Oral composition

Abstract

To provide an oral composition having high sound sleep effect.SOLUTION: An oral composition contains theanine, and at least one other component selected from pu-erh and jasmine.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to compositions for use in promoting sound sleep, and more particularly to oral compositions containing theanine and certain other ingredients. [Background technology]

[0002] In modern society, many people suffer from insomnia due to various factors such as changes in lifestyle and increased stress, which causes autonomic nerve disorders. Insomnia has various effects such as reduced concentration and work efficiency, fatigue and lethargy, physical disorders, and depression, so good quality, restful sleep is required from the perspective of social life and health.

[0003] As compositions for such sound sleep, for example, steam-distilled water of lavender (see Patent Document 1), a composition containing hastatoside (see Patent Document 2), and a composition containing verbenaline (see Patent Document 3) have been proposed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-104073 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2005-154311 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2005-154310 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a composition having a high effect of promoting good sleep. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of extensive research and studies into further improving the functionality of theanine, which has a sleep-inducing effect, the inventors discovered that an even better sleep effect can be achieved by combining theanine with specific ingredients, and thus completed the present invention.

[0007] That is, the present invention relates to an oral composition comprising theanine and at least one other ingredient selected from the group consisting of the following (a) and (b): (a) at least one plant material selected from barley, sweet potato, oat, rice, rooibos, pu-erh, jasmine, and terminalia; (b) at least one functional ingredient selected from lactic acid bacteria and fructooligosaccharides

[0008] The present invention also relates to a functional food composition for sound sleep, which contains theanine as an active ingredient and is blended with at least one other ingredient selected from the group consisting of (a) and (b) above.

[0009] The present invention relates to a functional food composition for promoting sound sleep, which contains theanine as an active ingredient and at least one other ingredient selected from the group consisting of (a) and (b) above.

[0010] The present invention relates to a functional food composition for sleep that suppresses the influx of Ca ions into nerve cells, characterized by containing theanine and at least one other ingredient selected from the group consisting of (a) and (b) above.

[0011] The present invention relates to a functional food composition for sleep that contains at least one other ingredient selected from the group consisting of (a) and (b) above, which promotes the inhibition of calcium ion influx into nerve cells by theanine.

[0012] The present invention relates to a functional food composition for sleep that contains theanine and at least one other ingredient selected from the group consisting of (a) and (b) above, and binds to glutamate receptors in nerve cells.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a functional food composition for good sleep containing at least one other ingredient selected from the group consisting of (a) and (b) above, which promotes the binding of theanine to glutamate receptors in nerve cells.

[0014] The present invention relates to a method for producing a functional food composition for sleep, which is characterized by incorporating at least one other ingredient selected from the group consisting of (a) and (b) above in an oral composition containing theanine. Effect of the Invention

[0015] The oral composition of the present invention can provide a high level of restful sleep by suppressing nervous excitation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the results of the intracellular Ca fluorescence intensity change ratio when the oral composition of the present invention (theanine + other ingredients) was applied to primary rat cerebral cortex-derived nerve cells. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The composition of the present invention is characterized by containing theanine and at least one component selected from the group consisting of the following (a) and (b) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as other component). The components (a) and (b) used together with theanine may be used alone (for example, only component (a)), or two or more may be used in combination. When two or more other components are used in combination, it is preferable to combine other components that have a high synergistic effect with theanine.

[0018] The oral composition of the present invention, by combining theanine with other ingredients, increases inhibitory neurotransmitters while suppressing the action of excitatory neurotransmitters, effectively suppressing nerve excitation and preventing excessive excitation, thereby providing a restful sleep and relaxation effect.

[0019] [Theanine] Theanine in the oral composition of the present invention is preferably L-theanine, and the production method thereof does not matter, such as those obtained by extraction from plants, those obtained by chemical synthesis, those obtained by fermentation, etc. Theanine is commercially available as a reagent, food additive, etc., and commercially available products can be used.

[0020] [Other ingredients] (a) Plant material In the oral composition of the present invention, it is preferable to use at least one plant material selected from barley, sweet potato, oat, rice, rooibos, pu-erh, jasmine, and terminalia together with theanine.

[0021] These plant materials may be any part of the plant, such as leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruits, trunks, branches, etc., and in addition to the plant itself, processed plant products such as dried products, crushed products, juice, extracts, etc. can be used. Examples of crushed products include powders and granules. The juice and extracts may be in liquid form, but can also be used in the form of a paste or dry powder. Extracts can be obtained by extraction using a suitable solvent, and examples of the solvent that can be used include water (warm water, hot water), ethanol, and aqueous ethanol. Commercially available plant materials may be used.

[0022] (barley) Barley is a plant of the genus Hordeum, family Poaceae, native to Central Asia, and two-rowed barley, six-rowed barley, etc. can be used. As the plant material of the present invention, stems and leaves are preferred, and young leaves are more preferred. Young leaf powder obtained by drying and finely pulverizing young leaves, and extracts from young leaves are particularly preferred.

[0023] (sweet potato) Sweet potato refers to a plant belonging to the Convolvulaceae family, and is generally called Satsuma Imo (sweet potato). There are no particular limitations on the variety of sweet potato, and examples thereof include Suio, Joy White, Koganesengan, Shiroyutaka, Satsuma Sachi, and Ayamurasaki. As the plant material of the present invention, stems and leaves are preferred, and young leaves are more preferred. Young leaf powder obtained by drying and finely pulverizing young leaves, and extracts from young leaves are particularly preferred.

[0024] (Oats) Oats are plants of the genus Avena, family Poaceae, native to Patagonia, Chile, and their scientific name is Avena sativa. As plant materials for the present invention, ears, stems, and leaves are preferred, and dried powders obtained by drying and finely pulverizing ears, stems, and leaves, and extracts from ears, stems, and leaves are more preferred.

[0025] (Rice) Rice is a plant of the genus Oryza in the family Poaceae. As the plant material of the present invention, rice (brown rice) is preferable, and rice milk produced from rice is particularly preferable. The type of rice is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include japonica and indica.

[0026] (Terminaria) Examples of Terminalia include Terminalia bellirica (belerica), Terminalia catappa, Terminalia tomentosa, Terminalia citrina, Terminalia phellocarpa, Terminalia copelandii, Terminalia brassi, Terminalia ivorensis, Terminalia superba, Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia chebula, etc., and among these, Terminalia bellirica (belerica) is preferred. The part of the plant used as the plant material of the present invention is preferably the fruit. A dried powder obtained by drying and finely pulverizing the fruit, or an extract from the fruit is particularly preferred.

[0027] (Rooibos) Rooibos is a plant belonging to the genus Aspalathus of the family Fabaceae, and the plant material in the present invention is preferably leaves and branches that are usually used for tea. Dry powder obtained by drying and finely grinding the leaves and branches, and extracts from the leaves and branches are particularly preferred.

[0028] (Pu'er) Pu-erh is a type of Chinese tea (black tea) originating from Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, and is available in both raw and aged varieties. In the present invention, the plant material is preferably leaves that are normally used for tea. Dry powder obtained by drying and finely grinding the leaves, and extracts from the leaves are particularly preferred.

[0029] (jasmine) Jasmine is a plant belonging to the Oleaceae family, and the plant material in the present invention is preferably flowers that are usually used for tea. Dry powder obtained by drying and finely grinding the flowers, or an extract from the flowers is particularly preferred. (b) Functional materials In the oral composition of the present invention, it is preferable to use at least one functional ingredient selected from lactic acid bacteria and fructooligosaccharides together with theanine.

[0030] (lactic acid bacteria) Lactic acid bacteria include Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium mongoliense, Lactbacillus brevis, Lactbacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus delburvecki, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus halivaticus, Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus sporogenes, Lactobacillus sakei, Lactobacillus fructivorans, Lactobacillus hilgardii, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus fermentum, Enterococcus faecalis (sometimes called Streptococcus faecalis), Enterococcus faesium (sometimes called Streptococcus faesium), Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactococcus lactis (Streptococcus lactis), Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc oenos, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Staphylococcus carnosus, StaphylococcusBifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus Paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacilus paracasei, Enterococcus faecalis (Streptococcus faecalis), Enterococcus faesium (Streptococcus faesium), Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactococcus lactis (Streptococcus lactis), Bacillus coagulans, and Bacillus mesentericus are preferred. These lactic acid bacteria can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Depending on the dosage form and quality of the composition of the present invention, those having properties such as heat resistance, acid resistance, sugar tolerance, salt tolerance, spore formation, etc. can be appropriately selected. There is no particular limitation on the method for obtaining the lactic acid bacteria, and for example, lactic acid bacteria isolated from foods such as yogurt and vegetables, or commercially available products can be used.

[0031] These other ingredients act as promoters of theanine's sleep-inducing effects.

[0032] Examples of the oral composition of the present invention include so-called health foods such as pharmaceuticals (including quasi-drugs), functional foods such as foods for specified health uses, foods with nutritional functions, and foods with functional claims that have been approved by a designated organization for their efficacy, as well as general foods, food additives, and feeds. The oral composition of the present invention can be taken by anyone who is concerned about the above effects, regardless of gender or age. It is also preferable to take the composition 30 minutes to 2 hours before going to bed.

[0033] The oral composition of the present invention can be used as a composition for restful sleep, and the composition for restful sleep is not particularly limited as long as it contains theanine and other specified ingredients and can be distinguished from other products in terms of its use for restful sleep. For example, the scope of the present invention includes products that indicate that the product has the ability to provide restful sleep on the main body, packaging, instructions, or advertising materials of the product of the present invention. Note that the composition for restful sleep of the present invention is not limited to products that indicate the combined components of the present invention (theanine and other specified ingredients) as the effective ingredients for restful sleep on the product packaging, etc. For example, the active ingredient may not be specified, theanine and other specified ingredients may be indicated as the active ingredients, or only theanine may be indicated as the active ingredient.

[0034] Specific examples of the compositions for sound sleep of the present invention include medicines (including quasi-drugs) and so-called health foods. Examples of so-called health foods include those that claim to "improve sleep quality," "reduce fatigue and sleepiness upon waking," "reduce fatigue (feeling of tiredness and lethargy) upon waking the next morning," "provide healthy sleep," "wake up refreshed," "help reduce sleepiness upon waking and recover from fatigue," "support quality sleep at night," "support healthy sleep," and "support healthy sleep at night."

[0035] Examples of the form of the oral composition of the present invention include tablets, capsules, powders, granules, liquids, granules, rods, plates, blocks, solids, rounds, pastes, creams, caplets, gels, chewables, and sticks. Among these, tablets, capsules, powders, granules, and liquids are particularly preferred. Specific examples include supplements, containerized beverages filled in PET bottles, cans, bottles, and the like, instant beverages to be dissolved in water (hot water), milk, fruit juice, green juice, and the like, and food additives. These are preferred because they are easy to drink during meals and can increase palatability.

[0036] The content of theanine and other components (components of the present invention) in the oral composition of the present invention may be appropriately determined within a range in which the effects thereof are exhibited.

[0037] In general, when the oral composition of the present invention is a pharmaceutical or supplement, the components of the present invention are contained in an amount of preferably 0.1 to 100 mass% of the total, calculated as the dry mass, more preferably 1 to 85 mass%, and even more preferably 5 to 70 mass%.

[0038] When the oral composition of the present invention is a packaged beverage, the component of the present invention is preferably contained in an amount of 0.0001 to 30 mass%, more preferably 0.001 to 25 mass%, and even more preferably 0.01 to 20 mass%, of the total mass calculated on a dry mass basis.

[0039] Furthermore, when the oral composition of the present invention is an instant beverage, the component of the present invention is contained in an amount of preferably 0.001 to 80 mass%, more preferably 0.005 to 70 mass%, and even more preferably 0.1 to 60 mass%, of the total mass calculated on a dry mass basis.

[0040] In order to more effectively exert the effects of the present invention, the components of the present invention are preferably contained in an amount of 80% or more of the entire oral composition of the present invention, calculated on a dry mass basis, more preferably 90% or more, even more preferably 95% or more, and particularly preferably 100%.

[0041] The intake amount of the oral composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of more clearly exerting the effect of the present invention, the intake amount of the component of the present invention per day for an adult is preferably 50 mg / day or more, more preferably 100 mg / day or more, and even more preferably 150 mg / day or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 10000 mg / day, preferably 5000 mg / day.

[0042] The oral composition of the present invention can be stored as a daily dose in one container or divided into, for example, 2 to 3 multiple containers so that the daily intake amount is the above-mentioned amount.

[0043] The blending mass ratio of theanine to other components is preferably in the range of 1:0.001 to 1:50, more preferably in the range of 1:0.01 to 1:40, even more preferably in the range of 1:0.1 to 1:30, and particularly preferably in the range of 1:1 to 1:20, in terms of dry mass. By having the blending ratio of theanine to other components in the above range, the effects of the present invention can be more effectively exhibited.

[0044] The oral composition of the present invention can be produced by a known method by adding, as necessary, ingredients other than the ingredients of the present invention that are orally acceptable.

[0045] The pH of the oral composition of the present invention when dissolved in water is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of pH 2.0 to 7.0, more preferably pH 3.0 to 6.5, and most preferably pH 4.5 to 6.5. EXAMPLES

[0046] The present invention will now be described with reference to examples. [Example 1] 1.Cell culture (1) Primary rat cerebral cortex-derived neurons (Thermo) at 2 μg / cm 2 A 96-well black plate was coated with Poly-L-Lysine at a density of 1.0 × 10 4 The cells were seeded at a density of 100 cells / well. (2) The cells were pre-cultured for one week in a CO2 incubator at 37°C. The medium was changed every 1-2 days. (3) After removing the medium from each well, 100 μL of medium containing the test substance adjusted to a given concentration in normal medium was added to each well, and the wells were cultured in a CO2 incubator for 24 hours. The standard medium is Neurobasal medium (Thermo) 48.875 ml with 200 mM Glutamax TM (Thermo) 125 μl and B27 Serum Free Supplement (50×) (Thermo) 1 ml were used.

[0047] Theanine used was commercially available L-theanine. The other ingredients used together with L-theanine were the substances shown in Table 1.

[0048] 2. Assessment of Intracellular Ca

[0049] It is generally believed that when NMDA receptors (glutamate receptors, an excitatory amino acid) on the surface of nerve cells are activated by an excitatory amino acid (glutamate), a large amount of Ca ions flow into the nerve cells, which then activates various Ca ion-dependent enzymes, causing nerve hyperexcitation. In this study, we investigated the effect of the test substance in inhibiting the influx of Ca ions into nerve cells.

[0050] Specifically, the following tests were carried out. Intracellular Ca was measured using Calcium Kit Fura2 (Dojindo Laboratories). (1) After the above 24-hour culture, the medium was removed from each well, the wells were washed once with PBS(-), 100 μL of Loading Buffer was added, and the wells were cultured for 1 hour. (2) The loading buffer was removed, the plate was washed once with PBS(-), 90 μL of recording buffer was added, and the plate was allowed to acclimate in an incubator for 10 minutes.

[0051] (3) 10 μL of 250 μM Glutamate was added to give a final concentration of 25 μM, and the fluorescence intensities Ftest(340) (excitation wavelength 340 nm, fluorescence wavelength 510 nm) and Ftest(380) (excitation wavelength 380 nm, fluorescence wavelength 510 nm) of the (2) sample were measured 1 minute after addition. The fluorescence intensities Fpre(340) and Fpre(380) immediately before the addition of Glutamate were also measured in the same manner. Furthermore, after the test was completed, MnCl2 was added to give a final concentration of 0.33 M, and the fluorescence intensities Fblank(340) and Fblank(380) were also measured in the same manner, and the autofluorescence was calculated. (4) Based on the measured values, the change in the fluorescence intensity ratio was calculated using the following formula.

[0052] ΔChange in fluorescence intensity ratio = Rtest-Rpre ·Rtest = (Ftest(340) - Fblank(340)) / (Ftest(380) - Fblank(380)) ·Rpre = (Fpre(340) - Fblank(340)) / (Fpre(380) - Fblank(380))

[0053] The results are shown in Table 1 and Figure 1. In Figure 1, the numerical values ​​following the component names indicate the final concentrations (μg / mL) of the other components. For example, "Barley_200" in Figure 1 indicates 200 (μg / mL). The vertical axis indicates the "intracellular Ca fluorescence intensity change ratio."

[0054] [Table 1]

[0055] For barley, dried and ground powder of young leaves was used. For sweet potatoes, dried and crushed young leaves were used. For oats, Oats Green (manufactured by Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.), which is an extract from the entire above-ground part of the plant including ears and stems and leaves, was used. For rice (rice milk), commercially available rice milk was used. For rooibos, ground powder of commercially available rooibos tea was used. For pu-erh, ground powder of commercially available pu-erh tea was used. For jasmine, ground powder of commercially available jasmine tea was used. For Terminalia, a hot water extract (dried powder) of Terminalia bellirica fruit was used. Bacillus coagulans was used as the lactic acid bacterium. As for the fructooligosaccharides, commercially available fructooligosaccharides were used. For mugwort, dried and crushed powder of the leaves was used. For lavender, ground powder of commercially available lavender tea was used.

[0056] As shown in Table 1 and Figure 1, a decrease in intracellular Ca fluorescence intensity ratio was confirmed by combining L-theanine with specific other components. That is, it is considered that the combination components of the present invention antagonize the stimulation of glutamate to NMDA receptors and inhibit the influx of Ca ions into nerve cells. Therefore, the composition of the present invention can suppress nerve hyperexcitation and provide a high effect of providing a good night's sleep.

[0057] [Example 2] (Production of tablets) Five tablets containing the following ingredients were prepared:

[0058] Oat dry extract powder 400mg Fructooligosaccharides 250mg L-Theanine 200mg Hydroxypropyl cellulose 350mg Calcium stearate 250mg Silicon dioxide 50mg

[0059] The tablets are to be taken once or two or three times a day with water.

[0060] [Example 3] (Production of capsules) The following mixture was encapsulated in a soft capsule to produce a capsule formulation.

[0061] L-Theanine 200mg Terminalia bellirica powder 100mg Lactic acid bacteria 400mg Maltose 50mg Silicon dioxide 10mg

[0062] Take 4 capsules of the above once a day or 2 to 4 divided doses with water.

[0063] [Example 4] (Production of granules) The following ingredients were mixed and prepared into granules (3000 mg) in a conventional manner.

[0064] Barley young leaf dried extract powder 1200mg Theanine 200mg Sucralose 150mg Thiamine hydrochloride 10mg Riboflavin 10mg Vitamin B6 5mg Cyanocobalamin 6.5mg Fragrance 5mg Reduced Palatinose 200mg Calcium stearate 100mg Hydroxypropyl cellulose Remainder

[0065] [Example 5] (Production of instant powder) The following ingredients were mixed together and prepared into an instant powder (2 g) in a conventional manner.

[0066] Rooibos tea processed food 800mg Theanine 200mg Aspartame 150mg Sucralose 50mg Malic acid 10mg Pigment preparation 10mg Fragrance 5mg Polydextrose Remainder

[0067] [Example 6] (Production of liquid formulation) A liquid formulation (200 mL) consisting of the following components was prepared.

[0068] Theanine 200mg Pu-erh tea processed food 250mg Jasmine tea processed food 300mg Fructooligosaccharides 150mg Vitamin C 500mg Water remaining [Industrial Applicability]

[0069] The composition of the present invention has a high sleep-inducing effect and can be used as an oral preparation, and therefore the present invention is highly industrially useful.

Claims

1. An oral composition comprising theanine and jasmine.

2. 2. The oral composition according to claim 1, which is in the form of a tablet, capsule, powder, granules, or liquid.

3. 2. The oral composition according to claim 1, which is a composition for restful sleep used for restful sleep.

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