Bacteria suppressant, body odor suppressant, and axillary odor prevention and improvement agent

Abstract

To provide a body odor suppressing agent, a hircismus preventing and treating agent, and an agent for suppressing the count of body odor-causing bacteria.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a body odor suppressing agent, a hircismus preventing and treating agent, and an agent for suppressing the count of body odor-causing bacteria, containing erythritol as an active ingredient. By the present invention, with no concern over skin stimulus or safety, a body odor is suppressed, hircismus is prevented and treated, or the count of body odor-causing bacteria is suppressed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a body odor suppressant, an agent for preventing or ameliorating axillary malodor, and an agent for suppressing the bacterial count of bacteria that cause body odor, each of which contains erythritol as an active ingredient. [Background technology]

[0002] Body odor refers to the odor emanating from the body, and in the narrow sense, refers to the unpleasant odors that occur within it. Body odor can be divided into categories such as underarm odor, foot odor, scalp odor, oily odor, acid odor, and body odor depending on the location of the odor, the quality of the odor, and the causative substance. However, all of these are known to be caused in part by substances produced by microorganisms, such as resident skin bacteria, that metabolize substances present on the surface of the body, such as sweat, sebum, and keratin.

[0003] Although everyone has body odor, there is a great need to prevent or suppress it. In addition, if the body odor is so strong that it causes discomfort to those around you or bothers you, it may be treated as "axillary odour syndrome."

[0004] Therefore, research and development of technologies for suppressing body odor has been conducted. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that camphor tree extract or cinchona extract suppresses the production of diketone compounds (substances that cause sour and oily odors) by bacteria normally present on the skin. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes that a propylene glycol fatty acid ester containing fatty acids with 8 to 14 carbon atoms as its constituent fatty acids and with a monoester content of 90% by mass or more suppresses the growth of bacteria that cause body odor. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes that the combined use of 1,2-hexanediol and / or 1,2-octanediol with α-bisabolol can suppress the growth of bacteria that cause body odor and can prevent body odor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6130472 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6242636 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 5393962 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, even in light of the above patent documents, there are still not enough technologies available that effectively suppress body odor or that effectively suppress the number of bacteria that cause body odor. The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and aims to provide a technology that suppresses body odor, a technology that prevents or improves axillary malodor, and a technology that suppresses the number of bacteria that cause body odor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have found that erythritol significantly suppresses body odor and the number of bacteria that cause body odor. Based on this finding, the present inventors have completed the following inventions.

[0008] (1) The body odor suppressant according to the present invention contains erythritol as an active ingredient.

[0009] (2) The agent for preventing and ameliorating axillary odor according to the present invention is an agent for preventing or ameliorating axillary odor, and contains erythritol as an active ingredient.

[0010] (3) The bacterial count inhibitor according to the present invention is an agent for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor, and contains erythritol as an active ingredient.

[0011] (4) In the present invention, the body odor-causing bacteria may be bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, or Micrococcus. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress body odor. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the symptoms of axillary malodor or prevent axillary malodor. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the number of bacteria that cause body odor.

[0013] Furthermore, erythritol, the active ingredient of the present invention, is an extremely safe substance for humans and animals, as evidenced by its use as a food product. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress body odor, prevent or improve axillary malodor, or suppress the number of bacteria that cause body odor, without any concerns about skin irritation or safety. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a bar graph showing the turbidity of the culture medium obtained by culturing body odor-causing bacteria (strains 1 to 4) using a medium that does not contain sugar alcohols (control) and media that contain various sugar alcohols (Ery medium, Man medium, Sol medium). [Figure 2] 1 is a line graph showing the turbidity of the culture medium obtained by culturing bacteria that cause body odor using media containing erythritol (Ery medium) or sorbitol (Sol medium) at various concentrations. [Figure 3] 1 is a bar graph showing the turbidity of the culture medium obtained by culturing body odor-causing bacteria (strains 3 and 4) using media containing various concentrations of erythritol. [Figure 4] (A) is a bar graph showing the turbidity of the culture medium obtained by culturing body odor-causing bacteria in a medium containing no erythritol (erythritol concentration: 0%) and a medium containing erythritol (erythritol concentration: 20%). (B) is a bar graph showing the axillary odor intensity of the culture medium. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention will be described in detail below.

[0016] Erythritol is a monosaccharide alcohol whose chemical name is 1,2,3,4-butaneterol and is also called erythritol. Commercially available erythritol may be used, or it may be produced according to a method known to those skilled in the art.

[0017] Known production methods include culturing erythritol-producing bacteria using glucose or the like as a carbon source to produce erythritol, followed by purification. Examples of erythritol-producing bacteria include microorganisms belonging to the genera Trigonopsis or Candida (Japanese Patent Publication No. 47-41549), Torulopsis, Hansenula, Pichia, or Debaryomyces (Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-21072), Moniliella (Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 60-110295 and 10-215887), Aureobasidium (Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-9831), and Yellovia (Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-215887). Culture conditions may be standard conditions suitable for each bacteria. Erythritol can be purified by conventional methods, including cell separation, separation of erythritol by chromatography, desalting, decolorization, crystallization, crystal decomposition, and drying.

[0018] As mentioned above, "body odor" refers to the odor emanating from the body. Depending on the source, body odor can be divided into categories such as armpit odor, foot odor, scalp odor, and hair odor. Furthermore, depending on the type of odor, it can also be divided into sweat odor, oily odor, acid odor, oxidized odor, and aging odor. Known components of body odor include aldehydes (scalp odor, hair odor), steroids such as androstenone (male body odor), fatty acids such as acetic acid and propionic acid (scalp odor, hair odor), isovaleric acid (3-methylbutanoic acid, sole of the foot odor), isovaleric aldehyde (foot odor), diacetyl, 2-nonenal (aging odor), 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid (armpit odor), vinyl ketones (pungent oxidized odor), 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid (spicy odor), and 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol (sulfur odor).

[0019] "Suppressing body odor" refers to reducing body odor or lowering the intensity of body odor. Body odor intensity can be confirmed by detecting the concentration of specific components of body odor using commercially available measuring devices (such as gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers (GC-MS) and odor sensors using metal oxide semiconductors). It can also be confirmed by a sensory test that uses the human sense of smell to determine odor intensity.

[0020] "Axillary malodor" refers to a condition in which an unpleasant odor emanates from the armpit (the hollow under the arm). In the present invention, "improving axillary malodor" refers to reducing the odor emanating from the armpit (axillary odor) or reducing the intensity of the axillary odor. Furthermore, "preventing axillary malodor" refers to reducing the axillary odor to the extent that no treatment, including medical treatment, is necessary.

[0021] "Body odor-causing bacteria" refers to microorganisms that exist on the body surface and metabolize substances that cause body odor (examples of which include the above-mentioned "body odor components"). Specific examples of body odor-causing bacteria include Corynebacterium bacteria such as C. minutissimum, C. xerosis, C. tenuis, and C. striatum; Staphylococcus bacteria such as S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. warneri A, S. warneri B, S. caprae B, S. haemolyticus, S. capitis A, S. capitis B, S. lentus, S. gallinarum, S. delphini, S. hominis, S. xylosus, S. hyicus, and S. cohnii; and Micrococcus bacteria such as M. luteus.

[0022] In the present invention, the term "bacterial count" means the number of microorganisms.

[0023] Whether or not the number of bacteria that cause body odor has been suppressed can be determined by a culture test, as shown in the Examples below. That is, two identical media are prepared, one with the addition of a test substance (bacterial count inhibitor) and the other without. After inoculating the body odor-causing bacteria into both media and culturing them for a predetermined period, the bacterial mass in the media is measured. The bacterial mass can be measured simply by the turbidity method, but known methods such as the dry bacterial cell weight method, wet bacterial weight method, and real-time PCR method can also be appropriately selected depending on the medium, culture conditions, and the type of bacteria being measured. If the result shows that the bacterial mass is smaller in the sample with the test substance (bacterial count inhibitor) added than in the sample without the test substance added, it can be determined that the bacterial count of the body odor-causing bacteria has been suppressed by the test substance (bacterial count inhibitor).

[0024] The agent of the present invention can be suitably used in cosmetics, quasi-drugs, pharmaceuticals, and hygiene products such as cleansers and sanitary napkins intended for use on body surfaces such as the armpits, hands, feet, back, and head. Products incorporating the agent of the present invention can be produced by adding erythritol to ingredients typically used in such products (e.g., oils, surfactants, alcohols, preservatives, chelating agents, antioxidants, thickeners, fragrances, disinfectants, and other ingredients). The erythritol content can be appropriately determined depending on the product form and intended use, and can be, for example, 0.01 to 35% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 30% by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 25% by weight, and even more preferably 1 to 20% by weight. Examples of product formulations include aerosols, roll-ons, sticks, creams, sheets, lotions, emulsions, gels, and powders.

[0025] The present invention will be described below based on examples, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the features shown in these examples. [Example]

[0026] <Test Method> (1) Sugar alcohol In this example, the sugar alcohols used were commercially available erythritol (product name: Erythritol, white granules), D-sorbitol (product name: Sorbitol FP, white granules), and D-mannitol (product name: Mannitol, white granules) (all manufactured by Bussan Food Science Co., Ltd.).

[0027] (2) Strains In this example, strains 1 to 4 listed in Table 1 were used. Strain 1 is described in Patent Document 4 (JP 2015-120677 A) as a bacterium causing armpit odor, and in Patent Document 5 (JP 2017-43568 A) as a bacterium causing foot odor. Strain 2 is described in Patent Document 4 as a bacterium causing armpit odor. Strain 3 is described in Patent Document 5 as a bacterium causing foot odor. Strain 4 was collected from the odorous soles of a male elementary school student. The strains were collected by placing the soles of the elementary school student's feet on LB agar medium and then culturing the LB agar medium at 30°C. [Table 1]

[0028] (3) Culture medium In this example, the following media were used: All reagents were obtained from Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. LB liquid medium (hypopolypeptone: 1 (w / v)%, yeast extract: 0.5 (w / v)%, sodium chloride: 1 (w / v)%) LB agar medium (hypopolypeptone: 1 (w / v)%, yeast extract: 0.5 (w / v)%, sodium chloride: 1 (w / v)%, agar: 1.5 (w / v)%) 802 medium (hypopolypeptone: 1 (w / v)%, yeast extract: 0.2 (w / v)%, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate: 0.1 (w / v)%, pH 7.0) Ery medium (802 medium containing 4-20% (w / v) erythritol) Man medium (802 medium containing 10 (w / v)% D-mannitol) Sol medium (802 medium containing 7-26% (w / v) D-sorbitol)

[0029] <Example 1> Examination of sugar alcohols Strains 1–4 were plated on LB agar plates and cultured stationary at 30°C for 3 days. Each strain was then inoculated into 2 mL of LB liquid medium and cultured at 30°C and 210 revolutions per minute (rpm) for 20 hours (preculture). 0.8 mL each of Ery medium, Man medium, and Sol medium containing 10% (w / v) sugar alcohol was dispensed into a 96-deep-well plate (AxyGen Scientific, Inc., CA, USA). Control plates were similarly filled with 802 medium containing no sugar alcohol. Each preculture medium (25 μL each for strains 1 and 2, 50 μL for strain 3, and 20 μL for strain 4) was inoculated into the plates and cultured at 30°C for 23 hours (main culture) using an MBR-034P shaker (Taitec, Tokyo, Japan).

[0030] The bacterial cell concentration of the culture medium from the main culture was measured by the turbidity method. Specifically, 180 μL of water was dispensed into a 96-well flat-bottom plate (4845-96F, Watson). 20 μL of the culture medium from the main culture was added to the well, and the turbidity (OD ) was measured by detecting the transmitted light intensity at a wavelength of 660 nm using a microplate reader (SpectraMax (registered trademark) M2, Molecular Devices). 660 ) was measured. Furthermore, the turbidity when the control medium was used was set to 100, and the turbidity when the medium containing sugar alcohol was used was expressed as a percentage, which was called the relative turbidity (%). The results are shown in Figure 1.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, for all strains 1 to 4, the turbidity of the culture solution was lowest when Ery medium was used. In other words, when a medium containing erythritol was used, the bacterial cell concentration was significantly lower than when other media (a medium without sugar alcohols, a medium containing D-mannitol, or a medium containing D-sorbitol) were used. These results demonstrate that erythritol can suppress the number of bacteria that cause body odor.

[0032] Example 2: Examination of concentration (1) No. 1 stock The strain No. 1 was cultured by the method described in Example 1, and the turbidity (OD 660 ) was measured. For the main culture, 2 mL of the pre-cultured culture medium was placed in a CELLreactor® filter cap centrifuge tube (Greiner Bio-One) and cultured with shaking at 30°C and 210 revolutions per minute (rpm) for 24 hours using a BioShaker BR-23FP (TAITEC). Ery medium and Sol medium with sugar alcohol concentrations of 5, 10, 15, and 20% (w / v) were used as sugar alcohol-containing media. The turbidity of the culture medium containing sugar alcohol was expressed as relative turbidity (%), with the turbidity of the control medium set at 100. The results are shown in Figure 2.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the turbidity of Ery medium was lower than that of the control and Sol medium at all sugar alcohol concentrations. In other words, when a medium containing erythritol was used, the bacterial cell concentration was significantly lower than when other media (medium containing no sugar alcohol, medium containing the same concentration of D-sorbitol) were used, regardless of the erythritol concentration. These results demonstrate that erythritol can effectively suppress the number of bacteria that cause body odor, regardless of the concentration.

[0034] (2) Strains 3 and 4 Strains 3 and 4 were cultured by the method described in Example 1, and the turbidity (OD 660The turbidity of the culture medium containing Ery medium with erythritol concentrations of 6.7, 10, 15, and 20% (w / v) and 802 medium (control) containing no sugar alcohol were measured. The turbidity of the culture medium containing Ery medium was expressed as relative turbidity (%), with the turbidity of the control medium set at 100. The results are shown in Figure 3.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, the relative turbidity was significantly lower than 100% at erythritol concentrations of 6.7, 10, 15, and 20% (w / v). In other words, when a medium containing erythritol was used, the bacterial cell concentration was significantly lower than when a medium containing no sugar alcohol was used, regardless of the erythritol concentration. These results demonstrate that erythritol can effectively suppress the number of bacteria that cause body odor, regardless of the concentration.

[0036] Example 3: Examination of odor suppression effect Patent Document 6 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-24422,

[0002] , etc.) and Patent Document 7 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-508478,

[0003] , etc.) describe that isovaleric acid is thought to be the main causative substance of foot odor, and that isovaleric acid may be produced by the enzymatic conversion of L-leucine. Therefore, body odor-causing bacteria were cultured in a medium containing L-leucine, and the odor-suppressing effect of erythritol was examined.

[0037] Specifically, strain 1 was cultured by the method described in Example 1. However, the 802 medium used was supplemented with 0.5 mg / mL of leucine and 0.2 (w / v)% of glucose. The main culture medium used was Ery medium (erythritol concentration 20 (w / v)%) and 802 medium containing no sugar alcohol (erythritol concentration 0%). The main culture time was 24 hours. The turbidity (OD ) of the culture medium used in the main culture was measured by the method described in Example 1. 660) was measured. The odor intensity was also measured using the armpit odor measurement mode of Kunkun Body (registered trademark) (Konica Minolta, Inc.). The armpit odor measurement mode measures the intensity of armpit odor by detecting the concentrations of isovaleric acid and ammonia. The results are shown in Figure 4.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4, the turbidity of the culture medium was significantly lower when the erythritol concentration in the medium was 20% (w / v) than when it was 0%. The intensity of the axillary odor was also significantly lower when the erythritol concentration was 20% (w / v) than when it was 0%. In other words, when a medium containing erythritol was used, the bacterial cell concentration in the culture medium was significantly lower than when a medium not containing erythritol was used, and the intensity of the axillary odor was also significantly lower. These results demonstrate that erythritol can suppress the number of bacteria that cause body odor and can also suppress body odor.

Claims

1. An agent for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor selected from bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium and bacteria of the genus Micrococcus, comprising erythritol as an active ingredient for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor selected from bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium and bacteria of the genus Micrococcus.

2. The agent according to claim 1, which is a body odor suppressant.

3. The agent according to claim 1, which is an agent for preventing or ameliorating axillary odor.

4. A cosmetic for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor selected from the genus Corynebacterium and the genus Micrococcus, comprising erythritol as an active ingredient for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor selected from the genus Corynebacterium and the genus Micrococcus.

5. A quasi-drug for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor selected from the genus Corynebacterium and the genus Micrococcus, comprising erythritol as an active ingredient for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor selected from the genus Corynebacterium and the genus Micrococcus.

6. A pharmaceutical for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor selected from the genus Corynebacterium and the genus Micrococcus, comprising erythritol as an active ingredient for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor selected from the genus Corynebacterium and the genus Micrococcus.

7. A sanitary product for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor selected from the genus Corynebacterium and the genus Micrococcus, comprising erythritol as an active ingredient for suppressing the number of bacteria that cause body odor selected from the genus Corynebacterium and the genus Micrococcus.

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