Uses of nutritional compositions

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of a nutritional composition comprising medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides and nervonic acid.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the fields of food and medicine, and in particular to the use of a nutritional composition comprising medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides and nervonic acid for the non-therapeutic purpose of improving vision, and the use of the nutritional composition in the preparation of medicines for improving vision. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, vision problems have become a growing concern and a source of concern worldwide, particularly in parts of East and Southeast Asia, where myopia has reached epidemic levels. In my country, myopia rates remain high and are becoming more prevalent and prevalent among younger people. Furthermore, with the rapid penetration of electronic devices such as mobile phones, televisions, and computers, visual fatigue caused by improper and excessive use of the eyes is becoming a major problem. For example, these electronic devices emit blue light, and long-term exposure to blue light not only easily leads to visual fatigue but also damages the retina, leading to a range of eye diseases such as photodamage. Myopia and visual fatigue have garnered widespread attention.

[0003] In view of the above problems, it is of great significance to develop methods that can effectively protect eyesight, such as relieving visual fatigue and preventing myopia. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention is made in view of the above problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] The present invention relates to use of a nutritional composition for the non-therapeutic purpose of improving vision. The nutritional composition comprises: medium- and long-chain triacylglycerol (MLCT); and nervonic acid (NA, also known as cis-15-tetracosenoic acid).

[0006] The present invention also relates to use of the nutritional composition in preparing medicines for improving vision.

[0007] The inventors unexpectedly discovered in their research that when medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides and neuraminic acid are used in combination, they exhibit a synergistic effect in protecting vision, especially in relieving visual fatigue (such as anti-blue light) and optionally in preventing myopia. The effect of their combined use is better than the effect of the same total amount of medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides alone, and also better than the effect of the same total amount of neuraminic acid alone. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the following briefly describes the drawings required for describing the embodiments. It should be understood that these drawings are only for the purpose of facilitating easier understanding of the present invention by technicians and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 1 The photographs show the fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eyes of zebrafish in the normal control group, the model control group, the positive control group using coenzyme Q10, and the experimental groups using medium-chain triglycerides (MLCT) or neuraminic acid alone.

[0010] Figure 2 The fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eyes of zebrafish in the normal control group, model control group, positive control group using coenzyme Q10, and experimental groups using medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides or neuraminic acid alone is presented, and the statistical analysis results compared with the model control group are as follows: Indicates p < 0.001.

[0011] Figure 3 The photographs show the fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eyes of zebrafish in the normal control group, the model control group, the positive control group using coenzyme Q10, the experimental group using medium-chain triglycerides (MLCT) or neuraminic acid alone, and the experimental group using medium-chain triglycerides and neuraminic acid in combination.

[0012] Figure 4 The figures show the retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter of zebrafish in the normal control group, model control group, MO standard control group, positive control group using atropine, and experimental groups using medium-chain triglycerides (MLCT) or neuraminic acid alone.

[0013] Figure 5 The retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter of zebrafish in the normal control group, model control group, MO standard control group, positive control group using atropine, and experimental groups using medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides or neuraminic acid alone, as well as statistical analysis results compared with the model control group, are presented: indicates p < 0.05, indicates p < 0.01, Indicates p < 0.001.

[0014] Figure 6 The photographs show the retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter of zebrafish in the normal control group, model control group, MO standard control group, positive control group using atropine, experimental groups using medium-chain triglycerides (MLCT) or neuraminic acid alone, and experimental groups using medium-chain triglycerides and neuraminic acid in combination. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] In order to make the invention objectives, technical solutions and beneficial technical effects of this application clearer, this application will be described in detail below. It should be noted that the various aspects, features, implementation methods, and advantages described in this application may be compatible and / or combinable.

[0016] Unless otherwise specified, the technical terms or scientific terms in this specification have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art.

[0017] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the temperature is room temperature (25° C.), the atmosphere is air, and the pressure is atmospheric pressure.

[0018] In this application, the term "medium-chain fatty acids" refers to fatty acids with 6-12 carbon atoms in the carbon chain, such as hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, and dodecanoic acid; the term "long-chain fatty acids" refers to fatty acids with 14 or more carbon atoms, generally 14-30 carbon atoms, such as myristic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. The terms "medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides" and "long-chain fatty acid triglycerides" refer to the esterification reaction products of "medium-chain fatty acids" and "long-chain fatty acids," respectively, with glycerol; the term "medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides" refers to triglycerides containing both medium- and long-chain fatty acid residues in their molecular structure.

[0019] In this application, "special food" refers to special foods for specific groups of people, such as "the elderly, the young, and the sick", including three categories: health food, infant formula, and special medical purpose formula food.

[0020] The present invention relates to the use of a nutritional composition comprising medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides and nervonic acid for the non-therapeutic purpose of improving vision, and the use of the nutritional composition in preparing a medicine for improving vision.

[0021] Among the components contained in the nutritional composition of the present invention, neuraminic acid (cis-15-tetracosenoic acid, abbreviated as NA) is an essential high-level nutrient for the growth, redevelopment and function maintenance of nerve cells, especially brain cells and peripheral nerve cells.

[0022] In addition, medium-chain triglycerides (MLCTs) are a type of structural lipid that contains both medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids in the triglyceride molecule. They have different physicochemical properties, metabolic characteristics, and nutritional value from long-chain triglycerides or medium-chain triglycerides. Studies (see, for example, Yuan Tinglan, Composition and Metabolic Characteristics of Medium- and Long-Chain Triglycerides in Breast Milk Fat [D], Jiangnan University, 2021) have shown that medium-chain triglycerides are not simply equivalent to a physical mixture of long-chain triglycerides and medium-chain triglycerides (and certainly not to a simple mixture of long-chain fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids). The latter do not have the physicochemical properties, metabolic characteristics, and nutritional value of the former.

[0023] The inventors unexpectedly discovered in their research that when medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides and neuraminic acid are used in combination, they exhibit a synergistic effect in protecting vision, especially in relieving visual fatigue (such as anti-blue light) and optionally in preventing myopia. The effect of their combined use is better than the effect of the same total amount of medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides alone, and also better than the effect of the same total amount of neuraminic acid alone.

[0024] The nervonic acid used in the present invention can be derived from biological sources or artificially synthesized. For example, nervonic acid can be derived from shark brain, M. adenantha, garlic fruit, Xanthoceras sorbifolia, Acer truncatum seeds, fungi such as filamentous fungi M. phaseoline, yeast S. cerevisiae, etc., or artificially synthesized using 9-docosenol and propionate as raw materials, or artificially synthesized using oleic acid and suberate as raw materials, etc. The nervonic acid can be used in pure form or in an impure form rich in nervonic acid.

[0025] The present invention has no particular requirements for the medium-chain triglycerides used, and the medium-chain triglycerides commonly used in the art can be used. The medium-chain triglycerides can be used in pure form or in an impure form enriched in medium-chain triglycerides.

[0026] In some embodiments, the medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides used in the present invention contain C6-C 12 Fatty acid residues and C 14 -C 30 Fatty acid residues, wherein: the C6-C 12 The fatty acid residue is derived from one or more of the following: hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, dodecanoic acid (or lauric acid), etc., preferably hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, decanoic acid and lauric acid; and / or the C 14 -C 30The fatty acid residue is derived from one or more of the following: myristic acid, palmitic acid, heptadecanoic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, nonadecanoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, heneicosanoic acid, docosatetraenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, tricosanoic acid, tetracosenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, hexacosahexanoic acid, arachidonic acid, etc., preferably myristic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.

[0027] In some embodiments, the C6-C 12 Fatty acid residues on the C 14 -C 30 The weight ratio of fatty acid residues is 0.124 to 2.000. As an example, the C6-C 12 Fatty acid residues on the C 14 -C 30 The weight ratio of the fatty acid residues may be 0.124, 0.125, 0.130, 0.140, 0.150, 0.160, 0.170, 0.180, 0.190, 0.200, 0.300, 0.400, 0.500, 0.600, 0.700, 0.800, 0.900, 1.000, 1.100, 1.200, 1.300, 1.400, 1.500, 1.600, 1.700, 1.800, 1.900, 2.000, or within the range defined by any two thereof.

[0028] In some embodiments, in the nutritional composition defined herein, the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the nervonic acid is 1: 1 to 550: 1. When the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the nervonic acid is within the above range, the synergistic effect of nervonic acid and medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride in improving vision, especially relieving visual fatigue (e.g., anti-blue light) is more significant. As an example, the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the nervonic acid may be 1: 1, 1.1: 1, 1.2: 1, 1.3: 1, 1.4: 1, 1.5: 1, 1.6: 1, 1.7: 1, 1.8: 1, 1.9: 1, 2: 1, 2.1: 1, 2.2: 1, 2.3: 1, 2.4: 1, 2.5: 1, 3: 1, 4: 1, 5: 1, 6: 1 , 7:1, 8:1, 9:1, 10:1, 11:1, 12:1, 13:1, 14:1, 15:1, 20:1, 25:1, 30:1, 35:1, 40:1, 45:1, 50:1, 55:1, 60:1, 65:1, 70:1, 75:1, 76:1, 78:1, 80:1, 90:1, 100:1, 120:1, 13 0:1、140:1、150:1、160:1、170:1、180:1、190:1、200:1、210:1、220:1、230:1、240:1、250:1、260:1、270:1、280:1、290:1、300:1、310:1、320:1、330:1、340:1、350:1、 360:1, 370:1, 380:1, 390:1, 400:1, 410:1, 420:1, 430:1, 440:1, 450:1, 460:1, 470:1, 480:1, 490:1, 500:1, 510:1, 520:1, 530:1, 540:1, 550:1, or the range defined by any two of them. Preferably, the weight ratio of the medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the nervonic acid is 1:1 to 350:1; when the weight ratio of the medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the nervonic acid is within this range, the synergistic effect of nervonic acid and medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglyceride in improving vision, especially relieving visual fatigue (e.g., anti-blue light) is more obvious. More preferably, the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides to the neuraminic acid is 2:1 to 200:1; when the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides to the neuraminic acid is within this range, the synergistic effect of neuraminic acid and medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides in relieving visual fatigue (such as anti-blue light) and preventing myopia is more significant.More preferably, the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides to the neuraminic acid is 2:1 to 80:1; when the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides to the neuraminic acid is within this range, the synergistic effect of neuraminic acid and medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides in relieving visual fatigue (such as anti-blue light) and preventing myopia is more obvious.

[0029] In some embodiments, alleviating eyestrain comprises mitigating blue light.

[0030] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition defined herein may consist of medium and long chain fatty acid triglycerides and nervonic acid.

[0031] In some embodiments, the present invention relates to the use of the nutritional composition defined herein for preparing a food for the non-therapeutic purpose of alleviating visual fatigue or combating blue light.

[0032] As an example, the food can be selected from dairy products, candies, beverages, bread and biscuits, for example, the food can be selected from milk powder or fermented food. In some embodiments, the milk powder is infant formula milk powder.

[0033] In some embodiments, based on the dry weight of the food, the content of neuraminic acid may be 0.001% to 1.5%, for example, 0.001% to 1%, and the content of medium and long chain fatty acid triglycerides may be calculated according to the ratio of the two. As an example, based on the weight of the food, the content of neuraminic acid may be 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.008, 0.010, 0.015, 0.020, 0.030, 0.040, 0.050, 0.052, 0.060, 0.070, 0.080, 0.090, 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.70, 0.80, 0.90, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 weight %, or within the range defined by any two of them.

[0034] In some embodiments, based on the dry basis weight of the food, the content of medium and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides can be 0.1% to 30.0%. As an example, based on the weight of the food, the content of medium and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides can be 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0, 14.0, 15.0, 16.0, 17.0, 18.0, 19.0, 20.0, 21.0, 22.0, 23.0, 24.0, 25.0, 26.0, 27.0, 28.0, 29.0, 30.0 weight %, or within the range defined by any two of them.

[0035] In addition, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that, in addition to the nutritional composition of the first aspect of the present invention, the food further comprises one or more selected from the following: raw cow's milk, desalted whey powder, concentrated whey protein, lactose, edible vegetable blending oil, oligofructose, oligogalactose, nucleotides, choline, vitamins, minerals, DHA and taurine.

[0036] For example, when the food is milk powder, in addition to the nutritional composition described in the first aspect of the present invention, the milk powder may also include proteins such as α-lactalbumin and milk fat globule membrane protein; carbohydrates such as lactose; lipids; minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, etc.; vitamins; other additives such as whey powder, choline bitartrate, docosahexaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, walnut oil, etc.

[0037] The food can be produced by a preparation method commonly used in the art, which will not be described in detail here.

[0038] In a first embodiment, the improved vision may include alleviating visual fatigue, such as anti-blue light, and optionally further includes preventing myopia. As previously mentioned, when the weight ratio of the medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides to the nervonic acid is within a defined range, the synergistic effect of the two in alleviating visual fatigue, such as anti-blue light, is more significant.

[0039] In some embodiments of the first embodiment, the nutritional composition is for oral use by humans, and its dosage is such that the dosage of the neuraminic acid can be 2-300 mg / day, preferably 7-300 mg / day (for example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300 mg / day, or a range limited by any two of them), and the dosage of medium and long chain fatty acid triglycerides can be calculated based on the ratio of the two.

[0040] In some embodiments of the first embodiment, the nutritional composition is for oral administration to humans, and the dosage thereof is such that the dosage of the medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides is, for example, 0.1-30.0 g / day (e.g., 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0, 14.0, 15.0, 16.0, 17.0, 18.0, 19.0, 20.0, 21.0, 22.0, 23.0, 24.0, 25.0, 26.0, 27.0, 28.0, 29.0, 30.0 g / day, or a range defined by any two of them).

[0041] In a second embodiment, the improving vision may include preventing myopia, and wherein the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the nervonic acid may be 2: 1 to 200: 1. When the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the nervonic acid is within the above range, there is a significant synergistic effect between nervonic acid and the medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride in preventing myopia.

[0042] In some embodiments of the second embodiment, the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the nervonic acid can be 2: 1 to 80: 1. When the weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the nervonic acid is within this range, the synergistic effect of nervonic acid and medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride in preventing myopia is more obvious.

[0043] In some embodiments of the second embodiment, the nutritional composition is for oral use by humans, and its dosage is such that the dosage of the neuraminic acid is 2-300 mg / day, preferably 7-300 mg / day (for example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300 mg / day, or a range limited by any two of them), and the dosage of medium and long chain fatty acid triglycerides can be calculated based on the ratio of the two.

[0044] In some embodiments of the second embodiment, the nutritional composition is for oral administration to humans, and the dosage thereof is such that the dosage of the medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides is, for example, 0.1-30.0 g / day (e.g., 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0, 14.0, 15.0, 16.0, 17.0, 18.0, 19.0, 20.0, 21.0, 22.0, 23.0, 24.0, 25.0, 26.0, 27.0, 28.0, 29.0, 30.0 g / day, or a range bounded by any two of them).

[0045] In some embodiments, the improving vision is improving the vision of infants and / or children.

[0046] Furthermore, the present invention also relates to the use of a nutritional composition as defined herein for the preparation of a medicament for improving vision.

[0047] The present invention has no particular requirements for the dosage form of the drug, and commonly used dosage forms in the art may be used. For example, the drug of the present invention may be a solid preparation, such as a powder, granules, tablets, capsules, pellets, or pills; a semisolid preparation, such as an ointment, cream, eye ointment, or gel; or a liquid preparation, such as a liquid preparation for oral administration, such as a syrup, mixture, suspension, or emulsion.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, depending on the dosage form and application scenario, the drug may further include various pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. Furthermore, the drug of the present invention may be prepared by methods commonly used in the art, which will not be described in detail herein.

[0049] Example

[0050] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0051] The sources and specifications of the raw materials used in the following examples are as follows: medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides: medium-chain fatty acid edible oil produced by Qingdao Haizhiyuan Life Science Technology Co., Ltd. (production batch number Y1505-22120101) was used, wherein the purity of medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides was 69±10% by weight; neuraminic acid: purchased from Fuheng Biotechnology (production batch number FH20240120), the purity of neuraminic acid was 90±5% by weight; AB strain zebrafish: provided by the fish breeding center of Hangzhou Huante Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; coenzyme Q10: purchased from Shanghai Aladdin Biochemical Technology Co., Ltd. (production batch number K2211223); lumican-MO: purchased from Beijing Sizhengbai Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (production batch number 7-19Mar24A); zebrafish standard gene fragment: purchased from Beijing Sizhengbai Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (production batch number 31-10Jan24A-6-T); atropine sulfate monohydrate ( monohydrate): purchased from Shanghai Aladdin Biochemical Technology Co., Ltd. (production batch number I2111034); standard dilution water: prepared by Hangzhou Huante Biotechnology Co., Ltd., its main components are: 294.0 mg / L calcium chloride dihydrate ( ), 123.3 mg / L magnesium sulfate heptahydrate ( ), 63.0 mg / L sodium bicarbonate ( ), 5.5 mg / L potassium chloride (KCl); calcium chloride dihydrate and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate: purchased from Shanghai MacLean Biochemical Technology Co., Ltd.; sodium bicarbonate: purchased from Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.; and potassium chloride: purchased from Shanghai Aladdin Biochemical Technology Co., Ltd.

[0052] In the following examples, AB strain zebrafish were used for animal experiments.

[0053] 1. Anti-blue light experiment

[0054] 1.1 Use of medium-chain triglycerides or neuraminic acid alone

[0055] Wild-type AB strain zebrafish, 1 day post-fertilization (dpf), were randomly selected. After hatching, a subset of the larvae were exposed to blue light using a 50W, 450nm blue light meter (China) for 7 hours daily for 4 consecutive days, causing eye damage in the zebrafish larvae. This was to establish a zebrafish blue light eye injury model. Subsequently, well-developed model zebrafish at 3 days post-fertilization (dpf) were selected as the model control group and experimental group zebrafish. Furthermore, well-developed zebrafish at 3 days post-fertilization (dpf) were selected from zebrafish that had not been exposed to blue light and served as the normal control group.

[0056] The zebrafish in the model control group, normal control group and experimental group were randomly distributed in 6-well plates, with 30 zebrafish in each well. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 Zebrafish were fed a single dose of medium-chain triglycerides and neuraminic acid (MCTA) as listed in the table. Model and normal control groups were not fed any MCTA or neuraminic acid. For the positive control group, the model control group was fed 62.5 μg / mL of coenzyme Q10. The culture medium was not changed during the entire experiment.

[0057] After being kept at 28 ℃ for 1 day, each group of zebrafish was subjected to AO (acridine orange) dark staining for 30 minutes. Then, the stained zebrafish were washed 3 times with standard dilution water. 10 zebrafish were randomly selected from each group and placed under an electric focus continuous zoom fluorescence microscope (AZ100, Nikon, Japan, magnification 160x) to take pictures. Afterwards, Image J software (Java1.8.0 172 (64-bit)) was used to analyze the photos taken and collect the fluorescence intensity (pixel) of apoptotic cells in the zebrafish eye. SPSS 26.0 software was used to perform statistical analysis on the collected fluorescence intensity data. The statistical analysis results were expressed in the form of mean ± standard error (SE), where p < 0.05 indicated that the difference was statistically significant.

[0058] Figure 1 The photographs show the fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eyes of zebrafish in the normal control group, the model control group, the positive control group using coenzyme Q10, and the experimental groups using medium-chain triglycerides (MLCT) or neuraminic acid alone; Figure 2 The fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eyes of zebrafish in the normal control group, model control group, positive control group using coenzyme Q10, and experimental groups using medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides or neuraminic acid alone, as well as the statistical analysis results compared with the model control group, are presented.

[0059] Combine Figure 1and Figure 2 As can be seen, the fluorescence intensity of the model control group increased significantly compared to the normal control group, indicating that blue light exposure caused damage to the zebrafish eyes, that is, the model was successfully established. In addition, the fluorescence intensity of the experimental groups fed with medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides or neuraminic acid was weaker than that of the model control group, indicating that after feeding medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides or neuraminic acid, the damage to the zebrafish eyes caused by blue light was alleviated.

[0060] In addition, from Figure 1 and Figure 2 It can also be seen that as the feeding amount of medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides increased from 86 μg / mL to 345 μg / mL, the measured fluorescence intensity gradually weakened, indicating that the anti-blue light improvement effect gradually increased, and when the feeding amount of medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides continued to increase from 345 μg / mL to 690 μg / mL, the fluorescence intensity hardly changed. This indicates that after the feeding amount of medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides reached 345 μg / mL, the anti-blue light improvement effect reached a plateau. Similarly, as the feeding amount of neuraminic acid increased from 113 μg / mL to 225 μg / mL, the anti-blue light improvement effect gradually increased, and when the feeding amount continued to increase, the anti-blue light improvement effect hardly changed.

[0061] 1.2 Combination use of medium-chain triglycerides and neuraminic acid

[0062] MLCT and NA were combined in various ratios as shown in Table 1 below to prepare different nutritional compositions 1 to 8.

[0063] The experimental group zebrafish (different experimental groups were fed different types and / or amounts of food, but the others were the same), normal control group zebrafish, model control group zebrafish, and positive control group zebrafish were prepared as described in Section 1.1, except that during the feeding phase, the corresponding nutritional composition was fed according to the total nutrient concentration and ratio in Table 1.

[0064] Figure 3 Photos of the fluorescence intensity of zebrafish in the normal control group, model control group, positive control group, and experimental groups (including Examples 1 to 8) are presented, and the experimental results are summarized in Table 1.

[0065] Table 1 Anti-blue light test results of nutritional composition

[0066] Note: a The total concentration of the composition in Table 1 is the total concentration of pure medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides and pure nervonic acid; b The p value is the result of the significant difference analysis between each experimental group and the model control group.

[0067] Combined with Table 1 and Figure 3It can be seen that compared with the model control group, the fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eyes of the zebrafish in Examples 1 to 8 was significantly reduced, indicating that feeding medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides (MLCT) and neuraminic acid has the effect of improving the zebrafish's eye resistance to blue light damage. In addition, by comparing the fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eyes of Examples 1 to 8 with that of MLCT (345 μg / mL) and neuraminic acid (225 μg / mL) fed alone, it can be seen that when MLCT and neuraminic acid are fed simultaneously, even if the total amount of both is reduced, the fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eyes is still significantly reduced compared to the case of MLCT (345 μg / mL) and neuraminic acid (225 μg / mL) fed alone. This indicates that there is a synergistic effect between medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides and neuraminic acid in improving the zebrafish's eye resistance to blue light damage and therefore in alleviating visual fatigue (blue light easily causes visual fatigue).

[0068] Furthermore, it can be seen from Examples 1 to 8 that: relative to Example 8 in which the weight ratio of medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides to neuraminic acid is 510.3:1 and the dosage is higher, Examples 1 to 7 in which the weight ratio of medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides to neuraminic acid (MLCT / NA) is 1.4:1 to 305.9:1 achieve lower fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eye, indicating that the synergistic effect in improving resistance to blue light damage is further enhanced; Examples 2 to 7 in which the weight ratio of MLCT / NA is 2.3:1 to 305.9:1 have reduced fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eye relative to other Examples (Example 1 and Example 8) outside this ratio range, indicating that The synergistic effect in improving resistance to blue light damage is further enhanced; the fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eyes of Examples 2 to 6 with an MLCT / NA weight ratio of 2.3:1 to 152.6:1 is reduced compared with other Examples (Example 1, Example 7 and Example 8) outside this ratio range, indicating that the synergistic effect in improving resistance to blue light damage is further enhanced; the fluorescence intensity of apoptotic cells in the eyes of Examples 2 to 5 with an MLCT / NA weight ratio of 2.3:1 to 75.9:1 is further reduced compared with other Examples (Example 1, and Example 6 to Example 8) outside this ratio range, indicating that the synergistic effect in improving resistance to blue light damage is further enhanced.

[0069] 2. Myopia prevention experiment

[0070] 2.1 Use of medium-chain triglycerides or neuraminic acid alone

[0071] Wild-type AB strain zebrafish at the one-cell stage (0-15 minutes after fertilization) were randomly selected and distributed in 6-well plates for experiments. The capacity of each well was 3 mL, and there were 30 zebrafish in each well. Some zebrafish were selected as normal control groups; another part of zebrafish was selected and injected with 2 nL (nanoliter) / tail of lumican-MO (zebrafish lumican gene fragment) to impair the vision of the zebrafish in order to establish a zebrafish myopia model; another part of zebrafish was selected and subjected to the same treatment process as the model group, with a one-time injection of 2 nL / tail of zebrafish standard gene fragment (i.e., normal gene fragment, which does not affect the vision of zebrafish) as the MO standard control group. This group was compared with the normal control group to determine that the myopia model was due to visual impairment induced by the inhibition of lumican gene expression. Then, for each experimental group, medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides (MLCT) and neuraminic acid were adjusted according to the concentrations of MLCT and neuraminic acid. Figure 4 、 Figure 5 Model zebrafish were fed the amounts listed in [ ]. The model control, MO standard control, and normal control groups were not fed any medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides or neuraminic acid. The positive control group was fed a single dose of 2500 μg / mL atropine sulfate monohydrate. The culture medium was not changed during the entire experiment.

[0072] After feeding, the animals were kept at 28°C for 3 days. Then, 10 zebrafish were randomly selected from each group and photographed under a dissecting microscope (SZX7, OLYMPUS, Japan, magnification 80x). Afterwards, the photographs were analyzed using NIS-Elements D 3.20 software, and the zebrafish retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter (D) was collected. The statistical analysis results of this indicator were used to evaluate the sample's effectiveness in preventing myopia. SPSS 26.0 software was used to perform statistical analysis on the collected fluorescence intensity data, and the statistical analysis results were expressed as mean ± standard error, where p < 0.05 indicated that the difference was statistically significant.

[0073] Figure 4 The photographs show the retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter of zebrafish in the normal control group, model control group, MO standard control group, positive control group using atropine, and experimental groups using medium-chain triglycerides (MLCT) or neuraminic acid alone; Figure 5 The retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter of zebrafish in the normal control group, model control group, MO standard control group, positive control group using atropine, and experimental groups using medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides or neuraminic acid alone, as well as the statistical analysis results compared with the model control group, are presented.

[0074] Combine Figure 4 and Figure 5It can be seen that compared with the normal control group, the retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter of the model control group decreased significantly, indicating that feeding lumican-MO caused a decrease in the vision of zebrafish, that is, the modeling was successful.

[0075] In addition, compared with the model control group, the retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter of the experimental group fed with medium-chain triglycerides (MLCT) or neuraminic acid was larger, indicating that the vision of zebrafish was improved after feeding with medium-chain triglycerides or neuraminic acid.

[0076] In addition, from Figure 4 and Figure 5 It can also be seen that as the feeding amount of medium-chain triglycerides (MLCT) increased from 86 μg / mL to 345 μg / mL, the measured retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter gradually increased, indicating that the improvement effect on myopia gradually increased, and when the feeding amount of medium-chain triglycerides continued to increase from 345 μg / mL to 690 μg / mL, the change in retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter remained almost unchanged. This indicates that after the feeding amount of medium-chain triglycerides reached 345 μg / mL, the improvement effect on myopia reached a plateau. Similarly, as the feeding amount of neuraminic acid increased from 113 μg / mL to 225 μg / mL, the improvement effect on myopia gradually increased, and when the feeding amount continued to increase, the improvement effect on myopia remained almost unchanged.

[0077] 2.2 Combination of medium-chain triglycerides and neuraminic acid

[0078] Normal control group, MO standard control group, model control group, positive control group, and experimental group zebrafish were prepared as in Section 2.1, except for the following: During the feeding phase, MLCT and NA were fed according to the total nutrient concentrations and MLCT / NA ratios in Table 2.

[0079] Figure 6 Photos of the retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter of zebrafish in the normal control group, MO standard control group, model control group, positive control group, and experimental group are presented, and the experimental results are summarized in Table 2.

[0080] Table 2 Experimental results of the nutritional composition for preventing myopia

[0081] Note: a The total concentration of the composition in Table 1 is the total concentration of pure medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides and pure nervonic acid; b The p value is the result of the significant difference analysis between each group and the model control group.

[0082] Combined with Table 2 and Figure 6It can be seen that compared with the model control group, the retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter of the zebrafish in Examples 1 to 8 were significantly increased, which indicates that feeding medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides and neuraminic acid played a role in preventing myopia.

[0083] In addition, by comparing the retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter in Examples 2 to 6 with the cases of feeding MLCT (345 µg / mL) alone and feeding neuraminic acid (225 µg / mL) alone, it can be seen that when medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides and neuraminic acid are fed simultaneously in an appropriate weight ratio, even if the total amount of the two is reduced, the retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter is still significantly increased relative to the cases of feeding MLCT (345 µg / mL) alone and feeding neuraminic acid (225 µg / mL) alone, which indicates that there is a synergistic effect between medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides and neuraminic acid in preventing myopia.

[0084] Furthermore, Examples 2 to 5, in which the MLCT / NA weight ratio was 2.3:1 to 75.9:1, had a significantly increased retinal pigment epithelium diameter / sclera diameter relative to other Examples (Example 1, and Examples 6 to 8) outside this ratio range, indicating that the synergistic effect in preventing vision was further enhanced.

[0085] The above description is only an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, improvements can be made to the present invention without departing from the inventive concept of the present invention, and these improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. Use of a nutritional composition for preparing a product for improving vision, characterized in that The nutritional composition comprises: medium- and long-chain fatty acid triglycerides; and Neuroacid, It is characterized in that the weight ratio of the medium and long chain fatty acid triglycerides to the neuraminic acid is 1:1 to 350:

1.

2. The use according to claim 1, characterized in that The weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the neuraminic acid is 2:1 to 200:

1.

3. The use according to claim 1, characterized in that The weight ratio of the medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride to the neuraminic acid is 2:1 to 80:

1.

4. The use according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The improving vision includes alleviating visual fatigue and / or improving myopia.

5. The use according to claim 4, characterized in that The relief of visual fatigue includes anti-blue light.

6. Use of the nutritional composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 for preparing food for non-therapeutic purposes of alleviating visual fatigue or resisting blue light.

7. The use according to claim 6, characterized in that The food is selected from dairy products, candies, beverages, bread and biscuits.

8. The use according to claim 6, characterized in that The food is milk powder or fermented food.

9. The use according to claim 8, characterized in that The milk powder is infant formula milk powder.

10. The use according to claim 6, characterized in that The food further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of raw cow's milk, demineralized whey powder, concentrated whey protein, lactose, edible vegetable blending oil, oligofructose, oligogalactose, nucleotides, choline, vitamins, minerals, docosahexaenoic acid and taurine.

11. The use according to claim 6, characterized in that The food is a health food.

12. Use of the nutritional composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in the preparation of a medicament for improving vision.

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