Oral Compositions for Oral Care

Abstract

To provide an oral composition that exhibits excellent preventive and / or ameliorative effects against periodontal disease. [Solution] An oral care composition characterized by containing pine bark extract and at least one plant material selected from coffee tree, linden tree, kudzu flower, barley grass, and sweet potato leaf.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an oral composition having a preventive and ameliorating effect on periodontal disease.

[0002] Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease caused by bacterial infection. Inflammation is caused in the gums by bacteria in dental plaque, and if left untreated, there is a risk of tooth loss. It is also said that if this periodontal disease progresses, periodontal bacteria may be carried to the organs throughout the body through the capillaries in the oral cavity, potentially causing systemic diseases such as diabetes, pneumonia, arteriosclerosis, and myocardial infarction.

[0003] As such an oral composition for preventing and ameliorating periodontal disease, for example, a composition containing a pine bark extract has been reported to be effective (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] Although this pine bark extract has a preventive and ameliorating effect on periodontal disease, further improvement in the effect is required.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an oral composition having an excellent preventive and / or ameliorating effect on periodontal disease.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The inventors of this invention have been engaged in research on oral care, and in particular have been diligently studying foods and pharmaceuticals that can more effectively prevent and / or improve periodontal disease. As a result, they have discovered that certain plant materials enhance the periodontal disease prevention and improvement effects of pine bark extract, and have completed the present invention.

[0008] In other words, the present invention is as follows: [1] An oral care composition characterized by containing pine bark extract and at least one plant material selected from coffee tree, linden tree, kudzu flower, barley grass, and sweet potato leaf. [2] An oral care composition comprising pine bark extract as an active ingredient, further characterized by containing at least one plant material selected from coffee tree, linden tree, kudzu flower, barley grass, and sweet potato leaf. [3] An oral composition characterized by containing pine bark extract and at least one plant material selected from coffee tree and linden tree. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The oral composition of the present invention has excellent preventive and / or ameliorative effects against periodontal disease. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows the inhibitory effect of the composition of the present invention (pine bark extract + coffee tree) on the proliferation of Porphyromonas gingivalis. [Figure 2] This figure shows the inhibitory effect of the composition of the present invention (pine bark extract + linden) on the proliferation of Porphyromonas gingivalis. [Figure 3] This figure shows the inhibitory effect of the composition of the present invention (pine bark extract + kudzu flower) on the proliferation of Porphyromonas gingivalis. [Figure 4] This figure shows the inhibitory effect of the composition of the present invention (pine bark extract + young barley leaves) on the proliferation of Porphyromonas gingivalis. [Figure 5] This figure shows the inhibitory effect of the composition of the present invention (pine bark extract + sweet potato leaves) on the proliferation of Porphyromonas gingivalis. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The oral composition of the present invention is characterized by containing pine bark extract and at least one plant material (sometimes referred to as a secondary material) selected from coffee tree, linden tree, kudzu flower, barley grass, and sweet potato leaf. The secondary material may be used alone (for example, only coffee tree) or in combination of two or more. When using two or more secondary materials in combination, it is preferable to combine secondary materials that have a high effect in enhancing the effect of the pine bark extract.

[0012] The combination of pine bark extract and plant materials effectively suppresses the growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacterium that causes periodontal disease. Therefore, the oral composition of the present invention can effectively prevent and / or improve periodontal disease. Furthermore, the oral composition of the present invention suppresses the malodorous odor produced when Porphyromonas gingivalis metabolizes proteins and amino acids, and can prevent and / or improve bad breath characteristic of periodontal disease.

[0013] [Pine bark extract] The pine bark extract in the oral composition of the present invention contains proanthocyanidins as one of its main components. Proanthocyanidins are a group of compounds consisting of condensed polymers with a degree of polymerization of 2 or more, with flavan-3-ol and / or flavan-3,4-diol as constituent units.

[0014] Examples of pine bark extracts that can be used as raw materials include French maritime pine (Pinus Martima), larch, Japanese black pine, Japanese red pine, Japanese white pine, Japanese white pine, Korean pine, Japanese stone pine, Ryukyu pine, Japanese white pine, longleaf pine, and Japanese white pine, among which French maritime pine is preferred. The obtained extract may be concentrated or dried as needed to be in liquid, paste, or powder form. In addition, commercially available pine bark extracts can be used; for example, pine bark extract (Flavanogenol®) manufactured by Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd. can be used.

[0015] Furthermore, the pine bark extract in the oral composition of the present invention preferably contains a condensed polymer with a degree of polymerization of 2 or more as a proanthocyanidin. In particular, proanthocyanidins containing a large amount of condensed polymers with a low degree of polymerization are preferred. Examples of condensed polymers with a low degree of polymerization include condensed polymers with a degree of polymerization of 2 to 30 (2 to 30-mers), condensed polymers with a degree of polymerization of 2 to 10 (2 to 10-mers) are preferred, and condensed polymers with a degree of polymerization of 2 to 4 (2 to 4-mers) are even more preferred. In this specification, polymers with a degree of polymerization of 2 to 4 are referred to as OPC (oligomeric proanthocyanidin). The pine bark extract in the oral composition of the present invention preferably contains 20% by mass or more of OPC, more preferably 30% by mass or more, and even more preferably 40% by mass or more.

[0016] Pine bark extract is obtained by extracting pine bark with water or an organic solvent. When water is used, warm water or hot water is preferred. As organic solvents used for extraction, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, butane, acetone, hexane, cyclohexane, propylene glycol, aqueous ethanol, aqueous propylene glycol, and other organic solvents that are permitted in the manufacture of food or pharmaceuticals are preferred. These water and organic solvents may be used alone or in combination of two or more solvents. In particular, water-soluble solvents such as water, ethanol, and aqueous ethanol are preferred.

[0017] [Plant material (sub-material)] In the present invention, as the plant material (sub-material), in addition to the plant material itself, processed products such as its pulverized product, squeezed juice, extract, etc. can be used. Examples of the pulverized product include powder, granules, etc. The squeezed juice and extract may be in a liquid state, but can also be used as a paste or dry powder. The extract can be obtained by extraction using an appropriate solvent, and as the solvent, for example, water-soluble solvents such as water, ethanol, and aqueous ethanol can be used. Hereinafter, each plant material will be described.

[0018] [Coffea arabica] The "Coffea arabica" used in the present invention is a plant of the family Rubiaceae and the genus Coffea, and for example, Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora Pierr., Coffee robusta, Coffea liberica, etc. can be used. As the part used as the plant material of the present invention, seeds (coffee beans) are preferred, and roasted ones can be used, but it is more preferable to use unroasted raw seeds.

[0019] [Linden tree] The linden tree is a plant of the family Tiliaceae. Examples of the linden tree used in the present invention include plants of the family Tiliaceae and the genus Tilia such as Tilia platyphyllos Scop., Tilia cordata Mill., and Tilia europaea L. As the part used as the plant material of the present invention, flowers are preferred.

[0020] [Kudzu flower] For kudzu flowers, the flowers of plants belonging to the genus Pueraria in the family Fabaceae are used. Kudzu is a climbing perennial plant belonging to the genus Pueraria in the family Fabaceae. Kudzu flowers can be collected at any stage from bud to fully bloomed flower, or a mixture of flowers collected at each stage can be used. There are no particular restrictions on the type of kudzu, but examples include Pueraria thomsonii, Pueraria lobata, and Pueraria thunbergiana, with Pueraria thomsonii being preferred.

[0021] (Barley grass) Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the grass family, native to Central Asia, and is broadly classified into two-row barley and six-row barley depending on the shape of the ear. The barley grass used as the plant material in this invention is not particularly limited as long as it is commonly available, and any barley grass, such as two-row barley or six-row barley, may be used. Furthermore, barley grass of any variety may be used. The barley grass only needs to contain young barley leaves, but may also contain other parts such as stems.

[0022] (sweet potato young leaves) Sweet potatoes are plants belonging to the Convolvulaceae family and are commonly known as sweet potato. There are no particular limitations on the varieties of sweet potatoes, but examples include Suio, Joy White, Koganesengan, Shiroyutaka, Satsuma Machi, and Ayamurasaki. Among these, sweet potato with a high polyphenol content is preferred. The sweet potato leaves used as the plant material of the present invention may include any sweet potato leaves, and may also include other parts such as stems. Particularly preferred are the tips of the stems and leaves (young stem leaves), and even more preferred are young stem leaves that retain a yellowish-green color.

[0023] [Oral composition of the present invention] The oral composition of the present invention can be used, for example, as a pharmaceutical product (including quasi-drugs), a functional food such as a food for specified health uses, a food with nutritional function claims, or a food with functional claims whose efficacy has been approved by a designated institution, as well as a general food, food additive, animal feed, etc.

[0024] The oral compositions of the present invention can be used for oral care, particularly for the prevention and / or improvement of periodontal disease. Such oral compositions for oral care or oral compositions for the prevention and / or improvement of periodontal disease are not particularly limited as long as they contain pine resin extract and plant materials and are distinguishable from other products in that they are used for oral care and the prevention and / or improvement of periodontal disease. For example, any product according to the present invention that displays on the product itself, packaging, instructions, or promotional materials that it is effective for oral care or has an effect of preventing and / or improving periodontal disease is included within the scope of the rights of the present invention.

[0025] Furthermore, the oral care composition or oral composition for preventing and / or improving periodontal disease of the present invention is not limited to those in which the combination of components of the present invention (pine bark extract + auxiliary materials) is indicated on the product packaging, etc., as the active ingredient for oral care or prevention and / or improvement of periodontal disease. For example, the active ingredient may not be specified. Alternatively, only pine bark extract may be indicated as the active ingredient. That is, one form of the oral care composition or oral composition for preventing and / or improving periodontal disease of the present invention is a form in which pine bark extract is the active ingredient, and further contains at least one plant material selected from coffee tree, linden tree, kudzu flower, barley grass, and sweet potato leaf.

[0026] Specifically, examples of oral care compositions and oral compositions for preventing and / or improving periodontal disease according to the present invention include pharmaceuticals (including quasi-drugs) and so-called health foods. In the case of so-called foods, examples include those that display claims of having periodontal disease prevention and / or improvement effects, such as "maintaining gum health," "suppressing bleeding from the gums," and "shrinking periodontal pockets."

[0027] Examples of the oral composition of the present invention include tablets, capsules, powders, granules, liquids, granules, rods, plates, blocks, solids, rounds, pastes, creams, caplets, gels, chewables, sticks, and the like.

[0028] The oral composition of the present invention is preferably in the form of an easy-to-ingest tablet, capsule, powder, granule, or liquid, and is particularly preferred in the form of a beverage, chewable tablet, candy, or chewing gum that remains in the mouth for a certain period of time. Specifically, examples include supplements that dissolve in the mouth, beverages in containers such as PET bottles, cans, or glass bottles, instant beverages that are dissolved in water (hot water), milk, fruit juice, or green juice, as well as candy and chewing gum. These are preferred because they are easy to drink after meals and have enhanced palatability.

[0029] The content of pine bark extract and plant material (components of the present invention) in the oral composition of the present invention may be appropriately included within a range that produces the desired effect.

[0030] Generally, when the oral composition of the present invention is a pharmaceutical or supplement, it is preferable that the components of the present invention are present in an amount of 0.1 to 100% by mass of the total on a dry weight basis, more preferably 1 to 85% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 70% by mass.

[0031] In order to more effectively exhibit the effects of the present invention, it is preferable that the components of the present invention make up 80% or more of the total oral composition of the present invention on a dry weight basis, more preferably 90% or more, even more preferably 95% or more, and particularly preferably 100%.

[0032] In the oral composition of the present invention, the blending mass ratio of pine bark extract to plant material is preferably in the range of 1:0.001 to 1:1000 on a dry weight basis, more preferably in the range of 1:0.01 to 1:500, and even more preferably in the range of 1:0.1 to 1:200.

[0033] There are no particular restrictions on the amount of the oral composition of the present invention to be taken, but from the viewpoint of more significantly exhibiting the effects of the present invention, it is preferable for adults to take pine bark extract at a daily intake of 0.5 mg / day or more, more preferably at a daily intake of 1 mg / day or more, and even more preferably at a daily intake of 1.5 mg / day or more. The upper limit is, for example, 500 mg / day, and preferably 400 mg / day. The oral composition of the present invention is not particularly limited to those who require oral care, but it is preferable for adults in their 30s and 40s, about 80% of whom are said to suffer from periodontal disease, and elderly people with weakened gums to take it.

[0034] The oral composition of the present invention can be contained in one container, or divided into, for example, two or three containers, to represent one day's intake, so that the daily intake amount is the aforementioned intake.

[0035] The oral compositions of the present invention can be prepared by known methods, with the addition of components other than those of the present invention that are acceptable for oral use, as needed. Examples of components other than those of the present invention include water-soluble vitamins (vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, B13, B15, B17, biotin, choline, folic acid, inositol, PABA, vitamin C, vitamin P), oil-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, K), etc.; minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron; sulfur-containing compounds found in taurine, garlic, etc.; flavanoids such as hesperidin and quercetin; proteins such as collagen; peptides; amino acids; animal fats and oils; vegetable fats and oils; and crushed or extracted animal and plant materials. [Examples]

[0036] The present invention will be described below based on examples.

[0037] [Example 1] (Test method) Porphyromonas gingivalis (hereinafter referred to as P. gingivalis) was cultured at 37°C in a modified GAM broth (manufactured by Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) that had been autoclaved, under anaerobic conditions using an aneropack kenki (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) and a rectangular jar (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation). P. gingivalis was diluted with Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (Nacalai Tesque Co., Ltd.) to a turbidity of 0.5 McFarland. The McFarland standard (Sysmex bioMérieux Co., Ltd.) was used as the turbidity indicator.

[0038] Modified GAM agar medium (manufactured by Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) was autoclaved and then poured into a sterile petri dish to prepare a plate medium. P. gingivalis, prepared in the above 0.5 McFarland solution, was uniformly spread onto the plate medium.

[0039] The test substance (pine bark extract and / or auxiliary material) was prepared to the specified concentration using PBS or DMSO. 15 μL of this test substance was dropped onto 6 mm filter paper for antibiotic testing (GE Healthcare) and attached to a petri dish coated with P. gingivalis.

[0040] The cells were incubated for 2-3 days at 37°C in an anaerobic environment using an aneropack, a rectangular jar, and a constant temperature incubator.

[0041] The diameter of the inhibition zone formed for each test substance in the petri dish was measured and divided by the diameter of the antibiotic testing filter paper (6 mm). The growth inhibitory effect of each test substance was corrected by dividing the diameter of the inhibition zone of povidone-iodine, which was set up as a positive control in each plate, by 6 mm (diameter of inhibition zone of test substance - 6 mm (mm) / diameter of inhibition zone of povidone-iodine - 6 mm (mm)). The growth inhibitory effect of each test substance was calculated as a percentage of pine bark extract alone (50 mg / mL) and the growth inhibitory effect of each test substance on P. gingivalis was evaluated.

[0042] The following commercially available or prepared products were used as test substances. [Pine bark extract] We used pine bark extract (Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.; Flavanogenol®), which is an extract of French maritime pine bark.

[0043] [Secondary materials] For the coffee plant (Coffee robusta), we used an extract powder made from commercially available coffee seeds (green coffee beans). For the linden tree (Tilia cordata Mill.), I used commercially available flower extract powder. For the kudzu flower (Pueraria thomsonii), we used a flower extract powder obtained by hot water extraction (Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.). For the barley grass extract, we used an extract powder obtained by extracting crushed barley grass (Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.) with aqueous ethanol. For the sweet potato leaf extract, we used an extract powder made by extracting crushed sweet potato leaves (Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.) with aqueous ethanol.

[0044] Figures 1-5 show the evaluation results of the growth inhibitory effect of each test substance on P. gingivalis. In the figures, FVG refers to pine bark extract (flavanogenol®).

[0045] As shown in Figures 1-5, it can be seen that combining pine bark extract with specific plant materials effectively suppresses the proliferation of P. gingivalis. In particular, while coffee tree, linden tree, barley grass, and sweet potato leaves had little or no effect on their own, their inhibitory effect on P. gingivalis proliferation was effectively enhanced when combined with pine bark extract. Kudzu flower also showed an inhibitory effect on proliferation, but its effect was further enhanced when combined with pine bark extract. Therefore, it can be seen that the oral composition of the present invention is an excellent oral care composition that effectively suppresses the proliferation of P. gingivalis, thereby preventing and / or improving periodontal disease, and also preventing and / or improving bad breath characteristic of periodontal disease.

[0046] [Example 2] (Manufacturing of tablets) Pine bark extract 12 mg Linden tree extract powder (derived from flowers) 200mg Sucrose fatty acid ester 350 mg Shellac 10mg Fragrance 2mg Reduced maltose remainder A mixture consisting of [the specified ingredients] was compressed into tablets to produce four 300 mg tablets.

[0047] [Example 3] (Manufacturing of chewable tablets) Pine bark extract 1.5mg Coffee tree extract powder (derived from green coffee beans) 150mg Hydroxypropylcellulose 250mg Sucrose fatty acid ester 50 mg Aspartame 30mg Fragrance 3mg Reduced maltose remainder A mixture consisting of [the specified ingredients] was compressed into tablets to produce two 500 mg chewable tablets.

[0048] [Example 4] (Manufacture of granules) Pine bark extract 50mg Barley grass powder 2000mg Fructooligosaccharides 200mg Reduced maltose remainder A mixture consisting of the above was mixed and then granulated to produce 3 g of granules.

[0049] [Example 5] (Production of powdered formulation) Pine bark extract 100mg Sweet potato young leaf powder 1500mg Tea extract 50mg Dextrin remaining A mixture consisting of [the specified ingredients] was mixed to produce 3g of powder.

[0050] [Example 6] (Candy production) Pine bark extract 30mg Coffee plant extract powder (derived from green coffee beans) 50mg Linden tree extract powder (derived from flowers) 20mg Sweetener (aspartame-L-phenylalanine compound, Acesulfame K (Stevia) 30mg Fragrance 10mg Reduced maltose syrup (remaining portion) One 3g candy made from [components] was manufactured according to a standard method.

[0051] [Example 7] (Manufacturing of packaged beverages) Pine bark extract 200mg Kudzu flower extract 35mg Black tea leaf extract powder 500mg Sodium ascorbate 50mg water remainder A 350ml container of beverage consisting of [the specified ingredients] was manufactured in accordance with conventional methods. [Industrial applicability]

[0052] Since the oral composition of the present invention can be used as a health food or the like that has a high effect in preventing and / or improving periodontal disease, the present invention has high industrial utility.

Claims

1. An oral care composition characterized by containing pine bark extract and sweet potato leaves.

2. An oral care composition comprising pine bark extract as an active ingredient, further characterized by containing sweet potato leaves.

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