Plant functional ingredient enhancer

Abstract

To provide a plant functional component increasing agent, appropriate spray or irrigation of which enables an increase in an amount of a functional component in a plant even without using stress cultivation and a high-content plant variety.SOLUTION: Provided is a plant functional component increasing agent, comprising as an active ingredient an oxo aliphatic acid derivative or a salt thereof, having a structural formula: HOOC-(R1)-C=C-C(=O)-R2(I) (in the formula, R1 is a linear or branched C6-12 alkyl group which may contain one or more double bonds; and R2 is a C2-8 alkyl group which may contain one or more branches and / or double bonds).SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an agent for increasing functional components in plants. [Background technology]

[0002] Many plants contain various functional ingredients such as vitamins, carotenoids, and polyphenols. In recent years, interest in these functional ingredients contained in agricultural products has increased due to health-conscious trends, and there is a particular need for agricultural products that contain functional ingredients with antioxidant activity that remove radicals such as active oxygen, which are thought to damage cells and tissues and contribute to cancer, lifestyle-related diseases, and accelerated aging, as well as amino acids and peptides that are building blocks of proteins in living organisms and function as various neurotransmitters. Therefore, attempts have been made to significantly increase the production of useful functional ingredients in plants.

[0003] As a method for increasing the yield of functional components contained in plants, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for increasing the amount of polyphenols contained in strawberries by irradiating them with ultraviolet light. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2012 / 133130 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, irradiating plants with ultraviolet light can destroy the plant's biological tissue, so there is a limit to the duration of exposure. In addition, there are concerns that ultraviolet light may be harmful to the human body, and there is a problem in that the safety of workers cannot be sufficiently ensured.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an agent for increasing the amount of functional components in plants, which has no adverse effects on the living tissue of a plant and can be safely sprayed or irrigated onto a plant as appropriate to increase the amount of functional components contained in the plant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a compound of the formula: HOOC-(R 1 )-C=CC(=O)-R 2 (I) (In the formula, R 1 : Straight or branched chain alkyl with 6 to 12 carbon atoms Ren is a group, which may contain one or more double bonds, R 2 : an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more branches and / or double bonds) The present invention relates to an agent for increasing functional components of plants, which comprises, as an active ingredient, an oxo fatty acid derivative having the structural formula:

[0008] The oxo fatty acid derivative is R 1 Aruki Ren The carbon number of the group is 8 to 10, and R 2 The plant functional component enhancer is preferably an oxo fatty acid derivative having an alkyl group with 4 to 6 carbon atoms.

[0009] The oxo fatty acid derivative is R 1 The plant functional ingredient enhancer is preferably an oxo fatty acid derivative containing a double bond that forms a conjugated double bond with the double bond between the α and β carbons of the carbonyl group in formula (I).

[0010] The oxo fatty acid derivative is R 1 However, the alkyl group has 9 carbon atoms. Ren is a group, R 2However, the plant functional component enhancer that is an oxo fatty acid derivative having an alkyl group with 5 carbon atoms is preferred.

[0011] The agent for increasing functional components of plants is preferably such that the oxo fatty acid derivative is 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid or a salt thereof.

[0012] The functional component enhancer for plants is preferably used as a spray or immersion agent to be brought into contact with the stems, leaves or roots of a plant, or as a soil drenching agent.

[0013] The functional component of a plant is preferably an antioxidant functional component, amino acids or peptides.

[0014] The functional component of a plant is preferably an agent for increasing the functional component of a plant, the functional component of the plant being selected from the group consisting of vitamins, polyphenols, carotenoids, amino acids, and combinations thereof.

[0015] The functional component of a plant is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of vitamin C, polyphenols, lutein, β-carotene, lycopene, and GABA.

[0016] The functional component increaser for plants is preferably used for plants of the Solanaceae, Rosaceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae or Amaranthaceae family.

[0017] In addition, the agent for increasing functional components in plants in the present invention is an agent that promotes the production and / or inhibits the decomposition of functional components in plants, thereby increasing the functional components in the plants. Effect of the Invention

[0018] The agent for increasing functional components in plants of the present invention can increase the functional components in plants by appropriately spraying or irrigating the plants, without the need for stress cultivation or the use of high-content varieties. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Plant functional ingredient enhancer The functional component increaser for plants of the present invention is An oxo fatty acid derivative having the following formula: HOOC-(R 1 )-C=CC(=O)-R 2 (I) (In the formula, R 1 : Straight or branched chain alkyl with 6 to 12 carbon atoms Ren is a group, which may contain one or more double bonds, R 2 : an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more branches and / or double bonds) The present invention is characterized in that it contains, as an active ingredient, an oxo fatty acid derivative having the structural formula (I) or a salt thereof. The present invention also relates to an agent for increasing functional ingredients in plants, which contains, as an active ingredient, a compound of formula (I) or a salt thereof, including all geometric isomers and stereoisomers.

[0020] By contacting the oxo fatty acid derivative or its salt with a part of the stem, leaf, or root of a plant, the amount of functional components contained in the plant can be increased. Since the increase in the same components in the plant as those increased in commonly performed stress cultivation can be confirmed, it is believed that the oxo fatty acid derivative or its salt of the present invention contains a substance and / or its precursor that acts in the plant body similarly to a molecule that is naturally produced and acts as a signal in the plant body in response to environmental stress when absorbed by the plant body. In other words, the oxo fatty acid derivative or its salt of the present invention can enhance the stress resistance function that the plant naturally possesses. As a result, the production of functional components in the plant body is promoted and / or the decomposition is inhibited, and the functional components in the plant body are increased.

[0021] Oxo fatty acids are so-called rare fatty acids that are known to be produced as intermediates in the metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids. These rare fatty acids are substances that have attracted attention, particularly from the viewpoint of their application to various industrial uses, such as their physiological activities. 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid, which is used as an example of an oxo fatty acid derivative or its salt in the present invention, is a compound having 18 carbon atoms and a carbonyl group and two conjugated double bonds in the molecule, and is an oxo fatty acid produced from linoleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid, by an enzyme reaction or other means, and is one of the rare fatty acids. 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid is known to exist naturally in plants such as tomatoes. 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid has been found to have activity in improving lifestyle-related diseases, such as improving lipid metabolism, and is therefore actively researched both at home and abroad as a functional ingredient that shows a remarkable fat burning effect.

[0022] However, it was not known that oxo fatty acid derivatives such as 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid or their salts have the effect of increasing the amount of functional components contained in plants.

[0023] The plant functional component increaser of the present invention may contain an oxo fatty acid derivative or a salt thereof, and the origin thereof is not particularly limited. That is, as the oxo fatty acid derivative or a salt thereof, a commercially available product may be used, or one contained in a plant such as tomato may be used as is, or may be extracted and / or purified. Alternatively, the oxo fatty acid derivative or a salt thereof may be obtained by acting an enzyme, for example an enzyme derived from a microorganism, on a substrate such as an unsaturated fatty acid, as described above, or may be obtained by chemical synthesis, or may be produced using a microorganism. For example, the oxo fatty acid derivative or a salt thereof may be produced by enzymatic conversion using linoleic acid as a raw material by the action of lipoxygenase (LOX) and / or dehydrogenase, for example alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), or via a catalytic reaction using a metal catalyst. The oxo fatty acid derivative or a salt thereof thus obtained may be used at a desired concentration or appropriately diluted as necessary to increase the functional components in a plant.

[0024] As mentioned above, it is known that oxo fatty acids have isomers such as (E,E), (Z,E), (E,Z), and (Z,Z), but the effects of these isomers in the plant functional component increaser are similar. Therefore, in the present invention, for example, 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid, which can be used as an example of an oxo fatty acid derivative or its salt, is considered to include all of its isomers. In other words, the oxo fatty acid contained in the plant functional component increaser of the present invention has the same effect as the plant functional component increaser, regardless of the isomer present in the plant functional component increaser.

[0025] The plant functional component enhancer of the present invention may contain an oxo fatty acid derivative or a salt thereof at a desired concentration. For example, a mixture containing an oxo fatty acid derivative may be used as the oxo fatty acid derivative or a salt thereof.

[0026] In the plant functional component increaser of the present invention, the oxo fatty acid derivative may be present in the form of a salt, and examples of the salt include ammonium salts, metal salts, etc. Metal salts that generate monovalent metal ions are preferred, and for example, but are not limited to, sodium salts and potassium salts can be preferably used.

[0027] The agent for increasing a functional component in a plant of the present invention is characterized by containing a natural product, an oxo fatty acid derivative or a salt thereof, and therefore can increase the amount of a functional component contained in a plant without causing problems related to soil pollution or toxicity. In other words, by using the agent for increasing a functional component in a plant of the present invention, the functional component in the plant can be increased safely and simply.

[0028] The functional component increaser for plants of the present invention can induce the expression of stress response genes such as PR1, PR2, and PDF1.2 in plants to which it is applied. For example, in the case of a plant of the Solanaceae family, it can induce the expression of stress response genes such as PR1a and LOXD. As a result, depending on the type and variety of the plant, the growth stage, the cultivation environment, and the season, the development of the cuticle, the development of trichomes, the promotion of root hair development, the increase in the amount of antioxidants produced, the promotion of the function to prevent water evaporation (increasing the production of proline, etc., and thickening the leaves), the thickening of the stem, etc. occur. That is, the functional component increaser for plants of the present invention enhances the stress resistance function that plants originally have. Therefore, the functional components of plants can be increased without using stress cultivation. Problems such as a decrease in yield and a decrease in resistance to pests that occur when stress cultivation or the use of a high-content variety do not occur. According to the functional component increaser for plants of the present invention, the stress resistance function of plants can be improved by simple treatment without changing the conventional cultivation method, and the amount of functional components contained in the plants can be increased.

[0029] Examples of functional components whose content is increased by the present invention include vitamins, polyphenols, carotenoids, peptides, and amino acids. Examples of vitamins include vitamin C, and examples of polyphenols include chlorogenic acid, scopoletin, sinapic acid, and sinapaldehyde. Examples of carotenoids include β-carotene, lutein, and lycopene. Examples of peptides and amino acids include GABA, glutamic acid, and peptides formed by dehydration and condensation of these. At least one of these functional components can be increased by the plant functional component increaser of the present invention.

[0030] The plants to which the present invention can be applied are not particularly limited, but include, for example, plants of the Solanaceae, Brassicaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Liliaceae, Rosaceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, or Amaranthaceae. For example, the present invention can be applied to leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, komatsuna, mizuna, cabbage, leaf radish, Chinese cabbage, and shiso, baby leaves such as romaine lettuce, beet, komatsuna, spinach, mizuna, arugula, mustard, kale, and chicory, medicinal herbs such as liquorice and ephedra, fruit vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, green peppers, paprika, okra, chili peppers, pumpkins, strawberries, and blueberries, beans such as soybeans, and root vegetables such as green onions, onions, carrots, lotus roots, burdock, radishes, and potatoes.

[0031] The plant may be cultivated in any manner, i.e., planted in soil or cultivated by immersing in hydroponic solution. The plant functional component enhancer of the present invention may be applied in any manner, for example, as a spray or immersion agent that contacts the stems, leaves or roots of the plant, or as a soil irrigation agent. The present invention is very advantageous because the functional components of the plant can be increased by simply spraying the plant functional component enhancer of the present invention without preparing special equipment.

[0032] The present invention also relates to a plant having increased functional components, which is cultivated by the above-mentioned cultivation method. Such a plant is considered to be useful as food or as a raw material for cosmetics, medicines, supplements, etc. EXAMPLES

[0033] The present invention will be described based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to only the examples.

[0034] Preparation of functional ingredient enhancers for test plants As a raw material, 2.8 g of linoleic acid (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) with a purity of 80% was used, and 7 g of potassium carbonate (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and 300 ml of distilled water were added thereto to prepare a reaction solution. The pH of the reaction solution at this time was 11.

[0035] 0.2 mg of lipoxygenase (Sigma-Aldrich, derived from Glycine max) was added to the reaction solution and reacted at 30° C. for 24 hours. The reaction mixture was then placed in a water bath at 90° C. for 5 minutes to inactivate the enzyme.

[0036] The reaction solution in which the enzyme had been inactivated was returned to room temperature, and then 0.2 mg of alcohol dehydrogenase (produced by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., derived from yeast) was added, followed by further reaction at 30° C. for 24 hours.

[0037] After the reaction was completed, the product in the reaction solution was analyzed by MS using 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid (manufactured by Cayman Chemical Co.) as the standard substance. 2 Identification was performed by LC-MS using spectral analysis, and quantification was performed by the absolute calibration curve method at a detection wavelength of UV 272 nm.

[0038] 13-Oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid was obtained in a combined yield of 3.5% including isomers such as (E,E isomer) and (E,Z isomer). The yield (%) was calculated according to the following formula. Yield(%)= (wt% of 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid produced) / (initial wt% of raw linoleic acid used)

[0039] The produced 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid and its isomers were used to prepare approximately 300 ppm potassium salt aqueous solutions, which were used as functional component enhancers for test plants and were evaluated as follows.

[0040] Increased functional components in strawberries Example 1 Seven to nine strawberry plants (variety: Benihoppe) were grown in soil and irrigated with a general fertilizer solution. Just before flowering and fruiting began, the functional ingredient increaser for the test plants was diluted 4000 times with water and irrigated at the base of the plants twice, once every six days, at a rate of about 100 ml per plant. The fruits were harvested immediately after irrigation, and 15 fruits were randomly selected from the harvested fruits for later analysis. Comparative Example 1 The test was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the solution for irrigation was water instead of the functional component enhancer for the test plant.

[0041] Increased functional ingredient content in spinach Example 2 Approximately 50 spinach plants (variety: Benten) were grown in soil in a greenhouse. After the true leaves had developed, a solution of the functional ingredient increaser for the test plant was diluted 4000 times with water and sprayed on the leaves at a rate of approximately 20 ml per plant. After treatment, the plants were grown for 15 days and harvested. Five plants were randomly selected from the harvested plants for further analysis. Comparative Example 2 The test was carried out in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the solution for irrigation was water instead of the functional component enhancer for the test plant.

[0042] Increased functional components in carrots Example 3 Approximately 60 carrot plants (variety: Koyo No. 2) were grown in soil. After the primary leaves unfolded, the functional component increaser for the test plants was diluted 4000 times with water and sprayed on the leaves at a rate of approximately 50 ml per plant, once every seven days, eight times. 60 days after the start of treatment, the carrot roots that had grown were harvested. Six plants were randomly selected from the harvested plants for further analysis. Comparative Example 3 The test was carried out in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the solution for irrigation was water instead of the functional component enhancer for the test plant.

[0043] Increased functional components in perilla Example 4 About 20 shiso (Oba; variety: Kaori Ao Oba) plants were cultivated in soil. After the main leaves developed, the functional ingredient enhancer for the test plants was diluted 4000 times with water and sprayed on the leaves at a rate of about 100 ml per plant, once every 7 days, 4 times. 30 days after the start of treatment, the grown leaves were harvested, and 800 g of the harvested leaves were randomly selected and used for subsequent analysis. Comparative Example 4 The same procedure as in Example 4 was carried out, except that the solution sprayed was water instead of the functional component enhancer for the test plant.

[0044] Increased functional components in eggplant Example 5 Five eggplants (variety: Senryo 2) were grown in soil. After the primary leaves had developed, the functional ingredient enhancer for the test plants was diluted 4000 times with water and irrigated at the base of the plant at a rate of approximately 100 ml per plant, once every seven days, four times. Thirty days after the start of treatment, the grown fruit was harvested, and 2 kg of the harvested fruit was randomly selected and used for subsequent analysis. Comparative Example 5 The same procedure was followed as in Example 5, except that the solution for irrigation was water instead of the functional component enhancer for the test plant.

[0045] Increased functional components in tomatoes Example 6 Two cherry tomatoes were grown hydroponically in a greenhouse. Approximately two months after planting, 1-2 ml of the functional ingredient enhancer for the test plants was added to the base of the plants once every seven days. Three to five cherry tomatoes were randomly selected from those harvested after treatment and analyzed, and the values ​​over the nine weeks were averaged to obtain the analytical value. Comparative Example 6 The same procedure was followed as in Example 6, except that the solution added instead of the functional component enhancer for the test plant was water.

[0046] The amount and functionality of functional ingredients contained in the edible parts of each vegetable obtained in Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6 (i.e., the fruit for strawberries, the aboveground parts for spinach, the roots for carrots, the leaves for shiso leaves, and the fruit parts for eggplant and tomato) were evaluated. Specifically, 1 g of strawberry sample was ground in a blender and extracted with 10 ml of ethanol. 1 g of tomato sample was ground in a blender and extracted with 7 ml of water (for GABA analysis), and the remaining residue was extracted with 8 ml of acetone (for lycopene analysis). The remaining vegetables were sent to Designer Foods Co., Ltd. and analysis was outsourced.

[0047] The functional components in the edible parts were evaluated based on those known to be generally contained in each vegetable. Specifically, the total polyphenol content was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method in strawberries, lutein in spinach, β-carotene in carrots, lycopene and GABA in tomatoes by HPLC, total anthocyanin content by UV-Vis spectroscopy, and vitamin C by an RQflex (registered trademark) (Merck) reflectometer. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0048] [Table 1]

[0049] The antioxidant properties of each sample were evaluated as a functional index of the edible portion. Specifically, the antioxidant power of each sample was measured by measuring the superoxide scavenging ability, hydroxyl radical scavenging ability, and singlet oxygen scavenging ability of the sample against superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, and singlet oxygen, which are representative active oxygen species, using an electron spin resonance (ESR) device, and the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging ability of the sample using absorptiometry (analysis was outsourced to Designer Foods Co., Ltd.). The results are shown in Table 2. In the table, the hydroxyl radical scavenging ability is the DMSO equivalent (μmol DMSO), the singlet oxygen scavenging ability is the His equivalent (μmol His), the DPPH radical scavenging ability is the Trolox equivalent (mgTE) using Trolox as the standard substance, and the value of the superoxide scavenging ability is the number of units of superoxide dismutase (SOD) that 1g of the sample corresponds to.

[0050] [Table 2]

[0051] As shown in Table 1, the amount of functional components contained in the vegetables of the examples treated with the functional component increaser of the test plant was increased by 1.1 to 1.5 times compared to the comparative example. In addition, as shown in Table 2, the antioxidant properties of the vegetables of the examples were also increased by about 1.1 to 1.4 times. Regarding the perilla of Example 4, the antioxidant properties were not evaluated by measuring the antioxidant index. This is because, from the experimental result that the amount of vitamin C, which is also used as a positive control in the evaluation of antioxidant function, increased by 30% in the perilla of Example 4 as shown in Table 1, it was presumed that the antioxidant properties of the perilla treated with the functional component increaser of the test plant were increased due to the increase in vitamin C. In addition, the antioxidant properties of the tomato of Example 6 were not evaluated. This is because, as shown in Table 1, it was considered that the increase in antioxidant properties was self-evident due to the increase in lycopene. Lycopene is widely recognized to have a strong antioxidant effect far superior to that of vitamin E, a commonly known fat-soluble antioxidant, and is far superior to other carotenoids such as β-carotene and lutein. As shown in Table 1, GABA, another functional component that increased in tomatoes, is a type of amino acid also known as γ-aminobutyric acid, and although it has a weak antioxidant effect, it is known to be a functional component that acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human body, and is used in many nutritional supplements and other fortified foods due to its relaxing and anti-stress effects. These results show that the plant functional component increaser of the present invention increases the amount of functional components contained in plants, and further, by increasing the amount of functional components with antioxidant activity, functional indicators such as antioxidant properties are clearly improved.

[0052] From the above results, it can be seen that the plant functional component increaser of the present invention has a significant effect of promoting the production of plant functional components and / or inhibiting the decomposition of plant functional components, and is a plant functional component increaser with excellent effects of increasing functional components in the plant body.

Claims

1. The formula: HOOC-(R 1 )-C=C-C(=O)-R 2 (I) (In the formula, R 1 A straight-chain or branched alkylene group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, in which R 1 may contain a double bond that forms a conjugated double bond with the double bond between the α and β carbons of the carbonyl group in formula (I); R 2 : an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms) An agent for increasing functional components of plants, characterized in that it contains an oxo fatty acid derivative or a salt thereof having the structural formula:

2. The oxo fatty acid derivative, R 1 The alkylene group has 8 to 10 carbon atoms, R 2 2. The plant functional component enhancer according to claim 1, wherein the alkyl group has 4 to 6 carbon atoms.

3. The oxo fatty acid derivative, R 1 is an alkylene group having 9 carbon atoms, R 2 The agent for increasing functional components of plants according to claim 2, wherein is an alkyl group having 5 carbon atoms.

4. The agent for increasing functional components of plants according to claim 3, wherein the oxo fatty acid derivative is 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid or a salt thereof.

5. The agent for increasing functional components of plants according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is used as a spray or immersion agent to be brought into contact with the stems, leaves or roots of plants, or as a soil drenching agent.

6. The agent for increasing functional components of plants according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the functional components of plants are selected from the group consisting of vitamins, polyphenols, carotenoids, amino acids and combinations thereof.

7. The plant functional component increaser according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plant functional component is at least one selected from the group consisting of vitamin C, polyphenols, lutein, beta-carotene, lycopene, and GABA.

8. The functional component increaser for plants according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is used for plants of the Solanaceae, Rosaceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae or Amaranthaceae families.

Images