Oral composition

Abstract

To provide a green juice material-containing oral composition having a useful function.SOLUTION: An oral composition includes: a green juice material (excluding fermented ones); and polydextrose. It is preferable that the oral composition further includes inulin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an oral composition containing a green juice material.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, against the background of the increasing interest in health, etc., various health foods have been developed, and research has been conducted on various materials used in health foods.

[0003] For example, kale is a type of cruciferous plant like cabbage, rich in vitamins such as vitamin C, minerals, dietary fiber, chlorophyll, etc., and is also effective in preventing gastritis and gastric ulcers, improving liver function, and treating constipation. It has attracted attention as a health material suitable for maintaining human health (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] In addition, these days, with the same trend towards health as well as a high level of safety awareness, products using safe materials such as kale that are commonly eaten are preferred, and it is desired to make better use of the useful functions of such safe materials with a food experience like kale.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an oral composition containing a green juice material having useful functions.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The inventors have found that by using specific materials (other materials) together with green juice materials such as young barley leaves and kale, an excellent α-glucosidase inhibitory effect can be obtained, and thus completed the present invention. Also, by using specific materials (other materials) together with green juice materials such as young barley leaves and kale, it has been found that the dispersibility is improved, and thus the present invention has been completed.

[0008] That is, the present invention is as follows. [1] An oral composition comprising a green juice material and at least one other material selected from prune, polydextrose, and inulin. [2] The oral composition according to [1] above, characterized by containing two or more other materials. [3] The oral composition according to [1] or [2] above, characterized by containing prune as the other material. [4] The oral composition according to any one of [1] to [3] above, characterized in that the green juice material is at least one selected from barley, kale, miscanthus, ashitaba, sweet potato, mugwort, longevity spinach, and mulberry.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] The oral composition of the present invention has an excellent α-glucosidase inhibitory effect. Also, the oral composition of the present invention has high dispersibility and can suppress the formation of lumps.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] The oral composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains a green juice material and at least one other material selected from prune, polydextrose, and inulin, and preferably contains at least two other materials. Further, the oral composition of the present invention preferably contains at least prune as the other material.

[0012] The oral composition of the present invention has an excellent α-glucosidase inhibitory effect. In particular, when prune is used as the other material, a high α-glucosidase inhibitory effect can be obtained. By inhibiting the action of α-glucosidase, which is a disaccharide-degrading enzyme, the decomposition and absorption of sugar in the living body (intestinal tract) can be delayed. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an effect of suppressing postprandial blood glucose elevation and a dieting effect.

[0013] In addition, the oral composition of the present invention containing a green juice material and other materials has higher dispersibility than the green juice material. That is, the oral composition of the present invention is a powder that is difficult to aggregate. Therefore, when dissolved in a liquid such as water or hot water and ingested, it can be easily dissolved and simply mixed. Further, in the manufacturing process of the product, in the powder mixing process, adhesion between powders can be suppressed, formation of lumps can be suppressed, and uniform mixing becomes possible. That is, this oral composition with high dispersibility can be prepared simply by mixing, and its preparation is also easy. For example, when mixing raw materials with strong aggregability and likely to form lumps, it is known that pretreatment such as crushing using a crusher is performed on the raw materials to ensure their fluidity before charging, and after charging, air supply should be started as quickly as possible so that they do not re-aggregate and fluidization starts. However, it is not necessary to perform such complicated operations. Also, it is known that in some cases, adhesiveness can be alleviated by pre-mixing a raw material with strong aggregability and likely to form lumps and an excipient, but such addition is not necessary either.

[0014] In addition, since the composition of the present invention has high dispersibility, even when mixing materials other than the components of the present invention to form the oral composition of the present invention, it is not necessary to perform the above-mentioned complicated operations, and it can be prepared simply by mixing.

[0015] [Green juice material] Examples of the green juice material of the present invention include barley, kale, miscanthus sinensis, ashitaba, sweet potato, mugwort, longevity grass, and mulberry, and they may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0016] (Barley) Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is native to Central Asia and is an annual or biennial herb belonging to the Poaceae family. Depending on the spike shape, it is roughly classified into two-row barley, six-row barley, etc. Any barley such as two-row barley or six-row barley may be used as the barley used in the present invention. Also, any variety may be used. As the part used in the present invention, leaves are preferred, among which green leaves are preferred, and young leaves are particularly preferred. Also, it may contain stems together with the leaves.

[0017] (Kale) Kale is a cruciferous plant. The variety of kale used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and various types of kale such as kitchen kale, tree kale, bush kale, marrow kale, collard, and green leafed Chinese cabbage can be used. It is preferable that kale is subjected to processing treatments such as drying and pulverization immediately after harvesting. When it takes time until the treatment, it is preferable to store it by storage means usually used by those skilled in the art such as low-temperature storage in order to prevent the deterioration of kale. As the part used in the present invention, leaves are preferred, among which green leaves are preferred. Also, it may contain stems together with the leaves.

[0018] (Miscanthus sinensis) Miscanthus sinensis (bear bamboo) is a Poaceae plant, and as the part used in the present invention, leaves are preferred, among which green leaves are preferred. Also, it may contain stems together with the leaves.

[0019] (Ashitaba) Ashitaba is an umbelliferous plant, and as the part used in the present invention, leaves are preferred, among which green leaves are preferred.

[0020] (Sweet potato) Sweet potato is a plant belonging to the Convolvulaceae family, and is generally called Satsuma Imo. The variety of sweet potato is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include Suio, Joy White, Koganesengan, Shiroyutaka, Satsuma Sachi, and Ayamurasaki. Among them, Suio, which has a high polyphenol content, is preferred. As the part used in the present invention, leaves are preferred, and among leaves, green leaves are preferred, and young leaves are more preferred. In particular, the tip part of the stem and leaves (young stem and leaves) is preferred, and young stem and leaves that retain a yellowish green color are even more preferred.

[0021] (Mugwort) Artemis is a plant of the Asteraceae family, and the variety is not particularly limited, and examples of usable varieties include mugwort, artemisia absinthium, tarragon, nitro artemisia, giant otoko artemisia, kawara artemisia, otoko artemisia, sea artemisia, kawaraninjin, artemisia anguicida, dog artemisia, mountain otoko artemisia, Siberian hako artemisia, Samani artemisia, Takane artemisia, hako artemisia, Shikotan artemisia, white artemisia, iwayomogi, dwarf artemisia, cotton artemisia, kesho artemisia, human tuberose artemisia, Chishima artemisia, broad-leaved artemisia, broad-leaved mountain artemisia, snow artemisia, wild artemisia, giant artemisia, western artemisia, asagirisou, and Kitadake artemisia. As the part to be used in the present invention, leaves are preferred, and among leaves, green leaves are preferred.

[0022] (long life grass) Chou-mei-sou is a plant of the Umbelliferae family, and the part used as the plant material of the present invention is preferably green leaves, and may include stems. Chou-mei-sou is not particularly limited as long as its scientific name is Peucedanum japonicum or Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. Depending on the region, Chou-mei-sou is called Botonboufu, Chomeisou, Chomeigusa, Chomifusa, Bofu, Sakuna, Upbasafuna, Chomeigusa, Botanboufu, etc.

[0023] (mulberry) Mulberry is a plant of the family Moraceae, and the part of the plant used as the plant material of the present invention is preferably the green leaves, and may also include the stems.

[0024] For each of the above-mentioned various green juice materials, processed products obtained by processing the green juice materials may be used. For example, they can be used as pulverized products, squeezed juices, extracts, etc. Examples of the pulverized products include dry powders, shredded pieces and their dried products (dried shredded pieces), granules, and the like. The squeezed juice or extract may be in a liquid state, but can also be used in the form of a paste or dry powder (squeezed juice powder, extract powder). The extract can be obtained by extraction using an appropriate solvent. As the solvent, for example, water (warm water, hot water), ethanol, or hydrous ethanol can be used.

[0025] Since green juice materials can effectively utilize the nutritional components contained in plants, it is preferably a dry powder obtained by drying and pulverizing plants. For the dry powder of plants, it is preferably that 60% or more has a particle size of 75 μm or less, more preferably 75% or more, and particularly preferably 90% or more.

[0026] [Other materials] (Prune) Prune is a kind of European plum of the Rosaceae family. Any variety of prune may be used in the present invention. Prunes are rich in vitamins and minerals. As the part used in the present invention, fruits are preferred. Prunes can be used as pulverized products, squeezed juices, extracts, etc. Examples of the pulverized products include dry powders, shredded pieces and their dried products (dried shredded pieces), granules, and the like. The squeezed juice or extract may be in a liquid state, but can also be used in the form of a paste or dry powder (squeezed juice powder, extract powder). The extract can be obtained by extraction using an appropriate solvent. As the solvent, for example, water (warm water, hot water), ethanol, or hydrous ethanol can be used. In the present invention, since it exhibits a more excellent α-glucosidase inhibitory effect, it is particularly preferable to use extract powder. Also, from the viewpoint of dispersibility, a powdery form is preferred, and preferably 80% or more has a particle size of 870 μm or less, more preferably 90% or more, and particularly preferably 100%.

[0027] (Polydextrose) Polydextrose is a water-soluble and indigestible polysaccharide having a structure in which glucose is polymerized in a branched manner by α-type or β-type 1-2 bonds, 1-3 bonds, 1-4 bonds, or 1-6 bonds. A part of polydextrose functions as dietary fiber. Polydextrose can be produced, for example, by mixing glucose, sorbitol, and citric acid in a weight ratio of 89:10:1, or glucose, sorbitol, and phosphoric acid in a weight ratio of 90:10:0.1 and then polymerizing them under high-temperature conditions. In addition, polydextrose is commercially available in various forms, and any form can be used.

[0028] Note that as the above polydextrose, in addition to polydextrose produced by the above method or the like, derivatives of polydextrose may also be used. Examples of derivatives of polydextrose include hydrogenated polydextrose and reduced polydextrose. Further, polydextrose may be neutralized with a base such as potassium hydroxide.

[0029] (Inulin) Inulin is one of the water-soluble dietary fibers and is a polysaccharide contained in plants such as agave, garlic, Chinese chives, chicory, artichoke, and Jerusalem artichoke. These plants or those extracted from these plants can be used. In particular, inulin derived from agave is preferable because it exhibits an excellent effect of improving dispersibility when combined with a green juice material. In addition, inulin can also be synthesized from sucrose by a fermentation method, and such synthetic products may be used.

[0030] The oral composition of the present invention has an effect of suppressing an increase in blood glucose level and a diet (anti-obesity) effect based on an α-glucosidase inhibitory action, in addition to general foods, food additives, feeds, etc. Therefore, for example, it can be used as so-called health foods such as functional foods whose efficacy display has been approved by a predetermined agency such as foods for specified health use, foods with nutrient functions, and foods with functional claims, and pharmaceuticals (including quasi-drugs).

[0031] That is, the oral composition of the present invention can be used as an oral composition for suppressing blood glucose level rise for use in suppressing blood glucose level, such as so-called health foods and pharmaceuticals. As such an oral composition for suppressing blood glucose level rise, there is no particular limitation as long as it contains a green juice material and a predetermined material (other materials) and can be distinguished from other products as a product in terms of being used for suppressing blood glucose level rise. For example, any of the main body, packaging, instruction manual, and promotional materials of the product according to the present invention that display the fact that it has a function of suppressing blood glucose level rise is included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the oral composition of the present invention particularly exhibits excellent effects as an oral composition for suppressing postprandial blood glucose level rise. Note that the oral composition for suppressing blood glucose level rise of the present invention is not limited to those in which the components of the present invention (green juice material and other materials) are displayed as active ingredients for suppressing blood glucose level rise on the packaging of the product or the like. For example, it may not specify the active ingredient, or it may display a specific material as the active ingredient.

[0032] Specifically, in so-called health foods, examples can include those that display "for those who have started to be concerned about their blood glucose level", "(postprandial) for those who are concerned about their blood glucose level", "to gently increase the blood glucose level", "to gently absorb sugar", "to suppress the blood glucose level", etc. The oral composition of the present invention may be ingested separately from meals, but it is preferably ingested together with meals. For example, it is preferably ingested between 1 hour before a meal and 1 hour after the meal, more preferably between 0.5 hour before a meal and 0.5 hour after the meal, and even more preferably between 0.5 hour before a meal and the start of the meal or during the meal.

[0033] Similarly, the oral composition of the present invention can be used as an oral composition for dieting, such as so-called health foods and pharmaceuticals. Specifically, in so-called health foods, examples include those labeled with "For those concerned about weight", "Boost metabolism", "Help reduce body fat in those with a tendency to obesity", "Enhance the ability to metabolize fat", "Support body shape", "For those concerned about body fat", "For those with a tendency to obesity", "For those concerned about weight (BMI)", "Reduce weight and abdominal fat (visceral fat and subcutaneous fat)", "Reduce waist circumference", "Lose weight", "Towards an ideal body", "Diet", "Slim", etc.

[0034] Examples of the form of the oral composition of the present invention include tablet form, capsule form, powder form, granule form, liquid form, granule form, stick form, plate form, block form, solid form, round form, paste form, cream form, caplet form, gel form, chewable form, stick form, etc. Among these, tablet form, capsule form, powder form, granule form, and liquid form are particularly preferred. Specifically, supplements, container-packed beverages filled in PET bottles, cans, bottles, etc., instant beverages (powdered beverages) to be dissolved in water (hot water), milk, fruit juice, green juice, etc. for drinking, and food additives can be exemplified. These are preferable in that they can be easily drunk during meals, etc., and can enhance palatability.

[0035] The content of the green juice material and other materials (components of the present invention) in the oral composition of the present invention may be appropriately contained within the range where the effects are exhibited.

[0036] Generally, when the oral composition of the present invention is a supplement or pharmaceutical in tablet form, tablet form, etc., it is preferable that the components of the present invention are contained in an amount of 0.01 to 100% by mass in terms of dry mass of the whole composition, more preferably 0.1 to 80% by mass, and even more preferably 1 to 60% by mass.

[0037] When the oral composition of the present invention is a container-packed beverage, it is preferable that the components of the present invention are contained in an amount of 0.001 to 30% by mass, more preferably 0.01 to 20% by mass, and even more preferably 0.1 to 15% by mass of the whole composition.

[0038] When the oral composition of the present invention is an instant beverage such as green juice, it is preferable that the components of the present invention are contained in an amount of 0.01 to 100% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 80% by mass, and even more preferably 1 to 60% by mass in terms of dry mass of the whole composition.

[0039] In order to more effectively exhibit the effects of the present invention, it is preferable that the components of the present invention are contained in an amount of 70% or more, more preferably 80% or more, even more preferably 90% or more, and particularly preferably 100% in terms of dry mass of the whole oral composition of the present invention.

[0040] The intake amount of the oral composition of the present invention is not particularly limited. From the viewpoint of more significantly exhibiting the effects of the present invention, it is preferable to ingest the green juice material in an amount of 0.01 g / day or more, more preferably 0.1 g / day or more, and even more preferably 1 g / day or more in terms of dry mass per day for an adult. The upper limit is, for example, 30 g / day, preferably 20 g / day, and more preferably 10 g / day. The oral composition of the present invention can be contained in one container or divided into, for example, 2 to 3 containers so that the intake amount per day is the above-mentioned intake amount, as one-day supply.

[0041] The blending mass ratio of the green juice material and other materials is preferably 0.0001:1 to 10000:1, more preferably 0.001:1 to 1000:1, and even more preferably 0.01:1 to 100:1 in terms of dry mass.

[0042] The oral composition of the present invention can be produced by a known method by adding other components other than the components of the present invention, if necessary. Examples of other components other than the components of the present invention include vitamins such as water-soluble vitamins (vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, B13, B15, B17, biotin, choline, folic acid, inositol, PABA, vitamin C, vitamin P), fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E, K); minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron; sulfur-containing compounds contained in taurine, garlic, etc.; flavonoids or flavonoid such as hesperidin, quercetin; proteins such as collagen; peptides; amino acids; animal fats; vegetable oils; animal and plant pulverized products or extracts, etc.

[0043] The oral composition of the present invention can be excellent as a composition for inhibiting α-glucosidase, a composition for suppressing blood glucose level rise, and a composition for dieting by exhibiting the α-glucosidase inhibitory action shown in the examples described later. Further, by exhibiting the action of improving dispersibility shown in the examples described later, it can be a composition that is less likely to aggregate and has high dispersibility.

Examples

[0044] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on examples. [Example 1] (Raw materials) As the young barley leaves, dried and powdered young barley leaf dry powder (90% or more with a particle size of 75 μm or less; manufactured by Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.) was used. As the kale, dried and powdered kale dry powder (90% or more with a particle size of 75 μm or less; manufactured by Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.) was used. As the prune, prune extract powder was used. As the polydextrose, it was polymerized using glucose, sorbitol, and citric acid, and the obtained product was used (polydextrose content 90% or more). As the inulin, the one extracted from the stem of agave, dried, and powdered was used.

[0045] [Test Example 1] (α-Glucosidase Inhibition Test) Weighed each test substance into a 1.5 ml tube, added 0.1 M PB to achieve the predetermined final concentration shown in Table 1, and sonicated for 10 minutes. After centrifugation (10,000 rpm, room temperature, 5 min), the supernatant was collected as the sample solution.

[0046] Added 80 μL / well of the sample solution (0.1 M PB for the control) to a 96-well plate. Added 40 μL of the substrate solution and pre-incubated at 37 °C for 5 minutes.

[0047] Added 40 μL of the enzyme solution to the test wells, incubated at 37 °C for 15 minutes, and then added 160 μL of the reaction stop solution. For the blank, 40 μL of the enzyme solution was added after adding the reaction stop solution.

[0048] Measured the absorbance at 440 nm using a microplate reader. Using the measured absorbance, the inhibition rate was calculated using the following formula.

[0049] Inhibition Rate (%) =(1 - [(Sample test - Sample blank ) / (Control test - Control blank )]) × 100

[0050] Note: As the substrate solution, an aqueous solution of 0.02 M p-nitrophenyl α-D-glucopyranoside was used. As the enzyme solution, 0.02 U / ml α-glucosidase in 0.01 M PB (pH 7.0) containing 0.2% BSA was used. As the reaction stop solution, an aqueous solution of 0.2 M sodium carbonate was used.

[0051] The results are shown in Table 1 and Figures 1 - 2.

[0052]

Table 1

[0053] As shown in Table 1 and FIG. 1, the composition of the present invention containing prune together with young barley leaves showed a synergistic improvement in the α-glucosidase inhibitory rate. As shown in Table 1 and FIG. 2, the composition of the present invention containing prune together with kale showed a synergistic improvement in the α-glucosidase inhibitory rate.

[0054] [Test Example 2] (Dispersibility test) Each raw material was sieved (nominal size: 710). When combining two or more raw materials, the required amount for measuring the dispersibility was weighed according to the ratio in Table 2, and mixed by hand shaking in a plastic bag until uniform.

[0055] 10 g of the test substance was weighed, and the dispersibility was measured using the powder specific evaluation apparatus "Powder Tester PT-X" manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation. The measurement of the dispersibility was carried out according to the manual of the apparatus.

[0056] The dispersibility is measured by the following method. A sample of a specified weight (W) is dropped from a specified height onto a tray, and the weight (W1) of the sample on the tray is measured. Further, the dispersibility is calculated by the following formula.

[0057] Dispersibility (%) = (W - W1) / W × 100

[0058] The composition and the results of each test substance are shown in Table 2.

[0059]

Table 2

[0060] As shown in Table 2, the composition of the present invention containing other materials together with young barley leaves or kale had a higher dispersibility and improved dispersibility compared to young barley leaves or kale alone. Also, the effect of the dispersibility was synergistic. In particular, when using two kinds of other materials, a more remarkable improvement in dispersibility was observed than when using one kind.

[0061] [Formulation Example] Powdery food compositions for oral use (oral compositions of the present invention) shown in Tables 3 and 4 were prepared. When 3 g of the obtained composition of the present invention was mixed with 150 mL of water and drunk, the odor and taste of the green juice material were improved, and a beverage excellent in overall palatability was obtained. Further, the obtained powdered beverage had excellent dispersibility and was easy to drink. Furthermore, an α-glucosidase inhibitory action can also be expected.

[0062] [Table 3]

[0063] [Table 4] [Industrial Applicability]

[0064] Since the oral composition of the present invention can be used as a so-called health food or the like, it is industrially useful.

Claims

**Claim 1** A powdered beverage for green juice, characterized by containing a green juice material (excluding fermented products), polydextrose, and inulin (however, excluding (A) to (C) described below (A) Foods containing spirulina, young barley leaves, young wheat leaves, alfalfa, acai, goji berries, blueberries, and elderberries (B) Foods containing konjac, broccoli, apple vinegar, garcinia, young wheat leaves, β-glucan, and alfalfa (C) Foods containing burdock, sesame, young barley leaves, aloe, polydextrose, guar gum, and lactic acid bacterium strain EC-12).

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