Food additive that suppresses the rise in blood glucose levels after meals

Abstract

The objective is to provide a food additive that is low in calories, has excellent texture when added to food, and suppresses the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels. [Solution] A food additive that suppresses the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels, comprising either carboxymethylcellulose or a salt thereof, or powdered cellulose with a particle size of 5 to 150 μm. The food additive that suppresses the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels of the present invention may contain any component as long as it does not impair the blood glucose-suppressing effect or texture of carboxymethylcellulose or a salt thereof or powdered cellulose. The use of the present invention is not particularly limited to food products, but it is preferable to incorporate it into high-carbohydrate foods such as rice and wheat products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a food additive that suppresses postprandial blood glucose elevation.

Background Art

[0002] Carbohydrates are one of the three major nutrients along with lipids and proteins. However, when a large amount of carbohydrates is ingested and blood glucose levels rise, it may become a risk factor for diabetes. A rapid increase in postprandial blood glucose levels due to carbohydrate intake is regarded as a problem called a blood glucose spike, and one in six adults is said to be at risk of diabetes. In recent years, against the backdrop of the growing interest in health, there has been an active movement to actively incorporate carbohydrate restriction into dietary habits, and numerous therapies and diets for restricting carbohydrates have been proposed. In addition, it is widely known that the intake of dietary fiber is useful for improving the intestinal flora as prebiotics. Furthermore, various studies have begun to report that rapid fluctuations in blood glucose levels also have a significant adverse impact on other organs and the brain.

[0003] Foods that promote low carbohydrates are known to replace carbohydrates in carbohydrates with dietary fiber that is difficult to be digested by human digestive enzymes. As this dietary fiber, okara, wheat bran, oatmeal, resistant starch, resistant dextrin, inulin, etc. are used. However, foods added with these dietary fibers have a limited calorie reduction and have the problem that the taste as a food is impaired.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a wheat flour food product using indigestible dextrin as dietary fiber, and Patent Document 2 describes adding raw material flour containing edible powder mainly composed of inulin and bran powder as dietary fiber to ingredients for bread, cakes, udon noodles, etc. However, the foods obtained by applying these technologies have limited calorie reduction effects and inferior texture, leaving room for improvement.

[0006] The objective of the present invention is to provide a food additive that is low in calories, has excellent texture when added to food, and suppresses the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of diligent efforts, the inventors have found that the problem can be solved by the following [1]. [1] A food additive that contains either carboxymethylcellulose or a salt thereof, or powdered cellulose with a particle size of 5 to 150 μm, which suppresses the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a food additive is provided that is low in calories, has excellent texture when added to food, and suppresses the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The food additive for suppressing the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels according to the present invention comprises either carboxymethylcellulose or a salt thereof, or powdered cellulose with a particle size of 5 to 150 μm.

[0010] <Carboxymethylcellulose or its salts> In this invention, the degree of etherification of carboxymethylcellulose refers to the proportion of hydroxyl groups (-OH) in the glucose units constituting cellulose that are substituted with carboxymethyl ether groups (-OCH2COOH).

[0011] (Degree of substitution of carboxymethyl group) The carboxymethylcellulose or salt thereof constituting the present invention has a degree of substitution of carboxymethyl groups per anhydrous glucose unit (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the DS value) of 0.1 to 1.5. Having a DS value within this range improves the texture when added to food.

[0012] The method for measuring the degree of substitution of the carboxymethyl group is as follows: Accurately weigh approximately 2.0 g of the sample and place it in a 300 mL stoppered Erlenmeyer flask. Add 100 mL of a solution made by adding 100 mL of special grade concentrated nitric acid to 1000 mL of methanol, and shake for 3 hours to convert the carboxymethylcellulose salt (CMC) to H-CMC (hydrogen-type carboxymethylcellulose). Accurately weigh 1.5 to 2.0 g of the oven-dried H-CMC and place it in a 300 mL stoppered Erlenmeyer flask. Wet the H-CMC with 15 mL of 80% methanol, add 100 mL of 0.1 N-NaOH, and shake at room temperature for 3 hours. Using phenolphthalein as an indicator, back titrate the excess NaOH with 0.1 N-H2SO4 and calculate the degree of carboxymethyl substitution (DS value) using the following formula. A = [(100 × F' - 0.1N-H2SO4(mL) × F) × 0.1] / (Dry mass of H-CMC (g)) Degree of carboxymethyl substitution = 0.162 × A / (1 - 0.058 × A) F': Factor of N-H2SO4 F: Factor of 0.1N-NaOH

[0013] (Carboxymethylcellulose or its salts as cellulose raw materials) In this invention, cellulose refers to a polysaccharide with a structure in which D-glucopyranose (also simply called "glucose units" or "anhydrous glucose") is linked by β,1-4 bonds. Cellulose is generally classified into natural cellulose, regenerated cellulose, fine cellulose, and microcrystalline cellulose (excluding the amorphous region) based on its origin, manufacturing method, etc.

[0014] Examples of natural cellulose include bleached or unbleached pulp, refined linters, and cellulose produced by microorganisms such as acetic acid bacteria. The raw materials for bleached or unbleached pulp are not particularly limited and include, for example, wood, cotton, straw, and bamboo. The manufacturing methods for bleached or unbleached pulp are also not particularly limited and include mechanical methods, chemical methods, or methods combining mechanical and chemical methods. Examples of bleached or unbleached pulp include mechanical pulp, chemical pulp, wood pulp, sulfite pulp, kraft pulp, and papermaking pulp. In addition, examples of bleached or unbleached pulp include soluble pulp, which is chemically refined and mainly used by dissolving it in chemicals, and is a main raw material for artificial fibers and cellophane.

[0015] Examples of regenerated cellulose include cellulose dissolved in solvents such as copper ammonia solution, cellulose xantate solution, and morpholine derivatives, and then respinned.

[0016] Examples of fine cellulose include fine cellulose obtained by depolymerizing cellulosic materials such as natural cellulose and regenerated cellulose through acid hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis, enzymatic decomposition, explosion treatment, and vibration ball mill treatment, as well as fine cellulose obtained by mechanically treating cellulosic materials.

[0017] (Method for producing carboxymethylcellulose or its salts) In producing carboxymethylcellulose or its salts that constitute the present invention, known production methods can be applied. For example, carboxymethylcellulose can be produced by treating cellulose with a mercerizing agent (alkali) to prepare mercerized cellulose (alkali cellulose), and then adding an etherifying agent to the mercerized cellulose to carry out an etherification reaction.

[0018] As the raw material cellulose, any of the above-mentioned celluloses can be used without particular limitation, but those with high cellulose purity are preferred, and dissolving pulp or linter is more preferred. By using these, carboxymethyl cellulose with high purity can be obtained.

[0019] Examples of the mercerizing agent include alkali metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. Examples of the etherifying agent include monochloroacetic acid and sodium monochloroacetate.

[0020] In the production method of general water-soluble carboxymethyl cellulose, the molar ratio of the mercerizing agent to the etherifying agent (mercerizing agent / etherifying agent) is generally 2.00 to 2.45 when monochloroacetic acid is used as the etherifying agent. The reason is that when it is 2.00 or more, the etherification reaction can be sufficiently carried out, and it is possible to prevent unreacted monochloroacetic acid from remaining and being wasted. When it is 2.45 or less, it is possible to prevent side reactions between the excess mercerizing agent and monochloroacetic acid from proceeding to generate alkali metal glycolate, which is economical. In the present invention, the carboxymethyl cellulose may be a commercially available product. Examples of commercially available products include the product named "Sun Rose" manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.

[0021] <Powdered cellulose> Powdered cellulose can be obtained by pulverizing cellulose raw materials such as pulp that has been subjected to acid hydrolysis treatment with mineral acids (i.e., inorganic acids) such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid, or by mechanically pulverizing cellulose raw materials such as pulp that has not been subjected to acid hydrolysis treatment.

[0022] The average particle size of the powdered cellulose is preferably 5 to 150 μm, more preferably 5 to 100 μm. When the average particle size of the powdered cellulose is in the range of 5 to 150 μm, the texture during food addition is improved.

[0023] The average particle diameter refers to the 50% average particle diameter (D50) measured by laser light scattering (laser diffraction), and can be measured using a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution analyzer (Malvern, instrument name: Mastersizer 2000), etc.

[0024] (Cellulose raw material from powdered cellulose) The cellulose raw material for powdered cellulose is usually naturally derived cellulose, preferably pulp, and more preferably wood-derived pulp. Examples of wood-derived pulp include unbleached softwood kraft pulp (NUKP), bleached softwood kraft pulp (NBKP), unbleached hardwood kraft pulp (LUKP), bleached hardwood kraft pulp (LBKP), bleached and dissolved softwood kraft pulp (NDKP), bleached and dissolved hardwood kraft pulp (LDKP), unbleached softwood sulfite pulp (NUSP), bleached softwood sulfite pulp (NBSP), unbleached hardwood sulfite pulp (LUSP), bleached hardwood sulfite pulp (LBSP), and bleached softwood sulfite pulp. Examples of wood-derived pulps include desulfite pulp (NDSP), hardwood bleached and dissolved kraft pulp (LDSP), thermomechanical pulp (TMP), pressure-ground wood pulp (PGW), refined groundwood pulp (RGP), alkaline hydrogen peroxide mechanical pulp (APMP), and alkaline hydrogen peroxide thermomechanical pulp (APTMP). However, bleached pulps and bleached and dissolved pulps with low lignin content are preferred, and as wood, softwood-derived pulps with low hexenuronic acid content are more preferred.

[0025] Methods for preparing wood-derived pulp include, for example, treatment by chemical pulping (digestion). Chemical pulping (digestion) dissolves and removes lignin, a coloring substance, and by combining this with oxygen deligninization and bleaching, pulp with high whiteness can be obtained. Examples of chemical pulping (digestion) methods include sulfite digestion, kraft digestion, soda-quinone digestion, and organosolve digestion. From an environmental and economic standpoint, kraft pulp is preferred, and sulfite digestion is preferred due to its low hemicellulose content. Kraft digestion involves the use of alkaline chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and sodium carbonate, as well as sulfur-containing chemicals such as sodium sulfide and sodium sulfite. Additives such as quinone-based digestion aids and polysulfides can be used. These additives may not be necessary if digestion can be achieved with alkaline chemicals alone.

[0026] In the pulp preparation method, the pulp obtained by pulp digestion can be subjected to oxygen delignin treatment. The oxygen delignin used in the present invention can be the same as the known medium-concentration method or high-concentration method. In the case of the medium-concentration method, it is preferable to use a pulp concentration of 8 to 15% by mass, and in the case of the high-concentration method, it is preferable to use a pulp concentration of 20 to 35% by mass. As the alkali in oxygen delignin, sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide can be used, and as the oxygen gas, oxygen from cryogenic separation, oxygen from PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption), oxygen from VSA (Vacuum Swing Adsorption), etc., can be used. There are no particular limitations on the reaction conditions for the oxygen delignin treatment, but the oxygen pressure should be 3 to 9 kg / cm². 2 , more preferably 4-7 kg / cm³ 2 The alkali addition rate is 0.5 to 4% by mass, the temperature is 80 to 140°C, and the treatment time is 20 to 180 minutes. Other known conditions can be applied. In this invention, the oxygen delignin treatment may be performed multiple times.

[0027] (Method for producing powdered cellulose) Grinding is a process of mechanically grinding cellulose raw materials. Prior to grinding, pretreatment such as dehydration and drying or acid hydrolysis may be performed, with dehydration and drying being preferred. Classification may be performed simultaneously with or after grinding.

[0028] Examples of grinders include cutting mills, impact mills, airflow mills, hammer mills, roll mills, roller mills, media mills, media stirring mills, and freeze grinders. These can be used individually or in combination of two or more types.

[0029] Examples of cutting mills include the Cutting Mill (manufactured by Horai Co., Ltd.), Mesh Mill (manufactured by Horai Co., Ltd.), Atoms (manufactured by Yamamoto Hyakuma Seisakusho Co., Ltd.), Knife Mill (manufactured by Parman Co., Ltd.), Cutter Mill (manufactured by Tokyo Atomizer Manufacturing Co., Ltd.), Sentry Cutter (manufactured by Nippon Coke Industries Co., Ltd.), Rotary Cutter Mill (manufactured by Nara Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd.), Turbo Cutter (manufactured by Freund Turbo Co., Ltd.), and Pulp Crusher (manufactured by Zuiko Co., Ltd.).

[0030] Examples of hammer-type mills include the Hammer Mill (manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), the Jaw Crusher (manufactured by Makino Corporation), and the Hammer Crusher (manufactured by Makino Sangyo Co., Ltd.).

[0031] Examples of impact mills include the Pulverizer (manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), Fine Impact Mill (manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), Super Micron Mill (registered trademark, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), Inomizer (registered trademark, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), Fine Mill (manufactured by Nippon Pneumatic Mfg. Co., Ltd.), CUM type centrifugal mill (manufactured by Mitsui Mining Co., Ltd.), Exceed Mill (manufactured by Makino Sangyo Co., Ltd.), Ultraplex (manufactured by Makino Sangyo Co., Ltd.), Contraplex (manufactured by Makino Sangyo Co., Ltd.), Coroplex (manufactured by Makino Sangyo Co., Ltd.), Atomizer (manufactured by Seishin Corporation), and Tornado Mill (Nikki Co., Ltd.). Examples include: (manufactured by So Co., Ltd.), Neamill (manufactured by Dalton Co., Ltd.), Free Grinder (manufactured by Nara Machine Works Co., Ltd.), New Cosmomizer (manufactured by Nara Machine Works Co., Ltd.), Turbomill (manufactured by Freund Turbo Co., Ltd.), Super Powder Mill (manufactured by Nishimura Machine Works Co., Ltd.), Blade Mill (manufactured by Nisshin Engineering Co., Ltd.), Super Rotor (manufactured by Nisshin Engineering Co., Ltd.), Wiley Grinder (manufactured by Sanki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.), Pulp Grinder (manufactured by Zuiko Co., Ltd.), Jacobson Fine Grinder (manufactured by Shinko Pantech Co., Ltd.), Universal Mill (manufactured by Tokuju Kogyo Co., Ltd.), and Continuous Vibromill (manufactured by Euras Techno Co., Ltd.).

[0032] Examples of airflow mills include the CGS type jet mill (manufactured by Mitsui Mining Co., Ltd.), MicronJet (registered trademark, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), CounterJet Mill (registered trademark, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), CrossJet Mill (manufactured by Kurimoto Iron Works Co., Ltd.), Supersonic Jet Mill (manufactured by Nippon Pneumatic Mfg. Co., Ltd.), CurrentJet (manufactured by Nisshin Engineering Co., Ltd.), Jet Mill (manufactured by Sansho Industry Co., Ltd.), Selenium Mirror (manufactured by Masuko Sangyo Co., Ltd.), New Microsictomat (manufactured by Masuno Seisakusho Co., Ltd.), and Cryptron (manufactured by Earth Technica Co., Ltd.).

[0033] Examples of roller mills include vertical roller mills (manufactured by Seishin Co., Ltd.), vertical roller mills (manufactured by Shinion Co., Ltd.), roller mills (manufactured by Kotobuki Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd.), VX mills (manufactured by Kurimoto Iron Works Co., Ltd.), KVM type vertical roller mills (manufactured by Earth Technica Co., Ltd.), and IS mills (manufactured by IHI Plant Engineering Co., Ltd.). Of these, cutting mills and roller mills are preferred.

[0034] The grinding conditions can be appropriately set to obtain the desired powdered cellulose. For example, the grinding conditions (e.g., processing time, input amount) can be adjusted by referring to a calibration curve created from the desired physical properties of the powdered cellulose.

[0035] -Neutralization, washing, dehydration, and drying processes- The cellulose raw material undergoes appropriate pretreatment before grinding. Examples of pretreatment include neutralization, washing, dehydration, and drying, with dehydration and drying being preferable in this order. The solid content concentration of the cellulose raw material can be adjusted by drying (dehydration), making it easy to control the physical properties of the powdered cellulose. The solid content concentration is usually adjusted to 15% or more, preferably 20% or more.

[0036] - Acid hydrolysis treatment - Examples of acids used in the acid hydrolysis treatment include mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid. The acid concentration is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of maintaining the degree of polymerization and whiteness, it is preferable that it be lower than the acid concentration used in the acid hydrolysis treatment of conventional powdered cellulose production, more preferably 0.1 to 2.0 N, and more preferably 0.2 to 1.5 N. If the acid concentration is less than 0.1 N, the depolymerization of cellulose by the acid is suppressed, and the decrease in the degree of polymerization of cellulose can be reduced, but it may become difficult to mill. On the other hand, if it exceeds 2.0 N, the depolymerization of cellulose proceeds and milling becomes easier, so the powder flowability is improved, but the hardness of the tablets may decrease (they may become more prone to crumbling when molded) due to the decrease in the degree of polymerization. The reaction conditions for the acid hydrolysis treatment are not particularly limited, but the reaction temperature is usually 80 to 100°C, and the reaction time is usually 30 minutes to 3 hours.

[0037] Prior to acid hydrolysis, the cellulose raw material may be pretreated. Examples include slurring of the cellulose raw material (preparation of dispersion) and adjustment of the cellulose raw material concentration. The concentration of the cellulose raw material is usually 3 to 10% by weight (on a solid content basis) relative to the dispersion. If the cellulose raw material is a bleached liquid pulp, it is common to increase the pulp concentration before hydrolysis. Dehydrators such as screw presses and belt filters may be used to adjust (concentrate) the cellulose raw material concentration. Acid hydrolysis may be performed on a slurry of the cellulose raw material, or on a sheet of cellulose raw material. If the cellulose raw material is a dry sheet of pulp, the pulp is usually loosened before acid hydrolysis. A crusher such as a roll crusher may be used to loosen the pulp.

[0038] During the pulverization process after acid hydrolysis, at least one other component (e.g., an organic component, an inorganic component) may be added to the pulverized product along with the acid hydrolyzed product, if necessary. This can impart or improve the functionality of the powdered cellulose. The amount of the other component should be appropriately selected. Furthermore, prior to the pulverization process, the acid hydrolyzed product may be subjected to the aforementioned neutralization, washing, dehydration, and drying treatments.

[0039] The powdered cellulose may be chemically treated as needed. The chemical treatment should preferably be one that does not significantly impair the degree of polymerization of the cellulose raw material. The chemical treatment may be performed at the time of grinding the cellulose raw material, or before the pretreatment for grinding.

[0040] <Food additives> The food additive for suppressing postprandial blood glucose elevation according to the present invention may contain any component as long as it does not impair the blood glucose elevation-suppressing effect or texture of carboxymethylcellulose or its salts or powdered cellulose. It may also contain a small amount of carboxymethylcellulose or its salts or powdered cellulose.

[0041] The amount of the food additive used in this invention to suppress the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels can be appropriately adjusted according to the expected effect for each food application.

[0042] The uses of the present invention are not particularly limited to food products, but it is preferable to incorporate it into high-carbohydrate foods such as rice and wheat products. [Examples]

[0043] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0044] <Method for measuring the degree of carboxymethyl substitution (CM-DS)> Approximately 2.0 g of the pulverized carboxymethylcellulose sample was accurately weighed and placed in a 300 mL stoppered Erlenmeyer flask. 100 mL of methanol (a solution of 1000 mL of methanol and 100 mL of special grade concentrated nitric acid) was added, and the mixture was shaken for 3 hours to convert the carboxymethylcellulose salt (CMC salt) to H-CMC (carboxymethylcellulose). 1.5 to 2.0 g of the oven-dried H-CMC was accurately weighed and placed in a 300 mL stoppered Erlenmeyer flask. The H-CMC was moistened with 15 mL of 80% methanol, 100 mL of 0.1 N NaOH was added, and the mixture was shaken at room temperature for 3 hours. Excess NaOH was back-titrated with 0.1 N H2SO4 using phenolphthalein as an indicator. CM-DS was calculated using the following formula 1. (Formula 1) A = [(100 × F - (0.1N H₂SO₄ (mL)) × F') × 0.1] / (Dry weight of H-CMC (g)) Degree of carboxymethyl substitution (CM-DS) = 0.162 × A / (1 - 0.058 × A) A: Amount of 1N NaOH required to neutralize 1g of H-CMC (mL) F': Factor of H2SO4 at 0.1N F: Factor of 0.1N NaOH

[0045] <Particle size> A laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer (Mastersizer 3000, Malvern Panalytical Division, Spectris) was used. The particle size distribution was measured using a wet measurement method (with ultrasonic irradiation) employing the laser scattering method. When the particle size distribution was expressed as a volume accumulation distribution, the value at which the cumulative volume accumulation distribution reached 50% was defined as the particle size.

[0046] (Example 1) In a bowl, combine 45g of okonomiyaki flour, 7g of CMC(1) (product name "F01MC", carboxymethylcellulose manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd., CM-DS: 0.7), and 65cc of water, and mix well. Then, add any food ingredients such as finely chopped cabbage or dried kelp, and an egg, and mix well again to prepare okonomiyaki batter A. The batter was cooked in a frying pan until both sides were golden brown to make okonomiyaki, and then a taste test was conducted after adding sauce and mayonnaise.

[0047] (Example 2) Okonomiyaki batter B was prepared using the same procedure, except that the additive was changed to 4.5 g of powdered cellulose (1) (product name "KC Floc W-400G", powdered cellulose manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd., particle size: 35 μm).

[0048] The resulting okonomiyaki were taste-tested by 20 panelists, who evaluated them according to the following criteria, and the average value was obtained. The results are shown in Table 1. (taste) ○: The taste improves or remains unchanged before and after the addition of the additive. ×: The taste deteriorates after adding it. (Texture) ○: Texture improves or remains unchanged before and after the addition of the additive. ×: The texture deteriorates after addition.

[0049] The evaluation results of the examples are shown in Table 1 below.

[0050] [Table 1]

[0051] As shown in Table 1, the food additive of the present invention provided excellent taste and texture when added to okonomiyaki.

Claims

[Claim 1] A food additive that contains either carboxymethylcellulose or a salt thereof, or powdered cellulose with a particle size of 5 to 150 μm, which suppresses the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels.

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