Food or beverage, bitterness suppressant, and method for suppressing bitterness

Abstract

To provide: a food or beverage containing polymethoxyflavones while being capable of suppressing the bitterness of the polymethoxyflavones; a bitterness suppressant for polymethoxyflavones in a food or beverage; and a method for suppressing bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in a food or beverage.SOLUTION: A food or beverage comprises polymethoxyflavones and vanillin, where the content of the polymethoxyflavones in the food or beverage is 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v), and the content of vanillin in the food or beverage is 5 to 5,000 ppb.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to foods and beverages containing polymethoxyflavones, an agent for suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in foods and beverages, and a method for suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in foods and beverages. [Background technology]

[0002] Polymethoxyflavones are known to have various effects such as improving muscle diseases, and are known to be contained in extracts of plants such as black ginger (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-193906 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, polymethoxyflavones are useful materials. However, when polymethoxyflavones are used in foods and beverages, they have a bitter taste that is characteristic of polymethoxyflavones. Therefore, there is a need to develop a technology that makes the foods and beverages easier to ingest.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and achieve the following objectives: to provide foods and beverages that contain polymethoxyflavones but can suppress the bitterness of these polymethoxyflavones, an agent for suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in foods and beverages, and a method for suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in foods and beverages. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of intensive research conducted by the present inventors to solve the above problems, they found that vanillin has an excellent effect in suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in foods and beverages, and that the use of vanillin does not result in the off-flavor characteristic of vanillin. The off-flavor characteristic of vanillin refers to a sticky feeling and a lingering aroma characteristic of vanillin in the nose after consuming a food or beverage containing vanillin.

[0007] The present invention is based on the findings of the present inventors, and the means for solving the above problems are as follows: <1> Contains polymethoxyflavones and vanillin, the content of the polymethoxyflavones in the food or drink is 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v); The food or drink is characterized in that the vanillin content in the food or drink is 5 to 5,000 ppb. <2> An agent for suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in foods and beverages, comprising: Contains vanillin, The vanillin is used in the food or drink in an amount of 5 to 5,000 ppb, The bitterness suppressor is characterized in that the food or drink contains 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v) of the polymethoxyflavones. <3> A method for suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in foods and beverages, comprising: The food or drink contains vanillin in an amount of 5 to 5,000 ppb, The method for suppressing bitterness is characterized in that the food or drink contains 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v) of the polymethoxyflavones. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the above-mentioned problems of the prior art can be solved, the above-mentioned objective can be achieved, and a food or beverage that contains polymethoxyflavones but can suppress the bitterness of these polymethoxyflavones, an agent for suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in food or beverages, and a method for suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in food or beverages can be provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (food and drink) The food and drink of the present invention contains at least polymethoxyflavones and vanillin, and may further contain other ingredients as needed.

[0010] <Polymethoxyflavones> The polymethoxyflavones are compounds represented by the following structural formula (A). The polymethoxyflavones may be in the form of salts. The polymethoxyflavones may be used singly or in combination of two or more. [ka] In the structural formula (A), R1 to R6 are each either hydrogen (-H), a hydroxyl group (-OH), or a methoxy group (-OCH3), and R1 to R6 include two or more methoxy groups.

[0011] The polymethoxyflavones are known compounds, and commercially available products may be used, or products produced by known methods may be used. The polymethoxyflavones may be those contained in plant extracts.

[0012] The polymethoxyflavones can be extracted from, for example, plants. The plant is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, but black ginger (scientific name: Kaempferia parviflora) is preferred. Examples of polymethoxyflavones that can be extracted from black ginger include 5,7,3',4'-tetramethoxyflavone, 3,5,7,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, 5,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone, 3,5,7-trimethoxyflavone, and 3,5,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone. Among these, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone and 3,5,7,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone are preferred.

[0013] The method for extracting the polymethoxyflavones from black ginger is not particularly limited, and any known method can be appropriately selected, such as the method described in JP 2016-193906 A.

[0014] The content of polymethoxyflavones in the black ginger extract is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, and can be, for example, 0.1 to 20% by mass.

[0015] The content of the polymethoxyflavones in foods and drinks is not particularly limited as long as it is 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v), and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose.

[0016] When two or more types of polymethoxyflavones are used as the polymethoxyflavones, the ratio of the amounts of the polymethoxyflavones used (mass ratio) is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose.

[0017] The method for measuring the content of polymethoxyflavones in foods and beverages is not particularly limited, and any known method can be appropriately selected. For example, the content can be measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) under the following conditions. -HPLC conditions- Column: Ascentis Express C18 (SUPELCO) Mobile phase: A) Water: Trifluoroacetic acid = 1000:1 B) Methanol 0-15min(40%A), 15.01-25min (100%B), 25.01-35min (40%A) Column temperature: 40℃ · Injection volume: 20μL · Flow rate: 0.6mL / min Detection conditions: UV265nm

[0018] <Vanillin> Vanillin (also known as 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) is a compound belonging to the vanilloid family and has the chemical formula C8H8O3. The vanillin may be derived from natural sources such as plants, or may be a synthetic product. The vanillin used may be a commercially available product or may be produced by a known method.

[0019] The content of vanillin in the food or drink is not particularly limited as long as it is 5 to 5,000 ppb and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, but is preferably 50 to 500 ppb.

[0020] The method for measuring the vanillin content in foods and beverages is not particularly limited, and any known method can be appropriately selected. For example, the vanillin content can be measured by the following method. 5 g of sample solution is weighed into a vial (volume 20 mL), and a Gestell Twister (PDMS) is placed inside to extract the aroma components at room temperature for 30 minutes, after which the extract is subjected to measurement using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer equipped with a thermal desorption device. Quantitative values ​​are calculated using the standard addition method. The gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC / MS) conditions can be as follows: -GC / MS conditions- · Device : GC: Agilent Technologies GC6890N MS: Agilent Technologies 5975B Thermal desorption device: Gerstel TDU Column: Inert cap pure WAX ​​30m x 0.25mm i.d. df=0.25μm Quantitative ion: m / z=151 Temperature conditions: 40℃ (5 minutes) ~ 10℃ / minute ~ 260℃ Carrier gas flow rate: He 1.2 mL / min · TDU temperature: 260℃ · IF temperature: 260℃ Ion source temperature: 230℃

[0021] <Other ingredients> The other ingredients in the food and drink are not particularly limited as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention, and can be appropriately selected from ingredients that can be used in food and drink depending on the purpose, and examples include amino acids, sweeteners, acidulants, flavorings, vitamins, minerals, colorants, antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, extracts, quality stabilizers, dietary fiber, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of other ingredients in the food or drink is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose.

[0022] <Food and drink> The food and drink mentioned above refers to those that are unlikely to be harmful to human health and are taken orally or by administration through the digestive tract in normal social life, and are not limited to administrative classifications such as food, medicine, quasi-drug, etc. Therefore, the food and drink mentioned above broadly includes general foods taken orally, health foods (functional food and drink), health functional foods (foods for specified health uses, foods with nutrient functions, foods with functional claims), quasi-drugs, medicines, etc.

[0023] The type of food and drink is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. Examples of the food and drink include beverages such as tea drinks, soft drinks, carbonated drinks, nutritional drinks, fruit drinks, lactic acid drinks, alcoholic drinks, coffee drinks, and coffee-containing soft drinks (including concentrated liquids and powders for adjusting these beverages); frozen desserts such as ice cream, ice sherbet, and shaved ice; noodles such as soba, udon, vermicelli, gyoza wrappers, shumai wrappers, Chinese noodles, and instant noodles; sweets such as candy, candy, gummy candy, gum, chocolate, candy tablets, snacks, biscuits, cookies, jelly, pudding, jam, cream, baked goods, and bread; and seafood such as crab, salmon, clams, tuna, sardines, shrimp, bonito, mackerel, whale, oysters, saury, squid, ark shells, scallops, abalone, sea urchin, salmon roe, and tokobushi sea bream. processed seafood and livestock foods such as kamaboko, ham, and sausage; dairy products such as processed milk and fermented milk; oils and fats and oil-based foods such as salad oil, tempura oil, margarine, mayonnaise, shortening, whipped cream, and dressings; condiments such as sauces and dressings; soups such as curry, stew, oyakodon, porridge, rice porridge, Chinese rice bowls, katsudon, tendon, unadon, hayashi rice, oden, mabo dolph, beef bowls, meat sauce, and egg soup, and retort pouch foods such as omelet rice, gyoza, shumai, hamburger steaks, and meatballs; side dishes such as salads and pickles; health, beauty, and nutritional supplements in various forms; pharmaceuticals and quasi-drugs such as tablets, powders, granules, capsules, extracts, syrups, drinks, and lozenges; and oral fresheners used in the mouth, such as mouth fresheners and breath fresheners.

[0024] The method for producing the food or beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, and any known method for producing a food or beverage can be appropriately selected. Examples include a method for producing the food or beverage by blending the polymethoxyflavones, the vanillin, and, if necessary, the other ingredients during the production process of the food or beverage, and a method for producing the food or beverage by adding the polymethoxyflavones, the vanillin, and, if necessary, the other ingredients to a food or beverage produced by a known method. The order of mixing the various components is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. Furthermore, the production of the food or drink of the present invention may include a step of adjusting the contents of the various components.

[0025] Although the food and drink of the present invention contains the polymethoxyflavones, the bitter taste that is characteristic of these polymethoxyflavones is suppressed (sometimes referred to as mitigated), and the food and drink can be easily ingested.

[0026] (bitterness suppressant) The bitterness suppressor of the present invention contains at least vanillin, and further contains other components as needed.

[0027] The bitterness suppressor of the present invention is used in foods and drinks containing the above-mentioned polymethoxyflavones in an amount of 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v).

[0028] The bitterness suppressor of the present invention suppresses the bitterness of the polymethoxyflavones in the food and drink.

[0029] In this specification, "suppressing bitterness" refers to alleviating the bitterness that is a taste specific to polymethoxyflavones. For example, when the bitterness is alleviated compared to a food or drink that contains polymethoxyflavones but does not contain vanillin, it can be said that the bitterness is suppressed.

[0030] <Vanillin> The vanillin is the same as the vanillin described above in the section (food and drink).

[0031] The content of the vanillin in the bitterness suppressor is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the amount to be used, etc. The bitterness suppressor may consist solely of the vanillin.

[0032] <Other ingredients> The other components in the bitterness suppressor are not particularly limited as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, and examples thereof include excipients, moisture-proofing agents, preservatives, strengthening agents, thickeners, emulsifiers, antioxidants, sweeteners, acidulants, seasonings, water, components used in foods and beverages, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of other components in the bitterness suppressor is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose.

[0033] <Aspect> The bitterness suppressor may be in a form in which the vanillin and, if necessary, the other components are contained in the same packaging material, or in a form in which the components are contained in separate packaging materials and used together at the time of use. The form of the bitterness suppressor is not particularly limited and can be selected appropriately.

[0034] <Use> The method of using the bitterness suppressor is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, and examples thereof include a method of adding it to a produced food or drink, a method of adding it during the production process of a food or drink, etc. These methods may be used alone or in combination.

[0035] The order in which the various components of the bitterness suppressor are blended into the food or beverage is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. In addition, the various components of the bitterness suppressor may be blended all at once or in multiple batches.

[0036] The amount of the bitterness suppressor used is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected taking into consideration the amounts of the vanillin and the other components used as needed.

[0037] The amount of vanillin used is not particularly limited as long as it is used in the food or drink in an amount of 5 to 5,000 ppb, and can be appropriately selected depending on the type of food or drink to be used, but 50 to 500 ppb is preferred.

[0038] The bitterness suppressing agent may be used alone or in combination with other bitterness suppressing agents.

[0039] <Food and drink> The food and drink products are not particularly limited as long as they contain 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v) of the above-mentioned polymethoxyflavones, and can be selected appropriately depending on the purpose. For example, the food and drink products may be the same as those listed in the above (Food and drink products) section.

[0040] (Bitterness suppression method) The bitterness suppression method of the present invention includes at least a using step (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "blending step"), and may further include other steps as necessary.

[0041] The bitterness suppression method of the present invention is used for foods and drinks containing the above-mentioned polymethoxyflavones in an amount of 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v).

[0042] The method for suppressing bitterness of the present invention is a method for suppressing the bitterness of the polymethoxyflavones in the food or drink.

[0043] <Usage process> The using step is a step of using vanillin in the food or drink in an amount of 5 to 5,000 ppb.

[0044] -Vanillin- The vanillin is the same as the vanillin described above in the section (food and drink).

[0045] The method of using (adding) vanillin to the food or beverage is not particularly limited and can be selected appropriately depending on the purpose. For example, it can be carried out in the same manner as described in the above section on "Use" of the bitterness suppressor of the present invention, and the amount used can also be the same.

[0046] <Food and drink> The food and drink products are not particularly limited as long as they contain 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v) of the above-mentioned polymethoxyflavones, and can be selected appropriately depending on the purpose. For example, the food and drink products may be the same as those listed in the above (Food and drink products) section.

[0047] According to the bitterness suppressor and bitterness suppression method of the present invention, the bitterness, which is a taste unique to polymethoxyflavones, can be suppressed in foods and beverages containing the above-mentioned polymethoxyflavones at 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v). [Example]

[0048] Test examples and production examples will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to these test examples and production examples.

[0049] (Test Example 1: Inhibition of the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones by vanillin) Black ginger extract (manufactured by Maruzen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., containing 10% by mass of black ginger-derived polymethoxyflavones, 5,7,3',4'-tetramethoxyflavone, 3,5,7,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, 5,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone, 3,5,7-trimethoxyflavone, and 3,5,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone) and vanillin (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) were dissolved in water in the amounts shown in Tables 1 to 12 below to prepare a beverage.

[0050] <Evaluation> The prepared beverages were subjected to sensory evaluation of flavor and taste. The flavor was evaluated mainly from the perspective of the lack of sharpness characteristic of vanillin (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "lack of sharpness"), and the taste was evaluated mainly from the perspective of the bitterness characteristic of polymethoxyflavones (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "bitterness"). Specifically, the beverages were evaluated by three well-trained expert panelists according to the following evaluation criteria. The evaluation temperature was room temperature. -Evaluation criteria- [Poor sharpness] 5 points: The characteristic lack of sharpness of vanillin has been greatly reduced. 4 points: The characteristic harshness of vanillin has been reduced. 3 points: The characteristic harshness of vanillin is somewhat toned down. 2 points: It has the lack of sharpness that is characteristic of vanillin. 1 point: The characteristic vanillin has a strong, dull flavor. [bitter taste] 5 points: The bitterness characteristic of polymethoxyflavones is greatly reduced. 4 points: The bitterness characteristic of polymethoxyflavones is reduced. 3 points: The bitterness characteristic of polymethoxyflavones is slightly reduced. 2 points: Has the bitter taste characteristic of polymethoxyflavones, which lingers in the aftertaste. 1 point: The bitter taste characteristic of polymethoxyflavones is strong and lingers in the aftertaste.

[0051] The results are shown in the following Tables 1 to 12. The evaluation scores are the average scores of the evaluations by three expert panelists.

[0052] [Table 1]

[0053] [Table 2]

[0054] [Table 3]

[0055]

Table 4

[0056]

Table 5

[0057]

Table 6

[0058]

Table 7

[0059]

Table 8

[0060]

Table 9

[0061]

Table 10

[0062]

Table 11

[0063]

Table 12

[0064] As shown in Tables 1 to 12, it was found that by adding 5 to 5,000 ppb of vanillin to beverages containing polymethoxyflavones at concentrations of 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / v), the bitterness characteristic of polymethoxyflavones can be suppressed without causing the poor finish caused by vanillin.

[0065] (Production Example 1: Coffee drink with milk) A milk-added coffee drink was produced in a conventional manner using raw materials having the following composition. 520g coffee bean extract 150g milk 20g sucrose Acesulfame potassium 0.25g pH adjuster (sodium bicarbonate) appropriate amount (adjust to pH 6.7) Emulsifier (sucrose fatty acid ester) 0.3g Black ginger extract 30mg (same as used in Test Example 1) Vanillin 0.3mg

[0066] (Production Example 2: Sugar-free coffee drink) A sugar-free coffee drink was produced in a conventional manner using raw materials having the following composition. 520g coffee bean extract pH adjuster (sodium bicarbonate) appropriate amount (adjust to pH 6.7) Emulsifier (sucrose fatty acid ester) 0.3g Black ginger extract 30mg (same as used in Test Example 1) Vanillin 0.3mg

[0067] (Production Example 3: Cookies) Cookies were produced by a conventional method using raw materials having the following composition. 180g plain flour 50g sugar 100g unsalted butter 50g egg wash Black ginger extract 60mg (same as used in Test Example 1) Vanillin 0.1mg

[0068] (Production Example 4: Pudding) A pudding was produced by a conventional method using raw materials having the following composition. 5g gelatin · 35g water 170g milk 50g egg wash Black ginger extract 30mg (same as used in Test Example 1) Vanillin 0.1mg

[0069] The bitterness characteristic of polymethoxyflavones was also suppressed in the foods and beverages produced in Production Examples 1 to 4, confirming that the present invention can suppress the bitterness characteristic of polymethoxyflavones in various foods and beverages.

Claims

1. Contains polymethoxyflavones and vanillin, the content of the polymethoxyflavones in the food or drink is 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v); The food or beverage is characterized in that the content of vanillin in the food or beverage is 5 to 5,000 ppb.

2. An agent for suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in foods and beverages, comprising: Contains vanillin, The vanillin is used in the food or drink in an amount of 5 to 5,000 ppb, The bitterness suppressor is characterized in that the food or drink contains 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v) of the polymethoxyflavones.

3. A method for suppressing the bitterness of polymethoxyflavones in foods and beverages, comprising: The food or drink contains vanillin in an amount of 5 to 5,000 ppb, A method for suppressing bitterness, characterized in that the food or drink contains 0.00075 to 0.03% (w / w or w / v) of the polymethoxyflavones.

Images