Green tea composition and method for producing same

Abstract

To provide a novel manufacturing process in which a novel green tea composition that contains non-gallate type catechin at high concentration and contains no caffeine can be obtained.SOLUTION: Provided is a process for manufacturing green tea composition that is characterized by extracting an enzyme-inactivated tea leaves with a solvent to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 0.5 to 10.0 mass%, passing the green tea extract through a column packed with a synthetic resin in an amount of liquid of 0.1 to 5.0 folds to the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column and further passing through a liquid as a mobile phase to have the gallate type catechin adsorbed to the synthetic resin, recovering the liquid containing components passed through without being adsorbed by the synthetic resin by dividing into multiple fractions according to the liquid-passing time, and selecting and collecting the fractions having a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005 mass% to obtain an EGC / EC solution.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a green tea composition containing ingredients derived from green tea leaves and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Tea catechins, which are found in large amounts in tea leaves, are a type of polyphenol compound and include four main types: (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), and their gallic acid esters, (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Dried tea leaves contain 10 to 15 wt% of these catechins and are responsible for the astringency of tea (tea in the form of tea infusion).

[0003] These tea catechins are known to have various chemical and physiological activities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, deodorizing, blood cholesterol suppressing, and α-amylase activity inhibiting activities. However, in order to exert such physiological effects of tea catechins, it is necessary to ingest a large amount of tea catechins. In this case, if a green tea composition containing high concentrations of catechins is added to food or beverages to make the catechins in an easy-to-ingest form, it becomes possible to ingest a large amount of catechins more efficiently than by drinking tea (tea infusion).

[0004] In order to produce a green tea composition containing such catechins at a high concentration from tea leaves, it is necessary to purify the tea leaves so as to separate and remove as many contaminants as possible that coexist with the catechins in the tea leaves, such as purine bases, sugars, amino acids, organic acids, inorganic salts, and oxidized polymers of catechins, to obtain a green tea composition containing catechins at a higher concentration.

[0005] Conventionally, as a method for obtaining this type of green tea composition, i.e., a green tea composition containing catechins at a high concentration, techniques utilizing liquid-liquid extraction using an organic solvent, chromatographic separation, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for industrially producing a natural antioxidant by removing caffeine with chloroform and extracting tea tannins with ethyl acetate.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose a method for purifying tea catechins by selectively adsorbing tea catechins onto a packing material using chromatographic separation and eluting the adsorbed components with a hydrophilic organic solvent. Patent Document 4 discloses a method for purifying tea leaf tannins by contacting a tea extract with a cation exchange resin to remove caffeine, adding ethanol to produce a precipitate, and removing the precipitate by filtration.

[0007] Furthermore, Patent Document 5 discloses a catechin composition containing non-polymer catechins at a high concentration and with little unpleasant bitterness, the catechin composition having a weight ratio [(A) / (B)] of (A) gallate-type catechins to (B) non-polymer catechins of 0.50 to 0.75, a weight ratio [(B) / (C)] of (B) non-polymer catechins to (C) total polyphenols of 0.80 to 0.97, a weight ratio [(D) / (C)] of (D) flavonol aglycone to (B) non-polymer catechins of less than 0.002, and a weight ratio [(E) / (C)] of (E) caffeine to (B) non-polymer catechins of less than 0.1, and a CPA value of the aqueous solution measured by a CPA measurement method using a C00 sensor of 5 μV / ppm or more per non-polymer catechin concentration. Also, as a method for obtaining such a catechin composition, a method has been disclosed in which a tea extract or tea extract liquid is contacted with a structure having an N-alkylglucamine group, and the components are adsorbed by the structure and recovered. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 1561043 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 2703241 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 3052175 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-228565 [Patent Document 5] JP 2007-1893 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Conventionally, various pharmacological actions, such as antihypertensive action, have been reported for components contained in green tea extract, particularly non-gallate catechins such as (-)-epicatechin (EC) and (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC). Caffeine, which is also contained in green tea extract, has a neurostimulant effect that stimulates the central nervous system, so children, pregnant women, people with hypersensitivity, and people with insomnia should avoid taking caffeine. In addition, the demand for caffeine-free beverages is also increasing. Therefore, with regard to green tea compositions containing components derived from green tea leaves, green tea compositions that contain high concentrations of non-gallate catechins and are caffeine-free can be effectively used for a variety of purposes and are useful. However, it has not been easy to purify a composition that contains a high concentration of non-gallate catechins and is free of caffeine from green tea extract.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new green tea composition containing non-gallate catechins at a high concentration and not containing caffeine, and a new production method for obtaining the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In the present invention, enzyme-inactivated tea leaves are extracted with a solvent to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 0.5 to 10.0% by mass (extraction step); The green tea extract is passed through a column packed with a synthetic resin in an amount of 0.1 to 5.0 times the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column, and a liquid as a mobile phase is further passed through the column (liquid passing step); We propose a method for producing a green tea composition, which is characterized by adsorbing gallate-type catechins onto the synthetic resin, dividing the liquid containing components that pass through the synthetic resin without being adsorbed into multiple fractions depending on the passage time and recovering them, and selecting and collecting fractions with a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass to obtain an EGC / EC solution (purification process).

[0012] The present invention also provides a method for extracting enzyme-inactivated tea leaves with a solvent to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 0.5 to 10.0% by mass (extraction step); The green tea extract is passed through a column packed with a synthetic resin in an amount of 0.1 to 5.0 times the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column, and a liquid as a mobile phase is further passed through the column (liquid passing step); The gallate-type catechins are adsorbed onto the synthetic resin, and the liquid containing the components that have passed through the synthetic resin without being adsorbed is separated into a plurality of fractions according to the liquid passage time and collected. The fractions with a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass are selected and collected to obtain an EGC·EC solution (purification step). The gallate-type catechins adsorbed on the synthetic resin are recovered as a gallate-type catechins solution (gallate-type catechins recovery step), The present invention provides a method for producing a green tea composition, which comprises mixing the EGC·EC solution with the gallate-type catechins solution (mixing step). Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the production method proposed by the present invention, a new green tea composition can be obtained that contains a high concentration of non-gallate catechins and is caffeine-free. Furthermore, by recovering the gallated catechins adsorbed to the synthetic resin in the liquid passing step as a gallated catechins solution and mixing it with the EGC / EC solution obtained in the purification step, a new green tea composition containing gallated catechins and non-gallated catechins in a desired ratio and containing no caffeine can be obtained. For example, a green tea composition containing 20.0 to 80.0% by mass of gallated catechins and 20.0 to 80.0% by mass of non-gallated catechins and less than 1.0% by mass of caffeine can be obtained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Example 1. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Example 2. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Comparative Example 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Example 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Comparative Example 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Example 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Example 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Example 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Example 7. [Figure 10]FIG. 1 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Example 8. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a bar graph showing the contents of catechins and caffeine in each fraction obtained in Example 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Next, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment, however, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0016] <This manufacturing method A> A method for producing a green tea composition according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "production method A") includes extracting raw tea leaves with a solvent to obtain a green tea extract (extraction step); The green tea extract is passed through a column packed with a synthetic resin in a predetermined amount relative to the volume of the column, and a mobile phase liquid is also passed through the column. The liquid containing the components that have passed through without being adsorbed by the synthetic resin is separated into a plurality of fractions depending on the liquid passing time and collected (liquid passing step); The fractions with a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass were selected and collected to obtain an EGC·EC solution (purification step). If necessary, the EGC·EC solution is dried (drying step) to obtain a green tea composition (referred to as "present green tea composition A").

[0017] <Raw material tea leaves> As the raw tea leaves, any type of tea can be used as long as it is leaves or stems picked from the tea plant (scientific name: Camellia sinensis), without being limited by its variety, place of origin, picking time, picking method, cultivation method, etc.

[0018] The raw tea leaves may be tea leaves that have been deactivated from fresh tea leaves, i.e., tea leaves that have had their enzymes inactivated. In this case, the deactivation method may be steaming, pan-frying, hot air heating, or any other method. For example, the teas classified as non-fermented teas include steamed tea, sencha, gyokuro, matcha, bancha, gyokuryokucha, pan-frying tea, steamed gyokuryokucha, pan-frying gyokuryokucha, Chinese green tea, and other teas, and may also be blends of two or more of these. Furthermore, the above-mentioned tea leaves may also be used as raw tea leaves after being subjected to currently known crude tea processing or finishing processing.

[0019] <Extraction process> It is preferable to extract raw tea leaves with a solvent so as to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 0.5 to 10.0% by mass. It is preferable to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 0.5% by mass or more, since the amount of catechins can be sufficiently recovered. From this viewpoint, it is more preferable to extract a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 0.6% by mass or more, and more preferably 0.7% by mass or more. On the other hand, it is preferable to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 10.0% by mass or less, since the catechins can be efficiently separated. From this viewpoint, it is more preferable to extract a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 8.0% by mass or less, and more preferably 5.0% by mass or less.

[0020] In the present invention, "catechins" refers to any one of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), epicatechin (EC), gallocatechin gallate (GCg), gallocatechin (GC), catechin gallate (Cg), and catechin (C), or a mixture of two or more of these, and "catechin content" or "catechin concentration" refers to the total amount or total concentration of these contents. In addition, the term "gallate-type catechins" refers to any one of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin gallate (ECG), gallocatechin gallate (GCg), and catechin gallate (Cg), or a mixture of two or more of these, and the "content of gallate-type catechins" refers to the total content of these. The term "non-gallate catechins" refers to any one of epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin (EC), gallocatechin (GC) and catechin (C), or a mixture of two or more of these, and the "content of non-gallate catechins" refers to the total content of these. The content of each gallate-type catechin can be quantified by separation and analysis using HPLC (see Examples for details).

[0021] (solvent) Examples of the solvent used to extract tea leaves include water, warm water, hot water, organic solvents such as ethanol, methanol, acetone, and mixed solutions of the organic solvents with water (e.g., 30-80% aqueous ethanol solution, 30-80% aqueous methanol solution, 30-80% aqueous acetone solution, etc.), but the solvent is not limited to these.

[0022] (Extraction method and conditions) It is preferable to adjust the extraction method and extraction conditions so as to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration within the above-mentioned specified range.

[0023] The extraction method may be a method that is usually used. For example, a suitable extraction device may be selected according to the amount of raw material to be processed, such as an apparatus in which the raw material is packed in a column and an extraction solvent such as hot water is successively fed into the column to obtain an extract, or an extraction device called a kneader in which the raw material is packed in an extraction vessel and immersed in a predetermined amount of an extraction solvent such as hot water for a certain period of time, and solid-liquid separation may be performed by a normal method. There is no particular limitation on the method, and it may be selected according to desire or purpose.

[0024] The tea leaves may be extracted with heated water at 70 to 100° C. For example, extraction may be performed in a conventional manner using an extraction device called a kneader, with 20 to 100 times the amount of raw tea and extraction water at 70 to 100° C. for about 1 to 20 minutes, stirring once or several times as necessary, at normal pressure. However, the extraction method and extraction conditions are not particularly limited, and extraction methods such as pressurized extraction may also be used. The extraction temperature, that is, the temperature of the hot water used for extraction, is preferably 70 to 100°C, and more preferably 70°C or higher or 90°C or lower.

[0025] The extract obtained by the above-mentioned extraction can be subjected to solid-liquid separation, for example, by filtration, to obtain a green tea extract as a filtrate. Furthermore, the tea leaves as the filtration residue may be extracted again as described above, filtered in the same manner as before, and this filtrate may be mixed with the previously obtained filtrate to obtain a green tea extract.

[0026] <Liquid passing process> Next, it is preferable to pass the green tea extract obtained in the extraction step through a column packed with a synthetic resin, and then pass a liquid serving as a mobile phase through the column, thereby adsorbing the gallate-type catechins onto the synthetic resin.

[0027] (Synthetic resin) The synthetic resin to be adsorbed is preferably a resin that is adsorbed depending on its molecular weight. Among these, methacrylate-based fillers, such as methacrylic resins (acrylic resins), in other words, polymers of methyl methacrylate (methyl methacrylate = MMA) or copolymers of methyl methacrylate (methyl methacrylate = MMA) and acrylic esters (acrylates), are preferred. As commercially available synthetic resins, for example, other methacrylic resin porous hard hydrogels such as HW-50F (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, exclusion limit molecular weight 80,000 Da, average pore size 12.5 nm, particle size 45 μm), HW-55F (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, exclusion limit molecular weight 700,000 Da, average pore size 50 nm, particle size 45 μm), HW-40F (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, exclusion limit molecular weight 10,000 Da, average pore size 5 nm, particle size 45 μm) and HW-40C (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, exclusion limit molecular weight 10,000 Da, average pore size 5 nm, particle size 75 μm) may be used.

[0028] Among these, those made of porous hard hydrogels that can be separated based on molecular weight are preferred. Among these, it is preferable that the exclusion limit molecular weight is 1,000 to 120,000 Da, particularly 5,000 Da or more or 100,000 Da or less, particularly 10,000 Da or more or 80,000 Da or less, the average pore diameter is 1 to 30 nm, particularly 2 nm or more or 20 nm or less, particularly 5 nm or more or 12.5 nm or less, and the particle diameter is 45 to 500 μm, particularly 50 μm or more or 400 μm or less, particularly 80 μm or more or 300 μm or less, and particularly 100 μm or more.

[0029] (Green tea extract) As described above, the green tea extract passed through the column preferably has a catechin concentration of 0.5 to 10.0% by mass and a soluble solid content (Bx: %) of 2.0 to 15.0% by mass. If the soluble solids content (mass%) of the green tea extract passed through the column is 2.0 or more, it is preferable because the amount of catechins can be sufficiently recovered. From this viewpoint, it is more preferable that the soluble solids content (mass%) is 3.0 or more, and even more preferable that it is 5.0 or more. On the other hand, if the soluble solids content (mass%) is 15.0 or less, it is preferable because the catechins can be efficiently separated. From this viewpoint, it is more preferable that the soluble solids content is 10.0 or less, and even more preferable that it is 8.0 or less.

[0030] (Liquid passing amount) It is preferable to pass the green tea extract in an amount of 0.1 to 5.0 times the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column. It is preferable to pass the green tea extract in an amount of 0.1 times or more the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column, since it is possible to separate catechins and caffeine. From this viewpoint, it is more preferable to pass the amount of 2.0 times or more, and even more preferable to pass the amount of 3.0 times or more. On the other hand, it is preferable to pass the amount of 5.0 times or less the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column, since it is possible to separate caffeine. From this viewpoint, it is more preferable to pass the amount of 4.5 times or less, and even more preferable to pass the amount of 4.0 times or less.

[0031] (Liquid passing speed) The flow rate of the green tea extract when passing through a column packed with a synthetic resin is preferably 1 to 10 mL / min. By setting the flow rate at 1 mL / min or more, efficient recovery can be achieved. Therefore, it is preferable to set it at 1 mL / min or more, and more preferably, it is 2 mL / min or more, and even more preferably, it is 3 mL / min or more. On the other hand, by setting the flow rate at 10 mL / min or less, the pressure inside the column can be suppressed. Therefore, it is preferable to set it at 10 mL / min or less, and more preferably, it is 7 mL / min or less, and even more preferably, it is 6 mL / min or less.

[0032] Moreover, it is preferable that SV (Space velocity) is 1-10. Gallate-type catechins can be efficiently recovered by setting the liquid passage velocity (SV) to 1 or more, while the pressure inside the column can be suppressed by setting the liquid passage velocity to 10 or less. From this viewpoint, the flow rate (SV) of the green tea extract when it is passed through a column packed with a synthetic resin is preferably 1 or more, more preferably 2 or more, and even more preferably 3 or more, while it is preferably 10 or less, more preferably 7 or less, and even more preferably 6 or less.

[0033] (mobile phase) The liquid passed as the mobile phase may be water, an organic solvent such as ethanol, methanol, or acetone, or a mixed solution of the organic solvent with water (for example, 0 to 25% (V / V), particularly 1 to 21% (V / V) aqueous ethanol solution, 1 to 25% (V / V) aqueous methanol solution, 1 to 10% (V / V) aqueous acetone solution, etc.), but is not limited to these.

[0034] ((Brix x liquid flow amount) / resin amount) For example, assuming a table test scale (column volume 50 to 400 (ml)), the ratio ((Brix × flow rate) / amount of resin)) of the value obtained by multiplying the available solids concentration (mass% / 100) of the green tea extract passed through the column by the flow rate (ml) of the synthetic resin packed in the column to the resin volume (ml) of the synthetic resin is preferably 0.010 to 0.300. By adjusting the ratio ((Brix × amount of liquid passing) / amount of resin) within the above range, the gallated catechins in the green tea extract can be efficiently adsorbed onto the synthetic resin, while the non-gallated catechins in the green tea extract can pass through the synthetic resin. From this viewpoint, it is more preferable to set the ratio ((Brix × amount of liquid passing) / amount of resin) to 0.050 or more or 0.280 or less, and even more preferable to set the ratio to 0.090 or more or 0.250 or less.

[0035] In this case, for example, assuming a table test scale (column capacity 50 to 400 (ml)), the amount of synthetic resin packed in the column is preferably 30 to 200 ml, more preferably 50 ml or more, and even more preferably 80 ml or more. On the other hand, it is preferably 200 ml or less, more preferably 150 ml or less, and even more preferably 100 ml or less.

[0036] Similarly, assuming a table test scale (column volume 50-400 (ml)), the amount of green tea extract passed is preferably 50-500 ml, more preferably 80 ml or more, and even more preferably 100 ml or more, while it is preferably 500 ml or less, more preferably 400 ml or less, and even more preferably 300 ml or less.

[0037] <Purification process> The liquid containing the components that passed through the synthetic resin without being adsorbed is divided into multiple fractions depending on the passage time and recovered, and the fractions with a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass are selected and collected to obtain the present green tea composition A as an EGC / EC solution.

[0038] It is preferable to fractionate into each fraction every 1 to 10 beds relative to the column volume, more preferably every 1 bed or more or 5 beds or less, and even more preferably every 1 bed or more or 3 beds or less.

[0039] It is preferable to select and collect fractions having a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass, more preferably less than 0.003% by mass, and even more preferably less than 0.001% by mass.

[0040] <Drying process> If necessary, the EGC·EC solution may be concentrated and, if necessary, dried to obtain the present green tea composition A in the form of a powder.

[0041] As the concentration method, for example, known concentration methods such as vacuum concentration, freeze concentration, and reverse osmosis membrane concentration can be used. As the drying method, a drying method well known in the art, such as hot air drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying or spray drying, can be used.

[0042] <Green tea composition A> By the present production method A, the EGC content of the present green tea composition A can be adjusted to 30.0 to 90.0 mass%, preferably 50.0 mass or more or 90.0 mass or less, more preferably 60.0 mass or more or 80.0 mass or less.

[0043] The EC content of the present green tea composition A can be 0.1% by mass to 80.0% by mass, preferably 20.0% by mass or more or 60.0% by mass or less, more preferably 30.0% by mass or more or 50.0% by mass or less.

[0044] The EGCG content of the present green tea composition A can be 10.0% by mass or less, preferably 5.0% by mass or less, and more preferably 1.0% by mass or less.

[0045] The ECG content in this green tea composition A can be 10.0% by mass or less, preferably 5.0% by mass or less, and more preferably 1.0% by mass or less.

[0046] The content of gallate-type catechins in the present green tea composition A can be less than 10.0% by mass, preferably 5.0% by mass or less, and more preferably 1.0% by mass or less. On the other hand, the content of non-gallate catechins in the present green tea composition A can be 30.0 to 90.0% by mass, in particular 50.0% by mass or more or 80.0% by mass or less, and in particular 60.0% by mass or more or 70.0% by mass or less.

[0047] The caffeine content of the green tea composition A may be less than 1.0% by weight, preferably less than 0.5% by weight, and more preferably less than 0.1% by weight.

[0048] In this green tea composition A, the ratio of the total mass content of caffeine to the total mass content of EGC and EC (caffeine / (EGC+EC)) can be less than 0.05, preferably less than 0.01, and more preferably less than 0.001.

[0049] The amino acid content in the present green tea composition A can be 0.01 to 10.0% by mass, preferably 0.02% or more by mass or 5.0% or less by mass, more preferably 0.03% or more by mass or 3.0% or less by mass. Here, "amino acids" refers to aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, serine, glutamine, arginine, alanine and theanine, and "amino acid content" refers to the total content of these.

[0050] The sugar content in the present green tea composition A can be 0.01 to 10.0% by mass, preferably 0.02% or more or 8.0% or less by mass, and more preferably 0.03% or more or 6.0% or less by mass. Here, "sugars" refers to glucose (grape sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (cane sugar), and maltose (malt sugar), and "sugar content" refers to the total content of these.

[0051] (Other Ingredients) The green tea composition A may contain tea extract components other than those mentioned above. Examples of the components include polyphenols other than catechins, purine bases (methyl derivatives of purine rings) such as theophylline and xanthine, flavonol aglycones, and other components. However, the components are not limited to these.

[0052] <This manufacturing method B> A method for producing a green tea composition according to another embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "production method B") includes extracting raw tea leaves with a solvent to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 0.5 to 10.0% by mass (extraction step); The green tea extract is passed through a column packed with a synthetic resin in an amount of 0.1 to 5.0 times the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column, and a liquid as a mobile phase is further passed through the column (liquid passing step); The gallate-type catechins are adsorbed onto the synthetic resin, and the liquid containing the components that have passed through the synthetic resin without being adsorbed is separated into a plurality of fractions according to the liquid passage time and collected. The fractions with a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass are selected and collected to obtain an EGC·EC solution (purification step). The gallate-type catechins adsorbed on the synthetic resin are recovered as a gallate-type catechins solution (gallate-type catechins recovery step), The EGC / EC solution is mixed with the gallate-type catechins solution (mixing step), If necessary, the resulting EGC·EC solution is further dried (drying step). This is a manufacturing method for obtaining a green tea composition (referred to as "present green tea composition B").

[0053] The raw material tea leaves, extraction step, liquid passing step, purification step and drying step of Production Method B are the same as those of Production Method A above.

[0054] <Gallate-type catechin recovery process> In this step, the solution is passed through the column, and the gallated catechins adsorbed on the synthetic resin are recovered as a gallated catechins solution.

[0055] Examples of solutions used for recovering gallate-type catechins, i.e., solutions for separating components adsorbed on a synthetic resin from the synthetic resin, include organic solvents such as ethanol, methanol, and acetone, or mixed solutions of such organic solvents with water (e.g., 30 to 80% aqueous ethanol solution, 30 to 80% aqueous methanol solution, 30 to 80% aqueous acetone solution, etc.). In this case, the organic solvent or the mixed solution of the organic solvent and water is preferably used in an amount of 1 to 20 times, particularly 3 times or more, the volume of the structure.

[0056] <Mixing process> In the mixing step, the EGC / EC solution and the gallate-type catechins solution are mixed to prepare the green tea composition B. At this time, the EGC·EC solution and the gallate-type catechins solution may be mixed in their entirety, or the ratio between them may be adjusted before mixing.

[0057] <Green tea composition B> By using this production method B, it is possible to obtain the present green tea composition B, which contains components obtained by extracting tea with reduced or removed caffeine and the like.

[0058] The present green tea composition B can be a green tea composition containing 20.0 to 80.0% by mass of gallated catechins and 20.0 to 80.0% by mass of non-gallated catechins, and having a caffeine content of less than 1.0% by mass.

[0059] The EGC content of the present green tea composition B can be 10.0 to 80.0% by mass, preferably 20% or more or 70% or less by mass, and more preferably 30% or more or 60% or less by mass.

[0060] The EC content of the present green tea composition B can be 1.0 to 50.0% by mass, preferably 10.0% by mass or more or 40.0% by mass or less, more preferably 20.0% by mass or more or 30.0% by mass or less.

[0061] The caffeine content of the green tea composition B may be less than 1.0% by weight, preferably less than 0.5% by weight, and more preferably less than 0.1% by weight.

[0062] In this green tea composition B, the ratio of the caffeine content to the total content of EGC and EC (caffeine / (EGC+EC)) can be less than 5.0, preferably less than 1.0, and more preferably less than 0.1.

[0063] The amino acid content in the present green tea composition B can be 0.01 to 10.0% by mass, preferably 0.02% or more by mass or 3.0% or less by mass, more preferably 0.03% or more by mass or 1.0% or less by mass.

[0064] (Other Ingredients) The present green tea composition B may contain tea extract components other than the above-mentioned components, such as gallate-type catechins.

[0065] <Application> The present green tea compositions A and B are low in caffeine and contain desirable catechins, and therefore can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, drugs such as medicines and quasi-drugs can be prepared using as active ingredients the catechins contained in the present green tea compositions A and B. Specifically, oral administration agents can be prepared, and in that case, the composition and dosage form can be prepared based on common general technical knowledge. Regarding the dosage form, the composition can be prepared in the form of liquid, tablets, powder, granules, sugar-coated tablets, capsules, suspensions, emulsions, pills, and the like. As for the blending (preparation), it can be prepared by a conventional method using commonly used excipients, bulking agents, binders, wetting agents, disintegrants, surface active agents, lubricants, dispersants, buffers, preservatives, solubilizing agents, antiseptics, flavoring agents, soothing agents, stabilizers, etc. It is also possible to blend non-toxic additives such as lactose, fructose, glucose, starch, gelatin, magnesium carbonate, synthetic magnesium silicate, talc, magnesium stearate, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose or a salt thereof, gum arabic, polyethylene glycol, syrup, petrolatum, glycerin, ethanol, propylene glycol, citric acid, sodium chloride, sodium sulfite, sodium phosphate, etc.

[0066] In addition, the present green tea compositions A and B can be used as active ingredients to prepare health foods, health drinks, foods for specified health uses, functional foods, food additives, and other medicines, feed, and feed additives for animals other than humans. In particular, since the present green tea compositions A and B have reduced bitterness and astringency, they can be added to food and beverage ingredients or foods and beverages to suitably prepare health foods, health drinks, foods for specified health uses, functional foods, and other food (including feed) for animals other than humans. The "food and drink ingredients" to be added in this case may be one or more selected from the group of food and drink ingredients such as water, carbon dioxide, excipients (including granulating agents), diluents, and further sweeteners, flavors, various proteins such as flour, starch, sugar, oils and fats, carbohydrate raw materials, vitamins, minerals, etc. For example, it is possible to dissolve the catechin in purified water or physiological saline to a desired concentration to make a catechin-containing drink. Furthermore, the "food and beverage" to be blended may include currently known food and beverage products, such as sports drinks, fruit drinks, milk drinks, tea drinks, vegetable juices, dairy drinks, alcoholic drinks, jellies, jelly drinks, carbonated drinks, chewing gum, chocolate, candy, biscuits, snacks, bread, dairy products, fish paste products, meat products, frozen desserts, confectioneries, dried foods, various types of noodles, processed foods, and supplements.

[0067] Furthermore, by adding the green tea compositions A and B to various oral hygiene products, cosmetics, medicines, etc., such as toothpaste, lipstick, lip balm, oral medications, lozenges, mouth fresheners, and mouthwashes, the physiological effects of tea catechins can be imparted to the products without significantly impairing their flavor or taste, thereby increasing their added value. However, the uses of the present green tea compositions A and B are not limited to the uses mentioned above.

[0068] <Explanation of terms> In this specification, when expressed as "X to Y" (X and Y are arbitrary numbers), unless otherwise specified, it includes the meaning of "X or more and Y or less", as well as "preferably larger than X" or "preferably smaller than Y". In addition, when it is expressed as "X or more" (X is any number) or "Y or less" (Y is any number), it also includes the intention that "greater than X is preferable" or "less than Y is preferable." EXAMPLES

[0069] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the following examples and comparative examples, but the examples described below are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0070] <Example 1> 5 g of green tea powder (total catechins 262 mg / g, gallated catechins 137 mg / g, non-gallated catechins 125 mg / g, EGC 89 mg / g, EC 18 mg / g, caffeine 68 mg / g) was added to ion-exchanged water at 85°C and stirred for 1 minute. The mixture was cooled to 25°C and then filtered through a 1 μm filter to obtain the amount of green tea extract shown in Table 1. A column (column inner diameter 2.5 cm x 30 cm, 100 mL) packed with a porous hard hydrogel made of methacrylic resin (Tosoh Corporation "HW-40EC", exclusion limit molecular weight 10000 Da, average pore size 5 nm, particle size 200 μm) was filled with the above green tea extract in an amount 2.1 times the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column at a flow rate of 8 mL / min. Then, 10 beds of ion-exchanged water (including the amount of tea extract passed through) were passed as the mobile phase, followed by a 15% ethanol solution at a flow rate of 8 mL / min, and the fractions were collected in 1-bed portions, and the catechin and caffeine amounts of each fraction were measured. The amounts of components in each fraction are shown in Figure 1. Fractions with a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass were selected and collected to obtain an EGC·EC solution, which was then concentrated using an evaporator and freeze-dried to obtain a green tea composition (sample). In Table 1, the synthetic resin packed in the column is shown as "resin," the amount of the resin packed in the column is shown as "resin amount," and the amount of green tea extract passed through the column is shown as "liquid amount."

[0071] <Examples 2 to 9 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2> The catechin and caffeine amounts in each fraction were measured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the type of green tea powder, the amount of resin, and the amount of liquid passed were changed as shown in Table 1. Moreover, similarly to Example 1, fractions having a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass were selected and collected to obtain a green tea composition (sample). In each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, the mobile phase was 1 bed, with the amount of liquid equivalent to the amount of resin, and ion-exchanged water (including the amount of tea extract passed) was passed through beds 1 to 10, and 15% ethanol solution was passed through beds 10 and above. In addition, samples in which 2 beds or more were collected at once to increase the efficiency of the test were also included, and the amounts of components per fraction are as shown in Figures 2 to 11.

[0072] In addition, "Green Tea Powder C" in Table 1 contains 130 mg / g total catechins, 2 mg / g gallated catechins, 128 mg / g non-gallated catechins, 100 mg / g EGC, 21 mg / g EC, and 70 mg / g caffeine.

[0073] [Measurement of soluble solids] The temperature of the measuring device was adjusted to a predetermined temperature, the measuring device (refractometer) was calibrated, and the green tea extract obtained in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples was thinly applied onto the prism of the measuring device, and the soluble solids content (Bx: mass %) was measured.

[0074] [(Bx x liquid volume) / resin volume] The ratio ((Brix × volume of liquid passed) / volume of resin)) of the soluble solids concentration (mass% / 100) of the green tea extract passed through the column multiplied by the volume of liquid passed through (ml) to the volume of synthetic resin filled in the column (ml) was calculated and expressed as "(Brix × volume of liquid) / volume of resin".

[0075] [Quantitative analysis of catechins, caffeine, sugars, and amino acids] The contents of catechins, caffeine, and sugars were measured by operating a high performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC) under the following conditions and quantitatively determining them using the calibration curve method.

[0076] Undiluted, 2-fold diluted, and 5-fold diluted standard solutions were used for HPLC under the conditions below, and a calibration curve was created using the peak area and component concentration of each component in the resulting chromatogram, and the content (mass%) of each component in the analytical sample solution was calculated. The content of "catechins" is the total content (% by mass) of EGCG, EGC, ECG, EC, GCg, GC, Cg and C, the content of "gallate catechins" is the total content (% by mass) of EGCG, ECG, GCg and Cg, and the content of "non-gallate catechins" is the total content (% by mass) of EGC, EC, GC and C. The "sugars" content is the total content (mass%) of glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose. Furthermore, the content of "amino acids" is the total content (mass %) of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, serine, glutamine, arginine, alanine, and theanine.

[0077] (HPLC conditions) HPLC equipment: Waters workstation system Alliance PDA system Column: Wakosil-II 3C18 HG (3.0 mm ID x 100 mm) Column temperature: 35℃ Mobile phase A: Water-acetonitrile-phosphoric acid (95:5:0.1) Mobile phase B: Water-acetonitrile-phosphoric acid (50:50:0.1) Detection: UV 230nm Injection volume: 5μL Flow rate: 0.43mL / min Gradient program:

[0078] TIFF0007597523000001.tif46170

[0079] [Table 1]

[0080] [Table 2]

[0081] (result) The amino acid contents in the green tea compositions obtained in Examples 1 to 9 were 0.03 to 0.30% by mass, and the sugar contents were below the detection limit.

[0082] In addition, the gallated catechins adsorbed on the synthetic resin packed in the column were recovered, and fractions with a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass were selected and collected and added to the EGC / EC solution. The solution containing EGC / EC and gallated catechins was concentrated in an evaporator and then freeze-dried to obtain a green tea composition, thereby obtaining a green tea composition with a catechin composition that was the original composition of green tea extract while reducing the caffeine content.

[0083] From the results of the above Examples and Comparative Examples, as well as the results of tests conducted by the present inventors thus far, it has been found that when a volume of green tea extract that is 0.1 to 5.0 times the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column is passed through, the first several fractions (in the above Examples, the first fractions 1 to 8) have a caffeine concentration of 0.005% by mass or more, while all subsequent fractions have a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass, making it possible to obtain a green tea composition with a caffeine concentration of less than 1.0% by mass.

Claims

1. The enzyme-inactivated tea leaves are extracted with a solvent to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 0.5 to 10.0% by mass (extraction step); The green tea extract is passed through a column packed with a synthetic resin in an amount of 0.1 to 5.0 times the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column, and a liquid as a mobile phase is further passed through the column (liquid passing step); In the method for producing a green tea composition, the gallate-type catechins are adsorbed onto the synthetic resin, a liquid containing components that have passed through the synthetic resin without being adsorbed is separated into a plurality of fractions depending on the liquid passage time, and the fractions having a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass are selected and collected to obtain an EGC / EC solution (purification step), The synthetic resin is a methacrylic resin having an exclusion limit molecular weight of 1,000 to 120,000 Da, an average pore size of 1 to 30 nm, and a particle size of 45 to 500 μm.

2. 2. A method for producing a green tea composition according to claim 1, further comprising drying the obtained EGC / EC solution to obtain a green tea composition (drying step).

3. A method for producing a green tea composition as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the synthetic resin is a porous hard hydrogel made of methacrylic resin.

4. A method for producing a green tea composition described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the ratio ((Brix x flow rate) / amount of resin)) of the value obtained by multiplying the soluble solids concentration (mass% / 100) of the green tea extract passed through the column by the amount of flow rate (ml) to the amount of synthetic resin filled in the column (ml) is 0.010 to 0.

300.

5. 5. The method for producing a green tea composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the epigallocatechin (EGC) content of the product, the green tea composition, is 30.0 to 90.0 mass%.

6. A method for producing a green tea composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the epicatechin (EC) content of the product, the green tea composition, is 0.1 to 80.0 mass%.

7. 7. The method for producing a green tea composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the content of gallate-type catechins in the product green tea composition is less than 10.0% by mass.

8. 8. A method for producing a green tea composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that in the green tea composition product, the ratio of the caffeine content (mass%) to the total content (mass%) of EGC and EC (caffeine / (EGC+EC)) is less than 0.

05.

9. A method for producing a green tea composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the caffeine content of the resulting green tea composition is less than 1.0% by mass.

10. 10. A method for producing a green tea composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the amino acid content of the product, the green tea composition, is 0.01 to 10.0% by mass.

11. A method for producing a green tea composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the sugar content of the product, the green tea composition, is 0.01 to 10.0% by mass.

12. The enzyme-inactivated tea leaves are extracted with a solvent to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 0.5 to 10.0% by mass (extraction step); The green tea extract is passed through a column packed with a synthetic resin in an amount of 0.1 to 5.0 times the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column, and a liquid as a mobile phase is further passed through the column (liquid passing step); The gallate-type catechins are adsorbed onto the synthetic resin, and the liquid containing the components that have passed through the synthetic resin without being adsorbed is divided into a plurality of fractions depending on the liquid passing time and recovered, and a fraction having a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass is selected and collected to obtain an EGC / EC solution (purification step); The gallate-type catechins adsorbed on the synthetic resin are recovered as a gallate-type catechins solution (gallate-type catechins recovery step); In the method for producing a green tea composition, the EGC / EC solution and the gallate-type catechins solution are mixed (mixing step), The synthetic resin is a methacrylic resin having an exclusion limit molecular weight of 1,000 to 120,000 Da, an average pore size of 1 to 30 nm, and a particle size of 45 to 500 μm.

13. 1. A method for isolating caffeine from a green tea composition, comprising: The enzyme-inactivated tea leaves are extracted with a solvent to obtain a green tea extract having a catechin concentration of 0.5 to 10.0% by mass (extraction step); The green tea extract is passed through a column packed with a synthetic resin in an amount of 0.1 to 5.0 times the volume of the synthetic resin packed in the column, and further passed through a liquid as a mobile phase (liquid passing step); In a method for separating caffeine from a green tea composition, gallate-type catechins are adsorbed onto the synthetic resin, a liquid containing components that have passed through the synthetic resin without being adsorbed is separated into a plurality of fractions depending on a liquid passing time, and the fractions having a caffeine concentration of less than 0.005% by mass are selected and collected to obtain an EGC / EC solution (purification step), The method for separating caffeine from a green tea composition, wherein the synthetic resin is a methacrylic resin, and the synthetic resin has an exclusion limit molecular weight of 1,000 to 120,000 Da, an average pore size of 1 to 30 nm, and a particle size of 45 to 500 μm.

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