Fatigue recovery agent, Anti-fatigue agent, and food / drink for fatigue recovery

Abstract

To provide a fatigue recovery agent that can be safely taken over a long period of time and can be used as food / drink or a medicine for prevention, symptom reduction, and improvement.SOLUTION: Provided is a fatigue recovery agent containing, as an active ingredient, a triglyceride represented by formula (I) (In the formula, each of R1, R2, and R3 is a saturated fatty acid residue, and at least one of these is a pentadecanoic acid residue).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fatigue recovery agent, an anti-fatigue agent, and a food or drink for fatigue recovery.

Background Art

[0002] Exercise usually starts with anaerobic exercise and then gradually shifts to aerobic exercise, which is maintained steadily. However, fatigue gradually accumulates, making exercise difficult. At this time, in the living body, phenomena such as a decrease in blood sugar level, which is an energy source, and an accumulation of lactic acid occur, and a certain amount of time is required to recover from the fatigued state to the original state.

[0003] In addition to the physical fatigue as described above, in recent years, central fatigue has become a problem along with the progress of informatization and the increase in mental stress. Central fatigue is one of the biological reactions that many people face in their daily lives with the changes in social life and aging. And it has become clear that the number of people suffering from chronic fatigue is increasing and the quality of fatigue is changing. Central fatigue is a factor that causes diseases such as sleep disorders, thermoregulatory disorders, decreased concentration and memorization ability, decreased judgment ability, decreased motivation, extreme physical decline, and depression due to autonomic nerve disorder.

[0004] Although many factors are considered to be involved in the formation of fatigue, it has been found that fatigue is also formed by viral infections and the like in addition to the physical stress and central (mental) stress as described above.

[0005] From these points, the demand for effective means for preventing and recovering fatigue is increasing. By the way, in recent years, due to the increasing interest in health, various foods and supplements have been provided as nutritional supplements. However, due to the increasing preference for natural rumors, materials closer to nature are preferred over artificial mixtures. Therefore, foods and supplements derived from natural materials have attracted attention, and some natural material-derived ones have been proposed as those having a fatigue recovery effect or a fatigue prevention effect.

[0006] For example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 describe amino acid compositions containing specific amino acids in specific quantitative ratios. In Patent Document 3, royal jelly with a specific protein content is used as a blood glucose level maintenance agent that has the effect of preventing a decrease in blood glucose level. Patent Document 4 also describes an amino acid composition containing specific amino acids. Furthermore, Patent Document 5 discloses an anti-fatigue agent containing uracil, uridylic acid, or a uridine derivative as an active ingredient. Patent Document 6 discloses an anti-fatigue agent containing an extract of a plant belonging to the genus Marchantia and an extract of a plant belonging to the genus Urtica as active ingredients. Patent Document 7 proposes a natural muscle slow-twitching promoting agent containing a high-molecular polyphenol extracted from fermented tea such as oolong tea and black tea, which is effective in enhancing endurance and recovering from fatigue, as an active ingredient. Also, Patent Document 8 discloses a yeast extract-containing composition having an effect on preventing and recovering fatigue, which comprises (I) a yeast extract having a vitamin B1 content of 0.1 to 12%, (II) a yeast extract having a peptide content of 40 to 80%, and (III) a yeast extract having a glutathione content of 5 to 50%, and wherein the ratio (I):(II):(III) of the above (I) to (III) is in the range of 6 to 3:3 to 1:2 to 1. Patent Document 9 discloses a composition having an anti-fatigue effect, which contains, as an active ingredient, a component extracted from the seeds of Coix lacryma-jobi with water, an organic solvent compatible with water, or a mixture of these in any ratio. Patent Document 10 discloses a fatigue recovery agent containing, as an active ingredient, at least one plant selected from the group consisting of plants belonging to the genus Belamcanda of the Iridaceae family, plants belonging to the genus Solanum of the Solanaceae family, plants belonging to the genus Eucalyptus of the Myrtaceae family, and plants belonging to the genus Tabebuia of the Bignoniaceae family and / or an extract from the plant.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

[0008] Conventionally known compositions or products having effects on fatigue recovery and the like, those that are more effective, can be taken safely over a long period, and in particular, are not only for special people such as athletes, but also for ordinary people to maintain stamina in their work and for daily intake as something that can improve a vibrant lifestyle and can also improve chronic fatigue. From such viewpoints, something even better is desired. The present invention has been made from the above viewpoints, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a new anti-fatigue agent or physical strength enhancer that can be safely used over a long period. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0009] As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that a triglyceride composed mainly of pentadecanoic acid (C15) (pentadecanoic acid triglyceride: hereinafter may be referred to as "PdATG") improves fatigue recovery and fatigue feeling, and thus completed the present invention. Although the present inventors have previously assumed to some extent that PdATG and PdATG-containing oil can improve various diseases by relieving endoplasmic reticulum stress through ingestion, improvement of fatigue recovery and fatigue feeling has not been conventionally known and has been newly found this time.

[0010] The fatigue recovery agent according to the first aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is represented by the following formula (I):

[0011] [Chemical formula]

[0012] (In the formula, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each a saturated fatty acid residue, and at least one of them is a pentadecanoic acid residue.) containing a triglyceride represented by the formula as an active ingredient.

[0013] In one embodiment of this fatigue recovery agent, in the triglyceride of formula (I), it is preferable that R 1 and R 2 or R 1 and R 3 are pentadecanoic acid residues. In another embodiment, any one of R 1 , R 2 and R 3 may be a tridecyl acid (C13), myristic acid residue (C14), palmitic acid residue (C16) or margaric acid residue (C17).

[0014] Also, in another preferred embodiment, R 1 , R 2 and R 3The triglyceride of formula (I) in which all of them are pentadecanoic acid residues, and R 1 , R 2 and R 3 wherein any two of them are pentadecanoic acid residues and the other one is a myristic acid or palmitic acid residue, may be included.

[0015] In yet another preferred embodiment of the fatigue recovery agent of the present invention, the triglyceride of formula (I) is derived from algae of the genus Aurantiochytrium or Schizochytrium, wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each a saturated fatty acid residue, and at least one of them is a pentadecanoic acid residue, and it may be a triglyceride. Further, it may be a mixture containing unsaturated fatty acids derived from algae of the genus Aurantiochytrium or Schizochytrium.

[0016] In a second aspect of the present invention, an anti-fatigue agent containing the triglyceride represented by the above formula (I) as an active ingredient is provided.

[0017] In a third aspect of the present invention, a food or drink for fatigue recovery containing the triglyceride represented by the above formula (I) as an active ingredient is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the composition containing the triglyceride according to the present invention, by ingesting this, it is possible to recover from fatigue and improve the feeling of fatigue, and it can be taken for a long time to provide foods and drinks or drugs for fatigue recovery, fatigue prevention, symptom reduction, and improvement.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Next, the present invention will be described in more detail based on embodiments. It should be noted that each of the embodiments described below does not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all of the elements and their combinations described in each embodiment are essential for the solution means of the present invention.

[0021] (Active ingredient) In the present specification, PdATG means an ester of at least one pentadecanoic acid and glycerol, and R shown in the following formula (I) 1 , R 2 and R 3 of at least one, preferably any two, for example, R 1 and R 2 or R 1 and R 3 is more preferably R 1 , R 2 and R 3 including a triglyceride in which all three are pentadecanoic acid residues. The bonding position of pentadecanoic acid to glycerol may be any of the 1st to 3rd positions.

[0022]

Chemical formula

[0023] (In the formula, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each a saturated fatty acid residue, and at least one of them is a pentadecanoic acid residue.)

[0024] In the formula, R 1 , R 2and R 3 Any one of the residues represented by may be a saturated fatty acid residue other than the pentadecanoic acid residue. "Saturated fatty acid" is a general term for fatty acids that do not have double bonds or triple bonds in the molecule, and is represented by the chemical formula C n H 2n+1 COOH. This saturated fatty acid is a linear or branched saturated fatty acid, such as capric acid (C10), lauric acid (C12), tridecylic acid (C13), myristic acid (C14), pentadecanoic acid (C15), palmitic acid (C16), margaric acid (C17), stearic acid (C18), arachidic acid (C20), behenic acid (C22), lignoceric acid (C24), and cerotic acid (C26) and other linear saturated fatty acids, and branched saturated fatty acids such as 2-hexyldecanoic acid (C16), 13-methylpentadecanoic acid (C16), 16-methylheptadecanoic acid (C18).

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, PdATG is R 1 、R 2 and R 3 All of are pentadecanoic acid residues of the triglyceride of the above formula (I), and R 1 、R 2 and R 3 Any two of are pentadecanoic acid residues, and the other one is a triglyceride containing a myristic acid or palmitic acid residue. The content ratio of the two in this mixture is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1:2 to 2:1 by mass, and more preferably approximately 1:1. In addition, each of these is contained in an amount of 10% by mass or more, preferably 20% by mass or more, based on the total amount of the triglyceride. Furthermore, it is more preferable that a mixture of triglycerides containing two or more residues of pentadecanoic acid is contained in an amount of 50% by mass or more in the oil and fat.

[0026] In a more preferred embodiment, PdATG is represented by the following formula (II) or (III).

[0027]

Chemical formula

[0028] (However, in the above formulas (II) and (III), R is a saturated fatty acid having 14 to 16 carbon atoms.) It is more preferable that a mixture of triglycerides containing two or more residues of pentadecanoic acid is contained in an amount of 50% by mass or more in the oil and fat. However, even if the content of triglycerides containing two or more residues of pentadecanoic acid is 50% by mass or less, the object can be achieved by increasing the intake amount. Therefore, the active ingredient of the present invention may exist in the state of a mixture with triglycerides other than the compound of formula (I), and if it is contained in a purity of at least 1% by mass, preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, based on the total amount of triglycerides, the mixture itself can exhibit the function as an active ingredient.

[0029] The active ingredient of the present invention may exist in the state of a mixture with triglycerides other than the compound of formula (I), and if it is contained in a purity of at least 1% by mass, preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, based on the total amount of triglycerides, the mixture itself can exhibit the function as an active ingredient.

[0030] The active ingredient of the present invention has at least one, preferably two or more, odd-chain fatty acids, particularly pentadecanoic acid, in the molecule, and it is considered that by ingesting this, it can recover from fatigue or suppress fatigue and exert an action of leading to a healthy and normal state.

[0031] (Method for producing a triglyceride mixture) The triglyceride mixture, which is the active ingredient of the present invention, may be chemically synthesized or naturally occurring. When it is natural, its source is not particularly limited. Examples include lipids produced by organisms in vivo, such as fats of livestock and poultry, oils and fats of seafood, vegetable oils, or lipid-producing microorganisms. From the perspective of industrial productivity, microorganisms such as algae, bacteria, fungi (including yeasts), and / or protists are preferred. Preferred microorganisms include those selected from the group consisting of golden algae (such as microorganisms in the stramenopile kingdom), green algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, yeasts, and fungi of the genera Mortierella and Mucor. Members of the microbial group stramenopiles include microalgae. Microalgae refer to those with a cell size of 1 μm to 100 μm in diameter among the remaining organisms that perform oxygen-generating photosynthesis, excluding moss plants, fern plants, and seed plants. Also included are labyrinthulids, which are protists closely related to microalgae. Labyrinthulids are heterotrophic marine eukaryotic microorganisms that do not perform photosynthesis and are widely distributed mainly in subtropical and tropical regions. Generally, labyrinthulids are broadly classified into the family Labyrinthulidae and the family Thraustochytriidae, and belong to genera such as Labyrinthula, Aurantiochytrium, Schizochytrium, Thraustochytrium, Aplanochytrium, Oblongichytrium, Botryochytrium, and Japonochytrium.

[0032] As the labyrinthulids to be cultured, the genus Aurantiochytrium, the genus Schizochytrium, or the genus Thraustochytrium is more preferred. These types have a relatively high ability to produce substances such as lipids and can produce hydrocarbons such as squalene, so they are suitably used for food applications, raw material applications for biofuels, and the like.

[0033] The cultivation of Labyrinthulomycetes may be carried out by any culture method such as batch culture, continuous culture, fed-batch culture, etc. Also, the cultivation of Labyrinthulomycetes can be carried out by an appropriate culture method such as shaking culture, aeration culture, aeration stirring culture, air-lift culture, static culture, etc. Among these culture methods, aeration stirring culture or air-lift culture is more preferable. As the culture apparatus used for the cultivation of Labyrinthulomycetes, for example, a mechanical stirring type reactor, an air-lift type reactor, a packed bed type reactor, a fluidized bed type reactor, etc. can be used. As the culture vessel, various vessels such as a tank, a jar fermenter, a flask, a dish, a culture bag, a tube, a test tube, etc. can be used according to the purpose of the culture, the culture volume, etc. The culture vessel may be made of an appropriate material such as an inorganic material such as stainless steel or glass, or an organic material such as polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate copolymer, polypropylene, etc.

[0034] The cultivation of Labyrinthulomycetes can be carried out under appropriate temperature conditions, pH conditions, aeration conditions, etc. The culture temperature is preferably 5°C or higher and 40°C or lower, more preferably 10°C or higher and 35°C or lower, and even more preferably 10°C or higher and 30°C or lower. Also, the pH is preferably 2 or higher and 11 or lower, more preferably 4 or higher and 9 or lower, and even more preferably 6 or higher and 8 or lower.

[0035] The cultivation of Labyrinthulomycetes can be carried out while subculturing at appropriate intervals according to the genus and species of Labyrinthulomycetes, the medium composition, the culture conditions, etc. For example, after starting the culture, the logarithmic growth phase of Labyrinthulomycetes ends in about 2 days and enters the death phase in about 7 days. Therefore, the subculture of Labyrinthulomycetes is preferably carried out at intervals of 1 day or more and 10 days or less, more preferably at intervals of 2 days or more and 7 days or less, and even more preferably at intervals of 2 days or more and 5 days or less. Also, the culture time of Labyrinthulomycetes can be set as an appropriate time according to the genus and species of Labyrinthulomycetes, the medium composition, the culture conditions, the purpose of the culture, etc. In particular, the Aurantiochytrium genus of Labyrinthulomycetes algae is a heterotrophic alga that inhabits brackish waters, assimilates nutrients in water to produce lipids, and accumulates them in cells, so it is preferable.

[0036] For the algae of the genus Aurantiochytrium, it is preferable to use strains with excellent ability to produce the desired triglycerides. Such algal strains may be those naturally collected and isolated, those cloned through mutagenesis and screening, or those established using genetic recombination techniques. For example, Aurantiochytrium sp. SA-96 strain, NIES-3737 strain, Aurantiochytrium NB6-3 strain, or Aurantiochytrium mh1959 strain are particularly preferred as the microorganisms used for the production of pentadecanoic acid triglycerides of the present invention because they have the property of accumulating a large amount of triglycerides containing pentadecanoic acid (PDA) of odd-chain fatty acids and triglycerides containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) of highly unsaturated fatty acids intracellularly.

[0037] The cultivation of the above-mentioned algae of the genus Aurantiochytrium is carried out by a method established in the technical field. That is, normal maintenance culture is carried out by sowing algae in a medium with appropriately prepared components according to established methods. The medium for culturing the algae of the genus Aurantiochytrium essentially contains salts, a carbon source, and a nitrogen source. Generally, for the culture of microalgae, a so-called GTY medium (10 - 40 g / L of artificial seawater, 20 - 100 g / L of D(+)-glucose, 10 - 60 g / L of tryptone, 5 - 40 g / L of yeast extract) is used.

[0038] Examples of the carbon source include sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose. These carbon sources are added at a concentration of, for example, 20 - 120 g per liter of the medium.

[0039] The algae of the genus Aurantiochytrium are marine algae, and an appropriate amount of artificial seawater is added to the medium. Preferably, the artificial seawater is added so that the salt concentration of the final medium is about 10% (v / v) to about 100% (v / v) of seawater (salt concentration 3.4% (w / v)), for example, the salt concentration is about 1.0 - 3.0% (w / v).

[0040] Generally, various nitrogen sources can be added to the culture medium for microalgae, such as organic nitrogen like sodium glutamate and urea, or inorganic nitrogen like ammonium acetate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, sodium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, or biological-derived digests like yeast extract, corn steep liquor, polypeptone, peptone, tryptone, etc. In particular, as the nitrogen source added to the medium used for culturing algae of the genus Aurantiochytrium, cell extracts obtained by extracting the liquid components from various animal cells are preferably used. When cells have to be cultured in large quantities on an industrial scale to obtain cultured cell products, the use of cell extracts rich in nutrients such as amino acids, nucleic acids, vitamins, and minerals derived from cells and available at low cost is extremely advantageous.

[0041] However, as described above, when using a medium prepared based on cell extracts, the proportion of odd-chain fatty acids in the triglycerides produced by the cultured algae significantly decreases. Therefore, when efficiently producing the target product of the present invention, it has not been possible to use cell extracts as the nitrogen source of the medium. Thus, the present inventors cultured algae of the genus Aurantiochytrium in an algal culture medium prepared by adding a strongly acid-treated cell extract, and found that the production amount of odd-chain fatty acids increased dramatically compared to the case of adding a non-treated cell extract, and have already reported a method for producing triglycerides containing odd-chain fatty acids as a main component (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-063633).

[0042] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, for the basal medium for culturing Aurantiochytrium algae, valine is added at 10 - 50 mM and sodium propionate at 10 - 50 mM to a medium supplemented with 2% or more glucose, 0.5 - 4% sodium glutamate, 0.1 - 2% yeast extract, 1 - 3.3% seawater salt, and 2 - 20% whey (animal or vegetable). Animal or vegetable whey is preferably soy whey (tofu whey). To this basal medium, 2% or more glucose, 0.5 - 4% sodium glutamate, 0.1 - 2% yeast extract, 1 - 3.3% seawater salt, and 2 - 20% whey (animal or vegetable) are used to add 2% or more of the culture solution of Aurantiochytrium precultured at 20 - 30°C for 72 hours. Air is aerated through this culture solution added with Aurantiochytrium, and gently stirred. The culture is carried out at 20 - 30°C and the pH is maintained at 5.0 - 8.5 (for pH adjustment, a 1.0 M NaOH solution is used) for 48 - 200 hours. After culturing, Aurantiochytrium cells that have produced pentadecanoic acid triglyceride can be recovered by centrifugation (see WO2020 / 054804 pamphlet).

[0043] The pellet recovered from the culture solution obtained by the method as described above by centrifugation, filtration, or the like is dried by freeze-drying, drying by heating, or the like. Alternatively, the medium in which the algal cells are suspended after culturing may be directly used in the triglyceride extraction step. The extraction may be performed multiple times using different organic solvents. As the organic solvent, a mixed solution of a polar solvent and a weakly polar solvent such as an n-hexane / ethanol mixed solvent, a chloroform / methanol mixed solvent, or an ethanol / diethyl ether mixed solvent can be used. The obtained extract is purified by a method known to those skilled in the art.

[0044] As a method for separating triglycerides, a fractionation method known to those skilled in the art is employed. Separation and purification may be performed by utilizing various physicochemical properties of the triglyceride molecules to be fractionated, such as polarity, solubility in solvents, melting point, specific gravity, molecular weight, etc. Preferably, column chromatography technology is used. The conditions of the triglyceride separation means can be set by those skilled in the art through normal condition studies depending on the composition of the triglyceride mixture and the type of triglyceride to be fractionated.

[0045] Algae belonging to the genera Schizochytrium and Aurantiochytrium can synthesize and accumulate both odd-chain fatty acid triglycerides and highly unsaturated fatty acid triglycerides intracellularly. Therefore, ethanol, hexane, or ethyl acetate is added to the obtained algal cells to extract lipids, and then the solvent is distilled off to obtain algal lipids. By allowing this lipid to stand at 5°C, pentadecanoic acid triglyceride can be precipitated. The composition of the purified pentadecanoic acid triglyceride "PdATG" can be analyzed by HPLC-MS, HPLC, gas chromatography, etc.

[0046] Algae belonging to the genus Aurantiochytrium can synthesize and accumulate both odd-chain fatty acid triglycerides and highly unsaturated fatty acid triglycerides intracellularly. Therefore, hexane or ethyl acetate is added to the obtained Aurantiochytrium cells to extract lipids, and then hydrogen peroxide solution is added to this lipid solution or ozone is bubbled through to oxidatively decompose the unsaturated fatty acids. After completion of the reaction, the oxides are removed with sodium hydrogen carbonate and sodium carbonate or an ion exchange resin to obtain pentadecanoic acid triglyceride "PdATG". The composition of the purified pentadecanoic acid triglyceride "PdATG" can be analyzed by HPLC-MS, HPLC, gas chromatography, etc.

[0047] (Fatigue recovery agent)

[0048] The fatigue recovery agent according to the first aspect of the present invention is characterized by containing the pentadecanoic acid triglyceride represented by the above formula (I) as an active ingredient.

[0049] It suffices to contain at least tristearin pentadecanoate represented by the above formula (I) as an active ingredient. The tristearin pentadecanoate may be not only in the form of a purified product, but also, for example, in a state where it is used in a state where the oil and fat extracted from the cultured algae as described above, that is, the tristearin pentadecanoate represented by the above formula (I) exists in a mixture with triglycerides other than the compound of formula (I).

[0050] The anti-fatigue agent according to the present invention can be administered not only to humans, but also to mammals including domestic animals such as cows, horses, pigs, and goats, and pet animals such as dogs and cats, and exhibits an effect.

[0051] The anti-fatigue agent according to the present invention may contain only the compound of formula (I) as an active ingredient, or may contain other components as long as it does not inhibit the anti-fatigue or anti-fatigue effect. The other components may be, for example, components conventionally used and considered to have an anti-fatigue effect, such as various amino acids.

[0052] In addition, the anti-fatigue agent according to the present invention can be orally administered, and can be prepared in the form of a granule, powder, tablet (including sugar-coated tablet), pill, capsule, syrup, emulsion, suspension, etc. as a dosage form suitable for oral administration. These preparations can be formulated using a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier by a method commonly practiced in the art. Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include excipients, binders, diluents, additives, fragrances, buffers, thickeners, colorants, stabilizers, emulsifiers, dispersants, suspending agents, preservatives, and the like.

[0053] Although not particularly limited, more specifically, for example, when manufacturing a pharmaceutical product by blending the triglyceride pentadecanoate represented by the above formula (I), for example, saccharides such as dextrin and starch; proteins such as gelatin, soy protein, and corn protein; amino acids such as alanine, glutamine, and isoleucine; polysaccharides such as cellulose and gum arabic; oils and fats such as soybean oil and medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides, etc., any auxiliary agent can be added and formulated into any dosage form.

[0054] Although the blending amount of the triglyceride pentadecanoate represented by the above formula (I) in the anti-fatigue agent according to the present invention is not particularly limited, the intake amount of triglyceride pentadecanoate per adult per day, which is a concentration showing effectiveness, is preferably adjusted to be about 1 to 1000 mg, for example, about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 80, 100, 150, 200, 300, 500, 800, 1000 mg.

[0055] Moreover, the anti-fatigue agent according to the present invention is not limited to the form of oral administration, and can also be in the form of parenteral administration, for example, in the form of injections, infusions, etc. Also in this case, it can be formulated using pharmaceutically acceptable auxiliary agents, carriers, etc. by the methods commonly used in the art.

[0056] (Anti-fatigue agent)

[0057] The anti-fatigue agent according to the second aspect of the present invention is characterized by containing the triglyceride pentadecanoate represented by the above formula (I) as an active ingredient. Basically, it is the same as the fatigue recovery agent according to the first aspect, but from the viewpoint of ingestion for preventing fatigue, although it is not particularly limited in enhancing the freedom of the ingestion timing and the number of ingestion times, it is also possible to adopt a lower concentration as the amount of the active ingredient. For example, the amount of triglyceride pentadecanoate ingested per day by an adult can be within the range from a low value such as 1 mg or less, for example, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 mg to about 100 mg. Regarding other points, in order to avoid duplication with the description of the fatigue recovery agent according to the first aspect, the description is omitted.

[0058] (Food and drink) The food and drink according to the third aspect of the present invention contains the triglyceride pentadecanoate represented by the above formula (I) as an active ingredient. It can be ingested over a long period as a preventive food and drink before feeling fatigue in order to exert an anti-fatigue effect before feeling fatigue and for fatigue recovery, and is useful as a health food for that purpose. It has been reported that pentadecanoic acid, which constitutes PdATG, is contained in small amounts in the edible parts of meat such as cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep, fish living in rivers and seas, and mushrooms. Furthermore, although PdATG is contained in extremely trace amounts, it is presumed to be highly safe based on long years of eating experience.

[0059] Therefore, the food and drink of the present embodiment is useful as a health food taken for health promotion. Here, "health food" means a food and drink intended to be used for the purpose of recovering from fatigue such as physical and / or central fatigue, preventing fatigue, or preventing its progression, or in addition to this, for the purpose of preventing and / or treating various diseases associated with fatigue, and refers to a "health food" in a broad sense including functional display foods, nutritional functional foods, or foods for specified health use, etc. that satisfy the standards regarding safety and effectiveness determined by the state in the "Health Functional Food System".

[0060] When manufacturing food and drink products by blending the pentadecanoic acid triglyceride represented by the above formula (I), for example, saccharides such as dextrin and starch; proteins such as gelatin, soy protein, and corn protein; amino acids such as alanine, glutamine, and isoleucine; polysaccharides such as cellulose and gum arabic; oils and fats such as soybean oil and medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides, and other optional adjuvants can be added and formulated into any dosage form.

[0061] Also, the blending amount of the pentadecanoic acid triglyceride represented by the above formula (I) in the food and drink products of the present invention is not particularly limited, but considering the general intake amount of the food to which it is added, it is preferable to adjust the intake amount of pentadecanoic acid triglyceride per adult per day to be about 1 to 100 mg per day, for example, about 5 to 50 mg per day.

[0062] Specific examples of the above foods include, for example, beverages such as soft drinks, carbonated beverages, nutritional beverages, fruit beverages, and lactic acid beverages (including concentrated liquids and powdered preparations for these beverages); frozen desserts such as ice cream, ice sherbet, and shaved ice; noodles such as buckwheat noodles, udon noodles, glass noodles, dumpling wrappers, shumai wrappers, Chinese noodles, and instant noodles; confectioneries such as candies, candies, gums, chocolates, snacks, biscuits, jellies, jams, creams, and baked confectioneries; processed fishery and livestock products such as kamaboko, ham, and sausage; dairy products such as processed milk and fermented milk; oils and fats and oil and fat processed foods such as salad oil, tempura oil, margarine, mayonnaise, shortening, whipped cream, and dressing; seasonings such as sauces and tare; various forms of health and nutritional supplements such as tablets and granules; and other examples include soups, stews, salads, side dishes, and pickles.

[0063] The food according to the present invention may contain various food additives, for example, antioxidants, fragrances, various esters, organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic acids, inorganic acid salts, inorganic salts, pigments, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, sweeteners, acidulants, fruit juice extracts, vegetable extracts, nectar extracts, pH adjusters, quality stabilizers, and other additives may be blended alone or in combination.

[0064] The content concentration of pentadecanoic acid triglyceride in the food according to the present invention is about 0.00001 to 100% by mass (hereinafter represented by %), preferably about 0.0005 to 50% as a solid content, and usability and good effects can be obtained when it is contained at such a concentration.

[0065] Next, examples will be given to explain the present invention in more detail, but the present invention is not restricted by these examples in any way. In the following examples, the unit % indicating the addition amount of various components means mass %.

Examples

[0066] (Production Example 1) Production of pentadecanoic acid triglyceride using Aurantiochytrium Aurantiochytrium mh1959 strain (purchased from Professor Masahiro Hayashi, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, National University Corporation) was precultured at 25°C for 72 hours using a medium containing 3.6% glucose, 0.5% sodium glutamate, 0.2% yeast extract, 1% seawater salt, and 10% whey. This was added to the following basic medium to a concentration of 2%, aerated with air, and gently stirred. 1 kg of the basic medium was prepared by adding 50 mM valine and 25 mM sodium propionate to a medium containing 3.6% glucose, 0.5% sodium glutamate, 0.2% yeast extract, 1% seawater salt, and 10% whey. The culture was carried out at 25°C while maintaining the pH at 7.40 - 7.75 (using a 1.0 M NaOH solution for pH adjustment) for 72 - 96 hours.

[0067] After the culture, centrifugation was carried out at 3000 rpm for 15 minutes to recover about 20 g of algal cells. Hexane or ethyl acetate was added to 20 g of the obtained algal cells of Aurantiochytrium to extract lipids. Hydrogen peroxide solution was added to the extracted lipid solution (adding water as necessary), and ozone was bubbled through at room temperature. After the reaction was completed, oxides were removed using sodium hydrogen carbonate and sodium carbonate or an ion exchange resin, and 2 g of a pentadecanoic acid triglyceride mixture that precipitated with a decrease in temperature was obtained.

[0068] (Composition analysis of pentadecanoic acid triglyceride) To the lipid containing the tristearin obtained in Production Example 1, 0.50 mL of 14% BF3-methanol and 0.25 mL of methyl acetate were added, and the mixture was heated at 70 °C for 30 minutes to obtain methyl esters of fatty acids (FAME). Exactly 1.0 mL of n-hexane and 5 mL of physiological saline were added to the reaction solution, and the mixture was vigorously mixed. The mixture was centrifuged at 2800 rpm for 10 minutes, and the n-hexane layer was used as a sample for gas chromatography.

[0069] The above sample was analyzed using a gas chromatograph GC-2025 manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation. The analysis conditions were as follows: an Agilent J&W GC column DB-23 (30 m × 0.25 mm) was used, 1 μL of the sample was injected, and detection was performed with an FID (hydrogen flame ionization detector) using a carrier gas (He, 14 psi). The molecular species of FAME were identified based on the retention times of fatty acid methyl ester standards (manufactured by GL Sciences Inc.). The fatty acid composition was determined from the area ratio. The determined composition is a mass ratio. The ratio of odd-chain fatty acids was determined by multiplying the ratio (%) of odd-chain fatty acids (C13, C15, C17) to the total amount of fatty acids. The obtained results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0070] [Table 1]

[0071] From the results shown in Table 1, the content of odd-chain fatty acids in the triglyceride obtained in Production Example 1 was 68.3% by mass ratio. Also, it was found that the fatty acid was mainly a triglyceride composed of pentadecanoic acid residues (C15) and palmitic acid residues (C16).

[0072] (Mass spectrometry of tristearin) The lipid containing the pentadecanoic acid triglyceride obtained in Production Example 1 was analyzed by mass spectrometry using an Orbitrap mass spectrometer Exactive Plus (DART ion source manufactured by AMR) manufactured by Thermo Fischer. As a result, from the fragment composition of the main mass spectral peaks, the pentadecanoic acid triglyceride obtained in Production Example 1 was found to be a triglyceride mixture mainly containing a triglyceride formed only by pentadecanoic acid residues (C15) and a triglyceride containing one unit of palmitic acid residue (C16) in two units of pentadecanoic acid residues (C15).

[0073] (Example 1) Fatigue recovery effect by PdATG In order to examine the effect of PdATG, the following experiment was conducted.

[0074] · Test method Hexane was added to Aurantiochytrium cells obtained by culturing Aurantiochytrium algae in the same manner as in Production Example 1 to extract the lipid, and the resulting oil and fat was filled into soft capsules to make it in an easy-to-take form and used as a test food. The content per capsule of the test food was 30 ml of Aurantiochytrium-derived oil and fat, and each capsule contained 6 mg of PdATG. The components of the soft capsule film consisted of gelatin, glycerin, and glycerin fatty acid ester.

[0075] The subjects were 20 men and women aged 41 to 58 years (average 49 years) who felt daily fatigue by self-report. Their participation in the test was based on their own free will and was a complete free participation. Even immediately before the test or during the monitor test, they could freely discontinue their participation in the test, and it was assumed that they would not suffer any disadvantage just because they declined. In addition, as the exclusion criteria for the subjects, · Persons who may show allergic symptoms to foods, edible oils and fats, fish oils, etc. · Persons who may show allergic symptoms due to the components of the test product were set.

[0076] The dosage was 1 capsule of the test food per day, and the subjects took it for 30 days. For the evaluation, the results of the questionnaire sheets (Figure 3) filled in by the patients immediately before the test (day 0), 1 week after the start of the test (1W), and at the end of the test (30 days) were tabulated according to the following point scoring, and the changes from day 0 to 1W and 30 days were examined.

[0077] Points 5 "Strongly feel" 4 "Slightly feel" 3 "Sometimes feel" 2 "Don't feel much" 1 "Don't feel"

[0078] The obtained results are shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2. As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, as a result of taking the product, an improvement effect was observed in all items, and significant differences were observed in many items. Therefore, it was judged that taking the product brought about fatigue recovery or an anti-fatigue effect. Regarding the statistical analysis, all experimental results were expressed as mean ± standard error. The statistical analysis was performed using Tukey's test or Dunnett's test.

Claims

1. The following formula (I): 【Chemical 1】 (wherein R １ , R ２ and R ３ are each a saturated fatty acid residue, and at least one of them is a pentadecanoic acid residue.) A fatigue recovery agent containing a triglyceride represented by the formula as an active ingredient.

2. R in formula (1) １ and R ２ or R １ and R ３ The fatigue recovery agent according to claim 1, comprising, as an active ingredient, a triglyceride in which R and R and R are pentadecanoic acid residues.

3. R in formula (1) １ , R ２ and R ３ The fatigue recovery agent according to claim 1 or 2, wherein any one of them contains, as an active ingredient, a triglyceride in which any one of them is tridecylic acid (C13), myristic acid residue (C14), palmitic acid residue (C16) or margaric acid residue (C17).

4. R in formula (1) １ , R ２ and R ３ All of which are pentadecanoic acid residues, and a triglyceride, and R in formula (1) １ , R ２ and R ３ The fatigue recovery agent according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a triglyceride in which any two of them are pentadecanoic acid residues and the other one is a myristic acid or palmitic acid residue.

5. The anti-fatigue agent according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the triglyceride of formula (I) is derived from algae of the genus Aurantiochytrium or Schizochytrium.

6. An anti-fatigue agent containing the triglyceride according to claim 1 as an active ingredient.

7. A food or drink for fatigue recovery containing the triglyceride according to claim 1 as an active ingredient.

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