Food composition containing bitterness suppressant

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of inhibiting an unpleasant taste such as bitterness, in a food composition including naringin, without impairing an original flavor inherent to the food.SOLUTION: The present invention provides an agent for inhibiting a bitter taste derived from naringin, the agent comprising epigallocatechin gallate as an active ingredient. The bitter taste inhibiting agent can be added to a food composition having a bitter component including naringin in order to inhibit the bitterness.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bitterness suppressant. [Background technology]

[0002] During meals, people sometimes experience bitter, astringent, or other tastes that negatively impact their eating. In particular, foods containing plant components believed to be beneficial to human health often have these unpleasant flavors. Such unpleasant flavors can hinder the consumption of large amounts of food or the production and consumption of foods containing high concentrations of plant components. For example, naringin is a flavanone (a glycoside of naringenin) found primarily in citrus fruits such as grapefruit. It has anti-allergic properties, relieves hay fever symptoms, and enhances immunity, but it also has a bitter taste. Cucurbitacins are triterpenes and their derivatives found in plants of the Cucurbitaceae family. Momordicin, found in bitter melon, has hypoglycemic, antihypertensive, and analgesic effects, but also has a bitter taste.

[0003] As for masking techniques for controlling unpleasant flavors and making foods more palatable and easier to eat, for example, Patent Document 1 describes how the bitterness of flavonoids can be reduced by incorporating a flavonoid-cyclodextrin inclusion compound into food instead of flavonoids. Patent Document 2 describes how the flavor of the resulting powdered food is improved by adding tea leaves and molasses, which are used in matcha and sencha, to a dried plant material. Patent Document 3 describes how a dried solid of a colloidal solution containing a gallate-type catechin and a protein with an average molecular weight of 4,000 or more in a specified ratio can mask pungency and bitterness. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 230013 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5701432 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, although the technology of Patent Document 1 can suppress the unpleasant flavor derived from flavonoids, it does not improve the flavor of foods containing flavonoids.Furthermore, the technologies of Patent Documents 2 and 3, when added to foods containing naringin and cucurbitacin, are likely to impair the original flavor of the food. The present invention aims to provide a technology that can suppress unpleasant flavors such as bitterness in food compositions containing naringin and / or cucurbitacin without impairing the original flavor of the food. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides the following [1] to [8]. [1] A bitterness suppressant derived from at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin, containing epigallocatechin gallate as an active ingredient. [2] The bitterness suppressor according to [1], wherein the cucurbitacin is momordicin. [3] A bitterness suppressor according to [1] or [2], and a bitter component, The bitter component contains at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin. A food composition in which the bitterness derived from at least one of naringin and momordicin is suppressed. [4] The food composition according to [3], wherein the content of the bitterness suppressor is 0.1 to 1.5 mM as the content of epigallocatechin gallate. [5] The food composition according to [3] or [4], wherein the ratio of the epigallocatechin gallate content to the naringin content is 0.1 to 8. [6] The food composition according to [3] or [4], wherein the ratio of the epigallocatechin gallate content to the cucurbitacin content is 0.0001 to 0.01. [7] A method comprising adding the bitterness suppressor according to [1] or [2] to a food raw material or a food composition containing a bitter component, The bitter component contains at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin. A method for producing a food composition in which the bitterness derived from at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin is suppressed. [8] A method comprising the step of adding the bitterness suppressor according to [1] or [2] to a food raw material or a food composition containing a bitter component, The bitter component contains at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin. A method for suppressing the bitterness of food originating from at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a bitterness suppressor is provided that can suppress the bitterness derived from naringin and / or cucurbitacin in a food composition containing these components without impairing the original flavor of the food. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Bitterness suppressant] -Epigallocatechin gallate- The bitterness suppressant contains epigallocatechin-3-gallete (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as EGCg) as an active ingredient. EGCg can be obtained, for example, by extraction and purification from plants (e.g., Camellia plants), but its origin and production method are not particularly limited as long as EGCg that can be orally ingested in medicines, foods, etc. is produced.

[0009] Examples of methods for producing plant-derived EGCg include a method in which tea leaves (e.g., green tea, black tea, oolong tea) obtained by processing leaves of plants of the genus Camellia (e.g., C. sinensis) are extracted with an aqueous solvent such as water, and purified using a solvent, column, etc. During extraction, stirring may be performed as necessary.

[0010] It is preferable that the bitterness suppressor is substantially free of catechins other than EGCg (gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, catechin, epicatechin, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, and catechin gallate). In this specification, "substantially free" means that the content is 15% by weight or less, preferably 13% by weight or less, and more preferably 10% by weight or less, based on the weight of the agent. The fact that the bitterness suppressor is free of catechins other than EGCg means that 1 This can be confirmed by H-NMR. The bitterness suppressing agent preferably contains epigallocatechin gallate isolated from other catechins.

[0011] -Bitter taste suppression- As used herein, "suppressing" bitterness refers to the effect of reducing or eliminating the bitterness of a food. Suppression of bitterness can be confirmed, for example, in a sensory evaluation test when a sample without a bitter additive has a reduced bitterness compared to a sample with a bitter additive.

[0012] -Bitter component- The bitterness inhibitor can suppress the bitterness derived from at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin, and can suppress the bitterness of foods containing naringin and / or cucurbitacin as bitter components. Naringin is a bitter component contained in foods made from citrus fruits (e.g., grapefruit, Natsudaikan, Hassaku orange, and Pomelo). Cucurbitacin is a bitter component contained in plants of the Cucurbitaceae family, and is a general term for derivatives such as cucurbitacins A to T and momordicin. Momordicin is a general term for momordicin-1, momordicin-28, momordicinin, momordicinol, momordicinol, and the like, and is a bitter component contained in bitter melon (bitter melon) and foods made from bitter melon.

[0013] -Optional ingredients- The agent of the present invention only needs to contain at least the active ingredient EGCg, and may contain other ingredients as necessary. Examples of other ingredients include ingredients acceptable as food ingredients. Examples of such ingredients include food additives such as stabilizers, oils, softeners, emulsifiers, preservatives, antioxidants, colorants, flavorings, UV absorbers, moisturizers, thickeners, glossing agents, and solvents. In addition, other bitterness-suppressing ingredients may be used in combination with EGCg as long as they do not impair the bitterness-suppressing effect of EGCg.

[0014] -Dosage form- The form (dosage form) of the agent of the present invention may be, for example, a liquid, solid (for example, powder, granules, pellets), gel, or sol, but is not particularly limited as long as it is in a form that is easy to add to the target food.

[0015] -Applicable to- The bitterness suppressant can be applied to food compositions (so-called processed foods, functional foods) and pharmaceuticals that inherently have a bitter taste derived from at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin (e.g., momordicin). The food composition may be any food obtained from a food ingredient (e.g., vegetables, fruits) containing at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin. Examples of food ingredients containing naringin include citrus fruits such as grapefruit. Examples of food ingredients containing momordicin, a cucurbitacin, include bitter melon. The type of food composition is not particularly limited, but examples include beverages (e.g., juice, tea), confectioneries such as jelly, frozen foods, soups, seasonings, instant foods, semi-cooked foods, purees, prepared dishes, and other processed foods. Among these, liquid or semi-liquid processed foods such as beverages and purees are preferred from the viewpoint of easily obtaining the desired effect. The food composition may be a so-called health food, for example, a functional food such as a functional food, a food for specified health uses, or a food with nutrient functions; a dietary supplement, a health supplement, or a nutritionally adjusted food; or a medical food such as a nursing care food. The pharmaceutical may be any agent containing at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin as an active ingredient, and its dosage form may be, for example, a dosage form suitable for oral administration such as a tablet, capsule, powder, or syrup, but is not particularly limited thereto.

[0016] [Food composition with reduced bitterness] The food composition contains the bitterness suppressor and a bitter component, and the bitter component may include at least one of naringin and cucurbitacin, and may also include other bitter components.

[0017] -Bitterness suppressant content- The content of the bitterness suppressor is preferably 0.1 mM or more, more preferably 0.2 mM or more, in terms of the amount of epigallocatechin gallate per food composition. This allows the bitterness of the food to be further suppressed. The upper limit is preferably 1.8 mM or less, more preferably 1.6 mM or less, even more preferably 1.5 mM or less, and even more preferably 0.83 mM or less. This allows the flavor of the food to be maintained well.

[0018] -Ratio of bitter component to bitterness suppressant- In the case of a food composition containing naringin, the ratio of the epigallocatechin content to the naringin content per food composition is preferably 0.1 to 8, more preferably 0.2 to 7, and more preferably 0.2 to 6. This allows the bitterness to be further suppressed while maintaining the flavor of the food in a good condition. In the case of a food composition containing cucurbitacin, the ratio of the cucurbitacin content to the epigallocatechin content per cucurbitacin-containing food composition is, for example, preferably 0.0001 to 0.01, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.005, which allows the bitterness of the food to be further suppressed while maintaining the flavor of the food.

[0019] The food composition is not particularly limited as long as it contains a bitterness suppressor and a bitter component, and other components and dosage form (food form) are not particularly limited. Examples of food compositions are as described above.

[0020] [Method of manufacturing food composition] Examples of methods for producing food compositions include a method comprising adding the aforementioned bitterness suppressor to a food ingredient or food composition containing a bitter component. The amount of bitterness suppressor to be added is the same as that explained in the sections on the content and the ratio of bitter component to bitterness suppressor. The timing of addition is not particularly limited, and may be to the food ingredient (including intermediate ingredients during production) or after the food composition is completed. The number of additions may be one or multiple times. The method of addition is not particularly limited, as long as it is mixed uniformly into the food. Stirring may be performed during or after addition, as needed.

[0021] [Bitterness suppression method] The bitterness of food can be reduced by adding the bitterness suppressor described above to food ingredients or food compositions. The number of times and method of addition of the bitterness suppressor are the same as those described above in the explanation of the production method. [Example]

[0022] The present invention will be explained in more detail below by showing examples, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the descriptions of these examples in any way.

[0023] Example 1 [Bitterness suppression effect in grapefruit juice] EGCg (Teavigo, DSM / Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.) was added to 40 mL of commercially available grapefruit juice (trade name: Tropicana 100% Grapefruit, Kirin Beverage, naringin content: 0.2-1.4 mM (literature value)) at the concentrations shown in Table 1. After addition, the bitterness reduction effect and maintenance of the original flavor of the food were confirmed according to the following criteria (Table 1). -Evaluation criteria for bitterness reduction effect- 〇: Bitterness was reduced compared to when EGCg was not added ×: Bitterness was not reduced -Evaluation criteria for maintaining the original flavor of food- 〇: The flavor was not impaired compared to when EGCg was not added. ×: The flavor is lost

[0024] [Table 1]

[0025] The bitterness of grapefruit juice to which EGCg was added was reduced regardless of the concentration of added EGCg, and the original flavor of the food was maintained (Table 1).

[0026] Example 2 [Bitterness suppression effect in bitter gourd juice] 100 mL of water was added to 70 g of bitter melon fruit from which the pulp had been removed (momordicin content in bitter melon fruit: approximately 0.9-1 mol / 100 g dry weight (approximately 50 mmol / 100 g fresh weight)), which was then crushed using a food processor and filtered through nonwoven fabric. The resulting filtrate was diluted approximately 1.8 times with water to obtain a juice, to which EGCg was added to achieve the concentrations shown in Table 2. A sensory evaluation similar to that in Example 1 was performed to compare the juice with that containing no EGCg (control), confirming that the bitterness of the juice containing EGCg was reduced and that the original flavor of the food was maintained (Table 2).

[0027] [Table 2]

[0028] The results of these examples demonstrate that the bitterness-reducing agent of the present invention can suppress unpleasant flavors such as bitterness without impairing the original flavor of food.

Claims

1. The method includes a step of adding a bitterness suppressor containing epigallocatechin gallate as an active ingredient to a food raw material or a food composition containing naringin, which is a bitter component, but not containing tea extract, to obtain a food composition with reduced bitterness, The food ingredient or food composition is a liquid or semi-liquid processed food made from grapefruit, The method does not include a step of adding a tea extract to the food composition with reduced bitterness. A method for producing a food composition with reduced bitterness.

2. The manufacturing method described in claim 1, wherein the amount of bitterness suppressant added is 0.1 to 1.5 mM in terms of epigallocatechin gallate content.

3. The method includes a step of adding a bitterness suppressor having epigallocatechin gallate as an active ingredient to a food raw material or a food composition containing naringin, which is a bitter component, but not containing tea extract, There is no step of further adding tea extract after adding the bitterness suppressor. A method for suppressing the bitterness derived from naringin in a liquid or semi-liquid processed food made from grapefruit.

4. A manufacturing method described in claim 3, wherein the amount of bitterness suppressant added is 0.1 to 1.5 mM in terms of epigallocatechin gallate content.

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