Composition for improving fatigue

Abstract

To provide a novel composition for improving fatigue, which comprises a natural product-derived component as an active ingredient and which is designed to improve fatigue caused by tasks that demand concentration.SOLUTION: It was discovered by the inventors that a heated ginger extract exhibits an effect of improving fatigue cause by tasks demanding concentration, and thus the present invention has been completed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for alleviating fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, which contains an ingredient derived from a natural product as an active ingredient. [Background technology]

[0002] While there are many situations in daily life that require concentration, such as studying, desk work, and e-sports, it is known that fatigue can reduce attention, concentration, judgment, etc., resulting in a decrease in work efficiency and productivity.

[0003] Under these circumstances, materials have been developed that can improve fatigue and prevent declines in attention, concentration, judgment, etc. For example, a liquid composition (Patent Document 1) is known that contains chili pepper extract and / or ginger extract and 150 mg or more of theanine per oral intake, is caffeine-free, and is intended for oral intake when it is necessary to maintain the effects of suppressing drowsiness and improving concentration. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6122244 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention provides a novel composition for improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, which contains a naturally occurring component as an active ingredient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inventors discovered that heated ginger extract has the effect of improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, and thus completed the present invention.

[0007] That is, the present invention comprises the following features [1] to [8]. [1] A composition containing heated ginger extract as an active ingredient for improving human fatigue caused by work requiring concentration. [2] A composition for improving human fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, as described in [1], in which the heated ginger extract contains more shogaol than gingerol. [3] A food or drink, medicine, or quasi-drug containing the composition according to [1] or [2], for improving human fatigue caused by work requiring concentration. [4] The food, beverage, medicine, or quasi-drug described in [3] is intended for study, desk work, e-sports, mind sports, sports, or creative activities. [5] A composition for maintaining and improving human attention, concentration, or judgment, containing heated ginger extract as an active ingredient. [6] A composition for maintaining and improving human attention, concentration, or judgment, as described in [5], wherein the heated ginger extract contains more shogaol than gingerol. [7] A food or drink, medicine, or quasi-drug containing the composition according to [5] or [6] for maintaining or improving attention, concentration, or judgment. [8] The food, beverage, medicine or quasi-drug described in [7] is for studying, desk work, e-sports, mind sports, sports or creative activities. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention provides a safe composition for improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, which contains an active ingredient derived from a natural product. When ingested, the composition has the effect of improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, and can be used by being included in various foods and beverages, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a graph showing the sense of fatigue (VAS (mm)) before screening and before and after 4 weeks of challenge in the test food group and placebo group. [Figure 2]This is a graph showing the change (mm) in fatigue sensation (VAS) before and after the load over four weeks in the test food group and the placebo group. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The composition for improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration of the present invention contains a heated ginger extract as an active ingredient, and when ingested, it exerts an effect of improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration in humans. Furthermore, the composition for improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration is useful for work requiring concentration, such as studying, desk work, e-sports, mind sports, sports, creative activities, etc., and by improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, it can be used to maintain and improve attention, concentration, or judgment in humans, and can suppress a decrease in work efficiency or work capacity, and can also be used to maintain and improve work efficiency or work capacity.

[0011] The heated ginger extract used in the present invention is an extract obtained by heating a plant of the Zingiberaceae family before and after extraction. Examples of extraction methods include supercritical extraction, steam distillation, and solvent extraction. The ginger extract may be subjected to solid-liquid separation by filtration using a nonwoven fabric or mesh, centrifugation, or the like, followed by heat treatment. Alternatively, the liquid portion may be recovered by extraction or solid-liquid separation after heat treatment. Concentrated and / or dried products are preferred, and can be dried and powdered by drum drying, air drying, spray drying, vacuum drying, and / or freeze drying, etc., and common excipients can be used. Specifically, the heated ginger extract is preferably a powder obtained by emulsifying with an emulsifier to enhance dispersibility, blending with an excipient such as dextrin, and spray drying. For example, Ginger Extract Powder S, H, E, or NE (manufactured by Ikeda Tohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.) can be used. It is known that the gingerol content is much lower in raw plants or in uncooked ginger extracts. However, in the present invention, the gingerol content is increased by heating or other treatments before or after extraction. The heated ginger extract preferably contains more gingerol than gingerol, more preferably at least 1.5 times the amount of gingerol, even more preferably at least 2 times, and particularly preferably at least 3 times. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but 15 times or less is preferred, and 10 times or less is more preferred. While the gingerol content can be increased by any method, a heated ginger extract with a high gingerol content can be produced by heating at, for example, 100 to 300°C, preferably 120 to 250°C. The gingerol content in the heated ginger extract is preferably 0.1 to 20% by weight, more preferably 0.2 to 15% by weight, and even more preferably 0.5 to 10% by weight.

[0012] The emulsifier is not particularly limited as long as it is a component having emulsifying ability, and examples thereof include polysaccharides such as gum acacia, gum ghatti, xanthan gum, and starch sodium octenyl succinate, proteins or protein hydrolysates such as casein and soybean protein, lecithin, enzyme-treated lecithin, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, and sucrose fatty acid esters. The emulsification treatment can be carried out by a general emulsification method. Specifically, the emulsification treatment can be carried out using an emulsification device, such as a high-pressure homogenizer, a colloid mill, an ultrasonic emulsifier, a homomixer, or a homodisper, and two or more types of devices can be combined.

[0013] The method of ingestion of the composition of the present invention involves oral ingestion of the heated ginger extract, and is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are observed. The daily intake of heated ginger extract per person is preferably 5 to 2,000 mg, more preferably 10 to 1,000 mg, and even more preferably 20 to 500 mg. The daily intake of 6-shogaol contained in the heated ginger extract per person is preferably 0.1 to 50 mg, more preferably 0.2 to 40 mg, even more preferably 0.4 to 20 mg, and particularly preferably 0.5 to 15 mg. To achieve this intake amount, the composition of the present invention may be taken once a day or in divided doses. Continuous ingestion is preferred, and for example, for at least one week, at least two weeks, at least three weeks, or at least four weeks is more preferred.

[0014] The composition of the present invention, whose active ingredients are derived from natural products and is easy to manufacture, is widely applicable and can be added to various products, either in liquid or dried form. The foods and beverages to which the composition can be added are not particularly limited, and the composition can be used in a variety of foods and beverages, including beverages, foods, seasonings, functional foods, and supplements, as well as pharmaceuticals and quasi-drugs. Examples of foods and beverages include those for studying, deskwork, e-sports, mind sports, sports, and creative activities, as well as pharmaceuticals and quasi-drugs. The content of the heated ginger extract in various products is not particularly limited, as long as the effects of the present invention are observed when ingested, but is preferably 0.001 to 80% by weight, more preferably 0.005 to 60% by weight, and even more preferably 0.01 to 50% by weight. [Example]

[0015] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. In the present invention, all % is by weight unless otherwise specified.

[0016] [Example 1] (Fatigue evaluation test) Fatigue was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) recommended by the Japan Society for Fatigue Science. Specifically, a 100mm line was displayed with the best and worst possible sensations at either end. Subjects were asked to mark their current level of sensation on the line, with 0 representing the best imaginable state and 100 representing the worst. At the screening and pre-intake test and the 4-week post-intake test, a workload was imposed using the Uchida-Kraepelin test (Japan Mental Technology Research Institute, Inc.). Fatigue was assessed before and after the workload using the VAS. "Fatigue before the workload" was the actual measured value obtained using the Uchida-Kraepelin test before the workload, "fatigue after the workload" was the actual measured value obtained using the Uchida-Kraepelin test after the workload, and "fatigue before and after the workload" was the actual measured value obtained by subtracting the pre-workload measured value from the post-workload measured value using the Uchida-Kraepelin test.

[0017] The subjects were 68 healthy adults, divided into two groups: the test food group and the placebo group. They were asked to take one capsule containing 100 mg of heated ginger extract once a day for four consecutive weeks.

[0018] The capsules contain 100 mg (40%) of powdered heated ginger extract (Ginger Extract Powder E, Ikeda Tohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.), 147 mg (58.8%) of dextrin (Pinex (registered trademark) #100, Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), and 3 mg (1.2%) of calcium stearate (total 250 mg), which is obtained by adding acacia gum (instant gum, Nexira Co., Ltd.) as an emulsifier to heated ginger extract to emulsify the mixture, adding dextrin (Sandec (registered trademark) #300, Sanwa Starch Industry Co., Ltd.) as an excipient, and spray-drying the mixture.

[0019] The contents of 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, and 6-paradol contained in the heated ginger extract (ginger extract powder E) are shown in Table 1.

[0020] [Table 1]

[0021] Figure 1 shows the fatigue sensation (VAS (mm)) before screening and after the challenge 4 weeks later, and Figure 2 shows the change (mm) in fatigue sensation (VAS) before and after the challenge over 4 weeks.

[0022] The actual measured VAS values ​​of fatigue before and after the workload (after workload - before workload) in the Uchida-Kraepelin test at the test four weeks after intake, which represent the sense of fatigue before and after the workload, were significantly lower in the test food group compared to the placebo group (p<0.05), as shown in Figure 1. In addition, the value obtained by subtracting the sense of fatigue before and after the workload at the screening and pre-intake test from the sense of fatigue before and after the workload at the test four weeks after intake, which represents the change in sense of fatigue before and after the workload over four weeks, was significantly lower in the test food group compared to the placebo group (p<0.05), as shown in Figure 2.

[0023] From the above, it was revealed that taking 100 mg (approximately 2 mg of 6-shogaol) of heated ginger extract daily for 4 weeks had an effect of improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, and it was found that heated ginger extract is a useful composition containing an active ingredient for improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration. Furthermore, it was suggested that by improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, the composition can be used to maintain and improve attention, concentration, or judgment, and can suppress a decline in work efficiency or work capacity, and can also be used to maintain and improve work efficiency or work capacity.

Claims

1. A composition for improving human fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, containing heated ginger extract as an active ingredient.

2. 2. A composition for improving fatigue caused by work requiring concentration, as described in claim 1, wherein the heated ginger extract contains more shogaol than gingerol.

3. A food or drink, a medicine, or a quasi-drug, which comprises the composition according to claim 1 or 2 and is used to improve human fatigue caused by work requiring concentration.

4. The food or beverage, medicine or quasi-drug according to claim 3, which is for studying, desk work, e-sports, mind sports, sports or creative activities.

5. A composition for maintaining and improving attention, concentration or judgment, which contains heated ginger extract as an active ingredient.

6. 6. A composition for maintaining and improving attention, concentration or judgment according to claim 5, wherein the heated ginger extract contains more shogaol than gingerol.

7. A food or drink, medicine or quasi-drug containing the composition according to claim 5 or 6, for maintaining or improving attention, concentration or judgment.

8. The food or drink, medicine or quasi-drug according to claim 7, which is for studying, desk work, e-sports, mind sports, sports or creative activities.

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