Functional food composition containing cis-lutein and functional food

Abstract

To provide a composition useful as a functional food.SOLUTION: A functional food composition contains cis-form lutein.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for functional foods and functional foods containing cis-lutein. [Background technology]

[0002] Carotenoids, which are widely found in nature, have strong antioxidant properties and a wide variety of colors, making them widely used in health foods, cosmetics, food coloring, etc. Among carotenoids, lutein, a yellow pigment found in corn, marigolds, and egg yolks, has been attracting attention in recent years due to its particularly strong antioxidant properties.

[0003] Generally, natural carotenoids exist as all-trans forms, where all double bonds are trans. In recent years, it has been reported that some carotenoids (lycopene, astaxanthin) are more readily absorbed by the body in the cis form than in the trans form.

[0004] On the other hand, Non-Patent Document 1 evaluated the difference in absorbability between trans- and cis-lutein in a cell test and concluded that trans-lutein exhibits higher bioavailability than cis-lutein. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Cheng Yang, Maike Fischer, Chris Kirby, Ronghua Liu, Honghui Zhu, Hua Zhang, Yuhuan Chen, Yong Sun, Lianfu Zhang, Rong Tsao. Bioaccessibility, cellular uptake and transport of luteins and assessment of their antioxidant activities. Food Chemistry 2018, 249 , 66-76. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The accumulation of lutein in the liver, lungs, kidneys, prostate, testes, and skin has not been evaluated to date.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a functional food composition containing lutein, which has excellent accumulation properties in the liver, lungs, kidneys, prostate, testes, and skin and is useful as a functional food, and a functional food containing such a composition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The functional food composition of the present invention contains cis-lutein.

[0009] This functional food composition is excellent in lutein accumulation in the liver, lungs, kidneys, prostate, testes, and skin when the functional food is orally ingested.

[0010] The functional food of the present invention comprises the above-described composition.

[0011] This functional food is excellent in lutein accumulation in the liver, lungs, kidneys, prostate, testes, and skin when orally ingested.

[0012] Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a composition for functional foods containing lutein that is useful as a functional food, and a functional food containing such a composition. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] The upper row is a chromatogram of the trans-lutein composition, and the lower row is a chromatogram of the cis-lutein composition. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in plasma and the isomer ratio. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the liver and the isomer ratio. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the lung and the isomer ratio. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the kidney and the isomer ratio. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the prostate gland and the isomer ratio. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the testis and the isomer ratio. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the skin and the isomer ratio. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 shows the ultraviolet absorption spectra of cis-lutein and trans-lutein. [Figure 10] 1 is a graph showing the cis-lutein ratio in plasma. [Figure 11] 1 is a graph showing the cis-lutein ratio in target tissues. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described. The composition preferably contains 30% or more of cis-lutein when the total mass of lutein contained in the composition is taken as 100%, which ensures sufficient accumulation of lutein in the liver, lungs, kidneys, prostate, testes, and skin.

[0015] In the above composition, it is preferable that the amount of lutein accumulated in the target tissue of the group administered with the following cis-lutein is 1.2 times or more the amount of lutein accumulated in the target tissue of the group administered with the following trans-lutein. <Trans-lutein administration group> Rats were orally administered a composition containing a specified amount of lutein, with cis-lutein at 5% or less when the total mass of the lutein contained was taken as 100%, 14 days after administration. <Cis-lutein administration group> Rats were orally administered a composition containing the same amount of lutein as the composition used in the trans-lutein group, and containing 30% or more of cis-lutein when the total mass of the lutein contained was taken as 100%, 14 days after administration.

[0016] In the composition, cis-lutein preferably accounts for 40% or more of the total mass of lutein accumulated in the target tissue, which is taken as 100%. Cis-lutein is said to have a stronger antioxidant effect than trans-lutein, and this composition is expected to prevent and improve diseases in the target tissue.

[0017] In the above composition, the total amount of 9-cis-lutein and 9'-cis-lutein accumulated in the target tissue may be greater than the total amount of 13-cis-lutein and 13'-cis-lutein.

[0018] The target tissue may be at least one selected from the group consisting of liver, lung, kidney, prostate, testis, and skin. The composition may be used to prevent or improve liver disease or improve liver function. The composition may be used for sun protection or skin whitening, or wrinkle prevention. These configurations are useful for preventing and improving diseases in the liver, lung, kidney, prostate, testis, or skin, or for improving skin beauty.

[0019] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described. In this specification, when a numerical range is indicated using "to" it is assumed that the range includes both the lower limit and the upper limit unless otherwise specified. For example, the expression "10 to 20" includes both the lower limit "10" and the upper limit "20". In other words, "10 to 20" has the same meaning as "10 or more and 20 or less".

[0020] The functional food composition of the present invention contains cis-lutein. It is known that the pharmacokinetics of lutein in animals varies depending on its isomer. In this study, lutein with different isomer ratios was administered to mammals, and the results of evaluating its bioabsorption and accumulation revealed that cis-lutein accumulates significantly more in the liver, lungs, kidneys, prostate, testes, and skin than trans-lutein. Lutein's efficacy has particularly focused on improving liver function and maintaining healthy skin (beautifying skin), and it was found that cis-lutein exhibits high accumulation in the areas involved in these functions.

[0021] Lutein has the chemical formula C 40 H 56 Lutein is a type of carotenoid designated O2 (molecular weight 568.871). Because lutein has 10 conjugated double bonds, various cis isomers exist. In this application, an isomer in which at least one of the conjugated double bonds is in the cis form is referred to as cis-lutein, and an isomer in which all are in the trans form is referred to as all-trans-lutein. The term "lutein" is intended to encompass both cis-lutein and all-trans-lutein. In this application, the trans carbon skeleton configuration is represented by E, and the cis carbon skeleton configuration is represented by Z, with the positions indicated by numbers. For example, (all-E)-lutein represents trans-lutein in which all double bonds are in the trans form. (13Z)-lutein represents 13-cis-lutein in which the carbon at the 13th position is in the cis form. (13'Z)-lutein represents 13-cis-lutein in which the carbon at the 13' position is in the cis form. (9Z)-lutein refers to 9-cis lutein in which the carbon at position 9 is cis. (9'Z)-lutein refers to 9-cis lutein in which the carbon at position 9' is cis.

[0022] The composition of the present invention preferably contains 30% or more of cis-lutein when the total mass of lutein contained in the composition is taken as 100%. From the viewpoint of improving the amount of lutein accumulated in target tissues, the content of cis-lutein is more preferably 40% or more, and even more preferably 50% or more. From the viewpoint of manufacturability, the content of cis-lutein is preferably 90% or less, more preferably 80% or less, and even more preferably 70% or less. The lower and upper limits of the content of cis-lutein can be arbitrarily combined. For example, the content of cis-lutein is preferably 30% or more and 90% or less. The remainder of the content of cis-lutein in the total lutein in the composition is the content of trans-lutein. Hereinafter, the content of cis-lutein based on the mass of lutein (100%) will also be simply referred to as "cis-lutein content."

[0023] The composition preferably contains 10% or more of 9-cis lutein when the total mass of the lutein contained in the composition is taken as 100%. The composition preferably contains 10% or more of 9'-cis lutein when the total mass of the lutein contained in the composition is taken as 100%. The composition preferably contains 10% or more of 13-cis lutein when the total mass of the lutein contained in the composition is taken as 100%. The composition preferably contains 8% or more of 13'-cis lutein when the total mass of the lutein contained in the composition is taken as 100%. The content of each of these isomers is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of manufacturability, it is preferably 30% or less, more preferably 20% or less. Although the reason for this is unclear, when a composition containing a predetermined amount of these isomers is used, it is possible to obtain a composition in which lutein is highly absorbed by the body and further highly accumulated in the body, contrary to conventional knowledge. A composition having such a cis isomer ratio can be suitably obtained by subjecting all-trans lutein to heat treatment.

[0024] The composition of the present invention may contain any component other than lutein. The content of the optional component is preferably 99% by mass or less, more preferably 95% by mass or less, and even more preferably 85% by mass or less, when the total mass of the composition is 100%. Furthermore, when a purified lutein product is used as the composition, the content of cis-lutein when the total mass of the composition is 100% may be the same as the cis-lutein content based on the mass of lutein in the composition (100%) described above. In other words, the lower and upper limits of cis-lutein when the total mass of the composition is 100% can be the same as the above-mentioned cis-lutein content.

[0025] The composition of the present invention may be a commercially available product or may be produced by a conventional chemical synthesis method. Alternatively, the composition may be produced by mixing chemically synthesized or naturally occurring lutein within the above-mentioned composition range. When the composition is to be ingested by humans, naturally occurring lutein is more preferable from the viewpoint of safety.

[0026] Examples of natural products containing lutein include marigold, corn, kale, egg yolk, and algae, with marigold being preferred. However, naturally occurring lutein generally has an insufficient cis-lutein content (e.g., 10% by mass or less). When the lutein contained in the composition is naturally occurring, it may be subjected to a treatment to increase the cis-lutein content. A simple example of a treatment to increase the cis-lutein content is heat treatment. The treatment to increase the cis-lutein content is not limited to heat treatment, but may also include microwave irradiation, light irradiation, or treatment using a specific catalyst that promotes the cis-isomerization reaction of lutein. Furthermore, examples of a method for highly increasing the cis-lutein content include a separation method utilizing the difference in solubility between trans-lutein and cis-lutein. According to such a method, a composition highly enriched in cis-lutein, in which the cis-lutein content in the composition is 50% or more, can be obtained.

[0027] Furthermore, the composition of the present invention is preferably an extract extracted with ethanol. Cis-lutein has a higher solubility in ethanol than all-trans-lutein. By extracting cis-lutein with ethanol, a composition containing a larger amount of cis-lutein can be obtained using a solvent that is safe for the human body. In the composition of the present invention, the lutein content and whether the lutein is in the cis form can be confirmed by, for example, HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography).

[0028] The composition of the present invention can be made into a food composition by adding or encapsulating it in any form such as tablets, capsules, granules, powder, tablets, jelly, gummies, chewing gum, drinks, or plastic bottles, or by adding it to any food or drink. In the present invention, the "food composition" includes not only solid compositions but also liquid compositions for drinking.

[0029] The type of food composition is not particularly limited. The food composition can be contained in foods or beverages such as, for example, confectioneries (jelly, yogurt, pudding, biscuits and cookies, chocolate, candy, cake, ice cream, chewing gum), retort foods, soups, juices, teas, jelly drinks, powdered drinks, dairy products, etc.

[0030] Furthermore, from the viewpoints of processability, storage stability, etc., the food composition may be prepared by dissolving or dispersing cis-lutein in vegetable oil. The vegetable oil is preferably liquid at room temperature. The vegetable oil is preferably at least one selected from soybean oil, corn oil, sesame oil, mustard oil, olive oil, and sunflower oil. The total lutein concentration in this food composition is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 mg / mL to 100 mg / mL, more preferably 1 mg / mL to 50 mg / mL, and even more preferably 5 mg / mL to 20 mg / mL. This food composition can also be used as a colorant for various foods, such as vegetable soups and dressings.

[0031] The composition of the present invention can be used as a functional food (including health food and supplement) in the form of the above-mentioned food or drink. The amount of cis-lutein in a functional food varies depending on the type of food, but from the viewpoint of not impairing the taste of the food and achieving sufficient accumulation in the body, it is preferably 0.01% to 10%, and more preferably 0.1% to 5%, when the mass of the entire functional food is taken as 100%.

[0032] Furthermore, sweeteners, seasonings, emulsifiers, suspending agents, preservatives, etc. may be added to the composition of the present invention as needed. The dosage of the composition of the present invention can be appropriately adjusted depending on factors such as the age, weight, sex, and condition of the recipient. For example, the daily intake of the composition of the present invention is 0.001 mg to 100 mg, preferably 0.005 mg to 70 mg, more preferably 0.01 mg to 50 mg, and even more preferably 0.1 mg to 20 mg, in terms of cis-lutein per day for an adult weighing 60 kg, but is not limited to these ranges. If necessary, the above intake amount can be taken once or several times a day, for example, in divided doses, divided into two or three times a day.

[0033] The composition of the present invention exhibits high accumulation in target tissues such as the liver, lungs, kidneys, prostate, testes, and skin, and particularly high accumulation in the testes and skin. In the composition, the amount of lutein accumulated in the target tissue of the cis-lutein administration group described below is preferably at least twice as much as the amount of lutein accumulated in the target tissue of the trans-lutein administration group described below. If the lutein concentration (pmol / g) in the target tissue of the trans-lutein administration group is A and the lutein concentration (pmol / g) in the target tissue of the cis-lutein administration group is B, the amount of lutein accumulated in the target tissue of the cis-lutein administration group relative to the amount of lutein accumulated in the target tissue of the trans-lutein administration group can be calculated as B / A. B / A is preferably 1.2 or more, more preferably 1.3 or more, and even more preferably 1.5 or more, 2 or more, 3 or more, or 3.5 or more. The upper limit of B / A is not particularly limited. The upper limit of B / A is usually 10 or less, and is not specified when the lutein concentration (pmol / g) in the target tissue of the trans-lutein administration group is below the detection limit.

[0034] In rats 14 days after the start of oral administration of the composition, the cis-lutein content is preferably 40% or more when the total mass of lutein accumulated in the target tissue is taken as 100%. The proportion of cis-lutein when the total amount of lutein accumulated in the target tissue is taken as 100% is also referred to as the "total cis-lutein ratio in the target tissue." The total cis-lutein ratio in the target tissue is more preferably 50% or more, even more preferably 60% or more, and even more preferably 65% ​​or more. The upper limit of the total cis-lutein ratio in these target tissues is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 90% or less.

[0035] Therefore, the composition of the present invention is useful for preventing or ameliorating diseases in the above target tissues. For example, the literature "Food Chem., 249, 66-76, 2018" shows that cis-lutein has higher antioxidant capacity (FRAP assay) than all-trans-lutein. The literature "Clinics in Dermatology (2009) 27, 195-201" shows that animal studies have shown that lutein has significant effects on light-induced skin damage, particularly against ultraviolet wavelengths. The literature "J. Funct. Foods, 1, 88-97, 2009" shows that the cis-type fucoxanthin, a type of carotenoid, has a superior anti-proliferative effect on prostate cancer cells than the all-trans-type.

[0036] For example, the composition of the present invention can be used in the following tissues. Blood: Arteriosclerosis, improved blood flow, etc. Liver: Prevention or improvement of liver disease, improvement of liver function Lungs: Prevention or improvement of emphysema, etc. Kidneys: Prevention or improvement of nephropathy, etc. Prostate: Prevention or improvement of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia Testicles: Prevention or improvement of male infertility, improvement of sperm count, etc. Skin: For sun protection or whitening, prevention or improvement of wrinkles, etc. [Example]

[0037] The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples, although the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples. [Manufacturing example] The cis-lutein-containing composition used in the examples was produced by the following method. First, according to the method described in the literature "Eur. J. Lipid Sci. Technol., 120, 1800191, 2018," a trans-lutein standard (manufactured by AstaTech) was dissolved in dichloromethane at a concentration of 2 mg / mL and heat-treated at 80°C for 5 hours. The resulting lutein solution was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure, and the residue was suspended in ethanol kept at 4°C for 1 hour. The insoluble material (mainly (all-E)-lutein) from the resulting ethanol solution was then removed using a 0.22 μm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane filter. Next, the ethanol was removed under reduced pressure to obtain cis-lutein.

[0038] The produced cis-lutein was suspended in soybean oil to give a cis-lutein composition (concentration: 10 mg / mL), which was then stored frozen in a dark place (-60°C) until use. Hereinafter, the cis-lutein composition will also be referred to simply as "cis-lutein." The trans-lutein composition (concentration 10 mg / mL, also simply referred to as "trans-lutein") was obtained by suspending a trans-lutein standard (manufactured by AstaTech) in soybean oil.

[0039] The upper part of Figure 1 is a chromatogram of the trans-lutein composition, and the lower part is a chromatogram of the cis-lutein composition. The trans-lutein composition had a cis-lutein content of 2.2%. The cis-lutein composition had a cis-lutein content of 57.4%. The proportions of each isomer in the cis-lutein composition were: trans-lutein content 42.5%, 9-cis-lutein content 16.7%, 9'-cis-lutein content 15.6%, 13-cis-lutein content 14.8%, and 13'-cis-lutein content 10.4%.

[0040] [method] Rats (SD rats, male, 7 weeks old, n=5) were orally administered trans-lutein (cis-lutein content: 3.1%) or cis-lutein (cis-lutein content: 57.4%) at a dose of 10 mg / kg body weight / day for 14 consecutive days. After the final administration, various tissues (liver, lung, kidney, prostate, testis, and skin) were collected and the amount of lutein accumulated in each tissue was analyzed.

[0041] [Measurement results] Figure 2 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in plasma and its isomer ratio (after 14 days). The plasma lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 2.50 pmol / g. The plasma lutein concentration in the trans-lutein group was 0.66 pmol / g. The plasma lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 3.8 times that of the trans-lutein group. The cis-lutein group showed high accumulation of lutein in plasma. The lutein concentration is expressed as an average value. In each graph, the error bars represent the standard deviation. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test to compare two groups. Values ​​of p<0.05 and p<0.01 were considered statistically significant and were marked with "*" and "**". The same notation is used hereinafter in this example.

[0042] The ratios of each lutein isomer in the plasma of the cis-lutein and trans-lutein groups are shown in Table 1. In the cis-lutein group, the total cis ratio was 80.9%.

[0043] [Table 1]

[0044] In Table 1, "Diet" indicates the type of lutein (LUT) administered. "(all-E)-LUT" indicates trans-lutein, and "(Z)-LUT" indicates cis-lutein. Of the isomers, "all-E" indicates trans-lutein, "9Z" indicates 9'-cis-lutein, "9'Z" indicates 9'-cis-lutein, "13Z" indicates 13'-cis-lutein, and "13'Z" indicates 13'-cis-lutein. In the present example, the same notation is used hereinafter.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the liver and the isomer ratio (after 14 days). The liver lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 0.18 pmol / g. The liver lutein concentration in the trans-lutein group was 0.09 pmol / g. The liver lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 2.0 times that of the trans-lutein group. The cis-lutein group showed high accumulation of lutein in the liver. The ratios of each lutein isomer in the liver of the cis-lutein administration group and the trans-lutein administration group are shown in Table 2. In the cis-lutein administration group, the total cis-isomer ratio was 66.9%.

[0046] [Table 2]

[0047] FIG. 4 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the lung and the isomer ratio (after 14 days). The lung lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 5.82 pmol / g. The lung lutein concentration in the trans-lutein group was 3.69 pmol / g. The lung lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 1.6 times that of the trans-lutein group. The cis-lutein group showed high accumulation of lutein in the lungs. The ratios of each lutein isomer in the lungs of the cis-lutein and trans-lutein groups are shown in Table 3. In the cis-lutein group, the total cis ratio was 67.7%.

[0048] [Table 3]

[0049] FIG. 5 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the kidney and the isomer ratio (after 14 days). The kidney lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 1.96 pmol / g. The kidney lutein concentration in the trans-lutein group was 0.92 pmol / g. The kidney lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 2.1 times that of the trans-lutein group. The cis-lutein group showed high accumulation of lutein in the kidney. The ratios of each lutein isomer in the kidneys of the cis-lutein administration group and the trans-lutein administration group are shown in Table 4. In the cis-lutein administration group, the total cis-isomer ratio was 60.4%.

[0050] [Table 4]

[0051] FIG. 6 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the prostate and the isomer ratio (after 14 days). The prostate lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 2.58 pmol / g. The prostate lutein concentration in the trans-lutein group was 1.14 pmol / g. The prostate lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 2.3 times that of the trans-lutein group. The cis-lutein group showed high accumulation of lutein in the prostate. The ratios of each lutein isomer in the prostate of the cis-lutein administration group and the trans-lutein administration group are shown in Table 5. In the cis-lutein administration group, the total cis-isomer ratio was 52.2%.

[0052] [Table 5]

[0053] FIG. 7 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the testis and the isomer ratio (after 14 days). The testicular lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 1.21 pmol / g. The testicular lutein concentration in the trans-lutein group was 0.29 pmol / g. The testicular lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 4.2 times that of the trans-lutein group. The cis-lutein group showed high accumulation of lutein in the testes. The ratios of each lutein isomer in the testes of the cis-lutein administration group and the trans-lutein administration group are shown in Table 6. In the cis-lutein administration group, the total cis-isomer ratio was 79.1%.

[0054] [Table 6]

[0055] FIG. 8 shows the amount of lutein accumulated in the skin and the isomer ratio (after 14 days). The skin lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 0.84 pmol / g. The skin lutein concentration in the trans-lutein group was 0.22 pmol / g. The skin lutein concentration in the cis-lutein group was 3.8 times that of the trans-lutein group. The cis-lutein group showed high accumulation of lutein in the skin. The ratios of each lutein isomer in the skin of the cis-lutein administration group and the trans-lutein administration group are shown in Table 7. In the cis-lutein administration group, the total cis-isomer ratio was 54.1%.

[0056] [Table 7]

[0057] FIG. 10 is a graph showing the cis-lutein ratio in plasma. "E-LUT-D" on the horizontal axis represents the trans-lutein administration group, and "Z-LUT-D" represents the cis-lutein administration group. The vertical axis represents the lutein isomer ratio (%, mass ratio). The graph labeled "Diet" shows the isomer ratio of the lutein composition contained in the diet. The graph labeled "6h-PL" shows the isomer ratio in plasma 6 hours after the first administration of the diet containing the lutein composition. The graph labeled "2wk-PL" shows the isomer ratio in plasma 14 days after the administration of the diet containing the lutein composition.

[0058] FIG. 11 is a graph showing the cis-lutein ratio in target tissues. "E-LUT-D" on the horizontal axis represents the trans-lutein administration group, and "Z-LUT-D" represents the cis-lutein administration group. The vertical axis represents the ratio of lutein isomers (%, mass ratio). The graph labeled "Diet" shows the isomer ratio of the lutein composition contained in the feed. The other graphs are graphs of the isomer ratio in target tissues 14 days after administration of the feed containing the lutein composition. Each label represents the target tissue below. "Liver": Liver "Lung": Lung "Kidney": Kidney "Prostate": Prostate "Testis": testes "Skin": skin

[0059] [summary] Lutein accumulation in the body was higher in the cis-lutein group than in the trans-lutein group. Specifically, accumulation in the liver, lungs, kidneys, prostate, testes, and skin was confirmed (1.2 times or more than in the trans-lutein group), and especially in the testes and skin (3.5 times or more than in the trans-lutein group). The total cis-lutein ratio in the liver, lungs, kidneys, prostate, testes, and skin was over 40%. Cis-lutein is expected to accumulate in the liver, lungs, kidneys, prostate, testes, and skin and exert its antioxidant effect.

[0060] Lutein is known to improve liver function, act as a sunscreen or whitening agent (skin-beautifying effect), etc. Administration of a cis-lutein composition has been shown to result in high accumulation of lutein in the liver and skin, and therefore the composition of the present invention is useful for preventing or improving liver disease, improving liver function, acting as a sunscreen or whitening agent, or preventing wrinkles.

Claims

1. A functional food composition containing cis-lutein, The composition contains 40% to 90% of cis-lutein and 10% or more of 9-cis-lutein, when the total mass of lutein contained in the composition is taken as 100%; A functional food composition used for preventing or ameliorating a disease in at least one target tissue selected from the group consisting of the liver, lungs, kidneys, testes, and skin.

2. When the total mass of lutein contained in the composition is 100%, 9'-cis lutein 10% or more, 13-cis lutein 10% or more, and 2. The functional food composition according to claim 1, containing 8% or more of 13'-cis lutein.

3. 3. The functional food composition according to claim 1, wherein the cis-lutein is dissolved or dispersed in vegetable oil.

4. The functional food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is used for preventing liver disease or improving liver function.

5. The functional food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is used for sun protection, whitening, or wrinkle prevention.

6. A functional food comprising the functional food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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