Oral composition

Abstract

To provide an oral composition comprising a moringa seed extract, wherein bitterness is reduced.SOLUTION: An oral composition containing a moringa seed extract, xylitol, and dextrin.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to oral compositions comprising an extract of moringa seeds, which have reduced bitterness. [Background technology]

[0002] Moringa is a plant belonging to the genus Moringa in the family Moringaceae. Moringa contains useful components such as minerals, amino acids, glucomoringin, and benzyl glucosinolate, and has attracted attention as a highly nutritious material. Various methods for producing moringa extracts have been proposed to utilize the nutrients contained in moringa as functional materials (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Among the parts of Moringa, the seeds contain many components that exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and Moringa seed extracts have been found to have physiological functions such as fatigue recovery and improved muscle endurance. Furthermore, Moringa seed extracts have also been reported to have the effect of improving lower back pain (Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-217006 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2020 / 116092 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-29182 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Moringa seed extract has a characteristic bitter taste, and oral compositions containing the moringa seed extract have a problem in that the unpleasant bitter taste is prominent. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an oral composition containing the moringa seed extract and having a reduced bitter taste. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems and have found that the unpleasant bitterness characteristic of Moringa seed extract can be effectively suppressed by incorporating xylitol and dextrin into an oral composition containing Moringa seed extract. The present disclosure has been completed based on this finding and further research.

[0007] That is, the present disclosure provides the inventions of the following aspects. Item 1. An oral composition containing a moringa seed extract, xylitol, and dextrin. Item 2. The oral composition according to Item 1, containing 2% by weight or more of a moringa seed extract on a dry weight basis. Item 3. The oral composition according to Item 1 or 2, comprising 2 to 30 parts by weight of xylitol and 0.1 to 50 parts by weight of dextrin per part by weight, calculated on a dry mass basis, of the moringa seed extract. Item 4. The oral composition according to any one of Items 1 to 3, which is a food or drink. Item 5. A method for suppressing bitterness in an oral composition containing a moringa seed extract, the method comprising adding a moringa seed extract, xylitol, and dextrin to the oral composition. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the unpleasant bitterness that is characteristic of moringa seed extract can be reduced, making it possible to provide an oral composition that makes it easy to ingest moringa seed extract. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In the present disclosure, the expression "X to Y" regarding a numerical range means that the range is from X to Y.

[0010] 1. Oral Composition The oral composition of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising a moringa seed extract, xylitol, and dextrin. The oral composition of the present disclosure is described in detail below.

[0011] [Moringa seed extract] The oral composition of the present disclosure contains a moringa seed extract, which has an unpleasant bitter taste, but the oral composition of the present disclosure contains xylitol and dextrin, which will be described later, thereby suppressing the unpleasant bitter taste of the moringa seed extract.

[0012] Moringa is a plant belonging to the genus Moringa in the family Moringaceae. In the present disclosure, the type of moringa used as an extraction raw material is not particularly limited, but examples include Moringa oleifera, Moringa concanensis, and Moringa drouhardii. Among these, Moringa oleifera is a preferred example.

[0013] The moringa seed extract can be obtained by subjecting moringa seeds to an extraction treatment. The moringa seeds used as the extraction raw material may be raw, or may be subjected to pretreatment such as crushing, cutting, steaming, rolling, drying, or roasting, as necessary.

[0014] The extraction process for obtaining an extract of moringa seeds may be a general extraction method used in the production of ordinary plant extracts, such as solvent extraction, supercritical extraction, steam distillation, etc. Among these, solvent extraction is preferred.

[0015] The extraction solvent used in the solvent extraction treatment can be water, an organic solvent, or a mixed solvent of water and an organic solvent. Examples of organic solvents include lower monohydric alcohols having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, such as methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, and n-butanol; polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, and glycerin; acetone; and mixed solvents thereof. Among these extraction solvents, water, lower monohydric alcohols, and mixed solvents thereof are preferred, with water, ethanol, and mixed solvents thereof being more preferred, and water being even more preferred.

[0016] The solvent extraction treatment may be carried out by soaking moringa seeds in the extraction solvent or refluxing the extraction solvent containing moringa seeds. The amount of extraction solvent used is not particularly limited, but for example, 200 to 3,000 parts by mass of the extraction solvent per 100 parts by weight of moringa seeds to be extracted. The temperature during the extraction treatment is not particularly limited, but for example, 20 to 95°C. The time for the extraction treatment is not particularly limited, but for example, 30 to 150 minutes.

[0017] After the extraction, the solid matter is removed by solid-liquid separation to obtain an extract. The obtained extract may be used as a moringa seed extract as is, or, if necessary, a concentrate or a dried product may be used after removing some or all of the solvent.

[0018] The content of moringa seed extract in the oral composition of the present invention may be appropriately determined depending on the type and dosage form of the oral composition, but may be, for example, 0.01 to 20 wt% of moringa seed extract in dry weight terms. More specifically, when the oral composition of the present invention is solid, the content of moringa seed extract in dry weight terms may be 0.5 to 15 wt%, preferably 1 to 12 wt%, more preferably 2 to 10 wt%, and even more preferably 4 to 7 wt%. In particular, while oral compositions containing 2 wt% or more of moringa seed extract in dry weight terms in the prior art exhibit a pronounced bitter taste, the oral composition of the present disclosure can effectively suppress bitterness even when containing 2 wt% or more of moringa seed extract in dry weight terms.

[0019] [Xylitol and dextrin] The oral composition of the present disclosure contains xylitol and dextrin, and by selecting a combination of xylitol and dextrin and including them together with the moringa seed extract, the oral composition of the present disclosure can effectively suppress the bitterness of the moringa seed extract.

[0020] Xylitol is a compound known as a type of sugar alcohol.

[0021] Dextrin is a general term for low-molecular-weight carbohydrates obtained by hydrolysis of starch or glycogen. The dextrin used in the present disclosure may be linear, branched, or cyclic, with linear dextrins being preferred. The bond between glucose molecules in the dextrin used in the present disclosure may be, for example, α-1,4, α-1,6, β-1,2, β-1,3, β-1,4, or β-1,6, and may contain only a single bond or two or more bond types. In the present disclosure, "dextrin" refers to dextrin and maltodextrin in the narrow sense and does not include indigestible dextrin or roasted dextrin, which have a large molecular weight. The DE of the dextrin used in the present invention may be 1 to 20, preferably 1 to 15, more preferably 1 to 10, even more preferably 2 to 10, and particularly preferably 5 to 10. In the present disclosure, the DE of dextrin refers to dextrose equivalent, an index showing the degree of starch decomposition, and is a value measured by the modified Somogyi method (Starch and Sugar Related Industrial Analytical Methods, pages 11-13, compiled by the Starch and Sugar Technology Committee, published by Food Chemistry Newspaper Co., Ltd.). In the present disclosure, dextrins of one type of structure may be used alone, or dextrins of two or more types of structures may be used in combination.

[0022] In the oral composition of the present disclosure, the ratio of moringa seed extract, xylitol, and dextrin may be, for example, 2 to 30 parts by weight of xylitol and 0.1 to 50 parts by weight of dextrin per part by weight of moringa seed extract in dry mass equivalent. From the viewpoint of more effectively suppressing the bitterness of the moringa seed extract while suppressing the sweetness of xylitol, preferably 2 to 20 parts by weight of xylitol and 0.5 to 40 parts by weight of dextrin per part by weight of moringa seed extract in dry mass equivalent, more preferably 3 to 15 parts by weight of xylitol and 1 to 20 parts by weight of dextrin, and even more preferably 4 to 12 parts by weight of xylitol and 5 to 15 parts by weight of dextrin.

[0023] The xylitol content in the oral composition of the present invention may be appropriately determined depending on the type and dosage form of the oral composition, and may be, for example, 0.1 to 70% by weight. More specifically, when the oral composition of the present invention is in a solid form, the xylitol content may be 12 to 70% by weight. Furthermore, when the oral composition of the present invention is in a solid form, the xylitol content is preferably 15 to 65% by weight, more preferably 20 to 60% by weight, and even more preferably 25 to 58% by weight, from the viewpoint of suppressing the sweetness of xylitol while more effectively suppressing the bitterness of the moringa seed extract.

[0024] The dextrin content in the oral composition of the present invention may be appropriately determined depending on the type and dosage form of the oral composition, and may be, for example, 0.1 to 85% by weight. More specifically, when the oral composition of the present invention is in a solid form, the dextrin content may be 10 to 85% by weight. Furthermore, when the oral composition of the present invention is in a solid form, the xylitol content may be preferably 20 to 80% by weight, more preferably 30 to 75% by weight, and even more preferably 37 to 70% by weight, from the viewpoint of more effectively suppressing the bitterness of the moringa seed extract.

[0025] [Other ingredients] The oral composition of the present disclosure may contain other nutritional components or pharmacological components in addition to the components described above. Such nutritional components or pharmacological components are not particularly limited as long as they are usable in foods or oral pharmaceuticals, and examples thereof include vitamins, amino acids, minerals, carbohydrates, fatty acids, flavorings, seasonings, plant extracts, antioxidants, hypoglycemic agents, anticholesterol agents, immunostimulants, etc. These components may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of these components is appropriately determined depending on the types of additives used and the intended use of the oral composition.

[0026] Furthermore, in order to prepare the oral composition of the present disclosure into a desired dosage form, bases and additives may be included as necessary in addition to the above-mentioned components. Such bases and additives are not particularly limited as long as they are usable in foods and oral pharmaceuticals, and examples thereof include excipients, disintegrants, lubricants, binders, thickeners, lower alcohols, solid oils, higher alcohols, water-soluble polymers, surfactants, polyhydric alcohols, pH adjusters, buffers, antioxidants, preservatives, chelating agents, and water. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of these bases and additives is appropriately determined depending on the type of ingredients used and the intended use of the oral composition.

[0027] [Dosage form / shape] The dosage form of the oral composition of the present disclosure is not particularly limited as long as it can be orally ingested or administered, and may be any of solid, semi-solid, or liquid, and may be appropriately selected depending on the type and use of the oral composition. A preferred dosage form of the oral composition of the present disclosure is a solid.

[0028] The form of the oral composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can be orally ingested or administered, and specific examples include foods and beverages and oral medicines.

[0029] When the oral composition of the present invention is made into a food or beverage form, the aforementioned components may be prepared as they are or in combination with other food materials or additives to form the desired form. Such food or beverage includes not only general food or beverage, but also specified health foods, nutritional supplements, functional foods, and foods for patients. The form of these food or beverage is not particularly limited, but specific examples include supplements such as tablets (plain tablets, etc.), granules, powders, and jellies; beverages such as energy drinks, fruit juice drinks, carbonated drinks, and lactic acid drinks; and luxury items such as gummies and candies. Among these food or beverage, supplements are preferred, and tablets, granules, and powders are more preferred.

[0030] When the oral composition of the present invention is made into an oral pharmaceutical form, the above-mentioned components may be prepared into a desired form either as is or in combination with other additive components. Specific examples of such oral pharmaceuticals include tablets (plain tablets, etc.), granules, powders, jellies, syrups, liquids, etc. Among these oral pharmaceuticals, tablets, capsules, granules, and powders are preferred.

[0031] 2. Method for suppressing the bitterness of moringa seed extract The present disclosure further provides a method for reducing bitterness in an oral composition comprising an extract of moringa seeds, the method comprising including an extract of moringa seeds, xylitol, and dextrin in the oral composition.

[0032] In this method, the extraction of moringa seeds, the types, contents, and ratios of xylitol and dextrin, other ingredients that can be incorporated into the oral composition, and the dosage form and shape of the oral composition are as described in the section "1. Oral Composition" above. [Example]

[0033] Next, the present disclosure will be described in more detail by way of examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to these examples in any way.

[0034] Test Example 1 Powdered foods were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 1. In Example 1 and Comparative Examples 2 to 5, the sugar alcohol content was adjusted so that each powdered food had the same sweetness. In Example 2 and Comparative Examples 6 to 9, the sugar alcohol content was also adjusted so that each powdered food had the same sweetness.

[0035] The bitterness and sweetness were evaluated by three trained taste assessors. Specifically, 0.04 g of the powdered food was placed directly on the tongue and ingested, and bitterness and sweetness were scored according to the following criteria. The scores of the three assessors were averaged and rounded to the nearest tenth to calculate the average score. <Criteria for determining bitterness and sweetness> 5 points: Not felt at all. 4 points: Almost no sensation. 3 points: Slightly noticeable. 2 points: Feel it. 1 point: I feel it strongly.

[0036] The results are shown in Table 1. When moringa seed extract and dextrin were combined, the bitterness of the moringa seed extract was exhibited (Comparative Example 1). Furthermore, even when sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, or erythritol was added in addition to the moringa seed extract and dextrin, the bitterness of the moringa seed extract was not sufficiently suppressed (Comparative Examples 2 to 5 and 6 to 9). In contrast, when xylitol was added in addition to the moringa seed extract and dextrin, the bitterness of the moringa seed extract was effectively suppressed (Examples 1 and 2). Furthermore, the sweetness of xylitol was hardly perceived in the powdered foods of Examples 1 and 2. In other words, these results confirm that food compositions containing moringa seed extract, xylitol, and dextrin can effectively suppress the bitterness of the moringa seed extract while reducing the sweetness of xylitol.

[0037] [Table 1]

[0038] Manufacturing example Tablets were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 2. All of the obtained tablets were able to suppress the bitterness of the moringa seed extract.

[0039] [Table 2]

Claims

1. An oral composition comprising an extract of moringa seeds, xylitol, and dextrin.

2. The oral composition according to claim 1, wherein the moringa seed extract is contained in an amount of 2% by weight or more on a dry mass basis.

3. 3. The oral composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition contains 2 to 30 parts by weight of xylitol and 0.1 to 50 parts by weight of dextrin per part by weight of the moringa seed extract in terms of dry mass.

4. The oral composition according to claim 1 or 2, which is a food or drink.

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