Composition for maintaining or improving oral immune function

Abstract

To provide a composition having a new function using barley young leaves.SOLUTION: The composition contains barley young leaves, and is used for promoting IgA secretion in saliva, maintaining or improving oral immune function or mucosal immune function, and preventing or alleviating upper respiratory tract infection.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for maintaining or improving oral immune function, and more particularly to a composition for maintaining or improving oral immune function, which contains young barley leaves. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART In recent years, with the background of increasing interest in health, various health foods have been developed, and research into various materials to be used in health foods has been conducted.

[0003] Among these, young barley leaves are used as an ingredient in health foods and green juice, and their functionality, such as anti-cholesterol activity, has been widely studied (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-314170 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a composition using young barley leaves that has new functions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] While researching the functions of young barley leaves, the inventors discovered that young barley leaves promote the secretion of IgA in saliva and exhibit excellent oral immune function, mucosal immune function, and the ability to prevent or alleviate upper respiratory tract infections, and thus completed the present invention.

[0007] That is, the present invention is as follows. [1] A composition for maintaining or improving oral immune function, characterized by containing young barley leaves. [2] A composition for maintaining or improving mucosal immune function, characterized by containing young barley leaves. [3] A composition for promoting salivary IgA secretion, characterized by containing young barley leaves. [4] A composition for preventing or alleviating upper respiratory tract infections, characterized by containing young barley leaves. [5] A composition for maintaining or improving oral immune function, characterized by containing dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves as an active ingredient. [6] A composition for maintaining or improving mucosal immune function, characterized by containing dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves as an active ingredient. [7] A composition for promoting salivary IgA secretion, characterized by containing dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves as an active ingredient. [8] A composition for preventing or alleviating upper respiratory tract infections, characterized by containing dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves as an active ingredient. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The composition of the present invention can increase the amount of IgA in saliva, thereby maintaining and improving oral immune function or mucosal immune function, or preventing or alleviating upper respiratory tract infections. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The composition of the present invention is characterized by containing young barley leaves. The composition of the present invention can increase IgA in saliva, and thus can maintain or improve the immune function of the oral cavity and mucosa by continuously taking it orally on a daily basis. Here, "maintaining or improving oral immune function" in the present invention refers to a concept including suppressing (maintaining) a decline in oral immune function and / or improving (improving) oral immune function, and "maintaining or improving mucosal immune function" refers to a concept including suppressing (maintaining) a decline in mucosal immune function and / or improving (improving) mucosal immune function.

[0010] Furthermore, by continuously taking the composition of the present invention orally on a daily basis, it is possible to maintain or improve oral immune function, thereby preventing or alleviating (ameliorating) upper respiratory tract infections (cold syndromes). Note that upper respiratory tract infections refer to symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, and sore throat that occur when a cold virus or the like infects the respiratory tract mucosa through the oral cavity or nasal cavity and the virus proliferates in these areas.

[0011] (salivary IgA) IgA stands for immunoglobulin A, and is a type of immunoglobulin found in mammals and birds. There are five types of immunoglobulins: IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, and IgE, each with different production mechanisms, functions, roles, and locations and times when they work.

[0012] For example, IgA and IgG secretion are regulated differently, just as the cytokines produced by Tfh cells when they induce class switching from IgM are different. In other words, increases in IgA and IgG levels occur through different mechanisms. Furthermore, IgA plays a central role in the mucosal immune system, whereas IgG plays a central role in the systemic immune system. Therefore, IgA and IgG differ in everything from their secretory mechanisms to their roles.

[0013] Furthermore, IgA plays different roles depending on the location where it is secreted. For example, fecal IgA is thought to be related to intestinal immunity, while salivary IgA is related to oral immunity. Therefore, fecal IgA and salivary IgA have different roles.

[0014] Furthermore, IgA secretion in some tissues is not necessarily mediated by the same antigen. Therefore, increased IgA secretion in a particular tissue does not necessarily lead to increased IgA secretion in other tissues. For example, even if fecal IgA levels increase after the ingestion of a certain substance, this does not necessarily translate to increased salivary IgA levels. (See Pediatric Research Volume 81, Number 4, pages 622-631.) This paper reports that in infants who consumed a specific formula, fecal IgA levels increased, but salivary IgA levels did not. Specifically, the "Immune Measurements" section on page 627 notes that fecal IgA levels were significantly higher in the test group compared to the control group at 3 and 6 months, but salivary IgA levels did not differ significantly between the test diet groups. Thus, salivary IgA secretion and fecal IgA secretion do not necessarily occur simultaneously.

[0015] (young barley leaves) Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an annual or biennial herb belonging to the Poaceae family, believed to be native to Central Asia, and is broadly classified into two-row barley, six-row barley, etc., depending on the panicle shape. This barley is rich in barley β-glucan, a water-soluble dietary fiber, and insoluble dietary fiber. The barley leaves used in the composition of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are commonly available, and any variety of barley leaves, such as two-row barley or six-row barley, may be used. Furthermore, the barley leaves may also include stems.

[0016] As the young barley leaves, for example, pulverized material, squeezed juice, extract, etc. can be used. Examples of pulverized material include dried powder (young barley leaf powder), shredded material, and dried material thereof (dried shredded material). The squeezed juice and extract may be in liquid form, but can also be used as a paste or dried powder (juice powder, extract powder). The extract can be obtained by extraction using an appropriate solvent, and examples of the solvent that can be used include water (warm water, hot water), ethanol, and aqueous ethanol. In the present invention, pulverized material is preferred because it contains more dietary fiber and can better enjoy the effects of the present invention, and of pulverized materials, dried powder (young barley leaf powder) is particularly preferred.

[0017] Furthermore, in order to obtain the effects of the present invention more effectively, the barley leaves used in the present invention preferably contain dietary fiber in an amount of 20% by mass or more, more preferably 25% by mass or more, and even more preferably 30% by mass or more, the upper limit of which may be, for example, 70% by mass.

[0018] (Composition of the present invention) The composition of the present invention can be used, for example, as a pharmaceutical product (including quasi-drugs), or as a so-called health food such as a functional food whose efficacy has been approved by a designated organization, such as a food for specified health uses, a food with nutrient function claims, or a food with functional claims.

[0019] The composition for maintaining or improving oral immune function of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains young barley leaves and can be distinguished from other products in that it is used to maintain and / or improve (improve) oral immune function. For example, the scope of the present invention includes a product in which the function of maintaining and / or improving (improving) oral immune function is indicated on the product itself, packaging, instructions, or promotional materials (advertising media) of the present invention. The composition for maintaining or improving oral immune function of the present invention may indicate young barley leaves or a component derived from young barley leaves (such as dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves) as the active ingredient, but is not limited to products in which young barley leaves or a component derived from young barley leaves (such as dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves) are indicated as the active ingredient on the product packaging, etc. For example, the active ingredient may not be specified. Furthermore, even general foods that are manufactured and sold with a suggested use are included within the scope of the present invention. For example, foods sold with personal testimonials from people who have consumed the product, mentioning the maintenance and improvement of the immune function of the oral cavity (oral mucosa), posted on a website, etc., are also included within the scope of the present invention. Additionally, functional foods that use papers etc. showing the maintenance and / or improvement of oral immune function as the scientific basis for their functionality, have barley leaves or components derived from barley leaves as functional ingredients, and have a notified claim that they function to maintain and / or improve immune function are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0020] Specifically, examples of so-called health foods include those labeled as "helpful in maintaining oral immune function in healthy people," "boosting oral immunity," "boosting oral immunity," "strengthening oral immunity," "supporting oral immunity," "maintaining defense in the oral cavity," "boosting defense in the oral cavity," "boosting defense in the oral cavity," "strengthening defense in the oral cavity," etc. Further examples include those labeled as "helpful in maintaining oral mucosal immune function in healthy people," "boosting oral mucosal immunity," "boosting oral mucosal immunity," "strengthening oral mucosal immunity," "supporting oral mucosal immunity," "maintaining defense in the oral mucosa," "boosting defense in the oral mucosa," "boosting defense in the oral mucosa," "strengthening defense in the oral mucosa," etc.

[0021] The composition for maintaining or improving mucosal immune function of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains young barley leaves and can be distinguished from other products in that it is used to maintain and / or improve (improve) mucosal immune function. For example, the scope of the present invention includes a product in which the function of maintaining and / or improving (improving) mucosal immunity is indicated on the product itself, packaging, instructions, or promotional materials (advertising media) of the present invention. The composition for maintaining or improving mucosal immune function of the present invention may indicate young barley leaves or a component derived from young barley leaves (e.g., dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves) as the active ingredient, but is not limited to products in which young barley leaves or a component derived from young barley leaves (e.g., dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves) are indicated as the active ingredient on the product packaging, etc. For example, the active ingredient may not be specified. Furthermore, even general foods that are manufactured and sold with a suggested use are included within the scope of the present invention. For example, foods sold with personal testimonials from people who have consumed the food, which are posted on a website or the like and refer to the maintenance and / or improvement (improvement) of mucosal immunity, are also included within the scope of the present invention. In addition, functional foods that use papers etc. showing the maintenance and / or enhancement (improvement) of mucosal immunity as scientific evidence of their functionality, have barley leaves or components derived from barley leaves as functional ingredients, and have a notified claim that they have functionality related to the maintenance and / or enhancement of immune function are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0022] Specifically, examples of so-called health foods include those that claim to "help maintain mucosal immunity in healthy people," "boost mucosal immunity," "increase mucosal immunity," "strengthen mucosal immunity," "support mucosal immunity," "maintain mucosal defense," "increase mucosal defense," "increase mucosal defense," and "strengthen mucosal defense."

[0023] The composition for preventing or alleviating upper respiratory tract infections of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains young barley leaves and is used for preventing or alleviating (improving) upper respiratory tract infections, making it distinguishable from other products. For example, the scope of the present invention includes a product in which the product itself, packaging, instructions, or promotional materials (advertising media) display the function of preventing upper respiratory tract infections (cold syndrome). The composition for preventing or alleviating upper respiratory tract infections of the present invention may display young barley leaves or a component derived from young barley leaves (e.g., dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves) as the active ingredient, but is not limited to products in which the packaging displays young barley leaves or a component derived from young barley leaves (e.g., dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves) as the active ingredient. For example, the active ingredient may not be specified. Furthermore, even general foods that are manufactured and sold with a suggested use are included within the scope of the present invention. For example, foods sold with personal testimonials from people who have consumed the product, mentioning the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections (cold syndrome), are also included within the scope of the present invention. Additionally, functional foods that use papers showing prevention of upper respiratory tract infections (cold syndrome) as scientific evidence of their functionality, contain barley leaves or components derived from barley leaves as functional ingredients, and have functional claims related to maintaining and / or improving immune function are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0024] Specifically, examples of so-called health foods include those that claim to "prevent the onset of upper respiratory tract infections," "prevent the onset of colds," "prevent colds," and "make you less likely to catch a cold."

[0025] The composition for promoting salivary IgA secretion of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains young barley leaves and is used to promote IgA secretion in saliva, making it distinguishable from other products. For example, the scope of the present invention includes products in which the function of promoting IgA secretion in saliva is indicated on the product itself, packaging, instructions, or promotional materials (advertising media) according to the present invention. The composition for promoting salivary IgA secretion of the present invention may be one in which young barley leaves or a component derived from young barley leaves (e.g., dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves) is indicated as the active ingredient, but is not limited to products in which young barley leaves or a component derived from young barley leaves (e.g., dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves) is indicated as the active ingredient on the product packaging, etc. For example, products in which the active ingredient is not specified may also be used. Furthermore, even general foods that are manufactured and sold with a suggested use are included within the scope of the present invention. For example, foods sold with personal testimonials from people who have consumed the product, mentioning the promotion of IgA secretion in saliva, posted on websites, etc., are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0026] Specifically, examples of so-called health foods include those that claim to "promote the secretion of IgA in saliva," "increase the amount of IgA in saliva," "promote the secretion of IgA in the oral cavity," and "increase the amount of IgA in the oral cavity."

[0027] Examples of the form of the composition of the present invention include tablets, capsules, powders, granules, liquids, particles, rods, plates, blocks, solids, rounds, pastes, creams, caplets, gels, chewable tablets, and sticks. The composition may also be in the form of ice cream, jelly, cookies, cakes, chocolate, or a bottled beverage. Among these, tablets, capsules, powders, granules, rounds, and chewable tablets are preferred, with powders and granules being particularly preferred.

[0028] When the composition of the present invention is made into a tablet, a round, or a chewable tablet, it is preferable to add one or more of an excipient, a lubricant, and a fluidizing agent. This improves moldability and improves the storage stability of the produced formulation. In particular, the use of an excipient and a lubricant can further improve storage stability.

[0029] The content of young barley leaves in the composition of the present invention may be appropriately determined within a range that achieves the desired effect. For example, the composition of the present invention may contain young barley leaves in an amount of 0.0.01 to 100% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 100% by mass, and more preferably 1 to 100% by mass, calculated on a dry mass basis.

[0030] The content of dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves in the composition of the present invention may be appropriately determined within a range that provides the desired effect. For example, the composition of the present invention may contain dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves in an amount of 0.01 to 80% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 75% by mass, and more preferably 1 to 70% by mass, calculated on a dry mass basis.

[0031] There is no particular limit to the amount of barley leaves that can be ingested in the present invention, but in order to obtain the effects more effectively, the amount of barley leaves that can be ingested is preferably 0.25 g or more, more preferably 0.5 g or more, and even more preferably 1.0 g or more per day for an adult. The upper limit is, for example, 30 g, preferably 20 g, and more preferably 10 g.

[0032] Furthermore, there is no particular limit to the intake amount of dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves in the present invention, but in order to more effectively enjoy its effects, the intake amount of dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves per day for an adult is preferably 0.125 g or more, more preferably 0.25 g or more, and even more preferably 0.5 g or more, with the upper limit being, for example, 15 g, preferably 10 g, and more preferably 5 g.

[0033] The composition of the present invention may be appropriately designed so that the daily intake of young barley leaves or dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves is the above-mentioned intake amount, and may be ingested in one sitting or in multiple sittings. That is, for example, the daily amount may be contained in one container or divided into 2 to 4 containers.

[0034] The composition of the present invention can be produced by a known method, adding other ingredients in addition to young barley leaves, if necessary. [Example]

[0035] The present invention will be described in more detail below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0036] [Example 1] We investigated the effect of barley leaf powder intake on salivary IgA levels.

[0037] <Test Method> The study involved 18 healthy adults consuming barley leaves for two weeks. Specifically, the subjects were divided into two groups: one group consuming 1.5g of barley leaf powder per day (1.5g group) and one group consuming 1.7g of barley leaf powder per day (1.7g group). The total dietary fiber content of the barley leaf powder was 46.7% in both groups. Barley leaf intake consisted of dissolving barley leaf powder (barley leaf powder) in the prescribed amount (100mL) of water or hot water once a day at dinnertime.

[0038] <Measurement of salivary IgA concentration> The subjects were tested for salivary IgA concentrations before and two weeks after the start of intake. Specifically, salivary IgA concentrations were measured using a CUBE Reader (SOMA) according to the device's instructions. First, a specified cotton swab was placed on the subject's tongue, and saliva was collected until the swab turned blue. Next, the swab was immersed in a buffer solution for two minutes while stirring. Three drops of the resulting buffer solution were placed on a specified plate. The plate with the buffer solution placed on it was placed in the device and left for 10 minutes, after which the measurement value displayed on the device was read and the data was saved. The same sample was measured twice in succession, and the average value was used as the measured value.

[0039] Based on the measured values, the rate of change in salivary IgA concentration was calculated using the following formula: Formula 1

[0040] TIFF2026002976000001.tif10143

[0041] Table 1 shows the rate of change in salivary IgA concentration.

[0042] [Table 1]

[0043] As shown in Table 1, a significant increase in salivary IgA concentration was observed by ingesting young barley leaves. In other words, it was revealed that ingesting young barley leaves can promote the secretion of salivary IgA. Therefore, the composition containing young barley leaves of the present invention can improve the immune function of the oral cavity (oral mucosa), and also prevent or alleviate upper respiratory tract infections by preventing the invasion of viruses and other pathogens by salivary IgA.

[0044] [Example 2] (Powdered beverage manufacturing) A powdered beverage containing the following ingredients was produced: This powdered beverage exhibited the effects of the present invention. Barley grass powder 74% by mass Matcha 4% by mass Reduced maltose 22% by mass

[0045] [Example 3] (Cookie manufacturing) Cookies were prepared from the following ingredients: These cookies exhibited the effects of the present invention. Barley grass powder 7.41% by mass Cake flour 37.04% by mass Butter 15.43% by mass Sugar 18.52% by mass Baking powder 1.54% by mass Egg 20.06% by mass [Industrial Applicability]

[0046] The composition of the present invention can be used as a health food or the like, and is therefore industrially useful.

Claims

[Claim 1] Contains crushed barley leaves, A composition for preventing or alleviating upper respiratory tract infections, characterized in that the daily intake of dietary fiber derived from young barley leaves is 0.5 g or more.

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