Nutritional composition for improving iron absorption and application thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a nutritional composition for improving iron absorption and application thereof. Specifically, the nutritional composition comprises red ginseng or a red ginseng extract, and also comprises an iron enhancer. The nutritional composition disclosed by the invention can improve absorption and utilization of iron by a human body and prevent occurrence of anemia.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of nutritional compositions, and in particular relates to a nutritional composition for improving iron absorption and an application thereof. Background Art

[0002] Good nutritional status is the material basis for maintaining human physiological functions and physical health, and is also the basic guarantee for the normal functioning of the human immune system.

[0003] Iron is a vital nutrient for many cells, activating numerous enzymes. Iron deficiency reduces ribonuclease activity and protein synthesis in the liver, spleen, and thymus, leading to various immune dysfunctions, such as atrophy of lymphoid tissue, decreased thymic lymphocytes and peripheral blood T cells, and suppressed lymphocyte proliferation, PFC production, and macrophage and NK cell function. Experimental studies have shown that iron deficiency reduces bone marrow differentiation factors such as colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) and IL-3. Furthermore, IL-1, IL-2, and IFN secretion also decreases, impairing immune cell differentiation and maturation, and the overall immune response. Iron deficiency also weakens the DCH response to PPD and candida albicans, and lymphocytes' in vitro antigen responses are also reduced. Skin test responses improve after iron treatment, but remain below normal; lymphocytes' in vitro antigen responses remain low. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor is suppressed in iron deficiency, but improves with treatment. Iron deficiency can interfere with the function of intracellular iron-containing metalloenzymes. Reduced activity of iron-containing ribonucleotide reductase can reduce the synthesis of peroxides by phagocytes, thereby affecting the bactericidal ability of these cells. Iron deficiency can cause iron-deficiency anemia, which is also closely related to low immunity.

[0004] A well-nourished adult contains approximately 3-5 grams of iron. Nearly 60% of this iron is bound to hemoglobin, and 10% is bound to muscle myoglobin. The remainder is stored in hepatocytes and reticuloendothelial macrophages. There is currently no known mechanism for the excretion of iron from the body. Approximately 1-2 mg of iron is lost daily through sweat, blood loss, and shedding and exfoliation of intestinal epithelial cells. To compensate for this loss, the body absorbs approximately 1-2 mg of dietary iron daily, but hemoglobin synthesis alone requires 20-25 mg of iron daily. To support hemoglobin synthesis and other metabolic processes, iron must be recycled and strictly regulated in the body. Iron is essential for the survival of virtually all organisms, and abnormal iron metabolism and insufficient intake are associated with a variety of diseases, such as iron-deficiency anemia.

[0005] Due to low absorption rate, conventional inorganic iron supplementation often has little effect, and more effective combinations are needed to improve the body's iron absorption and reduce the risk of related diseases.

[0006] Anemia can be categorized into several types, including nutritional anemia, aplastic anemia, and thalassemia, with nutritional anemia being the most common. Nutritional anemia is caused by malnutrition, leading to deficiencies in nutrients involved in hemoglobin and red blood cell formation, including iron, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin C, protein, and copper. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA), caused by iron deficiency, is the most common. Iron deficiency depletes the body's iron stores, reducing hemoglobin synthesis and, in turn, impairing red blood cell production. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the incidence of IDA exceeds 50% in children and pregnant women, the primary anemia-prone groups. Many factors influence iron absorption. Dietary iron is primarily absorbed in the duodenum and upper jejunum, with smaller amounts also absorbed in the stomach and the rest of the small intestine. Dietary iron is categorized as heme iron and non-heme iron, which are absorbed differently. The absorption rate of heme iron by intestinal epithelial cells is much higher than that of non-heme iron. The absorption rate of dietary iron varies greatly and is closely related to the body's iron nutritional status, physiological and pathological changes, the iron content and form in the diet, and food components in the diet that affect iron absorption.

[0007] Iron fortifiers such as ferrous sulfate are common food additives and are also commonly used in the clinical treatment of anemia. However, the low absorption rate of iron fortifiers such as ferrous sulfate has long been a key factor affecting their effectiveness. Research by Chinese scholars shows that the absorption rate of ferrous sulfate is approximately 5%. Many researchers and companies are using various methods to improve the absorption and utilization of iron fortifiers such as ferrous sulfate to achieve the goals of maintaining health, preventing, and / or treating diseases. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention finds that a nutritional composition of red ginseng and a relatively low dose of ferrous sulfate can improve the body's absorption and utilization of iron, increase hemoglobin and serum iron, and is beneficial for preventing anemia.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention provides a nutritional composition, wherein the nutritional composition contains red ginseng or a red ginseng extract and an iron fortifier. In the nutritional composition, the added amount of the iron fortifier is 1-200 mg / 100 g, and the added amount of red ginseng is 10 mg-18 g / 100 g or 10 mg-18 g of an extract made from red ginseng.

[0010] In some embodiments, the mass ratio of the red ginseng to the iron fortifier is (10-1800):(1-8), and the mass ratio of the red ginseng extract to the iron fortifier is (1-500):(1-8).

[0011] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the red ginseng extract is an extract obtained by using red ginseng as raw material through a water extraction process.

[0012] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the red ginseng extract contains red ginseng polysaccharides and / or red ginseng oligosaccharides.

[0013] In the present invention, the ginseng used to make the red ginseng extract can be ginseng from Asia or America, including wild ginseng, forest ginseng, garden ginseng (artificially cultivated ginseng), and other different sources. The daily consumption of red ginseng is no more than 9g dry weight or an equivalent amount of red ginseng extract.

[0014] In the present invention, the active ingredients of the red ginseng extract are as follows:

[0015] The total amount of soluble polysaccharides and / or soluble oligosaccharides accounts for 0.1%-25% of the extract;

[0016] Total ginsenosides account for 0.1mg / g-300mg / g or 0.01%-0.3% of the extract;

[0017] Ginsenoside Rg1 accounts for 0.13 mg / g-60 mg / g or 0.0013%-0.06% of the extract.

[0018] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the mass ratio of the red ginseng extract to the iron fortifier is 300:9.5.

[0019] In the present invention, "nutritional composition" can be a liquid, powder, gel, paste, solid, concentrate, suspension or enteral formula, oral formula, infant formula, pediatric subject formula, children's formula, growing-up milk and / or adult nutritional composition in ready-to-use form.

[0020] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the iron fortifier is ferrous sulfate.

[0021] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the nutritional composition further comprises vitamins, minerals, and extracts of medicinal and edible plants.

[0022] In the present invention, the medicinal and edible plants include one or more of longan, wolfberry, red dates, Poria, Codonopsis pilosula, Cistanche deserticola, Dendrobium officinale, American ginseng, Astragalus, Ganoderma lucidum, Sophora japonica seeds, Angelica dahurica, red bean, mulberry leaf, lotus leaf, Perilla frutescens, Pueraria root, ginseng, honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, Sophora japonica flower, rose, and saffron.

[0023] In addition, the present invention also provides a food, wherein the food comprises the above-mentioned nutritional composition.

[0024] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, in the food, the added amount of the iron fortifier is 1-200 mg / 100 g, the added amount of red ginseng is 10 mg-18 g / 100 g or 10 mg-18 g of an extract made from red ginseng.

[0025] In some embodiments, the amount of red ginseng added per 100 g of the food is 0.1-17 g, 0.1-16 g, 0.1-15 g, 0.1-14 g, 0.1-13 g, 0.1-12 g, 0.1-11 g, 0.1-10 g, 0.1-9 g, 0.1-8 g, 0.1-7 g, 0.1-6 g, 0.1-5 g, 0.1-4 g, 0.1-3 g, 0.1-2 g, 0.1-1 g, 0.1-0.9 g, 0.1-0.8 g, 0.1-0.7 g, 0.1-0.6 g, 0.1-0.5 g, 0.1-0.4 g, 0.1-0.3 g, or 0.1-0.2 g.

[0026] In some embodiments, the amount of the red ginseng extract added per 100g of the food is 10mg-4g, 10mg-3g, 10mg-2g, 10mg-1g, 10mg-900mg, 10mg-800mg, 10mg-700mg, 10mg-600mg, 10mg-500mg, 10mg-400mg, 10mg-300mg, 10mg-200mg, 10mg-100mg, 10mg-90mg, 10mg-80mg, 10mg-70mg 10mg-60mg, 10mg-50mg, 10mg-40mg, 10mg-30mg or 10mg-20mg.

[0027] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the food includes beverages and dairy products.

[0028] In addition, the present invention also provides use of the aforementioned nutritional composition or the aforementioned food in preparing a product for improving the absorption and utilization of iron by the human body.

[0029] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the product includes food.

[0030] As an embodiment, the food includes beverages and dairy products.

[0031] As an embodiment, the food includes food formulated for special medical purposes.

[0032] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the iron is divalent iron.

[0033] Beneficial effects:

[0034] The present invention provides a nutritional composition, which specifically comprises red ginseng extract and an iron enhancer, which can improve the body's absorption and utilization of iron, maintain immune health, and prevent the occurrence of anemia. The present invention provides a nutritional composition, which can improve the body's absorption and utilization of iron, maintain immune health, enhance the body's anti-fatigue ability, and improve the quality of life.

[0035] Oral administration of the nutritional composition of the present invention improves the iron metabolism of the subjects. Specifically:

[0036] 1. The serum iron index in the body increases.

[0037] 2. After drinking the nutritional composition of the present invention, the average hemoglobin concentration increased, and the effect became gradually obvious after taking the product for half a month. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Before further describing the specific embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below; it should also be understood that the terms used in the examples of the present invention are for describing specific embodiments rather than for limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] When the embodiments provide numerical ranges, it should be understood that, unless otherwise specified in the present invention, both endpoints of each numerical range and any numerical value between the two endpoints may be selected. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art. In addition to the specific methods, equipment, and materials used in the embodiments, according to the understanding of the prior art by those skilled in the art and the description of the present invention, any methods, equipment, and materials of the prior art similar or equivalent to the methods, equipment, and materials described in the embodiments of the present invention may also be used to implement the present invention.

[0040] Unless otherwise stated, the experimental methods, detection methods, and preparation methods disclosed in the present invention all adopt conventional techniques in this technical field.

[0041] Example

[0042] (1) Materials and methods

[0043] 1 subject

[0044] Inclusion criteria:

[0045] 1) Meet the diagnostic criteria of Qi and blood deficiency in Traditional Chinese Medicine (such as sallow or pale complexion, fatigue, laziness, dizziness, cold hands and feet, etc.);

[0046] 2) Females aged 25-45 years (at the start of the trial);

[0047] 3) BMI index less than 22.5; BMI = weight (kg) / height (m) 2 ;

[0048] 4) Hemoglobin (Hb) value range 85-135g / L; (You can refer to recent physical examination or test results for self-evaluation);

[0049] 5) Not allergic to commonly used cosmetics;

[0050] 6) Be able to read and understand all the contents of the informed consent form and voluntarily sign the informed consent form;

[0051] 7) During the trial period, the applicant agrees not to consume any other cosmetics, medicines, or health products that may affect the results;

[0052] 8) Not participated in other clinical studies in the past three months;

[0053] 9) During the study, other diet and skin care habits remained unchanged;

[0054] 10) No pregnancy preparation or intention during the study period;

[0055] Exclusion criteria:

[0056] 1) Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or those who are planning to get pregnant in the near future;

[0057] 2) Those with a history of skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, atopic dermatitis, severe acne, or other chronic systemic diseases;

[0058] 3) Those who have taken oral or topical corticosteroids or other anti-inflammatory drugs in the past month;

[0059] 4) Consuming any samples or drugs that affect skin color (such as hydroquinone preparations) such as fruit acid and salicylic acid in the past two months;

[0060] 5) The test area has consumed tretinoin preparations or undergone chemical peels, lasers, pulsed light, or other medical aesthetic treatments within the past three months;

[0061] 6) Participated in other clinical trials in the past two months;

[0062] 7) Other patients deemed unsuitable for trial participation by clinical assessment.

[0063] 2. Test samples and drinking methods

[0064] 1) Test sample

[0065] The test sample was iron-fortified red ginseng milk powder. This milk powder was supplemented with red ginseng extract and ferrous sulfate. The red ginseng extract was commercially available, extracted from red ginseng via a water extraction process. The amounts of red ginseng extract and ferrous sulfate added to the milk powder were: 300 mg / 100 g red ginseng extract and 9.5 mg / 100 g ferrous sulfate.

[0066] In the present invention, the active ingredients of the red ginseng extract are as follows:

[0067] The total amount of soluble polysaccharides and / or soluble oligosaccharides accounts for 0.1%-25% of the extract;

[0068] Total ginsenosides account for 0.1mg / g-300mg / g or 0.01%-0.3% of the extract;

[0069] Ginsenoside Rg1 accounts for 0.13 mg / g-60 mg / g or 0.0013%-0.06% of the extract.

[0070] 2) Drinking frequency

[0071] Drink it for a total of 56 days, twice a day, 25 grams each time, and take 50 grams per day.

[0072] 3 Test methods

[0073] 3.1 Screening

[0074] After all subjects signed the informed consent form during the first visit, they were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Only those who met the criteria were allowed to enter the formal trial.

[0075] 3.2 Formal test

[0076] The day of the formal trial was considered enrollment, and qualified subjects arrived at the visit center for blood tests. A return visit two weeks later was considered Day 0, and another return visit was conducted for blood tests. The test samples were then taken, and the same tests were repeated two weeks later, counting as Day 14, four weeks later, and 56 days later.

[0077] 3.3 Detection method

[0078] Serum iron: ferrozine method

[0079] Hemoglobin concentration, mean hemoglobin concentration, mean hemoglobin content: fully automatic blood cell analyzer test method

[0080] 3.4 Testing indicators and instruments

[0081] The detection indicators and instruments are shown in Table 1.

[0082] Table 1

[0083]

[0084] 4 Statistical methods:

[0085] The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS Statistics 27.0. Measurement data were tested for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk / Kolmogorov-Smirnov method. Normally distributed data were described using mean and standard deviation, with paired t-tests. Otherwise, percentiles were used, with the rank-sum test. Rank-sum data were analyzed using the rank-sum test. The significance level was α = 0.05.

[0086] (2) Test results

[0087] 1 subject

[0088] Sixty subjects were enrolled in this trial, of whom one withdrew due to abnormal liver function and one due to abnormal hemoglobin levels; three withdrew midway due to lactose intolerance and physical intolerance; two withdrew midway due to incomplete data acquisition during the test; and three withdrew midway due to inability to adhere to the visit schedule. Ultimately, 50 subjects completed the clinical study. The statistical analysis in this report is based on the 50 subjects who completed enrollment - 56 days. The subjects ranged in age from 25 to 45 years, with a mean age of 36.45 ± 6.45 years.

[0089] 2Test results

[0090] 2.1 The median values of serum iron at the four times (P25, P75) were 16.60 (12.55, 22.50), 16.10 (10.05, 20.85), 16.30 (13.20, 21.90), and 18.20 (12.60, 21.55), respectively, indicating an increasing trend in serum iron after taking the product. The values were subjected to a nonparametric Kruskal-Walish test, with Z = 1.198 and P > 0.05, showing no statistical significance. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0091] Table 2 Serum iron-related test values P50 (P25, P75) at different time points, unit: μmol / L

[0092]

[0093] 2.2 Hemoglobin

[0094] The hemoglobin-related test values at different time points are shown in Table 3.

[0095] Table 3 Hemoglobin-related test values P50 (P25, P75) at different time points

[0096]

[0097]

[0098] Comparing the P50 (P25, P75) scores for each individual component revealed an increasing trend in hemoglobin concentration after taking the product. A nonparametric Kruskal-Walish test revealed a Z = 16.79, P < 0.05, indicating statistically significant differences. Pairwise comparisons between the 0-28 days and the 0-56 days showed statistically significant differences, with P < 0.05.

[0099] Comparing the P50 (P25, P75) scores for each item revealed an increasing trend in the average hemoglobin level after taking the product. A nonparametric Kruskal-Walish test revealed a Z=6.51, P>0.05, indicating no statistically significant difference.

[0100] Comparing the P50 (P25, P75) scores for each individual component revealed an increasing trend in average hemoglobin concentration after product use. A nonparametric Kruskal-Walish test revealed a Z = 41.49, P < 0.05, indicating statistically significant differences. Pairwise comparisons between the 0-28 days and the 0-56 days showed statistically significant differences, with P < 0.05.

[0101] The above description of the embodiments is intended to facilitate understanding and use of the invention by those skilled in the art. It will be apparent that those skilled in the art can readily make various modifications to these embodiments and apply the general principles described herein to other embodiments without requiring inventive effort. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention should be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A nutritional composition, wherein The nutritional composition contains red ginseng or red ginseng extract and an iron fortifier. In the nutritional composition, the added amount of the iron fortifier is 1-200 mg / 100 g, and the added amount of red ginseng is 10 mg-18 g / 100 g or 10 mg-18 g of red ginseng extract.

2. The nutritional composition according to claim 1, wherein The red ginseng extract contains soluble polysaccharides, soluble oligosaccharides and ginsenosides.

3. The nutritional composition according to claim 1, wherein The iron fortifier is ferrous sulfate.

4. The nutritional composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The nutritional composition also contains vitamins, minerals, and extracts of medicinal and edible plant species.

5. A food, wherein The food comprises the nutritional composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The food according to claim 5, wherein In the food, the added amount of the iron fortifier is 1-200 mg / 100 g, the added amount of red ginseng is 10 mg-18 g / 100 g, or the added amount of the extract made from red ginseng is 10 mg-18 g.

7. The food according to claim 5 or 6, wherein The food includes beverages and dairy products.

8. Use of the nutritional composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 or the food according to any one of claims 5 to 7 in the preparation of a product for improving the absorption and utilization of iron by the human body.

9. The use according to claim 8, wherein The product is a food.

10. The use according to claim 9, wherein The food includes beverages and dairy products.

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