Oral compositions containing nattokinase

Abstract

To provide an oral composition containing nattokinase which can have increased viscosity.SOLUTION: An oral composition containing nattokinase is made to contain a Peucedanum japonicum Thunb.var.japonicum powder, thereby having dramatically increased viscosity due to a synergistic effect between the nattokinase and the Peucedanum japonicum Thunb.var.japonicum powder.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an oral composition that contains nattokinase and can increase viscosity. [Background technology]

[0002] Thrombosis is a pathological condition in which blood clots form in blood vessels, obstructing blood flow in the circulatory system, and is known to be a factor in the development of serious diseases such as cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary infarction. Conventionally, methods for preventing or treating thrombosis have been used, such as administering drugs such as antiplatelet agents, anticoagulants, and thrombolytic agents to prevent thrombus formation or dissolve thrombus. However, these drugs are accompanied by side effects and require administration under the supervision of a physician, and therefore cannot be taken easily and on a daily basis.

[0003] Meanwhile, natto, a traditional Japanese food, has been reassessed as a health food since it was reported to contain nattokinase, which has thrombolytic activity. However, natto has a distinctive odor and stickiness, and many people do not eat natto. Therefore, to facilitate the intake of nattokinase, nattokinase has been formulated into food products such as capsules and tablets. Such nattokinase-containing foods are useful for self-medication because they can be easily taken daily without the need for medical supervision.

[0004] Various techniques for formulating nattokinase into oral compositions have been reported. For example, Patent Document 1 reports that a food composition containing a freeze-dried milk fermentation product, nattokinase, and a food-safe carrier is easy to ingest and provides beneficial effects derived from the milk fermentation product and nattokinase. Patent Document 2 also reports that a granular soybean processed food with an average particle size of 100 to 500 μm, obtained by granulating a powder mixture containing 40 to 80% by mass of soybean powder, 0.5 to 15% by mass of nattokinase powder, and 3 to 30% by mass of oligosaccharides, has no natto odor and exhibits good dispersibility in liquid and creamy foods. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] WO 02 / 76240 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-130727 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In order to improve the texture (thickness, etc.) of liquid preparations or beverages or to improve the suitability for filling into containers during production, it is effective to provide them with an appropriate viscosity. However, nattokinase itself exhibits almost no viscosity, and therefore, conventional techniques have had the drawback that when an oral composition containing nattokinase is made into a liquid preparation or beverage, it is unable to exhibit an appropriate viscosity.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an oral composition that contains nattokinase and can increase viscosity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above problems and have found that by adding Chou-mei-sou powder to an oral composition containing nattokinase, the viscosity of the composition increases dramatically due to the synergistic effect of the nattokinase and Chou-mei-sou powder. Based on this finding and through further research, the present invention has been completed.

[0009] That is, the present invention provides the following aspects. Item 1. An oral composition containing nattokinase and chou-mei-sou powder. Item 2. The oral composition according to Item 1, which contains water and is liquid. Item 3. The oral composition according to Item 1, which is in a solid form and is orally ingested or administered after adding water. Item 4. A method for increasing the viscosity of an oral composition containing nattokinase, comprising: A method for increasing viscosity by incorporating nattokinase and chou-meisou powder into an oral composition. Item 5. A method for enhancing the viscosity of an oral composition containing nattokinase, A viscosity enhancer whose active ingredient is chou-mei-sou powder. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The oral composition of the present invention can dramatically increase viscosity without the use of a thickener due to the synergistic effect of nattokinase and Chou-meisou powder. The oral composition of the present invention can increase viscosity and exhibit an appropriate viscosity without the use of a thickener, which makes it possible to improve the suitability for filling into containers during production and the texture (thickness, etc.).

[0011] 1. Oral Composition The oral composition of the present invention is characterized by containing nattokinase and Chou-mei-sou powder. The oral composition of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0012] [Nattokinase] The oral composition of the present invention contains nattokinase, an enzyme having a fibrinolytic activity produced by Bacillus subtilis var. natto.

[0013] The nattokinase used in the present invention can be obtained by a known production method. Specific production methods for nattokinase include a method of culturing Bacillus subtilis natto, a method of obtaining it from a transformant incorporating a gene encoding nattokinase, and a method of synthesizing it by chemical synthesis. The nattokinase used in the present invention may be obtained by any production method, but from the viewpoint of reducing production costs, etc., nattokinase obtained by a method of culturing Bacillus subtilis natto is preferred.

[0014] The nattokinase used in the present invention may be a purified product, or may be in an unpurified state as long as it is edible. For example, when using nattokinase obtained by culturing Bacillus subtilis natto, it may be an extract of the culture of Bacillus subtilis natto. Furthermore, it may be nattokinase obtained by subjecting a culture of Bacillus subtilis natto to ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration chromatography, hydrophobic chromatography, or the like to purify the nattokinase, or it may be nattokinase obtained by subjecting a culture of Bacillus subtilis natto to a crude purification process such as solid-liquid separation as necessary, followed by removal of water or drying.

[0015] Nattokinase is commercially available as a powder product containing excipients, a crude product, a purified product, etc., and these commercially available products can also be used as nattokinase in the present invention.

[0016] The content of nattokinase in the oral composition of the present invention may be appropriately determined depending on the formulation form of the oral composition, etc., and may be, for example, 100 FU or more, preferably 300 to 15,000 FU, more preferably 500 to 10,000 FU, and particularly preferably 800 to 5,000 FU as the amount of nattokinase per 1 g of the oral composition of the present invention.

[0017] In the present invention, the "FU" indicating the activity of nattokinase is a fibrinolytic activity unit according to the standards for natto culture extract foods published by the Japan Health and Nutrition Food Association on January 15, 2003.

[0018] [Choumeisou powder] The oral composition of the present invention contains Chou-mei-sou powder together with nattokinase. Chou-mei-sou powder alone exhibits low viscosity, but the viscosity can be increased by the synergistic action with nattokinase.

[0019] Chou-mei-sou is a perennial plant belonging to the Apiaceae family, the genus Poria, also known as Peony. In Japan, it is found in the Kanto region, Ishikawa Prefecture and west of Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and the Okinawa Islands.

[0020] The raw material for the chomeisou powder may be the whole plant or any part thereof (leaves, stems, roots, flowers, seeds, etc.), preferably the leaves, stems, and / or roots of chomeisou, more preferably the leaves and / or roots. The chomeisou powder may be in an undried state, but is preferably in a dried state (dry powder).

[0021] The dried powder of Chou-mei-sou can be obtained, for example, by drying the whole plant or a part of it and then pulverizing it, or by pulverizing the whole plant or a part of it and then drying it.

[0022] The particle size of the Chou-mei-sou powder is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 500 μm or less, preferably 300 μm or less, and more preferably 200 μm or less.

[0023] Chomeisou powder is commercially available, for example, under the trade name "Chomeisou Powder" (Kanehide Bio Co., Ltd.), and commercially available Chomeisou powder can be used in the present invention.

[0024] The content of chomeisou powder in the oral composition of the present invention may be appropriately set depending on the formulation form of the oral composition, etc., but may be, for example, 0.01 to 30% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 20% by weight, and more preferably 1 to 15% by weight.

[0025] In the oral composition of the present invention, the ratio of Chou-mei-sou powder to nattokinase is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include 0.01 to 5 g, preferably 0.01 to 1 g, and more preferably 0.01 to 0.5 g of Chou-mei-sou powder per 10,000 FU of nattokinase.

[0026] [water] When the oral composition of the present invention is provided in a liquid form, it contains water. When the oral composition of the present invention is provided in a liquid form, the content of water in the oral composition of the present invention may be appropriately determined depending on the use of the oral composition, the viscosity to be provided, etc., and may be, for example, 10 to 98 wt %, preferably 50 to 95 wt %, more preferably 60 to 90 wt %.

[0027] [Other ingredients] The oral composition of the present invention may contain other nutritional components or pharmacological components in addition to the above-mentioned components. Such nutritional components or pharmacological components are not particularly limited as long as they are usable in foods or oral pharmaceuticals, and examples thereof include vitamins, amino acids, minerals, carbohydrates, fatty acids, flavorings, seasonings, plant extracts, antioxidants, hypoglycemic agents, anticholesterol agents, immunostimulants, etc. These components may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of these components is appropriately determined depending on the type of components used and the intended use of the oral composition.

[0028] Furthermore, in order to prepare the oral composition of the present invention into a desired formulation, bases and additives may be included, as necessary, in addition to the above-mentioned components. Such bases and additives are not particularly limited as long as they are usable in foods and pharmaceuticals, and examples thereof include fats and oils, waxes, hydrocarbons, fatty acids, higher alcohols, water-soluble polymers, surfactants, lower alcohols, polyhydric alcohols, pH adjusters, buffers, antioxidants, preservatives, thickeners, and chelating agents. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of these bases and additives is appropriately determined depending on the types of components used and the intended use of the oral composition.

[0029] [Dosage form / preparation type] The dosage form of the oral composition of the present invention may be, for example, liquid or solid, but is preferably liquid.

[0030] When the oral composition of the present invention is provided in liquid form, it is orally ingested or administered as is or after diluting with water as necessary. When the oral composition of the present invention is provided in liquid form, the oral composition is in a state of increased viscosity and can have a viscosity suitable for oral ingestion or administration. When the oral composition of the present invention is provided in liquid form, its viscosity is not particularly limited, but for example, the viscosity measured using a Brookfield viscometer with a UL adapter at a torque value of 20% and a temperature of 25°C is 100 to 1000 cP, preferably 200 to 600 cP.

[0031] When the oral composition of the present invention is provided in a solid form, it is liquidized by adding water and then orally ingested or administered. When the oral composition of the present invention is provided in a solid form, the addition of water upon oral ingestion or administration can increase the viscosity and provide a suitable viscosity upon oral ingestion or administration. When the oral composition of the present invention is provided in a solid form, the amount of water added upon oral ingestion or administration can be appropriately determined so that the water content after addition of water falls within the aforementioned range.

[0032] The formulation of the oral composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can be orally ingested or administered, and specific examples include beverages and oral medicines.

[0033] When the oral composition of the present invention is formulated into a beverage, the aforementioned components may be prepared as desired, either directly or in combination with other ingredients or additives. Examples of such beverages include general beverages, as well as foods for specified health uses, foods with nutrient function claims, foods with functional claims, and foods for patients. The form of these beverages is not particularly limited, but specific examples include energy drinks, soft drinks, fruit juice drinks, carbonated drinks, and other beverages; powdered drinks, and the like.

[0034] When the oral composition of the present invention is formulated into an oral pharmaceutical preparation, the aforementioned components may be prepared into a desired form either as is or in combination with other additives. Specific examples of such oral pharmaceutical preparations include liquid preparations and pharmaceutical preparations (tablets, granules, powders, etc.) that are taken with the addition of water.

[0035] 2. Viscosity enhancing method and viscosity enhancing agent The viscosity-enhancing method of the present invention is a method for enhancing the viscosity of an oral composition containing nattokinase, characterized in that the oral composition contains nattokinase and Chou Meisou powder.

[0036] Furthermore, the viscosity enhancer of the present invention is used to enhance the viscosity of an oral composition containing nattokinase, and is characterized by containing Chou-mei-sou powder as an active ingredient.

[0037] The viscosity of an oral composition containing nattokinase can be increased by the viscosity-enhancing method and viscosity-enhancing agent of the present invention. The types and amounts of components used in the viscosity-enhancing method and viscosity-enhancing agent of the present invention, as well as specific embodiments, are as described in the section "1. Oral Composition" above. [Example]

[0038] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0039] Test Example 1 Oral compositions having the compositions shown in Table 1 were prepared. 20 g of the resulting oral compositions were filled into glass bottles (φ30 × 65 mm, Maruemu screw tube No. 6) and stored for 1 week at 25°C, 40°C, or 50°C in the dark, or at 25°C in direct sunlight. The viscosity of the oral compositions immediately after preparation and after storage was measured using a Brookfield viscometer (Brookfield DV-2+PRO, spindle: UL adapter, SP program: S00; torque value during measurement: 20%; rotation speed set within the range of 0.3 to 5.0 rpm to achieve a torque value of 20%; temperature during measurement: 25°C).

[0040] The results are shown in Table 1. The oral composition containing nattokinase alone showed no viscosity both immediately after production and after one week of storage (Comparative Example 1). The oral composition containing chomeisou powder alone showed only slight viscosity both immediately after production and after one week of storage (Comparative Example 2). In contrast, the oral composition containing nattokinase and chomeisou powder showed a dramatic increase in viscosity due to the synergistic action of the two ingredients both immediately after production and after one week of storage (Example 1).

[0041] In Example 1, the viscosity after one week of storage increased compared to that immediately after production, indicating that the viscosity of an actual product gradually increases during storage or distribution. In other words, when the oral composition of Example 1 is sold as an actual product and ingested, its viscosity increases to fall within an appropriate viscosity range.

[0042] [Table 1]

Claims

1. A liquid oral composition containing nattokinase, chou-mei-sou powder, and water.

2. An oral composition (excluding those containing red koji) which contains nattokinase and chou-meisou powder, is in a solid form, and is taken orally orally administered by adding water.

3. 1. A method for increasing the viscosity of an oral composition containing nattokinase, comprising: the oral composition is a liquid oral composition containing water, or a solid oral composition to be orally ingested or orally administered after adding water (excluding those containing red koji), The oral composition contains nattokinase and chou-mei-so powder. Viscosity enhancement method.

4. A viscosity enhancing agent used to enhance the viscosity of an oral composition containing nattokinase, the oral composition is a liquid oral composition containing water, or a solid oral composition to be orally ingested or orally administered after adding water (excluding those containing red koji), The viscosity enhancer contains Chou-mei-so powder as an active ingredient.

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