, with a significant decrease (P < 0.01). When astaxanthin alone was used for intervention, it could have a certain vision protection function, but the effect was not ideal. Compared with the model group, the total antioxidant capacity and retinal maximum mixed reaction ERG in the astaxanthin group only increased by 18.84% and 19.62%, respectively. When astaxanthin was combined with soybean saponins to improve the oral absorption efficiency of astaxanthin (as shown in Table 4), its vision protection function was further enhanced. Further combination with triterpene acids to further improve the oral absorption efficiency of astaxanthin (as shown in Table 4), the vision protection function of astaxanthin was further improved (P < 0.01). When the mass ratio of astaxanthin to soybean saponin and monoterpene acid is 1:30:1, compared with the model group, the total antioxidant capacity of the eyes and the maximum mixed reaction ERG of the retina increased by 1.28 times and 1.06 times, respectively, and the effect was very significant (P<0.01). Further intervention evaluation was carried out on the protein-embedded and dietary polysaccharide-embedded astaxanthin composite preparations in Examples 1-4 of the present invention. Compared with the astaxanthin-soy saponin-triterpene acid fusion micelles without protein embedding, the astaxanthin composite preparations in Examples 1-4 all showed good eye protection function. Combined with the results of promoting astaxanthin absorption in Table 1, it can be seen that the effect of promoting oral absorption of astaxanthin is significantly positively correlated with its eye protection function. The above results show that the eye protection functional food disclosed in the present invention can effectively prevent vision damage caused by excessive light irradiation, improve the total antioxidant capacity of the eyes and improve the function of the retina.

[0066] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. An eye protection food, characterized in that: The invention comprises astaxanthin, soybean saponin, triterpenic acid, protein and dietary polysaccharide, wherein the mass ratio of the astaxanthin, soybean saponin, triterpenic acid, protein and dietary polysaccharide is 1:10-30:1-5:20:

7.

2. A method for preparing an eye protection food, characterized in that: The method for preparing the eye protection food according to claim 1 comprises: Astaxanthin, soybean saponin and triterpenic acid are mixed and dissolved to obtain fused micelles, the fused micelles are added to a denatured protein solution, mixed and homogenized to obtain a complex aqueous solution with protein as the shell and astaxanthin, soybean saponin and triterpenic acid as the core, antifreeze peptides and dietary polysaccharides are added and mixed, and the mixture is placed under low temperature conditions to adjust the pH to acidity so that the protein shell has an opposite electrical property to the dietary polysaccharide, thereby obtaining a complex suspension with dietary polysaccharides adsorbed on the surface of the protein shell; Preferably, the denatured protein solution is obtained by treating the protein solution by any one of pulsed electric field, ultrasound, microwave and high static pressure; more preferably, the electric field is a pulsed electric field with an intensity of 30-40 kV / cm, and the treatment time is 6-8 min; Preferably, the protein in the protein solution is any one of bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin, whey protein, peanut protein, and soy protein; Preferably, the dietary polysaccharide is any one of pectin, hyaluronic acid, fucoidan and galactan sulfate.

3. The method for preparing the eye protection food according to claim 2, characterized in that: The method also includes centrifuging and drying the complex suspension to obtain an astaxanthin composite preparation.

4. The method for preparing the eye protection food according to claim 3, characterized in that: The method also includes mixing the astaxanthin composite preparation obtained according to claim 3 with water or a solid filler auxiliary material in proportion to obtain an aqueous solution mixture or a solid mixture, homogenizing and filtering the aqueous solution mixture, or sieving and sterilizing the solid mixture.

5. The method for preparing the eye protection food according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: After the mixing and homogenization, a complex aqueous solution with protein as the shell and astaxanthin, soybean saponin and triterpene acid as the core is obtained. The homogenization is a high-pressure homogenization at 60MPa-120MPa, and the homogenization time is 1-5min.

6. The method for preparing the eye protection food according to claim 2, characterized in that: The molecular weight of the antifreeze peptide is 500Da-2000Da.

7. The method for preparing the eye protection food according to claim 2, characterized in that: The low temperature pH adjustment is to adjust the pH to 3.0-4.0; preferably, the low temperature pH adjustment is to adjust the pH to 3.0-4.0 at -2°C.

8. The eye protection food described in claim 1 and the eye protection food obtained by the preparation method described in any one of claims 2 to 7 have the purpose of improving the antioxidant capacity of the eyes and effectively protecting the retina.

9. The eye-protecting food described in claim 1 and the eye-protecting food obtained by the preparation method described in any one of claims 2 to 7 are one or more of capsules, tablets, granules, oral liquids or beverages.

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