Soybean odor masking agent and its use

Abstract

To provide a masking agent for soy smell and a soy-smell-masked oral composition.SOLUTION: A masking agent for soy smell contains rhamnose. A soy-smell-masked oral composition contains A) soy extract and / or fermented soy hypocotyl and B) rhamnose. In the case of containing the soy extract as A), the content of the B) based on 1 pts.mass of soy isoflavone aglycone contained in the soy extract is 0.1-300 pts.mass, and, in the case of containing the fermented soy hypocotyl as A), the content of the B) based on 1 pts.mass of equol contained in the fermented soy hypocotyl is 1-2000 pts.mass.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a soybean odor masking agent and a method for masking soybean odor. The present invention also relates to an oral composition containing a soybean extract and / or a fermented soybean hypocotyl product and rhamnose. [Background technology]

[0002] Soybeans are rich in nutrients such as protein, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. However, soybeans have a distinctive soybean smell, which has been a challenge in product development. To date, for example, studies have been conducted to improve the taste of equol, a metabolite of isoflavone contained in soybeans (Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-106905 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-200451 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a technology for masking soybean odor. More specifically, the first objective is to provide a soybean odor masking agent. The second objective is to provide an oral composition in which the soybean odor is masked. The third objective is to provide a method for masking the soybean odor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above problems and have found that rhamnose has the effect of masking the soybean odor. Based on this finding and through further research, the present invention has been completed and includes the following embodiments.

[0006] Section 1. A soybean odor masking agent containing rhamnose. Section 2. A) soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl, and B) Rhamnose An oral composition comprising: Section 3. When the soybean extract is contained as A), the content of B) is 0.1 to 300 parts by mass relative to 1 part by mass of soy isoflavone aglycone contained in the soybean extract; When the A) contains a fermented soybean hypocotyl, the content of B) is 1 to 2000 parts by mass per part by mass of equol contained in the fermented soybean hypocotyl; Item 3. The oral composition according to Item 2. Section 4. Item 4. The oral composition according to Item 2 or 3, wherein the content of B) is 0.1% by mass or more. Section 5. Item 5. The oral composition according to any one of Items 2 to 4, wherein the oral composition is a food or drink. Section 6. Item 6. The oral composition according to any one of Items 2 to 5, wherein the oral composition is a beverage. Section 7. A) soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl, and B) A method for masking soybean odor, comprising mixing rhamnose. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention provides a soybean odor masking agent and a method for masking the soybean odor, as well as an oral composition containing a soybean extract and / or a fermented soybean hypocotyl product in which the soybean odor has been masked. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In the present invention, "soybean smell" refers to the soybean-specific smell (retronasal) that is sensed from the back of the throat through the oral cavity and into the nasal cavity when a soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl is held in the mouth or swallowed. However, it may also be a smell that is perceived as a combination of the retronasal smell and the smell sensed directly by the nose (orthonasal). More specifically, "soybean smell" is a smell that is a combination of the beany smell of soybeans (sometimes referred to as "beany smell" in the present invention) and the grassy smell of soybeans (sometimes referred to as "gray smell" in the present invention).

[0009] In the present invention, "masking the soybean odor" includes both cases where the soybean odor is eliminated and cases where the soybean odor is reduced, if not eliminated. Specifically, the soybean odor is masked as long as both the bean odor and the grassy odor are reduced or eliminated.

[0010] (1) Soybean odor masking agent The soybean odor masking agent of the present invention is characterized by containing rhamnose. In this specification, the masking agent may be referred to as the "masking agent of the present invention."

[0011] Rhamnose may be a natural or synthetic product, and may be purified from a natural product or commercially available, without particular limitation. It may be rhamnose itself or a solvate such as a hydrate. An example of a solvate is L-rhamnose monohydrate from Sigma. Furthermore, as listed in the existing voluntary standards for food additives, glycosides contained in rutin extracts, or products obtained by fermenting and concentrating and separating fats and oils, may also be used, which are hydrolyzed, separated, and purified.

[0012] The content of rhamnose contained in the masking agent of the present invention is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately up to a limit of 100% by mass.

[0013] The masking agent of the present invention may contain other components in addition to rhamnose. Examples of such other components include carriers (bases) and additives (e.g., excipients, dispersants, emulsifiers, buffers, stabilizers, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, antioxidants, preservatives, coating agents, colorants, etc.) that can be incorporated into foods, beverages, or pharmaceuticals. Examples of excipients include oligosaccharides such as isomaltooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, and fructooligosaccharides; polysaccharides such as dextrin, cellulose, gum arabic, and starch (e.g., cornstarch); sugars such as lactose, glucose, fructose, sugar, sucrose, maltose, starch syrup, honey, invert sugar, syrup, and isomerized sugars (e.g., high-fructose corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, and high-fructose corn syrup); and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, erythritol, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol, and reduced palatinose.

[0014] The form of the masking agent of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, it may be in a liquid form (e.g., a solution, a suspension, etc.), a paste form, or a solid form (e.g., a powder, a granule, etc.). A solid form is preferred, and a powder form is more preferred.

[0015] The masking agent of the present invention can be used to mask the soybean odor by blending it with a composition containing a soybean extract and / or a fermented soybean hypocotyl.

[0016] The raw materials and production methods of the soybean extract targeted by the masking agent of the present invention are not particularly limited. Examples of raw materials include whole soybeans, soybean germs (hypocotyls), dehulled soybeans, extracted soybeans, isolated soybeans, defatted soybeans, soy protein, soy sauce oil, soy sauce cake, tamari cake, miso, soybean miso, natto, fermented soybeans, soybean cake, soybean cooking liquid, and combinations thereof. Examples of extraction solvents for soybean extract include water, alcohols (e.g., methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, etc.), ethers (e.g., acetone, etc.), and water-alcohol mixtures (e.g., water-ethanol mixtures), with water and / or ethanol being preferred. Purified soybean extracts can also be used as needed. Commercially available soybean extracts include "Fujiflavone P10" (Fujicco Co., Ltd.), "Isoflavone-20" (Tama Biochemical Co., Ltd.), "AglyMax-30" (Nichimo Biotics Co., Ltd.), "Isomax-10" (Tokiwa Phytochemical Research Institute Co., Ltd.), and "Isoflavone Aglycone 30E" (Kikkoman Biochemifa Co., Ltd.). The soybean extract may also be soy milk.

[0017] The soybean extract targeted by the masking agent of the present invention preferably contains, for example, soybean isoflavones. In this specification, "soybean isoflavones" is not limited to soybean isoflavone aglycones but also includes soybean isoflavone glycosides, acetylated versions of these glycosides, malonyl versions, and other soybean isoflavone derivatives. Soybean isoflavones may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of soybean isoflavone aglycones include genistein, daidzein, and glycitein, while examples of soybean isoflavone glycosides include genistin, daidzin, and glycitin. The soybean extract may also contain metabolites of soybean isoflavones, such as equol.

[0018] The method for producing the fermented soybean hypocotyl that is the target of the masking agent of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5946489, a method in which an appropriate amount of water is added to soybean hypocotyl to adjust the moisture content, and then a microorganism (more preferably, an equol-producing microorganism) is inoculated thereto, may be mentioned. The fermented soybean hypocotyl may also contain metabolites of soy isoflavones such as equol.

[0019] The timing and method for blending the masking agent of the present invention into a composition containing a soybean extract and / or a fermented soybean hypocotyl are not particularly limited and can be selected appropriately. The blending ratio of the masking agent of the present invention to the composition containing soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl can be appropriately set depending on the rhamnose content in the masking agent of the present invention, etc.

[0020] When the masking agent of the present invention is incorporated into a composition containing a soybean extract, the amount of the masking agent of the present invention can be, for example, 0.1 to 300 parts by mass in terms of the amount of rhamnose incorporated per 1 part by mass of soybean isoflavone aglycone contained in the soybean extract. The lower limit of the range may be, for example, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 parts by weight, and the upper limit of these ranges may be, for example, 300, 280, 250, 220, 200, 180, or 170 parts by weight. More specifically, for example, 0.5 to 300 parts by mass, 0.5 to 200 parts by mass, 1 to 300 parts by mass, 1 to 250 parts by mass, 1 to 200 parts by mass, 3 to 300 parts by mass, 3 to 250 parts by mass, 3 to 200 parts by mass, 5 to 300 parts by mass, 5-250 parts by mass, 5-200 parts by mass, 7-300 parts by mass, 7-250 parts by mass, 7-200 parts by mass, 8-300 parts by mass, 8-250 parts by mass, 8-200 parts by mass, 10-300 parts by mass, 10-250 parts by mass, 10-200 parts by mass parts by mass, 20 to 300 parts by mass, 20 to 250 parts by mass, 20 to 200 parts by mass, 30 to 300 parts by mass, 30 to 250 parts by mass, 30 to 200 parts by mass, 40 to 300 parts by mass, 40 to 250 parts by mass, 40 to 200 parts by mass, 60 to 300 parts by mass, 60 to 250 parts by mass, 60 to 200 parts by mass, 70 to 300 parts by mass, 70 to 250 parts by mass, or 70 to 200 parts by mass, preferably 4 to 250 parts by mass, and more preferably 5 to 200 parts by mass.

[0021] When the masking agent of the present invention is incorporated into a composition containing fermented soybean hypocotyl, the amount of the masking agent of the present invention can be, for example, 1 to 2000 parts by mass of rhamnose per 1 part by mass of equol contained in the fermented soybean hypocotyl. The lower limit of the range may be, for example, 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, or 100 parts by weight, and the upper limit of the range may be, for example, 2000, 1800, 1500, 1000, 800, 600, 500, or 400 parts by weight.

[0022] Furthermore, when the masking agent of the present invention is blended into a composition containing a soybean extract and a fermented soybean hypocotyl, the blending amount of the masking agent of the present invention can be, for example, the total amount in the range exemplified for the blending amount of rhamnose for the soybean extract and the fermented soybean hypocotyl described above.

[0023] As shown in the Examples below, the masking of the soybean odor can be evaluated by comparing the soybean odor of a composition containing soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl obtained by adding a soybean odor masking agent to a composition containing soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl, with the soybean odor of a composition containing soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl before the addition of the soybean odor masking agent. Specifically, if the soybean odor is perceived to be reduced or eliminated by the addition of the soybean odor masking agent compared to the composition before the addition of the soybean odor masking agent, the soybean odor masking agent is determined to be a masking agent of the present invention.

[0024] (2) Oral composition containing soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl The present invention also encompasses an oral composition containing a soybean extract and / or a fermented soybean hypocotyl and rhamnose. In this specification, such an oral composition may be referred to as the "oral composition of the present invention."

[0025] The content of rhamnose in the oral composition of the present invention is not particularly limited and can be, for example, 0.01 to 30% by mass. The lower limit of this range may be, for example, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.08, 0.1, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5% by mass, and the upper limit of this range may be, for example, 30, 28, 25, 20, 15, 13, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, or 2% by mass. More specifically, for example, 0.01-20% by mass, 0.01-10% by mass, 0.01-5% by mass, 0.01-3% by mass, 0.01-2% by mass, 0.03-10% by mass, 0.03-5% by mass, 0.03-3% by mass, 0.03-2% by mass, 0.05-20% by mass, 0.05-10% by mass, 0.0 5~5% by mass, 0.05~3% by mass, 0.05~2% by mass, 0.05~1.5% by mass, 0.08~30% by mass, 0.08~20% by mass, 0.08 ~10% by mass, 0.08~5% by mass, 0.08~3% by mass, 0.08~2% by mass, 0.08~1.5% by mass, 0.1~30% by mass, 0.1~20 mass%, 0.1 to 10 mass%, 0.1 to 5 mass%, 0.1 to 3 mass%, 0.1 to 2 mass%, 0.1 to 1.5 mass%, 0.2 to 20 mass%, 0.2 to 10 mass%, 0.2 to 5 mass%, 0.2 to 3 mass%, 0.2 to 2.5 mass%, 0.2 to 2 mass%, 0.2 to 1.5 mass%, 0.4 to 30 mass%, 0.4 to 20 mass%, 0.4 to 10 mass%, 0.4 to 5 mass%, 0.4 to 3 mass%, 0.4 to 2.5 mass%, 0.4 to 2 mass%, or 0.4 to 1.5 mass%, and is preferably 0.05 to 5 mass%, more preferably 0.05 to 3 mass%, and even more preferably 0.05 to 2 mass%. Furthermore, since rhamnose has a sweet taste, for example, by setting the content of rhamnose in the oral composition of the present invention to 0.1 to 0.5 mass%, the oral composition of the present invention can mask the soybean odor without exhibiting the sweetness of rhamnose.

[0026] Furthermore, the content of rhamnose contained in the oral composition of the present invention can be, for example, 10 to 2000 mg, preferably 50 to 1500 mg, and more preferably 100 to 1000 mg, as a daily intake amount.

[0027] The soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl contained in the oral composition of the present invention can be described in the same manner as described above regarding the soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl targeted by the masking agent of the present invention. Furthermore, with regard to the mass ratio of the soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl to rhamnose, the description of the blending ratio of the masking agent of the present invention to the composition containing the soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl described above in "(1) Soybean odor masking agent" can be used.

[0028] When the oral composition of the present invention contains a soybean extract, the content of the soybean extract contained in the composition is not particularly limited and can be, for example, 0.001 to 99.9% by mass, preferably 0.01 to 50% by mass, and more preferably 0.01 to 30% by mass, calculated as soy isoflavone aglycones. The lower limit of the range may be, for example, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, or 0.01% by mass, and the upper limit of the range may be, for example, 99.9, 90, 60, 50, 25, 20, 15, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.8, 0.6, 0.5, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, 0.08, 0.06, 0.05, 0.03, or 0.02% by mass.

[0029] When the oral composition of the present invention contains a fermented soybean hypocotyl, the amount of the fermented soybean hypocotyl contained in the composition is not particularly limited and can be, for example, 0.001 to 99.9% by mass, preferably 0.01 to 50% by mass, and more preferably 0.01 to 30% by mass, calculated as equol. The lower limit of this range may be, for example, 0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, or 1% by mass, and the upper limit of this range may be, for example, 99.9, 90, 60, 50, 30, 20, 15, 10, 8, 6, or 5% by mass.

[0030] Furthermore, when the oral composition of the present invention contains a soybean extract, the content of the soybean extract contained in the composition, converted into soy isoflavone aglycone, can be, for example, 1 to 75 mg, 1 to 60 mg, 1 to 50 mg, or 1 to 40 mg as a daily intake amount, preferably 3 to 30 mg, more preferably 5 to 30 mg, even more preferably 10 to 30 mg, and still more preferably 20 to 30 mg. Furthermore, when the oral composition of the present invention contains a fermented soybean hypocotyl, the amount of fermented soybean hypocotyl contained in the composition, converted into equol, can be, for example, 0.1 to 20 mg, preferably 0.5 to 20 mg, more preferably 1 to 15 mg, and even more preferably 1 to 10 mg, as a daily intake.

[0031] The oral composition of the present invention may contain, in addition to the soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl, and rhamnose (e.g., the masking agent of the present invention described above), other ingredients. Examples of such other ingredients include carriers (bases) and additives (e.g., excipients, dispersants, emulsifiers, buffers, stabilizers, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, antioxidants, preservatives, coating agents, colorants, etc.) that can be incorporated into foods, beverages, or pharmaceuticals. Examples of excipients include oligosaccharides such as isomaltooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, and fructooligosaccharides; polysaccharides such as dextrin, cellulose, gum arabic, and starch (corn starch, etc.); sugars such as lactose, glucose, fructose, sugar, sucrose, maltose, starch syrup, honey, invert sugar, syrup, and isomerized sugar (e.g., high-fructose corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, glucose-fructose corn syrup, etc.); and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, erythritol, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol, and reduced palatinose.

[0032] Examples of the oral composition of the present invention include foods and beverages, oral pharmaceuticals, and oral quasi-drugs. Among these, foods and beverages are preferred, and beverages are more preferred. Since beverages are mostly composed of water, they tend to have a more noticeable soybean odor than other foods. However, the present invention also has an excellent effect on beverages containing soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl.

[0033] Rhamnose (for example, the masking agent of the present invention described above) can be added at any stage in the process of producing the oral composition of the present invention, and the timing and method of addition are not particularly limited.

[0034] The oral composition of the present invention is characterized in that the soybean odor is masked by containing soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl, and rhamnose (for example, the masking agent of the present invention described above).

[0035] As shown in the Examples below, the masking of the soybean odor can be evaluated by comparing the soybean odor of a composition containing a soy extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl and rhamnose with that of a composition of the same composition except that it does not contain rhamnose. Specifically, if the soybean odor is perceived to be reduced or eliminated by the inclusion of rhamnose compared to a composition of the same composition except that it does not contain rhamnose, it is determined that the soybean odor is masked.

[0036] (3) Soybean odor masking method The present invention also encompasses a method for masking soybean odor, which comprises mixing a soybean extract and / or a fermented soybean hypocotyl product with rhamnose. In this specification, this method may be referred to as the "masking method of the present invention."

[0037] The soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl targeted by the masking method of the present invention can be described in the same manner as above with respect to the soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl targeted by the masking agent of the present invention.

[0038] The mixing ratio of the soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl to rhamnose can be set as appropriate. Furthermore, the mixing ratio of the soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl to rhamnose can be determined by reference to the description of the blending ratio of the masking agent of the present invention to the composition containing the soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl described above in "(1) Soybean odor masking agent."

[0039] The method for mixing the soybean extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl product with rhamnose is not particularly limited and can be selected appropriately.

[0040] Whether or not the soybean odor has been masked can be evaluated by comparing the soybean odor of a composition containing soy extract and / or fermented soybean hypocotyl and rhamnose, as described above, with that of a composition having the same composition except that rhamnose is not added.

[0041] In this specification, the term "comprising" includes "consisting essentially of" and "consisting of." Furthermore, the present invention encompasses all embodiments in which the constituent elements described in this specification are combined in any desired manner.

[0042] Furthermore, the various characteristics (properties, structures, functions, etc.) described in each embodiment of the present invention may be combined in any way to specify the subject matter encompassed by the present invention. In other words, the present invention encompasses all subject matter consisting of any combination of the combinable characteristics described herein. [Example]

[0043] The present invention will be specifically explained using the following experimental examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples. In the following, unless otherwise specified, experiments were carried out under atmospheric pressure and room temperature conditions. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, "%" means "% by mass."

[0044] Experimental Example 1: Evaluation of the soybean odor masking effect of rhamnose The soybean extract was dissolved in deionized water to a concentration of 25 mg / 200 mL in terms of soybean isoflavone aglycone. The soybean extract used was Fujiflavone P10 (manufactured by Fujicco Co., Ltd.). Rhamnose was dissolved in this solution to the concentration (0.1-1.0%) shown in Table 1, and this was used as the test sample to evaluate the masking effect of rhamnose on the beany and grassy odors caused by the soy extract. For comparison, a soy extract aqueous solution without added rhamnose (positive control) and deionized water (negative control) were also prepared.

[0045] The beany smell and grassy smell of the prepared test samples were evaluated by a panel of six people according to the following evaluation criteria. The evaluation was carried out by comparing the beany smell and grassy smell of the test samples with those of the positive control and negative control. Evaluation criteria for bean flavor The test was conducted after the panel members had confirmed and agreed on the beany smell of soybeans in advance. The beany smell was evaluated on a 5-point scale, determined by mutual agreement among the panels, with a score of 1 being the same as that of a soy extract solution containing no rhamnose (positive control) and a score of 5 being the same as that of deionized water (negative control). Evaluation criteria for greenness The test was conducted after the panelists had confirmed and agreed on the grassy smell of soybeans in advance. The grassy smell was evaluated on a 5-point scale, determined by mutual agreement among the panels, with a score of 1 being the same as that of a soybean extract solution containing no rhamnose (positive control) and a score of 5 being the same as that of deionized water (negative control). The evaluation results are also shown in Table 1. The results show the average value of the panel.

[0046] [Table 1]

[0047] As shown in Table 1, it was confirmed that the beany smell and grassy smell were reduced by blending 8 to 80 parts by mass of rhamnose per part by mass of soy isoflavone aglycone. It was found that rhamnose can mask the soybean smell.

[0048] Experimental Example 2: Evaluation of the soybean odor masking effect of rhamnose Test samples were prepared in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1, except that the soybean extract was dissolved in deionized water to a concentration of 12.5 mg / 200 mL in terms of soybean isoflavone aglycone, and the soybean odor masking effect was evaluated. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2. The results show the average values ​​of the panels.

[0049] [Table 2]

[0050] As shown in Table 2, it was confirmed that the beany smell and grassy smell were reduced by blending 16 to 160 parts by mass of rhamnose per part by mass of soy isoflavone aglycone. It was found that rhamnose can mask the soybean smell.

Claims

1. A method for using rhamnose as a soybean odor masking agent, comprising: The method for using rhamnose in an oral composition containing a soybean extract at a concentration of 0.05 to 5% by mass and in a proportion of 8 to 200 parts by mass per part by mass of soybean isoflavone aglycone in the soybean extract.

2. A) soybean extract, and B) Rhamnose is 0.05 to 5% by mass, and the ratio is 8 to 200 parts by mass per part by mass of soy isoflavone aglycone in the soy extract. An oral composition comprising:

3. The oral composition according to claim 2 , wherein the oral composition is a food or beverage.

4. The oral composition according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the oral composition is a beverage.

5. A) A method for masking the soybean flavor of a soy extract, comprising: The component A) B) Rhamnose is added to a final concentration of 0.05 to 5% by mass in a ratio of 8 to 200 parts by mass per part by mass of soy isoflavone aglycone in the soy extract. A method for masking soybean odor, comprising: mixing

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