Ice nucleus activator

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: there has been a demand for ice nucleus activating substances that have higher safety for living bodies and can be used in various fields; however, there are not yet enough reports of such ice nucleus activating substances.SOLUTION: Provided is an ice nucleus activator containing an effective amount of palm.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice nucleating activator. [Background technology]

[0002] Freezing technology has improved in recent years, making it possible to use quick freezing methods and more appropriate control of freezing temperatures.

[0003] The freezing phenomenon of water is divided into two stages: the ice crystal formation stage and the ice crystal growth stage. In pure water, the temperature at which fine ice crystals form is -40℃ to -70℃, and the temperature at which they grow is about 0℃ to -20℃, so freezing requires supercooling and time. Therefore, by adding an ice nucleation active substance that can catalyze the ice crystal formation stage, water will freeze at a higher negative temperature.

[0004] Known examples of such ice nucleation active substances include Pseudomonas bacteria and silver iodide. Silver iodide can raise the temperature at which ice crystals form to around -2°C to -4°C, enabling efficient freezing.

[0005] However, the fields of application of existing ice nucleation active substances are limited from the viewpoint of safety for living organisms, and they cannot be fully utilized in products that are applied to living organisms, such as food and pharmaceutical products.

[0006] Patent Document 1 proposes an ice nucleating agent containing calcium oxalate as an active ingredient, and reports that the ice nucleating activity is enhanced depending on the hydration state. However, calcium oxalate is a needle-shaped crystal that irritates and damages the living body, so the field of use may be limited. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-55273 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] There is a demand for ice nucleating substances that are safer for living organisms and can be used in various fields, but there are not yet sufficient reports on them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In view of the above problems, the present inventors conducted intensive research and discovered that crushed plant material and / or its extraction residue can be used as an ice nucleation active substance. By incorporating an effective amount of this substance, they were able to develop an ice nucleation activator.

[0010] That is, the present invention provides the ice nucleating activator described below.

[0011] Section 1. An ice nucleation activator containing an effective amount of crushed plant material and / or its extraction residue.

[0012] Section 2. Item 2. The ice nucleating activator according to Item 1, wherein the plant is tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.), rice (Oryza sativa), coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), or oil palm (Elaeis oleifera).

[0013] Section 3. Item 2. The ice nucleation activator according to item 1, wherein the extraction residue is an extraction residue of green tea, brown rice tea, black tea, rice straw (rice husk), or palm fruit or leaves.

[0014] Section 4. Item 1. The ice nucleation activator according to item 1, which is used so that the ice nucleation temperature is -2°C to 0°C. Effect of the Invention

[0015] By using plant materials that are widely consumed and incorporating effective amounts of crushed plant materials and / or their extract residues, it is possible to provide an ice nucleating agent that can be used in a variety of fields. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] [Ice nucleating agent] The ice nucleation activator of the present invention contains an effective amount of crushed plant material and / or its extraction residue.

[0017] In this specification, the term "crushed plant material" refers to a plant body that has been subjected to physical treatment such as cutting or crushing to make it fine (crushed).

[0018] The crushed material can be obtained by finely crushing the plant body using, for example, a sawdust maker, a cutting device, a crusher, a crusher, a mill, a blender, a stone mill, or the like.

[0019] The crushed plant body can be sieved as necessary to appropriately adjust the particle size.

[0020] The plant body may be dried before or after being crushed. The moisture content of the crushed plant material is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately.

[0021] The drying treatment is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a treatment in which the plant body is dried so that its moisture content becomes 10% or less, preferably 5% or less. The drying treatment can be carried out by any method known to those skilled in the art, such as hot air drying, high-pressure steam drying, electromagnetic wave drying, freeze drying, etc. Drying by heating can be carried out at a temperature and for a time such that the plant body does not discolor due to heating, for example, at 40°C to 140°C, preferably 80°C to 130°C.

[0022] The plant body used for the plant crushing product may be any part of the plant, such as leaves, branches, wood, petals, stems, roots, flesh, skin, and seeds, but from the viewpoint of repeatedly harvesting the plant while leaving the roots, it is preferable to use the above-ground parts that are exposed above the ground surface.

[0023] The plant to be used may be any plant whose safety to the human body has been confirmed, and is preferably a plant that has been eaten. The plant may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0024] The type of plant is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of significantly achieving the effects of the present invention, examples of the plant include plants of the family Theaceae, Poaceae, Palmaceae, Malvaceae, Fabaceae, Vitaceae, Apiaceae, Polygonaceae, etc., and preferable are plants of the genus Camellia, genus Oryza, genus Hordeum, genus Oil palm, genus Cacao, genus Arachis, genus Grape, genus Angelica, genus Buckwheat, etc., and more preferable are plants of the genus Camellia, genus Oryza, genus Hordeum vulgare, genus Cocos nucifera, genus Elaeis guineensis, genus Elaeis oleifera, genus Cacao, genus Arachis hypogaea, genus Vitis, genus Angelica, genus Angelica, genus keiskei) or buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) are more preferred, and tea leaves, tea leaves, rice straw, rice husks, coconut shells, coconut leaves, cacao skins, peanut skins, grape skins, angelica tree leaves, buckwheat husks, and barley seeds are even more preferred.

[0025] As used herein, the term "plant extraction residue" refers to the residue that remains when a plant body is immersed in a solvent to extract desired components into the solvent (solid-liquid extraction), and then the solvent (extract) containing the components is separated by filtration or other means.

[0026] In the extraction of plants, it is also possible to obtain crushed matter using a crusher or the like as described above and then subject the crushed matter to the extraction treatment. In addition, in the extraction treatment, for example, heating or stirring may be performed as necessary.

[0027] Examples of the extraction solvent include water and / or organic solvents (ethyl alcohol, oil, etc.) The solvent may be used by mixing with an extractant such as a chelating agent, acid, or alkali, if necessary.

[0028] Examples of plant extraction residues include, but are not limited to, used tea leaves obtained from tea leaves, coconut shells obtained from oil palm, coffee grounds obtained from coffee beans, potato waste, shochu lees, grape skins, awamori lees (moromi lees), etc. These extraction residues are waste materials that are discharged in large quantities during the production processes of tea, coffee beverages, shochu, wine, awamori, etc., and reusing them is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing the environmental load.

[0029] Used tea leaves are obtained from tea leaves, and examples thereof include used tea leaves after hot water extraction in the production of sencha, genmaicha, black tea, roasted green tea, oolong tea, etc.

[0030] Coconut shells are the residue left after oil is extracted from the fruits of oil palms and the like (also called palm fruits).

[0031] Extraction residues of plants other than those mentioned above may also be used. For example, it is also possible to use residues obtained by subjecting rice straw, cacao skin, peanut skin, grape skin, angelica tree leaves, buckwheat husks, barley seeds, etc., to hot water extraction.

[0032] The average particle size of the plant is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include 10 μm or more, 20 μm or more, 30 μm or more, 40 μm or more, 50 μm or more, 60 μm or more, 70 μm or more, 80 μm or more, 90 μm or more, 100 μm or more, 110 μm or more, 120 μm or more, 130 μm or more, 140 μm or more, 150 μm or more, 160 μm or more, 170 μm or more, 180 μm or more, 190 μm or more, 200 μm or more, 210 μm or more, 220 μm or more, etc. In addition, examples of the average particle size of the plant include 500 μm or less, 450 μm or less, less than 425 μm, 420 μm or less, 410 μm or less, 400 μm or less, etc. The average particle size of the plant may be, for example, 10 or more and less than 425 μm, 50 or more and less than 425 μm, 60 or more and less than 425 μm, 100 or more and less than 425 μm, 110 or more and less than 425 μm, 200 or more and less than 425 μm, 210 or more and less than 425 μm, 220 or more and less than 425 μm, 10 to 420 μm, 50 to 420 μm, 6 Examples of the average particle size include 0 to 420 μm, 100 to 420 μm, 110 to 420 μm, 200 to 420 μm, 210 to 420 μm, 220 to 420 μm, 10 to 210 μm, 50 to 210 μm, 60 to 210 μm, 100 to 210 μm, 110 to 210 μm, 10 to 110 μm, 50 to 210 μm, 60 to 210 μm, etc. Although not limited thereto, it is preferable that the formulation of the present invention contains crushed material having the above average particle size.

[0033] In one embodiment, the content of particles of the plant having an average particle size of less than 425 μm can be, for example, 30 mass % or more, 35 mass % or more, 40 mass % or more, or 45 mass % or more relative to the total amount of the plant.

[0034] In another embodiment, the content of particles of the plant having an average particle size of 210 or more and less than 425 μm can be, for example, 25 mass% or more, 30 mass% or more, 35 mass% or more, or 36 mass% or more relative to the total amount of the plant.

[0035] In the ice nucleating activator of the present invention, the content of the crushed plant material and / or its extraction residue is appropriately adjusted depending on the form of the formulation, the type and content of other components, etc., and is not limited, but can be, for example, 0.000001 mass% or more, 0.000005 mass% or more, 0.00001 mass% or more, 0.00005 mass% or more, 0.0001 mass% or more, 0.0005 mass% or more, 0.001 mass% or more, etc., based on the total amount of the formulation. In addition, the content of the crushed plant material and / or its extraction residue can be, for example, 99.999 mass% or less, 99.9 mass% or less, 99.5 mass% or less, 99 mass% or less, 98.5 mass% or less, 98 mass% or less, etc., based on the total amount of the formulation. In another embodiment, when prepared as a liquid formulation, the content of plant crushed material and / or its extraction residue can be, for example, but is not limited to, 80% by mass or less, relative to the total amount of the formulation, including 70% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 50% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 5% by mass or less, 1% by mass or less, etc.

[0036] [Application] The present invention can be used to suppress supercooling and promote ice nucleation, and is therefore suitable for use as an ice nucleation activator. In this specification, ice nucleation activity refers to an index that indicates the ease of phase transition from liquid to solid. The higher the ice nucleation activity, the more likely it is that freezing will occur at a temperature closer to 0°C. In other words, the higher the ice nucleation activity, the more likely it is that supercooling will be suppressed during freezing, and the less energy is required to achieve freezing.

[0037] In one embodiment, the ice nucleating activator can be used for the following applications, but is not limited to these: (1) Freezing and cryopreservation of various substances (2) Freezing and freezing foodstuffs that require safety (3) Energy-saving and power-saving applications in refrigeration equipment, cold storage equipment, and cold storage equipment (4) Liquid freeze concentration applications (5) Separation method using freeze concentration (6) Refrigeration applications at higher negative temperatures (7) Use in producing ice slurries (sherbet, etc.) (8) For cold-tight cultivation of vegetables, etc. (9) Freezing treatment for waste disposal and cleaning (10) Freeze detection (freeze indicator, etc.) (11) Freeze prevention applications (12) Uses such as artificial rain and snow

[0038] The ice nucleation activity can be measured by a known method, and is not limited thereto. For example, the activity can be measured by the following method.

[0039] A given amount of sample containing the test substance is placed in a test tube (17.5 x 130 mm), 10 ml of deionized water is added, a temperature sensor (Temperature Sensor Jr. RTR-502, T&D) is attached to each tube, and the tubes are immersed in a refrigerated thermostatic chamber set at -20°C in groups of 10 to gradually lower the temperature, and the temperature at which each tube forms ice nuclei is recorded. This method is hereafter referred to as the "test tube method" in this specification.

[0040] Generally, when measuring the ice nucleation temperature, one or two samples can be measured using the microdroplet freezing method, and the temperature at which 50% of 30 water droplets of 10 μL each freeze is taken as the ice nucleation temperature, and the same operation is carried out three times. However, although it is possible to measure the ice nucleation activity of each sample, it is not possible to measure other temperatures, such as the temperature at which ice crystals grow or the time it takes for all the water to freeze.

[0041] In the present invention, the test tube method measurement of a sample containing a test substance was carried out at least three times using 10 tubes, and the average value of the 30 measurement results was taken as the ice nucleation temperature of each sample.

[0042] The present invention can be used for, for example, a refrigeration device, a cold storage device, or a cold insulation device to suppress supercooling thereof and reduce power consumption.

[0043] The present invention can also be used to promote snowfall or rainfall by, for example, scattering the agent in the sky. It can also be used to prevent disasters by, for example, scattering the agent against typhoons, cyclones, and the like.

[0044] Furthermore, the present invention can also be used for weed control by, for example, promoting frost by spraying it on soil.

[0045] The present invention can also be used for freeze concentration, for example by acting on a supercooled liquid to promote ice nucleation of the solvent and removing the frozen solvent.

[0046] The present invention can also be used to suppress supercooling and freeze and store objects at an appropriate temperature, for example. Examples of objects include various aqueous solutions, gases, cells and tissues of humans, animals, plants, insects, seafood, microorganisms, etc., biological resources such as cultures, liquids and alcoholic beverages in which volatile flavor components are important, vegetables, seafood such as fresh fish, frozen foods, etc. [formulation] The composition of the present invention can be prepared as a solid preparation such as tablets, capsules, granules, powders, etc., or as a liquid preparation such as liquid, syrup, cream, lotion, paste, emulsion, gel, suspension, etc. For the solid preparation, for example, excipients, lubricants, binders, disintegrants, etc. can be used, and for the liquid preparation, for example, solvents, solubilizing agents, emulsifiers, emulsion stabilizers, thickeners, suspending agents, isotonicity agents, buffers, etc. can be used. EXAMPLES

[0047] Next, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to examples and test examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples and test examples.

[0048] [Test Example 1. Screening of ice nucleation active substances in plant resources] The ice nucleation temperature was evaluated using various plant crushed materials and extraction residues. Each sample used in the test was prepared as follows.

[0049] (Preparation of various plant crushed materials 1) In order to completely dry commercially purchased Sencha, Genmaicha, or Black Tea, a cooking sheet was placed on the tea and dried for 10 hours using a dry food maker (Apix AFD-550-WH). After drying, the tea was finely pulverized using a Magic Bread Deluxe (compact mixer) to obtain a crushed product. In the following, the pulverization process using the compact mixer was performed under the same conditions for each plant body.

[0050] (Preparation of various plant crushed materials 2) Rice straw, coconut shells, or sawdust purchased from a store were directly crushed into fine pieces using a Magic Bullet Deluxe (compact mixer) to produce crushed materials.

[0051] (Preparation of various plant extract residues 1) The residue of the plant extract of Sencha, Genmaicha, or Black tea after hot water extraction was dried for 10 hours on a cooking sheet using a dry food maker (Apix AFD-550-WH). After drying, it was finely crushed using a Magic Bread Deluxe (compact mixer) to obtain a crushed material.

[0052] (Preparation of various plant extract residues 2) In order to completely dry the rice straw, coconut shell, or sawdust extracted with hot water, a cooking sheet was placed on top of the rice straw, coconut shell, or sawdust and dried for 10 hours using a dry food maker (Apix Corporation, AFD-550-WH). After drying, the rice straw, coconut shell, or sawdust was finely crushed using a Magic Bread Deluxe (compact mixer) to obtain a crushed product.

[0053] The specific test method is as follows. A predetermined amount of 5 mg of sample containing the dried test substance was placed in a test tube (17.5 x 130 mm), 10 ml of deionized water was added, and each tube was immersed in a refrigerated incubator set to -20°C using a temperature sensor (Temperature Sensor Jr. RTR-502, T&D Co.) in groups of 10 to gradually lower the temperature, and the temperature at which ice nuclei formed in each tube was recorded. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0054] [Table 1]

[0055] As shown in Table 1, ice nucleation temperatures exceeding -2°C were confirmed in samples using crushed plant material derived from tea plants and rice, and extraction residues derived from tea plants, rice, and palm. With conventional technology, there have been few reports showing ice nucleation temperatures exceeding -2°C, and it was an unexpected result that extremely high ice nucleation activity was observed, especially in plant tissue that is highly safe for living organisms.

[0056] [Reference test example: Examination of factors that cause ice nucleation] In the above-mentioned Test Example 1, when the samples of Example 5 and Example 6 were compared, a large difference occurred in the ice nucleation temperature even though the samples were derived from the same coconut shell. Since Patent Document 1 reports the effect of calcium oxalate, the oxalic acid content in the samples of Example 5 and Example 6 was measured.

[0057] The specific test method is as follows. The oxalic acid was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) under the following conditions: Oxalic acid (Kanto Chemical Co., Ltd.) was used as the standard substance for determination. Equipment: LC-20AD (Shimadzu Corporation) Column: Shodex RSpak KC-811x2 (8.0mm ID x 300mm, Showa Denko) Eluent: 0.5w / v% phosphoric acid Flow rate: 1.0mL / min Column temperature: 30℃ Detector: UV-visible spectrophotometer SPD-20AV (Showa Denko) The results are shown in Table 2.

[0058] [Table 2]

[0059] In Test Example 1, the influence of oxalic acid was hypothesized as one of the factors that caused the extremely high ice nucleation temperature. However, as shown in the Reference Test Example, in both the samples of Example 5 and Example 6, the oxalic acid content was below the detection limit by high performance liquid chromatography, confirming that oxalic acid was not the only factor.

[0060] The reason why the samples in each Example of Test Example 1 showed extremely high ice nucleation temperatures is still unclear, but the following is thought to be the presumed mechanism: Ice nucleation is related to hydrophobicity, charge balance, particle shape of the powder of the test substance, etc., and it is presumed that the samples in each Example of Test Example 1 were influenced by the fact that they were made of a material with a high degree of hydrophobicity and a surface charge close to the isoelectric point of water.

[0061] [Test Example 2. Examination of the effect of the average particle size of plant extract residue on ice nucleation activity] Among the above-mentioned speculated mechanisms, the effect of the average particle size on ice nucleation activity was confirmed. In the above-mentioned Test Example 1, the crushing conditions for the crushed material of each plant body and the extraction residue were the same, so as an example, the average particle size of the crushed material of brown rice tea and the ice nucleation temperature for each particle size distribution were measured. The measurement of the ice nucleation temperature was the same as in Test Example 1. The specific method for measuring the average particle size is as follows. The crushed material or extraction residue prepared in Test Example 1 was measured for its volumetric arithmetic mean diameter using a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution analyzer (LA-960, manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.), and the measurement result was taken as the mean particle diameter. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0062] [Table 3]

[0063] As shown in Table 3, the ice nucleation temperature differs for each particle size distribution, and it was found that when the average particle size is equal to or smaller than a certain value, the ice nucleation temperature increases and the ice nucleation activity improves. Although this is one embodiment and is not intended to be limiting, the formulation of the present invention preferably contains crushed material having an average particle size of less than 425 μm, and more preferably contains crushed material having an average particle size of 210 to less than 425 μm.

Claims

1. An ice nucleating agent containing an effective amount of coconut.

2. The ice nucleating activator according to claim 1 , wherein the coconut is a coconut extraction residue.

3. The ice nucleation activator according to claim 1 or 2, which is used so that the ice nucleation temperature is from -2°C to 0°C.

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