Granulated composition and method for producing the same

Abstract

To provide a granulated composition containing pulverized green leaves with excellent fluidity. [Solution] A granulated composition containing a material derived from green leaves and a powder with an average particle size of 3.0 μm or more, mainly composed of calcium compounds or magnesium compounds.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a granulated composition and a method for producing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Materials derived from green leaves such as barley and kale are rich in nutritional components such as vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, and are used as raw materials for so-called green juice. As for the form of green juice, it is common to drink a granulated product obtained by pulverizing the above green leaves by mixing and dispersing it in water, milk, soy milk, yogurt, soup or the like.

[0003] As materials obtained by pulverizing green leaves, juice-dried powder obtained by drying the juice of green leaves, and pulverized powder obtained by directly drying and pulverizing green leaves are known. In Patent Document 1, it is proposed to pre-blend a fluidity improver such as dolomite, fine particulate silicon dioxide and calcium in order to improve the operability when fluid-bed granulating the juice-dried powder of barley young leaves.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Documents

[0005]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, no method has yet been reported for improving the fluidity of granules obtained by granulating pulverized green leaves, and there is a need for the development of granules containing pulverized green leaves that have excellent fluidity. According to Patent Document 1, pulverized green leaves have lower water absorption than the above-mentioned juice-dried powder, and according to Non-Patent Document 1, the fibrous material contained in the green leaves is removed from the above-mentioned juice-dried powder, so the properties of the two are quite different.

[0007] The present invention includes, for example, the following embodiments.

[0008] [1] A granulated composition containing a material derived from green leaves and a powder having an average particle size of 3.0 μm or more, mainly composed of calcium compounds or magnesium compounds. [2] A granulated composition for beverages containing a material derived from green leaves and a powder having an average particle size of 3.0 μm or more, mainly composed of calcium compounds or magnesium compounds. [3] The granulated composition according to [1] or [2] above, wherein the material derived from green leaves comprises at least one pulverized powder selected from wheat, kale, sweet potato, Angelica keiskei, tea, mugwort, mulberry, long-life grass, and bamboo grass. [4] The granulated composition according to [1] to [3] above, wherein the average particle size of the powder mainly composed of the calcium compound or magnesium compound is 30 μm or less. [5] The granulated composition according to [1] to [4] above, which contains starch hydrolysates. [6] The granulation composition according to [5] above, wherein the starch hydrolysate comprises a disaccharide and a trisaccharide. [7] The granulation composition according to [1] to [6] above, wherein the powder mainly composed of the calcium compound or magnesium compound comprises at least one selected from a powder mainly composed of calcium carbonate, a powder mainly composed of calcium oxide, a powder mainly composed of tricalcium phosphate, and a powder mainly composed of magnesium oxide. [8] The granulated composition according to [1] to [7] above, wherein the content of the powder mainly comprising the calcium compound or magnesium compound is 1 to 8 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the material derived from the green leaves.

[0009] [9] A method for improving the fluidity of a granulated composition containing a material derived from green leaves, by including a powder having an average particle size of 3.0 μm or more, mainly composed of a calcium compound or a magnesium compound. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a granulated composition containing pulverized green leaves is provided, which has excellent fluidity. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0012] 1 Granulation composition The granulated composition of the present invention contains a material derived from green leaves and a powder with an average particle size of 3.0 μm or more, mainly composed of a calcium compound or a magnesium compound (hereinafter also referred to as "calcium or magnesium powder"). Each component will be described in detail below.

[0013] [Materials derived from green leaves] In the present invention, the material derived from green leaves is not particularly limited as long as it is a raw material derived from the leaf part of a plant, and may include stems and other parts along with the leaves. Examples of forms of the material derived from green leaves include juice obtained by crushing and then squeezing the green leaves, a paste obtained by concentrating the juice, dried juice powder obtained by drying the juice, and pulverized powder obtained by directly grinding green leaves. In the present invention, the pulverized powder obtained by directly grinding green leaves is preferred as the form of the material derived from green leaves, and it is particularly preferred that it be a dried pulverized powder in which drying is carried out at least at one of the stages before or after grinding. Methods for producing and processing pulverized green leaves are described, for example, in paragraphs

[0024] to

[0032] of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-11494.

[0014] The average particle size of the above-mentioned pulverized green leaf powder is preferably 5 to 50 μm, more preferably 10 to 35 μm. In addition, the D90 of the pulverized green leaf powder is preferably 150 μm or less. The average particle size and D90 of the pulverized green leaf powder are measured by a laser diffraction / scattering method.

[0015] Further, as the plant species that provides the green leaf-derived material, at least one selected from wheats, kale, sweet potato, Angelica keiskei, tea, mugwort, mulberry, Peucedanum japonicum, and Sasa veitchii is preferable. Examples of the above wheat species include barley, wheat, rye, and oat, and in the present invention, barley is preferred.

[0016] The species of the above-mentioned kale, sweet potato, Angelica keiskei, tea, mugwort, mulberry, Peucedanum japonicum, and Sasa veitchii are not particularly limited either, and details thereof are described, for example, in paragraphs

[0016] to

[0022] of JP-A-2023-11494.

[0017] [Calcium or Magnesium Powder] The calcium or magnesium powder is a powder having an average particle size of 3.0 μm or more, which contains a calcium compound or a magnesium compound as a main component. In the present invention, the phrase "as a main component" means a component having the highest content ratio on a mass basis, or a pure substance of a calcium compound or a magnesium compound. In the present invention, the calcium compound or the magnesium compound is preferably an inorganic compound.

[0018] Examples of the calcium compound in the calcium or magnesium powder include calcium carbonate, calcium hydrogen carbonate, calcium oxide, tricalcium phosphate, calcium hydrogen phosphate, and calcium silicate. Examples of natural materials containing these calcium compounds as main components include coral calcium, shell calcium, eggshell calcium, whey calcium, bone calcium, and the like.

[0019] Examples of the magnesium compound in the calcium or magnesium powder include magnesium oxide and magnesium silicate.

[0020] In the present invention, the calcium or magnesium powder is preferably a powder containing a calcium compound as a main component. The calcium or magnesium powders may be used alone or in combination of two or more thereof.

[0021] The average particle diameter of the calcium or magnesium powder is 3.0 μm or more, and the upper limit thereof is preferably 30 μm from the viewpoint of ensuring excellent flowability. When the calcium or magnesium powder is a powder containing calcium carbonate as a main component, the average particle diameter thereof may be 9.0 μm or more, 10 μm or more, 12 μm or more, 9.0 to 25 μm, 10 to 25 μm, or 12 to 25 μm. When the calcium or magnesium powder is a powder containing tricalcium phosphate as a main component, the average particle diameter thereof may be 5.5 μm or more, 5.5 μm to 25 μm, 5.5 μm to 20 μm, or 5.5 μm to 15 μm. In the present invention, the average particle diameter of the calcium or magnesium powder means a value measured by a dry method using a laser diffraction / scattering method.

[0022] In the present invention, the content of the calcium or magnesium powder may be 1 to 8 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the green leaf-derived material. If the content of the calcium or magnesium powder is too small or too large, the desired effect may not be obtained, and if the content is too large, the flavor may be deteriorated.

[0023] [Other Components] The granulated composition of the present invention may contain, in addition to the above components, excipients, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, useful components, stabilizers, flavoring agents, coating agents, flavors, and the like, in order to ensure various properties as a granulated product.

[0024] (Excipient) While there are no particular limitations on the excipients, starch hydrolysates (dextrins) are preferred because they can enhance granulation. In the present invention, the starch hydrolysates preferably contain disaccharides and trisaccharides, and more preferably contain disaccharides, trisaccharides, and tetrasaccharides or more. In the present invention, the content of the starch hydrolysates can be 20-200 parts by mass, 20-150 parts by mass, 30-200 parts by mass, 30-150 parts by mass, 50-200 parts by mass, 50-150 parts by mass, 75-200 parts by mass, 75-150 parts by mass, 100-200 parts by mass, or 100-150 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the above-mentioned green leaf-derived material.

[0025] (Binder) Examples of binders include water, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hypromellose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, reduced maltose syrup, starch (corn starch, partially pregelatinized starch, etc.), pullulan, acacia gum, agar, acacia, tragacanth, and sodium alginate. Binders can be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0026] (Disintegrant) Examples of disintegrants include low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, calcium carboxymethylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, starch (corn starch, partially pregelatinized starch, etc.), dietary fiber (agar, crystalline cellulose, etc.), croscarmellose sodium, and sodium carboxymethyl starch. Disintegrants can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0027] (lubricant) Examples of lubricants include calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, stearic acid, sucrose fatty acid esters, talc, and glycerin fatty acid esters. Lubricants can be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0028] (Useful ingredients) Useful ingredients include, but are not limited to, known functional ingredients, health-promoting ingredients, and nutritional ingredients. Specifically, these include processed natural materials such as pine bark, kudzu flower, black ginger, banaba, terminalia, dried tangerine peel, pomegranate, chlorella, turmeric, salacia, and guava; nutritional ingredients such as vitamins and amino acids; and health-promoting ingredients such as polyphenols, collagen, coenzyme Q10, lutein, zeaxanthin, indigestible dextrin, inulin, lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and cannabidiol.

[0029] For other components, substances that have been conventionally used as components of granulated compositions can be used as needed.

[0030] [Physical properties of granulated compositions] The average particle size of the granulated composition of the present invention, as measured by laser diffraction and scattering, is preferably 50 to 500 μm.

[0031] The specific gravity of the granulated composition of the present invention can be 0.300~0.500 g / ml, 0.300~0.400 g / ml, 0.300~0.350 g / ml, 0.305~0.500 g / ml, 0.305~0.400 g / ml, 0.305~0.350 g / ml, 0.310~0.500 g / ml, 0.310~0.400 g / ml, or 0.310~0.350 g / ml. In this invention, the specific gravity of the granulated composition refers to the bulk density measured when the granulated composition is gently filled into a container.

[0032] By having such physical properties, it is possible to obtain a granulated composition that exhibits excellent dispersibility and palatability when mixed with water or other liquids.

[0033] [Methods of use of granulated composition] The uses of the granulated composition of the present invention are not particularly limited. It may be consumed by chewing it as is, or it may be consumed after being formulated into tablets or hard capsules. However, it is preferable to use it as a beverage. Use as a beverage means that the granulated composition is mixed and dispersed in water, hot water, milk, soy milk, yogurt, soup, etc., and consumed as a beverage.

[0034] 2. Method for producing granulated composition The method for producing the granulated composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and known granulation methods such as fluidized bed granulation, agitation granulation, and extrusion granulation can be employed. To obtain a granulated composition with superior fluidity, a preferred method involves fluidized bed granulation or agitation granulation of a material derived from green leaves, followed by mixing the resulting granules with a powder having an average particle size of 3.0 μm or more, mainly composed of a calcium compound or a magnesium compound. Such a production method will be described below.

[0035] In the above manufacturing method, the step of granulation by fluidized bed granulation or agitation granulation usually includes a step of granulation by adding a binder liquid while mixing the material derived from green leaves with the above-mentioned excipients, nutrients other than the material derived from green leaves, and other raw materials. In this step, it is preferable that the raw materials do not contain heat-sensitive components. The temperature and amount of air supplied during fluidized bed granulation can be appropriately set according to the characteristics of the raw materials used. The composition, amount, and spraying method of the binder liquid can also be appropriately set according to the characteristics of the raw materials used, but it is preferable that the binder liquid contains water.

[0036] In the granulation process using fluidized bed granulation or agitated granulation, a step is performed in which a binder solution is added while the raw materials, including materials derived from green leaves, are fluidized or agitated to granulate. The granulated product is then usually obtained by drying. At this time, the drying temperature and time can be appropriately set according to the characteristics and amount of the raw materials used.

[0037] After obtaining granules containing materials derived from green leaves in this manner, the obtained granules are mixed with calcium or magnesium powder. In this step, it is preferable to mix heat-sensitive raw materials such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria together with the calcium or magnesium powder. The granulated composition produced in this way has excellent fluidity and quality.

[0038] 3. Method for improving the fluidity of granulated compositions The preferred types and contents of each component in the method for improving the fluidity of the granulated composition, and the preferred method for producing the granulated composition, are as described in the granulated composition and method for producing the same of the present invention. One embodiment of the method of the present invention is an embodiment in which the angle of repose of the product (granulated composition) is inspected to meet a predetermined standard during the production process. [Examples]

[0039] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0040] [Measurement of average particle size] The average particle size of commercially available powders mainly composed of inorganic compounds, as shown in Table 1, was measured dry using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer, Mastersizer 3000 (Malvern Panalytical). The dispersion pressure was set to 2 bar. The measurement results are shown in Table 1.

[0041] [Example 1] (Manufacturing of granulated compositions) 1000 mg of kale powder (manufactured by Sasaki Foods Industry Co., Ltd., average particle size = 31.9 μm, D90 = 126 μm) and 1462.5 mg of starch hydrolysate (commercial product containing disaccharides, trisaccharides, and tetrasaccharides or more) were placed in a fluidized bed granulator. The raw materials were then fluidized by supplying 80°C air, and approximately 25% water was sprayed onto the raw materials. Subsequently, granules were obtained by supplying 90°C air for drying. A granulated composition was produced by mixing the obtained granules with 37.5 mg of the above calcium carbonate powder 1.

[0042] (Evaluation of the angle of repose) The angle of repose of the obtained granulated composition was measured by injection. The measurement results are shown in Table 1.

[0043] (Evaluation of bulk density) The bulk density of the granulated composition was measured from the volume obtained when a fixed mass of the granulated composition was gently poured into a graduated cylinder. The measurement results are shown in Table 1.

[0044] [Examples 2-8 and Comparative Examples 1-2] In Example 1, the granulated composition was manufactured and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the types and contents of each component were changed as shown in Table 1. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1. The average particle size of the obtained granulated composition was approximately 71 μm.

[0045] [Table 1]

[0046] As is clear from Table 1, the present invention improves the fluidity of granulated compositions containing materials derived from green leaves. Furthermore, the granulated compositions produced in Examples 1 to 8 exhibited excellent dispersibility and drinkability when mixed with water.

Claims

1. A granulated composition containing a material derived from green leaves and a powder with an average particle size of 3.0 μm or more, mainly composed of calcium compounds or magnesium compounds.

2. A granulated composition for beverages containing a material derived from green leaves and a powder with an average particle size of 3.0 μm or more, mainly composed of calcium compounds or magnesium compounds.

3. The granulated composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the material derived from green leaves comprises at least one pulverized powder selected from wheat, kale, sweet potato, Angelica keiskei, tea, mugwort, mulberry, long-life grass, and bamboo grass.

4. The granulated composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the average particle size of the powder mainly composed of the calcium compound or magnesium compound is 30 μm or less.

5. A granulated composition according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a starch hydrolysate.

6. The granulated composition according to claim 5, wherein the starch hydrolysate comprises a disaccharide and a trisaccharide.

7. The granulated composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the powder mainly composed of the calcium compound or magnesium compound comprises at least one selected from a powder mainly composed of calcium carbonate, a powder mainly composed of calcium oxide, a powder mainly composed of tricalcium phosphate, and a powder mainly composed of magnesium oxide.

8. The granulated composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of the powder mainly comprising the calcium compound or magnesium compound is 1 to 8 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the material derived from the green leaves.

9. A method for improving the fluidity of a granulated composition containing a material derived from green leaves, by including a powder with an average particle size of 3.0 μm or more, mainly composed of a calcium compound or a magnesium compound.

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