Bifidobacterium-containing composition

Abstract

To provide a composition that contains bifidobacterium powder and lactic acid bacterium powder, while preventing coloration during preservation under high-humidity conditions.SOLUTION: A powdered composition contains bifidobacterium powder and lactic acid bacterium powder, and further contains a specified amount of starch and / or sucrose fatty acid ester.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bifidobacterium-containing composition. More specifically, the present invention relates to a powder composition containing bifidobacteria powder, lactic acid bacteria powder, and starch and / or sucrose fatty acid ester, in which the bifidobacteria powder accounts for 30 to 76% by mass, the lactic acid bacteria powder for 6 to 15% by mass, and the starch for 8 to 60% by mass and / or the sucrose fatty acid ester for 10 to 60% by mass relative to the total amount of the powder composition, thereby improving coloration over time. [Background technology]

[0002] Beneficial intestinal bacteria are known to improve the intestinal flora and intestinal environment and have various health benefits such as regulating the intestines. Conventionally, attempts have been made to improve health functions by taking pharmaceutical preparations, health foods, etc. containing beneficial intestinal bacteria.

[0003] Known useful intestinal bacteria include bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria. For example, bifidobacteria produce organic acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid in the intestine, which lower the pH in the intestine, thereby suppressing harmful bacteria and regulating the intestinal environment. They are also known to have anti-allergy effects such as alleviating hay fever, preventing infections such as influenza, and improving brain function. Lactic acid bacteria are known to produce lactic acid and regulate the intestinal environment. They are also known to have effects such as stress relief, maintenance of immune function, and improved skin moisture. In order to obtain these multiple effects simultaneously, there is a demand for the ability to easily ingest multiple useful intestinal bacteria simultaneously.

[0004] Various methods have been reported for stably preserving beneficial intestinal bacteria such as bifidobacteria in a composition.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a solid preparation containing starch in the range of 5 to 35% by mass, beneficial intestinal bacteria, and one or more additives, wherein the method uses starch and beneficial intestinal bacteria with a loss on drying of 4% or less, and lists tablets and capsules as examples of the solid preparation.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses that when sucrose fatty acid esters are used as binders for tablets, there is little inactivation of bifidobacteria during tableting, and the tablets are stable.

[0007] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a large intestine delivery capsule formulation having a capsule containing useful colon bacteria, the capsule having a chitosan-containing layer and an enteric substrate-containing layer in that order from the inside out, and encapsulating a sucrose fatty acid ester in an amount of 0.5 to 25% by mass based on the total amount of contents of the capsule, which has excellent storage stability of the encapsulated useful colon bacteria and can deliver a sufficient amount of active useful colon bacteria to the large intestine to exert an excellent health effect.

[0008] In the hope that combining multiple beneficial intestinal bacteria would produce a higher effect, a combination of bifidobacteria powder and lactic acid bacteria powder was formulated, and it was found that, compared to the case of bifidobacteria alone, coloring of the composition became visible, particularly during storage under high humidity conditions. Coloring can cause problems such as a decrease in commercial value, and therefore there is a demand for compositions that do not color over time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-158947 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-088133 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-149681 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a composition which contains bifidobacteria powder and lactic acid bacteria powder and which does not discolor over time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] As a result of extensive research to solve the above problems, the inventors discovered that discoloration of a composition during storage under high-humidity conditions can be suppressed by incorporating a certain amount of starch and / or sucrose fatty acid ester into the composition, and thus completed the present invention.

[0012] Therefore, the above problems can be solved by the following formulation. (1) A powder composition comprising 30 to 76% by mass of bifidobacteria powder, 6 to 15% by mass of lactic acid bacteria powder, and 8 to 60% by mass of starch and / or 10 to 60% by mass of sucrose fatty acid ester. (2) The powder composition described in (1), wherein the lactic acid bacteria powder contains spore-forming lactic acid bacteria. (3) The powder composition according to (1) or (2), wherein the starch is potato starch or tapioca starch. (4) A powder composition according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the sucrose fatty acid ester is one or more selected from sucrose behenate and sucrose stearate. (5) The composition according to any one of (1) to (4), which has a color difference (ΔE) of 15 or less after storage for two days at a temperature of 25°C and a relative humidity of 100%. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a composition which contains bifidobacteria powder and lactic acid bacteria powder and which does not discolor over time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The powder composition of the present invention contains bifidobacteria powder, lactic acid bacteria powder, and starch and / or sucrose fatty acid ester.

[0015] (Bifidobacteria) In the present invention, the bifidobacteria are not particularly limited as long as they have a beneficial effect on humans, and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. Examples of bifidobacteria include Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium animalis, and Bifidobacterium spp. Examples of suitable bifidobacteria include bacteria belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium, such as Bifidobacterium pseudolongum. Among these, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium breve, which are suitable for use as food, are preferred. Any one of the above bifidobacteria may be used alone, or two or more may be used in combination.

[0016] The blending amount of bifidobacteria powder in the powder composition of the present invention is 30 to 76% by mass, and more preferably 30 to 65% by mass.

[0017] (lactic acid bacteria) In the present invention, the lactic acid bacteria are not particularly limited as long as they have a beneficial effect on humans, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. Suitable examples of lactic acid bacteria include bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus and Streptococcus, such as Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, as well as spore-forming lactic acid bacteria, such as Bacillus coagulans. Among these, spore-forming lactic acid bacteria are preferred. The above lactic acid bacteria may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0018] The blending amount of lactic acid bacteria powder in the powder composition of the present invention is 6 to 15 mass %, more preferably 9 to 14 mass %.

[0019] (starch) Examples of starch include starch derived from grains such as wheat, rice, corn, and waxy corn, potato, tapioca, and sweet potato, as well as modified starches thereof. Modified starch includes unmodified starch that has been subjected to one or more of the following treatments: etherification, esterification, gelatinization, cross-linking, oxidation, oil processing, etc. Of these, potato starch and tapioca starch are preferably used. The blending amount of starch in the powder composition of the present invention is 8 to 60 mass %, and more preferably 8 to 45 mass %.

[0020] (sucrose fatty acid esters) Examples of the sucrose fatty acid ester used in the present invention include sucrose behenate, sucrose stearate, sucrose palmitate, sucrose oleate, sucrose erucate, etc. Of these, it is preferable to use sucrose behenate and sucrose stearate. The blending amount of the sucrose fatty acid ester in the powder composition of the present invention is 10 to 60% by mass, and more preferably 10 to 20% by mass.

[0021] (Amount of each bacteria) The amount of each bacterium contained in the powder composition of the present invention can be determined as appropriate, but for example, it is preferable that the number of bifidobacteria contained per one intake of the preparation is 2 billion or more, and the number of lactic acid bacteria contained per one intake of the preparation is 100 million or more.

[0022] (Other additives) The composition of the present invention may contain any ingredients typically used in foods and beverages, provided that the ingredients do not impair the effects of the composition. Examples of such ingredients include excipients, binders, glossing agents, lubricants, stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers, antioxidants, pH adjusters, colorants, flavorings, additives, sweeteners, acidulants, and other active ingredients (biologically active ingredients).

[0023] (color difference) In the composition of the present invention, it is preferable that the color difference (ΔE) after storage for two days at a temperature of 25°C and a relative humidity of 100% is not more than 15. If the color difference (ΔE) exceeds 15, coloring over time becomes visible, which is undesirable in that it reduces the commercial value. [Example]

[0024] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0025] (raw materials) Bifidobacteria 1 (Bifidobacteria powder MCC1274, Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.) Bifidobacteria 2 (High-concentration Bifidobacteria powder BB536-EX, Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.) Spore-forming lactic acid bacteria (Lacris-S, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) Starch 1 (Matsutani Dried Potato Starch, Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Starch 2 (Matsutani Dried Tapioca Starch, Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Starch 3 (Matsutani Dried Cornstarch, Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Sucrose fatty acid ester 1 (sucrose behenate, Ryoto Sugar Ester B-370F, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) Sucrose fatty acid ester 2 (sucrose stearate, Ryoto Sugar Ester S-370F, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) HPMC (Metolose SE-06, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) Maltitol (Amalty MR50, Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd.) Lactose (Phaematose 200M, DMV-Fronterra Excipients GmbH&Co.KG) Erythritol (Erythritol Granules DC, Bussan Food Science Co., Ltd.)

[0026] (Examples 1 to 26 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6) (Method for evaluating color difference after short-term storage at high humidity) Powder compositions were prepared according to the formulations shown in Tables 1 and 2, and 5 g of each powder composition was weighed out onto a tray and stored in a desiccator conditioned at 25°C and 100% humidity for 2 days.

[0027] The color difference was measured using a spectrophotometer (SE-6000, manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.) and the color of the sample was measured using the L*a*b* color system. The color difference ΔE between the start of the test and after storage was calculated using the following formula 1. Formula 1: ΔE = [(ΔL*) 2 +(Δa*) 2 +(Δb*) 2 ] 1 / 2 If the powder composition stored under the above conditions has a color difference ΔE of 15 or less after two days compared to before the test, it can be said to be suitable for commercial use. The results of the Examples and Comparative Examples are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0028] [Table 1]

[0029] [Table 2]

[0030] As shown in Table 1, the color of the powder composition can be improved by adding starch or sucrose fatty acid ester. The difference ΔE was suppressed to 15 or less, and good results were obtained. Furthermore, as shown in Table 2, by preparing compositions with different blend ratios, it was confirmed that the color difference ΔE could be suppressed to 15 or less when the composition contained 30 to 76 mass% bifidobacteria powder, 6 to 15 mass% lactic acid bacteria powder, 8 to 60 mass% starch, and 10 to 60 mass% sucrose fatty acid ester.

[0031] The powder composition of the present invention can provide a powder composition that contains bifidobacteria powder, lactic acid bacteria powder, and starch and / or sucrose fatty acid ester, and that exhibits little discoloration over time, making it extremely useful in foods, health foods, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Claims

1. A powder composition comprising 30 to 76% by mass of bifidobacteria powder, 6 to 15% by mass of lactic acid bacteria powder, and 8 to 60% by mass of starch and / or 10 to 60% by mass of sucrose fatty acid ester.

2. The powder composition according to claim 1 , wherein the lactic acid bacteria powder contains spore-forming lactic acid bacteria.

3. 2. The powder composition of claim 1, wherein the starch is potato starch or tapioca starch.

4. 2. The powder composition according to claim 1, wherein the sucrose fatty acid ester is at least one selected from sucrose behenate and sucrose stearate.

5. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which has a color difference (ΔE) of 15 or less after storage for 2 days at a temperature of 25°C and a relative humidity of 100%.

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