Fragrance composition for improving working memory

Abstract

To provide a perfume composition having an excellent effect of improving working memory.SOLUTION: The perfume composition for improving working memory contains a rosemary extract as an active ingredient.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fragrance composition for improving working memory. [Background technology]

[0002] Cognitive function is the ability to correctly understand and judge things and to act appropriately, and is essential for a smooth daily life. Cognitive function is also important outside of daily life; for example, athletes are required to use advanced cognitive functions in extreme situations, repetitively performing cognition and judgment at high speed.

[0003] Among cognitive functions, the memory function that temporarily stores, processes, and integrates spatial and linguistic information and is utilized in selecting actions is called working memory. Furthermore, working memory is a concept that consists of components such as a phonological component (phonological loop), a visuospatial component (visuospatial sketchpad), a semantic component (episodic buffer), and a regulatory component (central executive), and is known to have a significant impact on general conversation, reading, and sports (Non-Patent Document 1).

[0004] Working memory is fundamental to human life, but it is common for some or all of this function to be lost with age. In recent years, aerobic exercise has been attracting attention as an effective way to prevent or improve cognitive decline. For example, it has been shown that jogging 2.6 times a week activates the prefrontal cortex and improves cognitive function.

[0005] However, elderly people who experience cognitive decline also experience a decline in motor function. Therefore, measures to prevent cognitive decline through aerobic exercise are limited to healthy elderly people who are able to perform aerobic exercise. Furthermore, athletes who participate in ball games and team sports, which require cognitive and judgmental skills in complex situations, must use cognitive functions such as working memory under extreme conditions, repeatedly performing cognitive and judgmental tasks at high speed. Therefore, improving these cognitive functions has a significant impact on athletic performance and outcomes.

[0006] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose ingredients and extracts that improve cognitive functions such as working memory when taken orally, but no flavoring composition that improves working memory is known. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-30674 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-111729 [Non-patent literature]

[0008] [Non-Patent Document 1] AD BADDELEY & G. HITCH (1974) Working memory. Psychology of learning and motivation. 8: 47-89. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a fragrance composition that has an excellent effect of improving working memory. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In view of the above circumstances, the present inventors conducted extensive research to solve the problem, and as a result, they discovered that a fragrance composition containing rosemary extract as an active ingredient has the function of improving working memory, and thus completed the present invention.

[0011] That is, the present invention provides a fragrance composition for improving working memory, which contains rosemary extract as an active ingredient.

[0012] The present invention also provides an external preparation composition containing the above fragrance composition.

[0013] The present invention also provides an inhalable composition containing the above flavor composition.

[0014] The present invention also provides an oral composition containing the above flavor composition. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The fragrance composition of the present invention has the effect of improving working memory. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a graph comparing the correct answer rates for normal, spearmint, peppermint, rosemary, lavender, and blank based on an N-back task in an example. The horizontal axis represents the sample name, and the vertical axis represents the correct answer rate (%) for each sample. [Figure 2] This is a graph comparing reaction times for normal, peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, lavender, and blank samples based on an N-back task in an example. The horizontal axis represents the sample name, and the vertical axis represents the reaction time (ms) for each sample. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] [Fragrance composition for improving working memory] The fragrance composition for improving working memory of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "the fragrance composition of the present invention") has the function of improving working memory and is characterized by containing rosemary extract as an active ingredient. Therefore, the fragrance composition can be used for the purpose of improving working memory, i.e., as a fragrance composition for improving working memory.

[0018] Working memory is a cognitive function concept consisting of components such as phonological components, visuospatial components, semantic components, and control components. Among these cognitive functions, the visuospatial component (visuospatial working memory) in particular is involved in all tasks requiring cognitive judgment based on visual information, and is utilized in many situations, from the daily lives of ordinary people to strategic sports where open skills are important, making it a very important function in human life. The fragrance composition of the present invention is expected to have a wide range of effects, such as preventing the decline of cognitive function due to aging, and is particularly effective in improving visuospatial working memory.

[0019] Rosemary extract Rosemary extract is an extract obtained from the rosemary plant. Rosemary (English name: Rosemary, scientific name: Salvia rosmarinus) is an evergreen shrub belonging to the Lamiaceae family, and its fresh and dried leaves have long been used as a spice, medicine, herb, etc.

[0020] The rosemary extract can be extracted from a part or the whole of rosemary. The part of rosemary to be extracted includes, but is not limited to, leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, and roots. The rosemary extract according to the present invention is preferably extracted from rosemary leaves.

[0021] The rosemary extract may be obtained by using the rosemary plant or parts or organs of the plant as raw materials, or by processing such as drying, crushing, or shredding the plant. Examples of parts of the rosemary plant include roots, tuberous roots, rhizomes, trunks, branches, stems, leaves (leaf blades, petioles, etc.), bark, sap, resin, flowers (petals, ovaries, etc.), fruits (pulp and skin), and seeds. A combination of these parts may also be used. It is preferable to use at least one selected from the group consisting of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits as raw materials, and it is more preferable to use leaves as raw materials.

[0022] The method for preparing rosemary extract is not particularly limited. For example, rosemary extract can be obtained by placing rosemary (preferably leaves, more preferably dried leaves) as a raw material in a distiller's kettle, blowing in steam to distill, and then cooling and separating the oil and water. The temperature, time, and pressure of the distillation process are not particularly limited. Rosemary extract can also be obtained, for example, by extracting dried and crushed rosemary (preferably leaves) with a solvent at 30°C to near its boiling point (preferably a solvent acceptable for food production, more preferably water or an organic solvent such as ethanol), or a mixture thereof. The mixture of water and organic solvent is not particularly limited. For example, 10% to 90% ethanol can be used. The temperature and time of the extraction procedure are not particularly limited. Extraction can be performed, for example, at room temperature for 1 minute to 12 hours.

[0023] Examples of solvents used for extracting rosemary include water, lower alcohols (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, etc.), liquid polyhydric alcohols (1,3-butylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, etc.), ketones (acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, etc.), acetonitrile, esters (ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, etc.), hydrocarbons (hexane, heptane, etc.), and ethers (ethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, propyl ether, etc.). Among these, polar solvents such as water and lower alcohols (especially ethanol) are preferred, with water being more preferred. These solvents may be used alone or in combination.

[0024] In the flavor composition of the present invention, the rosemary extract may be used as an extracted solution as is, or may be used after treatment such as concentration, dilution, filtration, decolorization with activated carbon or the like, deodorization, precipitation with a solvent (e.g., ethanol), etc., as necessary. Furthermore, the extracted solution may be subjected to treatment such as concentration to dryness, spray drying, freeze drying, etc., and used as a dried product.

[0025] The fragrance composition of the present invention may use rosemary extract as it is (i.e., rosemary extract may be used as the fragrance composition), or may contain components other than rosemary extract (other components) within a range that does not impair the effects of the extract. That is, the fragrance composition may contain rosemary extract and the other components. The other components are not particularly limited, but examples include components commonly used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, foods, etc. Specific examples include solvents; oily components such as fats and oils, higher alcohols, ester oils, vegetable oils, and hydrocarbon oils; surfactants; thickeners such as hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, and polysaccharide thickeners; disinfectants; pearlizing agents; scrubbing agents; anti-inflammatory agents such as glycyrrhizic acid and its salts; cooling agents such as menthol; pH adjusters such as phosphoric acid and its salts, citric acid and its salts, lactic acid and its salts, sodium hydroxide, and triethanolamine; and the rosemary extract. Examples of ingredients include fragrances other than ingredients; UV absorbers; antioxidants; sequestering agents (chelating agents); powders; colorants; pigments; excipients such as lactose, starch, cellulose, maltitol, dextrin, etc.; waxes such as beeswax, rice bran wax, carnauba wax, etc.; sweeteners such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, stevia, saccharin, sucralose, etc.; acidulants such as citric acid, malic acid, gluconic acid, etc.; vitamins; minerals; amino acids; astringents; whitening agents; animal and plant extracts; acids; alkalis, fibrous cellulose, etc.

[0026] The solvent is not particularly limited, but includes those described above as solvents used for extraction. Among them, solvents acceptable as food additives are preferred, such as water, ethanol, propylene glycol, glycerin, acetone, and ethyl acetate.

[0027] The content of rosemary extract in the flavor composition of the present invention is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended use and formulation, but is preferably 0.1% by weight or more, more preferably 1.0% by weight or more, and even more preferably 10.0% by weight or more. The upper limit may be, for example, 100.0% by weight, more preferably 90.0% by weight, and even more preferably 80.0% by weight.

[0028] The flavor composition of the present invention can be used, for example, in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, foods (e.g., general foods, health functional foods such as foods for specified health uses and foods with nutrient functions), and beverages. Its form can be selected from a variety of forms, and may be, for example, an external preparation composition, an inhalation composition, or an oral composition. That is, the above-mentioned external preparation composition may contain the flavor composition of the present invention, the above-mentioned inhalation composition may contain the flavor composition of the present invention, and the above-mentioned oral composition may contain the flavor composition of the present invention.

[0029] [External preparation composition] In addition to rosemary extract, the topical composition may contain, as appropriate for the purpose, water; alcohols such as polyhydric alcohols, higher alcohols, and lower alcohols (e.g., ethanol, propanol, propylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, and glycerin); vegetable and animal oils such as olive oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, camellia oil, avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, and horse oil; hydrocarbon oils such as squalane and squalene; and fats and oils such as silicone oil; surfactants such as nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants; thickeners such as carboxyvinyl polymers, acrylate / alkyl methacrylate copolymers, hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, and xanthan gum; chelating agents; preservatives; water-soluble polymers; coloring agents; vitamins; antioxidants; preservative ingredients; ultraviolet absorbers; coloring agents such as dyes and pigments; disinfectants; antiperspirants; powders; animal extracts; plant extracts; fragrances; and pH adjusters. However, rosemary extract is excluded from the above plant extracts and flavorings.

[0030] The dosage form of the topical composition may be a liquid, gel, aerosol, etc. Examples of the product form of the topical composition include, but are not limited to, cream, ointment, lotion, gel, emulsion, body shampoo, shampoo, treatment, conditioner, hair tonic, pack, powder, cataplasm, etc.

[0031] The topical composition is mainly used for application to the skin. The site to which it is applied is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include the face (e.g., forehead, eyes, corners of the eyes, cheeks, mouth, etc.), arms, elbows, hands (e.g., palms, backs of the hands, fingers), feet (e.g., soles, tops of the feet, toes), knees, heels, neck, armpits, back, etc. The topical composition is used, for example, in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, etc.

[0032] [Composition for inhalation] In addition to rosemary extract, the above-mentioned inhalable composition may contain surfactants, propellants, solvents such as alcohol, vitamins, antioxidants, preservatives, and ultraviolet absorbers as appropriate depending on the purpose.

[0033] The dosage form of the inhalable composition includes, but is not limited to, liquid dosage form, aerosol dosage form, and dry powder dosage form, with liquid dosage form and aerosol dosage form being preferred.

[0034] The inhalable composition is used to deliver an active ingredient (specifically, rosemary extract) to the respiratory tract, mucous membranes, trachea, and bronchial regions by inhalation. The inhalable composition is used, for example, in pharmaceuticals and quasi-drugs.

[0035] [Oral composition] In addition to rosemary extract, the oral composition may contain preservatives, thickeners, antiseptics, gelling agents, colorants, fragrances, seasonings, solvents acceptable as food additives (e.g., water, ethanol, propylene glycol, glycerin, acetone, ethyl acetate, etc.), etc.

[0036] The oral composition is used to orally deliver an active ingredient (specifically, rosemary extract) into the body. The oral composition is used, for example, as a pharmaceutical product, a quasi-drug, or a food product. The term "food" includes beverages, and is used to mean health foods, health functional foods (e.g., foods for specified health uses, foods with nutrient functions, and foods with functional claims), supplements, and the like.

[0037] In order to diffuse the rosemary extract into the nasal cavity through the oral cavity and pharynx, the oral composition is preferably provided in the form of a food or preparation that is chewed in the oral cavity (e.g., chewing gum, etc.), a food or preparation that remains in the oral cavity (e.g., candy, gummies, soft drinks, lozenges, etc.), or a beverage (e.g., sports drinks, etc.), but is not limited to these.

[0038] When the oral composition is ingested and the active ingredient (specifically, rosemary extract) is orally delivered to the body, the working memory of the person who ingested it is improved. Therefore, the oral composition is useful in situations where a high level of working memory must be temporarily or continuously exerted, such as before or during a sports game, while studying, or while working. Therefore, the oral composition is preferably ingested in the form of a food or formulation before and during sports, studying, or while working.

[0039] The fragrance composition of the present invention has the function of improving working memory and can therefore be effectively used in sports. For example, by appropriately using the fragrance composition, such as by smelling the fragrance composition before the start of a sport or during a competition, an athlete's working memory can be improved, thereby increasing the likelihood that the athlete will achieve good results in that sport. Therefore, the present invention includes an embodiment relating to the use of a fragrance composition for improving working memory in sports. Here, sports include strategic sports, interceptive sports, and static sports, as described below. The fragrance composition of the present invention can be effectively used in any of these sports, but is particularly effective in strategic sports and interceptive sports.

[0040] Strategic sports: Strategic sports are sports in which players or teams primarily use tactics and strategies to win. They are characterized by the fact that strategic decisions and the use of tactics have a significant impact on the outcome of a game. Examples of strategic sports include team sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and baseball, board games such as chess and Go, and individual sports such as tennis. Interceptive sports: Interceptive sports are sports in which players must anticipate and intercept (obstruct, capture, steal, etc.) the movement of a ball, an object, or an opponent. Anticipation, judgment, and appropriate reactions are crucial in interceptive sports, such as basketball, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. Static sports: Static sports are sports in which the athletes remain stationary and do not move. Static sports primarily require concentration, precision, and mental stability. Examples of static sports include shooting, archery, bowling, and billiards. [Example]

[0041] The present invention will be described in more detail below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0042] 1. Selection of subjects The subjects were 10 university students with sports experience, with an average age of 22.2 years.

[0043] 2. Regulation of subjects' lives -Do not wear perfume, take supplements, or consume food or drinks containing caffeine on the day of the event. No food is allowed within 2 hours before the test, and only water is allowed as a drink.

[0044] 3. Exam Content [Sample preparation] The following five samples were prepared: 0.6g each of peppermint extract, spearmint extract, rosemary extract, and lavender extract was soaked in cotton and placed in an inhaler container. Unscented inhaler bottle (blank sample) The extracts used are described below. Spearmint extract: Spearmint essential oil (Seikatsu no Kiwami Co., Ltd.) Peppermint extract: Peppermint essential oil (Seikatsu no Kiwami Co., Ltd.) Rosemary extract: Rosemary cineole essential oil (Seikatsu no Kiwami Co., Ltd.) Lavender extract: Lavender (France) essential oil (Seikatsu no Kiwami Co., Ltd.)

[0045] [Suction method] The subjects were asked to bring the inhaler containers containing the five samples close to their left and right nostrils and inhale three times for three seconds each. Immediately after inhalation, they performed the N-back task described below. Note that the correct answer rate and reaction speed measurements for the N-back task, labeled "normal," refer to the results when the samples were not inhaled.

[0046] [N-back task] The N-back task is a sustained processing task that requires both information retention and information processing within a short period of time. Participants are required to remember the position of the lit squares, as well as recall memories of the squares that were lit N times previously, and respond appropriately. In this experiment, one of the eight outermost squares of the nine squares is lit and then turned off. This constitutes one set, and multiple sets are conducted. The condition under which the subject must remember the "square that was lit N times ago" is called the "N" back condition. For example, if the subject is required to remember the square that was lit two times ago, the back condition for an N-back task is "2." The subject presses a key if the currently lit square is in the same location as the square that was lit N times ago, and does not press a key if it is in a different location. The accuracy rate and reaction speed are measured. Note that if the subject presses a key when the currently lit square is in the same location as the square that was lit N times ago, this is considered a "correct response," and not pressing a key is considered an "incorrect response." Furthermore, reaction speed is only reflected in the measurement results if the subject responds correctly. Three n-back conditions, 2, 3, and 4, were used. Each n-back task measurement took approximately 10 minutes. To avoid the effects of fatigue, measurements were taken twice a day over three days for a total of six measurements. The n-back task was performed under the conditions disclosed in paragraph "2.2.1.1." of "JAEGGI, SM, STUDER-LUETHI, B., BUSCHKUEHL, M., SU, Y., JONIDES, J. and PERRIG, WJ, 2010. The relationship between n-back performance and matrix reasoning - implications for training and transfer. Intelligence, 38(6), pp. 625-635."

[0047] [Results of N-back task] Both the percentage of correct answers (%) and reaction time (ms) were significantly improved under the rosemary inhalation condition. Specifically, a significant difference was observed between the rosemary inhalation condition and the normal condition in terms of the percentage of correct answers (Figure 1). Furthermore, a significant difference was observed between the rosemary inhalation condition and the normal condition, peppermint, spearmint, and blank condition in terms of reaction time (Figure 2). Generally, when the percentage of correct answers is high, reaction speed slows down. However, rosemary significantly improved both the percentage of correct answers and reaction speed, demonstrating its excellent effect on improving working memory.

[0048] As described above, it has been revealed that rosemary extract has the effect of improving working memory (particularly visuospatial working memory). This indicates that a fragrance composition containing rosemary extract can be used to improve working memory.

Claims

1. A fragrance composition for improving working memory, containing rosemary extract as an active ingredient.

2. An external use composition containing the fragrance composition according to claim 1.

3. An inhalable composition containing the flavoring composition according to claim 1.

4. An oral composition containing the flavor composition according to claim 1.

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