Oral composition

Abstract

To provide an oral composition containing plum juice concentrate with improved viscosity.SOLUTION: Viscosity of an oral composition containing plum juice concentrate is improved by adding ingredients selected from the group consisting of β-glucan, chlorella, pine bark extract, zinc yeast, equol, moringa extract, and vitamin C.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an oral composition comprising plum juice concentrate and having enhanced viscosity. [Background technology]

[0002] Plums are rich in ingredients that are useful for improving human health, and have been processed into various forms for consumption. Among them, plum extract (also called plum flesh extract), obtained by boiling down and concentrating plum juice, contains large amounts of plum extract-specific ingredients such as mumefural and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural, which are the fruit juice components that change during the heating and concentrating process, and is known to have various health benefits, such as improving immunity, improving blood flow, recovering from fatigue, suppressing Helicobacter pylori, improving bowel movements, strengthening liver function, and promoting calcium absorption.

[0003] Granular products are one example of product forms for ingesting plum extract. Granular plum extract products include granular products that contain starch as a binder, similar to common pills, and plum extract granular products that contain plum extract, freeze-dried powder of plum extract, and dried powder of Japanese yam (Patent Document 1).

[0004] As a product form for ingesting plum extract, a product diluted with water can be mentioned. Meanwhile, while general concentrated fruit juice is diluted with water when processed into a beverage, it is known that a thickening polysaccharide such as locust bean gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, tamarind gum, and pectin is blended to impart viscosity to a fruit juice beverage such as plum (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 57-33937 [Patent Document 2] JP 2005-087031 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the case of so-called processed plum extract products (oral compositions containing plum extract), the viscosity is generally adjusted by increasing the amount of water to lower the viscosity, and no formulation for improving (enhancing) the viscosity has been considered. Since thickening polysaccharides are used to improve the viscosity in general fruit juice drinks other than processed plum extract products, it is conceivable to add thickening polysaccharides to increase the viscosity of processed plum extract products, but in light of the recent increase in health consciousness, it is desirable to reduce the dependency on additives that are non-functional ingredients such as thickening polysaccharides. In addition, a large amount of binder must be used to process plum extract into pills (granular products), and if the viscosity can be improved with a composition other than the binder, it is expected that the dependency on additives that are non-functional ingredients such as binders can be reduced. If other functional ingredients can be used to improve the viscosity of processed plum extract products, it is considered desirable because it reduces the dependency on additives that are non-functional ingredients and also provides a complex effect by co-formulation of other functional ingredients.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an oral composition containing plum juice concentrate (so-called plum extract) and having an improved viscosity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present inventors found that when a functional ingredient having an immune improving effect similar to that of a plum juice concentrate was made to coexist with the plum juice concentrate, a specific ingredient, specifically an ingredient selected from the group consisting of β-glucan, chlorella, pine bark extract, zinc yeast, equol, moringa extract, and vitamin C, was able to improve the viscosity of an oral composition containing the plum juice concentrate. The present invention was completed based on this finding.

[0009] That is, the present invention provides the following aspects. Item 1. An oral composition comprising (A) a plum juice concentrate and (B) a component selected from the group consisting of β-glucan, chlorella, pine bark extract, zinc yeast, equol, moringa extract, and vitamin C. Item 2. The oral composition according to Item 1, wherein the component (B) is contained in an amount of 0.01 to 43 parts by dry weight per 1 part by dry weight of the component (A). Item 3. The oral composition according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the proportion of the component (A) is 2 to 99 parts by dry weight per 100 parts by dry weight of the oral composition. Item 4. The oral composition according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the proportion of the component (B) is 1 to 98 parts by dry weight per 100 parts by dry weight of the oral composition. Item 5. The oral composition according to any one of Items 1 to 4, which is a powdered beverage, a granulated beverage, or a concentrated beverage. Item 6. The oral composition according to any one of Items 1 to 4, which is in the form of a pill. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided an oral composition comprising a plum juice concentrate and having an improved viscosity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The oral composition of the present disclosure is characterized by containing (A) plum juice concentrate (hereinafter also referred to as "component (A)") and (B) a component selected from the group consisting of β-glucan, chlorella, pine bark extract, zinc yeast, equol, moringa extract, and vitamin C (hereinafter also referred to as "predetermined component" or "component (B)"). The oral composition of the present disclosure will be described in detail below. In this specification, a numerical range indicated by two numbers and "to" includes the two numbers as the lower limit and upper limit. For example, the expression "2 to 15% by weight" means 2% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less.

[0012] (A) Plum juice concentrate The oral composition of the present disclosure contains plum juice concentrate as component (A).

[0013] The component (A) used in the present disclosure is generally called plum extract or plum flesh extract, and is specifically obtained by boiling down plum juice until it becomes at least a black paste (candy-like). In the present invention, specific forms of the component (A) include a paste and a dried product (a paste from which water has been removed), and any of the forms may be used alone as the component (A), or a combination of multiple forms may be used.

[0014] In the oral composition of the present disclosure, the content of component (A) is not particularly limited, and examples of the ratio of the dry weight of component (A) per 100 parts by weight of the dry weight of the oral composition include 2 to 99 parts by weight, 4 to 99 parts by weight, 30 to 99 parts by weight, 40 to 99 parts by weight, 50 to 99 parts by weight, 60 to 99 parts by weight, 70 to 99 parts by weight, 80 to 99 parts by weight, or 90 to 99 parts by weight, or 2 to 95 parts by weight, 2 to 90 parts by weight, 2 to 80 parts by weight, 2 to 70 parts by weight, 2 to 60 parts by weight, 2 to 50 parts by weight, 2 to 40 parts by weight, 2 to 30 parts by weight, 2 to 10 parts by weight, or 2 to 5 parts by weight.

[0015] The content of component (A) when the oral composition of the present disclosure is ingested can be, for example, 0.01 to 15 wt%, 0.02 to 15 wt%, 2 to 15 wt%, 3 to 15 wt%, 5 to 15 wt%, 6 to 15 wt%, 7 to 15 wt%, or 8 to 15 wt%, or 0.01 to 10 wt%, 0.01 to 8.5 wt%, 0.01 to 8 wt%, 0.01 to 7 wt%, 0.01 to 6 wt%, 0.01 to 4 wt%, 0.01 to 3 wt%, 0.01 to 1 wt%, or 0.01 to 0.1 wt%, calculated as the dry weight of component (A). (B) Specified Ingredients The oral composition of the present disclosure contains, as component (B), a component selected from the group consisting of (B1) β-glucan (hereinafter also referred to as "component (B1)"), (B2) chlorella (hereinafter also referred to as "component (B2)"), (B3) pine bark extract (hereinafter also referred to as "component (B3)"), (B4) zinc yeast (hereinafter also referred to as "component (B4)"), (B5) equol (hereinafter also referred to as "component (B5)"), (B6) moringa extract (hereinafter also referred to as "component (B6)"), and (B7) vitamin C (hereinafter also referred to as "component (B7)"). Component (B) improves the viscosity of the oral composition containing component (A). As component (B), any one of the seven components (B1) to (B7) may be used alone, or two or more may be used in combination.

[0016] (B1) β-glucan: β-Glucan is a polysaccharide in which glucose is linked by β-1,3-glycosidic bonds, β-1,4-glycosidic bonds, and / or β-1,6-glycosidic bonds, and is a known component that exhibits physiological effects such as improving the immune system, suppressing cancer, reducing cholesterol levels, and regulating the intestines.

[0017] Specific examples of β-glucans include β-1,3-glucan, β-1,4-glucan, β-1,6-glucan, and β-glucans having these β-glucans as the main chain and having branches via bonds different from the main chain (for example, β-glucans having β-1,3-glucan as the main chain and having β-glucan branches (for example, β-1,3-glucan branches) via β-1,6-glycosidic bonds). As the (B1) component, one of these β-glucans may be used alone, or multiple types may be used in combination. Among these β-glucans, preferred are β-1,3-glucans and β-glucans having a β-1,3-glucan main chain and branching via β-1,4-glycosidic bonds and / or β-1,6-glycosidic bonds, more preferred are β-glucans having a β-1,3-glucan main chain and branching via β-1,6-glycosidic bonds, and even more preferred are β-glucans having a β-1,3-glucan main chain and β-1,3-glucan branches via β-1,6-glycosidic bonds.

[0018] Examples of β-glucan include β-glucan derived from bacteria, fungi (e.g., yeast, mushrooms, etc.), and grains (e.g., oats, barley, etc.). As the (B1) component, one of these β-glucans may be used alone, or a combination of multiple types may be used. Among these β-glucans, β-glucan derived from fungi is preferable, β-glucan derived from yeast is more preferable, β-glucan derived from Saccharomyces yeast is even more preferable, and β-glucan derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast (baker's yeast) is even more preferable. When using a product obtained from these natural products as the (B1) component, it does not matter whether other components other than β-glucan (e.g., other cell wall components such as mannan) coexist or not, but it is preferable to use a product purified by removing the other components.

[0019] (B2) Chlorella: Chlorella is a known component that exerts physiological effects such as improving immunity, reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improving anemia, anti-aging, and relieving constipation.

[0020] Specifically, Chlorella includes plants of the Chlorellaceae family, such as Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Chlorella ellipsoidea, Chlorella vulgaris, and Chlorella regularis. As the component (B2), one of these Chlorella species may be used alone, or a combination of multiple species may be used. Among these Chlorella species, Chlorella pyrenoidosa is preferred.

[0021] Specific examples of the form of component (B2) include algae of a Chlorellaceae plant, dried products thereof, and crushed products thereof. As component (B2), any of the forms may be used alone or a combination of two or more forms may be used.

[0022] (B3) Pine bark extract: Pine bark extract is a known ingredient that exhibits physiological effects such as immune-improving effects, antioxidant effects, blood lipid-improving effects, antihypertensive effects, blood sugar level rise suppression effects, vascular protection effects, vitamin C utilization efficiency improving effects, and blood fluidity improving effects.

[0023] The pine tree from which the pine bark is derived is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include French maritime pine (Pinus pinaster), Finnish pine, and New Zealand pine.

[0024] Pine bark extract can be produced by extraction using an appropriate extraction solvent (water and / or a monohydric alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms (preferably ethanol), etc., preferably aqueous ethanol), or by extraction under supercritical conditions using carbon dioxide, propane, and / or nitrogen, etc.

[0025] As component (B3), one of these pine bark extracts may be used alone, or a combination of two or more may be used. Among these pine bark extracts, preferred are French maritime pine bark extracts and pine bark extracts obtained by hydroethanolic extraction, and more preferred are pine bark extracts obtained by hydroethanolic extraction of French maritime pine bark.

[0026] (B4) Zinc Yeast: Zinc yeast is a yeast containing a high concentration of zinc-containing organic compounds, and is a known component that exerts physiological actions such as improving immunity and inhibiting viral replication through the supply of zinc.

[0027] Specific examples of yeast species include microorganisms of the genus Saccharomyces, more specifically, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces boulardii sequela, Saccharomyces torula, and the like.

[0028] As the component (B4), one of these zinc yeasts may be used alone or a combination of two or more of them may be used. Among these zinc yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is preferred.

[0029] The amount of zinc element contained in 100% by weight of zinc yeast is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 1 to 10% by weight, preferably 3 to 8% by weight, more preferably 4 to 7% by weight, and even more preferably 5 to 6% by weight.

[0030] (B5) Equol: Equol is a substance produced by the metabolism of daidzein, a type of isoflavone, by intestinal bacteria and digestive enzymes in the body, specifically 7-hydroxy-3-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-chroman. Equol is a known component that exerts physiological effects such as immune-improving effects and female hormone-like effects.

[0031] The equol may be synthetic equol obtained by chemical reduction of daidzein (daidzein glycoside, daidzein and / or dihydrodaidzein), or it may be a metabolite produced by equol-producing bacteria from a raw material containing daidzein (daidzein glycoside, daidzein and / or dihydrodaidzein).

[0032] Raw materials containing daidzeins are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include plants (specifically, soybeans, kudzu, kudzu root, red globe, alfalfa, etc.), processed products thereof (specifically, soybean flour, boiled soybeans, tofu, fried tofu, soy milk, soybean hypocotyls, soybean hypocotyl extracts, etc.), and fermented preparations thereof (specifically, natto, soy sauce, miso, tempeh, fermented soy beverages, etc.). The equol-producing bacteria may be any microorganism that can assimilate daidzeins to produce equol, such as Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Bacteroides, Coriobacterium, Adlercreutzia, Asaccharobacter, Atopobium, etc. Examples of microorganisms include those belonging to the genus Collinsella, Cryptobacterium, Denitrobacterium, Eggerthella, Enterorhabdus, Gordonibacter, Olsenella, Paraeggerthella, or Slackia.

[0033] The specific form of the (B5) component may be that contained in a fermentation culture obtained by fermenting a raw material containing daidzeins with an equol-producing bacterium, or it may be that isolated and purified by removing components other than equol from the fermentation culture.

[0034] (B6) Moringa Extract: Moringa extract is a known ingredient that exhibits physiological effects such as immune-improving effects, anti-inflammatory effects, antibacterial effects, anti-aging effects, constipation relieving effects, and sugar metabolism improving effects.

[0035] Moringa is a plant belonging to the Moringa genus, specifically Moringa oleifera, Moringa concanensis, Moringa drouhardii, etc. Moringa parts used as raw materials for extracting moringa extract include leaves, stems, pods (flesh), and seeds.

[0036] Moringa extract can be produced by extraction using a suitable extraction solvent (water and / or a monohydric alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms (preferably ethanol), etc., preferably aqueous ethanol), or by extraction under supercritical conditions using carbon dioxide, propane, and / or nitrogen, etc.

[0037] As component (B6), one of these moringa extracts may be used alone or in combination. Among these moringa extracts, preferred are extracts of Moringa oleifera and seeds, and more preferred are extracts of Moringa oleifera seeds.

[0038] (B7) Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a known component that exhibits physiological effects such as immune-improving effect, antioxidant effect, and collagen production promoting effect, and refers to ascorbic acid, its derivatives, and their salts. The derivatives of vitamin C are not particularly limited as long as they can be incorporated into oral compositions, and examples thereof include ascorbic acid glucoside; ascorbic acid monophosphate; ascorbic acid sulfate; ascorbic acid monoalkyl esters such as ascorbic acid monostearate, ascorbic acid monopalmitate, ascorbic acid monooleate, and ascorbic acid tetrahexyldecanoate; ascorbic acid dialkyl esters such as ascorbic acid distearate, ascorbic acid dipalmitate, and ascorbic acid dioleate; ascorbic acid trialkyl esters such as ascorbic acid tristearate, ascorbic acid tripalmitate, and ascorbic acid trioleate. Examples of salts of vitamin C and its derivatives include alkali metal salts such as sodium salt and potassium salt. As the component (B7), one kind of vitamin C may be used alone or a combination of two or more kinds may be used. Among these vitamin C, ascorbic acid is preferable.

[0039] In the oral composition of the present disclosure, the content of the component (B) may be appropriately set depending on the desired level of the viscosity-enhancing effect. The dry weight of the component (B) (total amount) per 1 part by weight of the dry weight of the component (A) is, for example, 0.01 to 43 parts by weight. From the viewpoint of further enhancing the viscosity-enhancing effect, preferably, the content is 0.05 to 43 parts by weight, 0.1 to 43 parts by weight, 0.2 to 43 parts by weight, 0.3 to 43 parts by weight, 0.4 to 43 parts by weight, 0.5 to 43 parts by weight, 0.6 to 43 parts by weight, 0.7 to 43 parts by weight, 0.8 to 43 parts by weight, 0.9 to 43 parts by weight, 1 to 43 parts by weight, 1.5 to 43 parts by weight, 2 to 43 parts by weight, 2.5 to 43 parts by weight, 5 to 43 parts by weight, 10 to 43 parts by weight, 20 to 43 parts by weight, 30 to 43 parts by weight, or 35 to 43 parts by weight. The dry weights of the components (B1) to (B7) per part by dry weight of the component (A) are as follows:

[0040] Component (B1): for example, 0.01 to 43 parts by weight, preferably 0.05 to 43 parts by weight, 0.1 to 43 parts by weight, 0.2 to 43 parts by weight, 0.3 to 43 parts by weight, or 0.4 to 43 parts by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 43 parts by weight, 0.6 to 43 parts by weight, 0.7 to 43 parts by weight, 0.8 to 43 parts by weight, 0.9 to 43 parts by weight, or 1 to 43 parts by weight, and even more preferably 1.3 to 43 parts by weight, 1.5 to 43 parts by weight, 1.5 to 20 parts by weight, 1.5 to 10 parts by weight, 1.5 to 5 parts by weight, or 1.5 to 3 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of the dry weight of component (A). Component (B2): for example, 0.01 to 43 parts by weight, preferably 0.05 to 43 parts by weight, 0.1 to 43 parts by weight, 0.2 to 43 parts by weight, 0.3 to 43 parts by weight, 0.4 to 43 parts by weight, 0.5 to 43 parts by weight, 0.6 to 43 parts by weight, 0.7 to 43 parts by weight, 0.8 to 43 parts by weight, 0.9 to 43 parts by weight, 1 to 43 parts by weight, 1.5 to 43 parts by weight, 2 to 43 parts by weight, 2.5 to 43 parts by weight, or 5 to 43 parts by weight, preferably 10 to 43 parts by weight, 15 to 43 parts by weight, or 15 to 35 parts by weight, and more preferably 20 to 28 parts by weight or 20 to 25 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of the dry weight of component (A). Component (B3): for example, 0.01 to 43 parts by weight, preferably 0.05 to 43 parts by weight, and more preferably 0.1 to 43 parts by weight, 0.15 to 43 parts by weight, 0.2 to 43 parts by weight, 0.25 to 43 parts by weight, 0.3 to 43 parts by weight, 0.3 to 20 parts by weight, 0.3 to 10 parts by weight, 0.3 to 5 parts by weight, 0.3 to 1 part by weight, or 0.3 to 0.5 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of the dry weight of component (A). Component (B4): for example, 0.01 to 43 parts by weight, preferably 0.05 to 43 parts by weight, 0.1 to 43 parts by weight, or 0.2 to 43 parts by weight, more preferably 0.3 to 43 parts by weight, 0.4 to 43 parts by weight, 0.5 to 43 parts by weight, or 0.6 to 43 parts by weight, and even more preferably 0.65 to 43 parts by weight, 0.7 to 43 parts by weight, 0.7 to 20 parts by weight, 0.7 to 10 parts by weight, 0.7 to 5 parts by weight, or 0.7 to 1 part by weight, per 1 part by weight of the dry weight of component (A). Component (B5): for example, 0.01 to 43 parts by weight, preferably 0.05 to 43 parts by weight, more preferably 0.09 to 43 parts by weight, 0.1 to 43 parts by weight, 0.1 to 20 parts by weight, 0.1 to 10 parts by weight, 0.1 to 5 parts by weight, 0.1 to 1 part by weight, 0.1 to 0.5 parts by weight, or 0.1 to 0.3 parts by weight, per 1 part by dry weight of component (A). Component (B6): for example, 0.01 to 43 parts by weight, preferably 0.05 to 43 parts by weight or 0.1 to 43 parts by weight, more preferably 0.2 to 43 parts by weight, 0.3 to 43 parts by weight, 0.4 to 43 parts by weight, or 0.5 to 43 parts by weight, and even more preferably 0.6 to 43 parts by weight, 0.6 to 20 parts by weight, 0.6 to 10 parts by weight, 0.6 to 5 parts by weight, 0.6 to 3 parts by weight, or 0.6 to 1 part by weight, per 1 part by weight of the dry weight of component (A). Component (B7): for example, 0.01 to 43 parts by weight, preferably 0.05 to 43 parts by weight, 0.1 to 43 parts by weight, 0.2 to 43 parts by weight, 0.3 to 43 parts by weight, 0.4 to 43 parts by weight, 0.5 to 43 parts by weight, 0.6 to 43 parts by weight, more preferably 0.7 to 43 parts by weight, 0.8 to 43 parts by weight, 0.9 to 43 parts by weight, 1 to 43 parts by weight, 1.5 to 43 parts by weight, or 2 to 43 parts by weight, and even more preferably 2.3 to 43 parts by weight, 2.5 to 43 parts by weight, 2.5 to 20 parts by weight, 2.5 to 10 parts by weight, 2.5 to 8 parts by weight, or 2.5 to 5 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of the dry weight of component (A).

[0041] The specific content (total amount) of the (B) component in the oral composition of the present disclosure is, for example, 1 to 98 parts by weight in terms of the ratio of the dry weight of the (B) component per 100 parts by weight of the oral composition, and from the viewpoint of further enhancing the viscosity improving effect, preferably 3 to 98 parts by weight, 5 to 98 parts by weight, 8 to 98 parts by weight, 10 to 98 parts by weight, 20 to 98 parts by weight, 25 to 98 parts by weight, 35 to 98 parts by weight, 40 to 98 parts by weight, 55 to 98 parts by weight, 60 to 98 parts by weight, 70 to 98 parts by weight, 90 to 98 parts by weight, or 95 to 98 parts by weight. In addition, the dry weight of each of the (B1) to (B7) components per 100 parts by weight of the oral composition is as follows.

[0042] Component (B1): for example, 1 to 98 parts by weight, preferably 3 to 98 parts by weight, 5 to 98 parts by weight, 8 to 98 parts by weight, or 10 to 98 parts by weight, more preferably 20 to 98 parts by weight, 25 to 98 parts by weight, or 35 to 98 parts by weight, even more preferably 40 to 98 parts by weight, and even more preferably 53 to 98 parts by weight, 55 to 98 parts by weight, 60 to 98 parts by weight, 60 to 90 parts by weight, 60 to 80 parts by weight, 60 to 70 parts by weight, or 60 to 65 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the dry weight of the oral composition. Component (B2): for example, 1 to 98 parts by weight, preferably 2 to 98 parts by weight, 3 to 98 parts by weight, 5 to 98 parts by weight, 15 to 98 parts by weight, 25 to 98 parts by weight, 35 to 98 parts by weight, or 45 to 98 parts by weight, more preferably 55 to 98 parts by weight, 65 to 98 parts by weight, even more preferably 75 to 98 parts by weight or 90 to 98 parts by weight, and even more preferably 90 to 96 parts by weight, per 100 parts by dry weight of the oral composition. Component (B3): for example, 1 to 98 parts by weight, preferably 3 to 98 parts by weight, 5 to 98 parts by weight, or 8 to 98 parts by weight, and more preferably 10 to 98 parts by weight, 15 to 98 parts by weight, 20 to 98 parts by weight, 20 to 80 parts by weight, 20 to 60 parts by weight, 20 to 40 parts by weight, or 20 to 30 parts by weight, per 100 parts by dry weight of the oral composition. Component (B4): for example, 1 to 98 parts by weight, preferably 3 to 98 parts by weight, 5 to 98 parts by weight, 8 to 98 parts by weight, or 10 to 98 parts by weight, more preferably 20 to 98 parts by weight or 25 to 98 parts by weight, and even more preferably 38 to 98 parts by weight, 40 to 98 parts by weight, 40 to 90 parts by weight, 40 to 70 parts by weight, 40 to 60 parts by weight, or 40 to 50 parts by weight, per 100 parts by dry weight of the oral composition. Component (B5): for example, 1 to 98 parts by weight, preferably 3 to 98 parts by weight or 5 to 98 parts by weight, more preferably 8 to 98 parts by weight, 9 to 98 parts by weight, 9 to 60 parts by weight, 9 to 40 parts by weight, 9 to 20 parts by weight, or 9 to 15 parts by weight, per 100 parts by dry weight of the oral composition. Component (B6): for example, 1 to 98 parts by weight, preferably 3 to 98 parts by weight, 5 to 98 parts by weight, 8 to 98 parts by weight, or 10 to 98 parts by weight, more preferably 20 to 98 parts by weight or 25 to 98 parts by weight, and even more preferably 33 to 98 parts by weight, 35 to 98 parts by weight, 35 to 80 parts by weight, 35 to 60 parts by weight, 35 to 50 parts by weight, or 30 to 45 parts by weight, per 100 parts by dry weight of the oral composition. Component (B7): for example, 1 to 98 parts by weight, preferably 3 to 98 parts by weight, 5 to 98 parts by weight, 8 to 98 parts by weight, 10 to 98 parts by weight, 20 to 98 parts by weight, 25 to 98 parts by weight, 35 to 98 parts by weight, or 40 to 98 parts by weight, more preferably 50 to 98 parts by weight, 55 to 98 parts by weight, or 60 to 98 parts by weight, and even more preferably 68 to 70 to 98 parts by weight, 70 to 80 parts by weight, per 100 parts by dry weight of the oral composition.

[0043] The content (in terms of dry weight) of the component (B) when the oral composition of the present disclosure is taken is, for example, 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 10% by weight, 0.4 to 10% by weight, 0.6 to 10% by weight, 0.8 to 10% by weight, 0.9 to 10% by weight, 1 to 10% by weight, 1.5 to 10% by weight, 2 to 10% by weight, 3 to 10% by weight, 5 to 10% by weight, or 6 to 10% by weight. The dry weights of the components (B1) to (B7) when the oral composition of the present disclosure is taken are as follows:

[0044] Component (B1): The content when the oral composition of the present disclosure is consumed is, for example, 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 10% by weight, 0.6 to 10% by weight, or 0.8 to 10% by weight, more preferably 1 to 10% by weight, 1.5 to 10% by weight, 2 to 10% by weight, 3 to 10% by weight, 3.5 to 10% by weight, or 4 to 10% by weight, and even more preferably 5 to 10% by weight or 5.5 to 10% by weight. Component (B2): The content when the oral composition of the present disclosure is consumed is, for example, 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 10% by weight or 0.4 to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.6 to 10% by weight, 0.8 to 10% by weight, 0.9 to 10% by weight, even more preferably 0.96 to 10% by weight, 0.96 to 5% by weight, 0.96 to 3% by weight, or 0.96 to 2% by weight. Component (B3): The content when drinking the oral composition of the present disclosure is, for example, 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 10% by weight, 0.4 to 10% by weight, or 0.6 to 10% by weight, and preferably 0.8 to 10% by weight, 0.9 to 10% by weight, 1 to 10% by weight, 1.5 to 10% by weight, 2 to 10% by weight, 2 to 8% by weight, 2 to 6% by weight, or 2 to 4% by weight. Component (B4): The content when the oral composition of the present disclosure is consumed is, for example, 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 10% by weight, 0.4 to 10% by weight, 0.6 to 10% by weight, 0.8 to 10% by weight, or 0.9 to 10% by weight, more preferably 1 to 10% by weight, 1.5 to 10% by weight, 2 to 10% by weight, 2.5 to 10% by weight, 3 to 10% by weight, and even more preferably 3.5 to 10% by weight, 3.5 to 8% by weight, 3.5 to 6% by weight, or 3.5 to 5% by weight. Component (B5): The content when the oral composition of the present disclosure is consumed is, for example, 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 10% by weight, 0.4 to 10% by weight, 0.6 to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.7 to 10% by weight, 0.8 to 10% by weight, 0.8 to 5% by weight, 0.8 to 3% by weight, or 0.8 to 1% by weight. Component (B6): The content when the oral composition of the present disclosure is consumed is, for example, 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 10% by weight, 0.4 to 10% by weight, 0.6 to 10% by weight, or 0.8 to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.9 to 10% by weight, 1 to 10% by weight, 1.5 to 10% by weight, or 2 to 10% by weight, and even more preferably 3 to 10% by weight, 3 to 8% by weight, or 3 to 6% by weight. Component (B7): The content when the oral composition of the present disclosure is consumed is, for example, 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 10% by weight, 0.8 to 10% by weight, 1 to 10% by weight, 1.5 to 10% by weight, or 2 to 10% by weight, more preferably 3 to 10% by weight, 4 to 10% by weight, 5 to 10% by weight, or 6 to 10% by weight, and even more preferably 6.5 to 10% by weight, or 6.5 to 8% by weight.

[0045] Other Ingredients The liquid oral composition of the present disclosure may or may not contain other nutritional components and / or pharmacological components as necessary, in addition to the above-mentioned (A) and (B) components. Such nutritional components and pharmacological components are not particularly limited as long as they can be used in foods and / or medicines, and examples thereof include vitamins (other than the above-mentioned (B) component), minerals (other than the above-mentioned (B) component), carbohydrates, fatty acids, flavorings, seasonings, plant extracts (other than the above-mentioned (B) component), and the like. These components may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of these components is appropriately set according to the type of nutritional components and / or pharmacological components used and the purpose of the liquid oral composition.

[0046] Furthermore, the liquid oral composition of the present disclosure may or may not contain a base and / or additives, etc., as necessary, in order to prepare a desired formulation form. Such bases and additives are not particularly limited as long as they can be used in foods and / or medicines, and examples thereof include aqueous bases (e.g., water, monohydric alcohols having 1 to 4 carbon atoms), oily bases (e.g., fats and oils, hydrocarbons, etc.), polyhydric alcohols, gelling agents (xanthan gum, pectin, guar gum, locust bean gum, gum arabic, tamarind gum, carrageenan, propylene glycol, carboxymethylcellulose, agar, etc.), surfactants, etc. These components may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of these components is appropriately set depending on the type of base and / or additives used and the purpose of the oral composition, etc.

[0047] Since the oral composition of the present disclosure can improve viscosity without using a gelling agent, in a preferred embodiment, it is substantially free of a gelling agent. Substantially free of a gelling agent means that the content of the gelling agent in the oral composition of the present disclosure when consumed is 0.5% by weight or less (preferably 0.1% by weight or less, more preferably 0.05% by weight or less, and most preferably 0% by weight).

[0048] Formulation and product classification The formulation of the oral composition of the present disclosure is not particularly limited, and may be any of liquid, semi-solid (gel, paste), and solid (powder, granules, pills). The oral composition of the present disclosure may be either a non-emulsified composition or an emulsified composition, but is preferably a non-emulsified composition.

[0049] The product classification of the oral composition of the present disclosure is not particularly limited, and may be any of foods and beverages (including special purpose foods and health functional foods (nutritional functional foods, functional foods, foods with functional claims, foods for specified health uses, etc.), as well as general foods (nutritional supplements, health supplements, nutritionally fortified foods, nutritionally regulated foods, supplements, etc.)) and oral pharmaceuticals (including oral quasi-drugs).

[0050] More specific product categories of the oral compositions of the present disclosure include non-concentrated beverages (beverages to be consumed without dilution, when prepared in a liquid formulation), concentrated beverages (beverages to be diluted with water and consumed, when prepared in a liquid or semi-solid formulation), powdered or granular beverages (beverages to be dispersed in water and consumed, when prepared in a powdered or granular formulation), semi-solid agents (gels, pastes), and pills.

[0051] Purpose The oral composition of the present disclosure can be used in applications that utilize the known effects of component (A) and / or component (B). Examples of applications of the liquid oral composition of the present disclosure include immune improvement, blood flow improvement, fatigue recovery, Helicobacter pylori inhibition, bowel movement improvement, liver function enhancement, calcium absorption promotion, immune improvement, cancer inhibition, cholesterol level reduction, intestinal regulation, blood pressure reduction, anemia improvement, anti-aging, constipation improvement, antioxidant, blood lipid improvement, blood sugar level rise inhibition, vascular protection, vitamin C utilization efficiency improvement, viral replication inhibition, female hormone mimicry, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, sugar metabolism improvement, and / or collagen production promotion.

[0052] In the present specification, the form of the oral composition of the present disclosure when ingested or taken by "drinking" is a liquid composition further containing water as a base in addition to the components (A) and (B). When the oral composition of the present disclosure is prepared in a liquid formulation (non-concentrated beverage), it can be drunk directly without dilution, when it is prepared in a liquid or semi-solid formulation (concentrated beverage), it can be diluted with water and drunk, and when it is prepared in a solid (powder or granule) formulation (powder or granule beverage), it can be dispersed in water and drunk.

[0053] When the oral composition of the present disclosure is semi-solid, the oral composition of the present disclosure can be taken directly in the form in which it is prepared.When the oral composition of the present disclosure is solid (but in pill form), the oral composition of the present disclosure can be taken together with water or the like in the form in which it is prepared. EXAMPLES

[0054] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0055] Test Example 1 Liquid oral compositions were prepared by mixing component (A), component (B), and / or component (b) with water to obtain the compositions shown in Tables 1 to 5. Details of component (A), component (B), and component (b) are as follows.

[0056] Component (A) · Ume juice concentrate: Ume juice is boiled down until it becomes a black paste, resulting in a viscous liquid known as ume extract (water content 15% by weight).

[0057] (B) Component (B1) β-glucan: β-glucan derived from Saccharomyces yeast, purified by removing other cell wall components (B2) Chlorella: Dried Chlorella pyrenoidosa (unground) (B3) Pine bark extract: French maritime pine bark extract "Pycnogenol" (registered trademark) (B4) Zinc yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, zinc element content is 5.56% by weight (B5) Equol: A refined product of equol obtained by fermenting raw materials containing daidzein with equol-producing bacteria. (B6) Moringa Extract: Extract of the seeds of Moringa oleifera (B7) Vitamin C: L-ascorbic acid

[0058] (b) Component Tomato lycopene: Tomato lycopene extract containing more than 6% by weight of lycopene along with natural compounds found in tomatoes (tocopherol, phytoene, phytofluene, β-carotene, phospholipids, phytosterols, etc.) Lactoferrin: Milk-derived lactoferrin fine powder · Calcium pantothenate: Calcium pantothenate Riboflavin: Vitamin B2 crystalline powder GABA: A powder containing 90% or more GABA by weight, separated from the barley lactic acid fermentation liquid.

[0059] 30 g of the liquid oral composition was filled into a glass bottle (30×65, Maruemu screw tube No. 6). The viscosity was measured at 25° C. using a viscometer (Brookfield DV-II+, spindle: ULADAPTER, SP program: S00, torque during measurement 19-25%). Specifically, the viscosity immediately after preparation ("initial viscosity") and the viscosity after storage at 25° C. for 1 week ("viscosity after 1 week") were measured.

[0060] Regarding the initial viscosity, for the examples and comparative examples including the (A) component and the (B) component or the (b) component, the weighted average of the initial viscosity of the (A) component alone and the initial viscosity of the (B) component alone or the initial viscosity of the (b) component alone, weighted by the blending ratio of each component, was derived as a predicted value, and the value obtained by dividing the actual initial viscosity value by the predicted value was derived as the "thickening index." When the thickening index was 1.7 or more, it was evaluated that the desired thickening effect was obtained. It can be evaluated that the thickening effect is higher as the thickening index is larger. The results are shown in Tables 1 to 4.

[0061] [Table 1]

[0062] [Table 2]

[0063] [Table 3]

[0064] [Table 4]

[0065] As shown in Tables 1 to 4, it was found that the viscosity of the liquid oral composition containing the component (A) was significantly improved by adding the component (B) (Examples 1 to 14). In addition, when the oral composition was formulated in a powder or granule form and then mixed with water, and when the oral composition was formulated in a paste form and then mixed with water, the viscosity was improved compared to when (B) was not included, as in Examples 1 to 14. Furthermore, the viscosity was also improved in the paste-like oral composition compared to when (B) was not included, so that pills could be easily prepared even if the amount of additives, which are non-functional components such as binders, used was reduced.

[0066] In addition, when the functional component (component (b)) having the same immune-improving effect as component (B) was used instead of component (B), the desired viscosity-improving effect was not obtained (Comparative Examples 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22). In addition, when the same test was performed using other functional components having immune-improving effects, such as saw palmetto extract (extract of saw palmetto fruit extracted by supercritical extraction with carbon dioxide gas), α-lipoic acid: crystal powder of R,S-(+ / -)-α-lipoic acid (racemic body), or β-carotene: synthetic product, suspended in corn oil to a concentration of 30% by weight), instead of components (B) and (b), the viscosity-improving effect was not obtained when any of saw palmetto extract, α-lipoic acid, and β-carotene was used.

Claims

1. An oral composition comprising (A) a plum juice concentrate and (B) a component selected from the group consisting of β-glucan, chlorella, pine bark extract, zinc yeast, equol, moringa extract, and vitamin C.

2. The oral composition according to claim 1, wherein the component (B) is contained in an amount of 0.01 to 43 parts by dry weight per 1 part by dry weight of the component (A).

3. The oral composition according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the component (A) is 2 to 99 parts by dry weight per 100 parts by dry weight of the oral composition.

4. The oral composition according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of said component (B) is 1 to 98 parts by dry weight per 100 parts by dry weight of said oral composition.

5. 10. The oral composition of claim 1, which is a powdered beverage, a granulated beverage, or a concentrated beverage.

6. The oral composition of claim 1 , which is a pill.

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