Eye fatigue reducing agent and food and drink for reducing eye fatigue

Abstract

Provided is an eye fatigue reducing agent that contains a component derived from lactic acid bacteria and that can reduce eye fatigue. The eye fatigue reducing agent contains, as an active ingredient, a component derived from Lactobacillus crispatus. The component derived from lactic acid bacteria may include at least one selected from the group consisting of viable cells of Lactobacillus crispatus, dead cells of Lactobacillus crispatus, and processed products thereof.

Description

Eye strain relief agents and food and beverages for reducing eye strain

[0001] This invention relates to an eye strain reducing agent and food and beverages for reducing eye strain.

[0002] Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, when ingested in appropriate amounts, have beneficial effects on the host's health. Probiotics are believed to have effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and immune-boosting properties. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-524747 states that a specific strain of Lactobacillus crispatus, a type of lactic acid bacteria, has therapeutic effects against allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis.

[0003] One aspect of the present invention aims to provide an eye fatigue reliever and a food or beverage for reducing eye fatigue, which contain components derived from lactic acid bacteria and can reduce eye fatigue.

[0004] The first embodiment is an eye fatigue reliever containing an active ingredient derived from the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus crispatus. The lactic acid bacterium derived ingredient may include at least one selected from the group consisting of live Lactobacillus crispatus cells, dead Lactobacillus crispatus cells, and processed products thereof. The processed product may include at least one processed product selected from the group consisting of concentrate, dried product, liquefied product, diluted product, crushed product, sterilized product, extract, fermented product, and frozen product of Lactobacillus crispatus. The eye fatigue reliever may exhibit at least one action selected from the group consisting of improving the eye's focusing ability, reducing dryness of the eyes, reducing stiff shoulders, reducing stiff lower back, reducing blurred vision, and reducing the feeling of eye fatigue.

[0005] The second embodiment is a food or beverage for reducing eye strain, containing as an active ingredient a component derived from the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus crispatus. The component derived from the lactic acid bacterium may include at least one selected from the group consisting of live Lactobacillus crispatus cells, dead Lactobacillus crispatus cells, and processed products thereof. The processed product may also include at least one processed product selected from the group consisting of concentrate, dried product, liquefied product, diluted product, crushed product, sterilized product, extract, fermented product, and frozen product of Lactobacillus crispatus. The food or beverage may exhibit at least one effect selected from the group consisting of improving the eye's focusing ability, reducing dryness of the eyes, reducing stiff shoulders, reducing stiff lower back, reducing blurred vision, and reducing eye fatigue.

[0006] The third embodiment is Lactobacillus crispatus strain CP1518 (accession number NITE BP-04156).

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an eye fatigue reliever and a food or beverage for relieving eye fatigue, which contain components derived from lactic acid bacteria and can reduce eye fatigue.

[0008] This is a conceptual diagram showing the test schedule for a long-term intake study. This is a diagram showing the effect of the test drug on blurred vision in a long-term intake study. This is a diagram showing the effect of the test drug on dry eyes in a long-term intake study. This is a diagram showing the effect of the test drug on load adjustment ability in a long-term intake study. This is a conceptual diagram showing the test schedule for a single-dose intake study. This is a diagram showing the effect of the test beverage on eye fatigue in a single-dose intake study. This is a diagram showing the effect of the test beverage on dry eyes in a single-dose intake study. This is a diagram showing the effect of the test beverage on shoulder and lower back stiffness in a single-dose intake study.

[0009] In this specification, the term "process" includes not only independent processes but also processes that cannot be clearly distinguished from other processes, as long as their intended purpose is achieved. Furthermore, the content of each component in a composition refers to the total amount of multiple substances present in the composition, unless otherwise specified, if multiple substances corresponding to each component exist in the composition. In addition, the upper and lower limits of the numerical ranges described herein can be arbitrarily selected and combined from the numerical values ​​exemplified as numerical ranges. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. However, the embodiments shown below are examples of eye fatigue reducing agents and food and beverages for reducing eye fatigue that embody the technical concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the eye fatigue reducing agents and food and beverages for reducing eye fatigue shown below. Furthermore, in this specification, "eye" and "eyes" are understood to be synonymous, and "dry" and "thirsty" are also understood to be synonymous.

[0010] In one embodiment, the eye fatigue reliever contains an active ingredient derived from the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus crispatus. By ingesting an ingredient derived from a specific species of lactic acid bacterium, eye fatigue can be reduced. Here, "eye fatigue" refers to a state of eye fatigue induced by external stimuli.

[0011] External stimuli that induce eye strain include, for example, light stimuli. External stimuli may also include phototoxicity that causes retinal inflammation. Examples of light that induces eye strain and phototoxicity include light with a wavelength of 380 nm to 530 nm, and in one aspect, light with a wavelength of 380 nm to 495 nm (blue light).

[0012] Eye fatigue can manifest as various types of eye discomfort. Specifically, these discomforts include eye fatigue, dry eyes, decreased focusing ability, blurred vision, stiff shoulders, stiff lower back, a feeling of eye fatigue, and a heavy feeling in the head. A typical example of "eye fatigue" is eye fatigue caused by VDT work. Furthermore, "eye fatigue" includes both physiological eye fatigue, which is a simple feeling of eye fatigue, and pathological eye fatigue, which is perceived as an unpleasant feeling of fatigue that does not fully recover with rest. While pathological eye fatigue is sometimes clinically referred to as asthenopia, generally, "eye fatigue" is used synonymously with asthenopia. For example, see Nanzando Medical Dictionary, 20th Edition, April 2015 (Nanzando Co., Ltd.). Therefore, in this specification, "eye fatigue" is used to include "asthenopia."

[0013] In this specification, eye fatigue, or any uncomfortable eye condition, includes objectively or subjectively, a state of eye fatigue, dry eyes, and so on. More specifically, these conditions may objectively manifest as numerical values ​​such as refractive power, visual acuity, flicker value (fatigue), accommodation (focus), tear volume, and contrast sensitivity. Subjectively, eye fatigue may be accompanied not only by sensations in the eyes but also by sensations in other parts of the body. For example, eye pain, blurred vision, watery eyes, stiff shoulders, stiff lower back, eye fatigue, flickering vision, double vision, irritability, a heavy feeling in the head, headache, a gritty feeling in the eyes, heavy eyelids, red eyes, difficulty keeping the eyes open, blurred vision when using the eyes, sensitivity to light, worsening of eye symptoms when reading newspapers, magazines, or books, decreased concentration due to eye symptoms, interference with work, housework, or studying due to eye symptoms, tendency to avoid going out due to eye symptoms, and general malaise due to eye symptoms. When the eyes are dry, sensations may be present not only in the eyes but also in other parts of the body. For example, symptoms may include a gritty feeling in the eyes (foreign body sensation), dryness, eye pain, eye fatigue, heavy eyelids, redness of the eyes, difficulty keeping the eyes open, blurred vision when using the eyes, sensitivity to light, worsening of eye symptoms when reading newspapers, magazines, or books, decreased concentration due to eye symptoms, interference with work, housework, or studying due to eye symptoms, reluctance to go out due to eye symptoms, and general malaise due to eye symptoms.

[0014] Reducing eye fatigue includes suppressing the worsening of eye fatigue, suppressing the onset of eye fatigue, improving eye fatigue, alleviating eye fatigue, and recovering from eye fatigue. It may also include preventing eye fatigue and preventing eye fatigue. Reducing eye fatigue by taking an eye fatigue reducer may include reducing uncomfortable eye conditions and may include at least one selected from the group consisting of improving the eye's focusing ability, reducing dryness of the eyes, reducing stiff shoulders, reducing stiff lower back, reducing blurred vision, and reducing the feeling of eye fatigue.

[0015] The effect of eye strain reducers on reducing eye fatigue is evaluated by subjective or objective assessment. Subjective assessment can be conducted using a VAS questionnaire, for example, regarding symptoms such as eye fatigue, dry eyes, blurred vision, and stiffness in the shoulders and lower back. Objective assessment can be conducted by measuring accommodative power to assess focusing ability and eye fatigue.

[0016] The active ingredient in the eye strain reducer is derived from lactic acid bacteria and may include live lactic acid bacteria, dead lactic acid bacteria, and processed products of at least one of live and dead lactic acid bacteria. The eye strain reducer may contain at least one selected from this group. From the viewpoint of reducing eye strain, the lactic acid bacteria species may include at least species of the genus Lactobacillus, for example, at least Lactobacillus crispatus. The strain of Lactobacillus crispatus is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of reducing eye strain, for example, strain CP1518 may be included. Furthermore, Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain was internationally deposited with the Patent Microorganism Depository Center of the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) on September 19, 2024, under accession number: NITE BP-04156. For eye fatigue relief agents, strains equivalent to Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain can also be used. Here, equivalent strains refer to strains derived from (derived from) strain CP1518, strains from which strain CP1518 originates or descendant strains of such strains, or strains whose 16S rDNA base sequence homology to strain CP1518 is, for example, 98.7% or more, preferably 99.0% or more, more preferably 99.5% or more, and even more preferably 99.8% or more.

[0017] The active ingredient derived from lactic acid bacteria may be a culture of lactic acid bacteria. The culture may contain at least one of live and dead lactic acid bacteria. Dead bacteria may be obtained, for example, by subjecting live bacteria or a culture containing live bacteria to heat treatment, drying treatment, freezing treatment, drug treatment such as antibiotics, chemical treatment such as formalin, ultraviolet treatment, or radiation treatment such as gamma rays. Furthermore, the ingredient derived from lactic acid bacteria may be a processed product of at least one of live and dead lactic acid bacteria. The processed product may contain at least one selected from the group consisting of lactic acid bacteria concentrate, dried product, liquefied product, diluted product, crushed product, sterilized product, fermented product, and frozen product. Dried products include heat-dried products, freeze-dried products, etc.

[0018] The culture medium for culturing lactic acid bacteria is not particularly limited as long as it is a medium in which lactic acid bacteria can grow, and can be appropriately selected from commonly used culture media for lactic acid bacteria cultivation, modified culture media, etc. Furthermore, the carbon source, nitrogen source, etc., contained in the culture medium for culturing lactic acid bacteria are not particularly limited. For example, as a carbon source, at least one selected from the group consisting of glucose, sucrose, lactose, molasses, etc., which are commonly used in the cultivation of microorganisms, can be used. As a nitrogen source, at least one selected from the group consisting of peptone, casein, casein hydrolysates, whey, whey hydrolysates, etc. The culture medium may also contain at least one source of other nutrients selected from the group consisting of corn stippler (CSL), yeast extract, meat extract, liver extract, tomato juice, etc. Furthermore, the culture medium for culturing lactic acid bacteria may be appropriately supplemented with reducing agents such as L-cysteine, vitamins, nucleic acid-related substances, acetates, citrates, fatty acid esters, growth-promoting factors such as Tween 80 (particularly preferred), and compounds that can impart buffering capacity such as phosphates. Examples of culture media that can be used for culturing lactic acid bacteria strains include synthetic media such as MRS medium, juices from vegetables and fruits, and media commonly used in the production of fermented milk such as milk, soy milk, and reduced skim milk powder media.

[0019] Lactic acid bacteria can be cultured using methods such as static culture or neutralization culture with controlled pH, and there are no particular restrictions on the culture method as long as the conditions are suitable for the growth of lactic acid bacteria. For example, lactic acid bacteria can be cultured according to the standard method for culturing lactic acid bacteria, and the resulting culture can be obtained by collection methods such as centrifugation.

[0020] The form of the eye strain reliever is not particularly limited and may be in the form of a pharmaceutical product, quasi-drug, etc. The dosage form may be an oral preparation such as a tablet, pill, capsule, granule, powder, lozenge, syrup, or liquid. These preparations can be manufactured according to known methods using excipients, lubricants, binders, disintegrants, stabilizers, flavoring agents, diluents, coating agents, and other optional additives.

[0021] Examples of excipients include lactose, sucrose, glucose, mannitol, sorbitol, corn starch, potato starch, crystalline cellulose, acacia gum, dextran, dextrin, pullulan, light anhydrous silicic acid, synthetic aluminum silicate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydrogen phosphate, etc. Examples of lubricants include stearic acid, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, talc, colloidal silica, etc. Examples of binders include hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, macrogol, etc. Examples of disintegrants include low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, calcium carboxymethylcellulose, carboxymethyl starch, sodium carboxymethyl starch, cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone, etc. Examples of stabilizers include methylparaben, propylparaben, benzyl alcohol, etc. Flavoring and deodorizing agents are appropriately selected from commonly used sweeteners, acidulants, flavorings, etc.

[0022] The eye strain reliever can also be made up of food or beverages such as ordinary foods, health foods, health supplements, foods with functional claims, foods for specified health uses, and foods with nutritional function claims. In other words, this embodiment includes food or beverages for relieving eye strain. Food or beverages for relieving eye strain may be food or beverages for relieving uncomfortable eye conditions, and may include food or beverages that have at least one use selected from the group consisting of food or beverages for improving the eye's focusing ability, food or beverages for relieving dry eyes, food or beverages for relieving stiff shoulders, food or beverages for relieving stiff lower back, food or beverages for relieving blurred vision, and food or beverages for relieving the feeling of eye fatigue.

[0023] Food and beverages may be composed of ingredients derived from lactic acid bacteria, and may be composed of ingredients derived from lactic acid bacteria added to the raw materials during the manufacturing process of the food and beverages. Specific examples of food and beverages include nutritional supplements, soft drinks, fruit juices, milk, processed milk, milk beverages, fermented milk, dairy products such as yogurt and cheese, egg products such as mayonnaise, jelly, candy, gummy candy, gum, biscuits, crackers, butter cakes and other confectionery, bread, etc. The lactic acid bacteria from which the ingredients in the food and beverages are derived may include at least Lactobacillus bacteria, at least Lactobacillus crispatus, and at least Lactobacillus crispatus strain CP1518.

[0024] In the production of food and drink products, other food materials, namely various saccharides, emulsifiers, thickeners, sweeteners, acidulants, flavors, amino acids, fruit juices, etc. can be added as appropriate. Specifically, saccharides such as sucrose, isomerized sugar, glucose, fructose, palatinose, trehalose, lactose, xylose, etc., sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, lactitol, palatinit, reduced starch syrup, reduced maltose syrup, etc., high-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame, stevia, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, etc.; emulsifiers such as sucrose fatty acid ester, glycerin fatty acid ester, lecithin, etc., thickening (stabilizing) agents such as carrageenan, xanthan gum, guar gum, pectin, locust bean gum, etc., acidulants such as citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, etc., fruit juices such as lemon juice, orange juice, berry-based juice, etc. At least one selected from the above can be added as appropriate. In addition to this, vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B group, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, etc., minerals such as calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, etc. may also be added.

[0025] The daily intake of the eye fatigue reliever and the food and drink product for relieving eye fatigue is, for example, in the case of adults, with respect to the component derived from lactic acid bacteria as the cell count, 1×10 ３ or more and 1×10 １０ or less, 1×10 ３ or more and 1×10 ８ or less, 1×10 ３ or more and 1×10 ７ or less, 1×10 ４ or more and 1×10 ６ or less, or 1×10 ５ or more and 1×10 ６ or less, and can be set as the content. Also, the daily intake can be, for example, 0.01 mg or more and 1000 mg or less, 0.05 mg or more and 500 mg or less, 0.1 mg or more and 100 mg or less, 0.5 mg or more and 50 mg or less, or 1 mg or more and 10 mg or less as the dry mass of the dead cells of lactic acid bacteria. The content ratio of the component derived from lactic acid bacteria in the eye fatigue reliever, etc. is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted according to the ease of production, the preferable daily intake, etc. The intake of the eye fatigue reliever and the food and drink product for relieving eye fatigue is not particularly limited, but generally is taken orally.

[0026] The period during which eye strain relief agents can be expected to reduce eye strain may be, for example, one day or more, three days or more, one week or more, two weeks or more, four weeks or more, six weeks or more, or eight weeks or more.

[0027] This embodiment includes a method for reducing eye fatigue, which involves administering an eye fatigue-reducing agent to a target. The target to whom the eye fatigue-reducing agent is administered is, for example, a mammal, which includes humans. The target may also be a non-human animal. The target to whom the eye fatigue-reducing agent is administered may be male or female adult humans.

[0028] This embodiment also includes the use of a component derived from Lactobacillus crispatus lactic acid bacteria in the manufacture of an eye fatigue reliever used to alleviate eye fatigue, the use of a component derived from Lactobacillus crispatus lactic acid bacteria in a method for alleviating eye fatigue, and a component derived from Lactobacillus crispatus lactic acid bacteria used in a method for alleviating eye fatigue. Furthermore, this embodiment also includes the use of a component derived from Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain in the manufacture of an eye fatigue reliever used to alleviate eye fatigue, the use of a component derived from Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain in a method for alleviating eye fatigue, and a component derived from Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain used in a method for alleviating eye fatigue.

[0029] The invention relating to this disclosure may encompass, for example, the following embodiments: [1] An eye fatigue reliever containing a component derived from a lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus crispatus, as an active ingredient.

[0030] [2] The eye fatigue relief agent according to [1], wherein the component derived from the lactic acid bacteria comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of live cells of Lactobacillus crispatus, dead cells of Lactobacillus crispatus, and processed products thereof.

[0031] [3] The eye fatigue relief agent according to [2], wherein the processed product comprises at least one processed product selected from the group consisting of concentrate, dried product, liquefied product, diluted product, crushed product, sterilized product, extract, fermented product and frozen product of Lactobacillus crispatus.

[0032] [4] An eye fatigue reliever according to any one of [1] to [3], which exhibits at least one selected from the group consisting of improvement of eye focusing ability, reduction of eye dryness (thirst), reduction of shoulder stiffness, reduction of lower back stiffness, reduction of eye cloudiness, and reduction of eye fatigue.

[0033] [5] A food or drink for reducing eye fatigue, which contains a component derived from a lactic acid bacterium that is Lactobacillus crispatus as an active ingredient.

[0034] [6] The food or drink according to [5], wherein the component derived from the lactic acid bacterium contains at least one selected from the group consisting of live cells of Lactobacillus crispatus, dead cells of Lactobacillus crispatus, and processed products thereof.

[0035] [7] The food or drink according to [6], wherein the processed product contains at least one processed product selected from the group consisting of a concentrate, a dried product, a liquefied product, a diluted product, a crushed product, a sterilized product, an extract, a fermented product, and a frozen product of Lactobacillus crispatus.

[0036] [8] A food or drink according to any one of [5] to [7], which exhibits at least one selected from the group consisting of improvement of eye focusing ability, reduction of eye dryness (thirst), reduction of shoulder stiffness, reduction of lower back stiffness, reduction of eye cloudiness, and reduction of eye fatigue.

[0037] [9] Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain (Accession No. NITE BP - 04156).

[0038] Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described by examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0039] Example 1 Tablets (test agents) were prepared by adding an excipient and a lubricant containing maltose as a main component to 1.0 mg of heat - treated dead cells of Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain, and placebo tablets (control agents) containing only an excipient and a lubricant were prepared. The heat - treated dry product of the dead cells of Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain was prepared by culturing in liquid by a conventional method, washing and collecting by centrifugation, and then subjecting it to heat treatment.

[0040] The study included 35 adult men and women (17 in the test group, 7 men and 10 in the control group, 18 in the control group) who were concerned about dry eyes and had given written informed consent. Eye fatigue, dry eyes, and blurred vision were measured after each group took one tablet daily for eight weeks, and the effects on eye condition were compared and examined. The study was conducted as a parallel-group comparison study. Participants were prohibited from consuming alcohol from the day before the study. Furthermore, the use of artificial tears (eye drops) was prohibited from the day of the study until its completion. The study was conducted three times: before ingestion, at 4 weeks after ingestion, and at 8 weeks after ingestion. The measurement schedule on the day of the study is shown in Figure 1.

[0041] The test consisted of pre-load measurements, Visual Display Terminals (VDT) loading, and post-load measurements. The VDT loading involved participants typing printed English text into Microsoft Word using a laptop PC for 30 minutes. The same measurement items were performed before and after loading. Specifically, load accommodative ability was measured, as well as subjective symptoms of dry eyes and blurred vision using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). An autorefractor / keratometer AKR-1a (NIDEK Corporation) was used to measure load accommodative ability. The mean ± standard deviation for each group was calculated from the obtained measurements, and the percentage change was expressed relative to the mean value of the pre-intake measurement (set as 100%). Statistical significance testing was performed on the rate of change relative to the mean of the pre-intake measurement for each group using an unpaired t-test and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. In the VAS measurement, the current state was represented on a 100 mm line segment, with the left end representing the best state (no symptoms) and the right end representing the worst state (worst symptoms ever). For the obtained responses, the distance (mm) from the left end to the response (line) was measured, and the mean ± standard deviation for each group was calculated from the obtained measurements. The rate of change relative to the mean of the pre-intake measurement was also expressed as a percentage. Statistical significance testing was performed on the rate of change relative to the mean of the pre-intake measurement for each group using an unpaired t-test and a paired t-test with Bonferroni correction. The results for blurred vision are shown in Table 1 and Figure 2, the results for dry eyes are shown in Table 2 and Figure 3, and the results for load adjustment ability are shown in Table 3 and Figure 4.

[0042] In the statistical test for inter-group comparison, in the pre-measurement before VDT load, it was found that the test agent showed a tendency to improve eye dryness (thirst) and a significant improvement in eye cloudiness compared to the control agent. In the statistical test for comparison over time, for eye dryness (thirst), significant improvements were observed at 4 weeks and 8 weeks after ingestion compared to the measurement value at the pre-examination before ingestion only with the test agent ingestion. For eye cloudiness, a significant improvement was observed at 8 weeks after ingestion compared to the measurement value at the pre-examination before ingestion only with the test agent ingestion. In the measurement after VDT load, a significant increase in the load adjustment ability was observed for the test agent compared to the control agent. By improving eye dryness (thirst), the difficulty in seeing objects is improved, and the decline in functions related to eye fatigue and focusing adjustment is suppressed, and as a result, it is considered possible to contribute to the improvement of eye cloudiness.

[0043]

[0044]

[0045]

[0046] Example 2 A test beverage (100 ml) containing 1.0 mg of heat-treated dead cells of lactic acid bacteria prepared by adding fructose glucose liquid sugar, acidulant, flavor, etc. to Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain that was heat-treated to become dead cells, and a control beverage (100 ml) prepared in the same manner except that dead cells of lactic acid bacteria were not added were prepared. Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain was prepared by culturing in liquid by a conventional method and washing and collecting by centrifugation and then heat-treating.

[0047] The test subjects were 12 adults (3 males and 9 females) who agreed to written informed consent and were concerned about eye dryness (thirst) and fatigue. The eye fatigue, eye dryness (thirst), and stiffness in the shoulders and waist were measured when the test subjects ingested the test beverage and the control beverage respectively, and the effects on the eye condition were compared and examined. The test was conducted as a single-dose ingestion crossover comparison test. In conducting the test, the test subjects were prohibited from drinking alcohol from the day before the test. Also, on the test day, the use of artificial tears (eye drops) was prohibited until the end of the test. The measurement schedule on the test day is as shown in Figure 5.

[0048] The test consisted of pre-load measurements, VDT (Visual Display Terminal) load measurements, and post-load measurements. For the VDT load, participants used a Nintendo Switch portable game console (manufactured by Nintendo) and played Puyo Puyo Tetris (manufactured by Sega) for one hour 30 minutes after consuming each beverage. The same measurement items were measured in the pre- and post-load tests. Specifically, subjective symptoms of eye fatigue, eye dryness, and shoulder and lower back stiffness were measured using the VAS (Visual Analog Scale) method. In the VAS measurement, participants were asked to indicate their current state on a 100 mm line segment, with the left end representing the best state (no symptoms) and the right end representing the worst state (worst symptoms ever). For the obtained responses, the distance (mm) from the left end to the response (line) was measured, and the mean and standard deviation for each group were calculated from the obtained measurements. For statistical significance testing, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed on the mean values ​​of the measurements for each group. The results for eye fatigue are shown in Table 4 and Figure 6, the results for dry eyes are shown in Table 5 and Figure 7, and the results for shoulder and lower back stiffness are shown in Table 6 and Figure 8.

[0049]

[0050]

[0051]

[0052] Statistical tests comparing the groups showed that the test beverage showed a tendency towards improvement in eye fatigue, a tendency towards improvement in dry eyes, and a significant improvement in shoulder and lower back stiffness compared to the control beverage. It is possible that the consumption of the test beverage improved eye fatigue and dry eyes, and that the improvement in eye problems reduced the burden on the shoulders and lower back, thus improving shoulder and lower back stiffness.

[0053] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-170376 (filing date: September 30, 2024) is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually noted to be incorporated by reference.

[0054] References to the deposit of biological materials (1) Name and address of the depositary institution: National Institute of Technology and Evaluation Patent Microbial Depository Center, Room 122, 2-5-8 Kazusa Kamatari, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture 292-0818, Japan (2) Date of deposit: September 19, 2024 (3) Accession number: NITE BP-04156

Claims

1. An eye strain reliever containing an active ingredient derived from Lactobacillus crispatus, a type of lactic acid bacteria.

2. The eye fatigue reducing agent according to claim 1, wherein the component derived from the lactic acid bacteria comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of live cells of Lactobacillus crispatus, dead cells of Lactobacillus crispatus, and processed products thereof.

3. The eye fatigue reducing agent according to claim 2, wherein the processed product comprises at least one processed product selected from the group consisting of concentrate, dried product, liquefied product, diluted product, crushed product, sterilized product, extract, fermented product, and frozen product of Lactobacillus crispatus.

4. An eye fatigue reliever according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which exhibits at least one selected from the group consisting of improving the eye's ability to adjust focus, reducing dryness of the eyes, reducing stiffness in the shoulders, reducing stiffness in the lower back, reducing blurred vision, and reducing eye fatigue.

5. Food and beverages for reducing eye strain that contain an active ingredient derived from Lactobacillus crispatus, a type of lactic acid bacteria.

6. The food or beverage according to claim 5, wherein the component derived from the lactic acid bacteria comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of live cells of Lactobacillus crispatus, dead cells of Lactobacillus crispatus, and processed products thereof.

7. The food and beverage according to claim 6, wherein the processed product comprises at least one processed product selected from the group consisting of concentrate, dried product, liquefied product, diluted product, crushed product, sterilized product, extract, fermented product and frozen product of Lactobacillus crispatus.

8. Food or beverage according to any one of claims 5 to 7, which exhibits at least one selected from the group consisting of improved eye focusing ability, reduced dryness of the eyes, reduced shoulder stiffness, reduced lower back stiffness, reduced blurred vision, and reduced eye fatigue.

9. Lactobacillus crispatus CP1518 strain (Accession number NITE BP-04156).

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