JP2004290179A - Food composition - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a food composition retaining biological effect owing to a proanthocyanidin and solving the problem on the protein astringency inherent in the proanthocyanidin. <P>SOLUTION: The food composition contains the proanthocyanidin and peptide(s) ≤7,000 in average molecular weight, wherein it is preferable that the proanthocyanidin include ≥1 pt.wt. of dimeric to tetrameric proanthocyanidins based on 1 pt.wt. of pentameric or higher proanthocyanidins. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a food composition containing proanthocyanidins, and more particularly, to a food composition having an excellent skin quality improving effect.

  Proanthocyanidin is a condensed tannin composed of a condensation polymer having a degree of polymerization of 2 or more and having flavan-3-ol and / or flavan-3,4 diol as a constitutional unit. It was used for skin effects. In recent years, proanthocyanidins have various activities such as an antioxidant effect and a whitening effect, and thus have been applied to foods and cosmetics (Patent Documents 1 and 2). For example, it is applied to cosmetics containing a protein (Patent Documents 3 to 6). In addition, various improvements have been made particularly to enhance the stability of tannin and protein in a solution (Patent Document 7).

  On the other hand, since proanthocyanidins have a property of high binding ability to proteins, they have been used also for producing gelatin high melting point gels and as a crosslinking agent for collagen (Patent Documents 8 and 9).

However, since proanthocyanidins have an extremely high binding ability to proteins, they bind to proteins and cause aggregation and precipitation, depending on the proanthocyanidin extraction method and plant species. Therefore, not only is it difficult to formulate, but also collagen and proanthocyanidin precipitate, causing losses in the manufacturing process of foods and drinks, and their effects on living organisms are greatly reduced. The range was limited.
JP-A-61-16982 JP-A-2-134309 JP-A-11-75708 JP 2000-60482 A JP-A-6-336423 JP-A-2002-238497 JP-A-2002-51734 JP-A-2-163046 JP 2001-8634 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a food composition which does not impair the effect of proanthocyanidin on a living body and further solves the problem related to the astringency of a protein possessed by proanthocyanidin.

  The present inventors surprisingly found that by combining 2 to tetramer proanthocyanidins with a peptide of a constant molecular weight, protein aggregation and precipitation did not occur, and as a result, their effects were not offset. The inventors have found that the present invention can be obtained and completed the present invention.

  That is, the present invention provides a food composition containing proanthocyanidin and a proteolytic peptide having an average molecular weight of 7,000 or less, wherein the proanthocyanidin contains a dimeric to tetrameric proanthocyanidin.

  In a preferred embodiment, the proanthocyanidins contain 2 to 4 mer proanthocyanidins in a proportion of 1 part by weight or more based on 1 part by weight of proanthocyanidins of 5 or more mers.

  In a further preferred embodiment, the peptide is a collagen-derived peptide.

  The food composition of the present invention is less likely to cause aggregation and precipitation of proanthocyanidins and proteolytic peptides, and thus can be exerted without impairing the functions and effects of each. Therefore, for example, the effect of improving skin quality and the effect of improving blood flow derived from proanthocyanidin and collagen are superior to conventional ones.

  Hereinafter, the food composition of the present invention will be described. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration described below does not limit the present invention and can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention.

  The proanthocyanidin used in the food composition of the present invention refers to a group of compounds composed of a polycondensate having flavan-3-ol and / or flavan-3,4-diol as a structural unit and having a degree of polymerization of 2 or more.

  As this proanthocyanidin, one containing a large amount of a condensation polymer having a low degree of polymerization is preferably used. As the condensation polymer having a low degree of polymerization, a condensation polymer having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 30 (2 to 30 mer) is preferable, and a condensation polymer having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 10 (2 to 10 mer) is more preferable. Polycondensates having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 4 (2 to 4 mer) are particularly preferred. This polycondensate having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 4 is referred to herein as OPC (oligomeric proanthocyanidin). Proanthocyanidins, a type of polyphenol, are potent antioxidants produced by plants and are concentrated in plant leaves, bark, fruit bark or seed parts. Proanthocyanidins, particularly OPCs, specifically, pine, oak, bark such as mountain peach, grape, blueberry, strawberry, avocado, pseudocacia, lingonberry fruit or seed, barley, wheat, soybean, black soybean, cacao, red bean, It is found in conker shells, peanut skins and ginkgo leaves. It is also known that cola nuts in West Africa, roots of Ratania in Peru, and green tea in Japan also contain OPC. OPC is a substance that cannot be produced in the human body.

  As the proanthocyanidins contained in the food composition of the present invention, food raw materials such as the above bark, fruit or seed extracts can be used. In particular, it is preferable to use an extract of pine bark. Pine bark is preferably used as a raw material for proanthocyanidins because it is rich in OPC among proanthocyanidins.

  Hereinafter, a method for preparing proanthocyanidins will be described with reference to an example of a pine bark extract rich in OPC.

  Pine bark extracts include Pinus Martima, Larch, Japanese black pine, Japanese red pine, Japanese pine, Japanese pine, Korean pine, Himatsu, Ryukyu pine, Utsukushi pine, Daio pine, Japanese white pine, and Aneda in Quebec, Canada. Is preferably used. Above all, bark extract of French pine (Pinus Martima) is preferred.

  French pine is a marine pine that grows on part of the Atlantic coast of southern France. The bark of this French shore pine contains proanthocyanidins, organic acids, and other physiologically active ingredients.It is known that proanthocyanidins, the main component, have a strong antioxidant action to remove active oxygen. I have.

  The pine bark extract is obtained by extracting the pine bark with water or an organic solvent. When using water, warm water or hot water is used. As the organic solvent used for the extraction, an organic solvent acceptable for the production of foods or drugs is used. For example, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, acetone, hexane, cyclohexane , Propylene glycol, aqueous ethanol, aqueous propylene glycol, ethyl methyl ketone, glycerin, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, dichloromethane, edible fat, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, and 1,1,2- Trichloroethene. These water and organic solvent may be used alone or in combination. In particular, hot water, aqueous ethanol, and aqueous propylene glycol are preferably used.

  The method of extracting proanthocyanidins from pine bark is not particularly limited, and for example, a warm extraction method, a supercritical fluid extraction method, or the like is used.

  The supercritical fluid extraction method is a method of performing extraction using a supercritical fluid which is a fluid in a state exceeding a critical point (critical temperature, critical pressure) of a gas-liquid of a substance. As the supercritical fluid, carbon dioxide, ethylene, propane, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and the like are used, and carbon dioxide is preferably used.

  The supercritical fluid extraction method includes an extraction step of extracting a target component with a supercritical fluid, and a separation step of separating the target component from the supercritical fluid. In the separation step, any of extraction separation by pressure change, extraction separation by temperature change, and extraction separation using an adsorbent / absorbent may be performed.

  Further, supercritical fluid extraction by an entrainer addition method may be performed. This method uses, for example, ethanol, propanol, n-hexane, acetone, toluene, other aliphatic lower alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, or ketones in a supercritical fluid at 2 to 20 W. / V%, and supercritical fluid extraction is performed with the obtained extraction fluid, thereby dramatically increasing the solubility of the target extract such as OPC and catechins (described below) in the extraction solvent, or This is a method for enhancing the selectivity of separation and a method for efficiently obtaining a pine bark extract.

  The supercritical fluid extraction method can be operated at a relatively low temperature, so that it can be applied to a substance that is degraded or decomposed at a high temperature; an advantage that no extracted fluid remains; and a solvent can be recycled and a solvent can be removed. There is an advantage that the steps can be omitted and the steps are simplified.

  Extraction from pine bark may be performed by a liquid carbon dioxide batch method, a liquid carbon dioxide reflux method, a supercritical carbon dioxide reflux method, or the like, in addition to the above method.

  Extraction from pine bark may be a combination of multiple extraction methods. By combining a plurality of extraction methods, pine bark extracts having various compositions can be obtained.

  The pine bark extract used in the food composition of the present invention is specifically prepared by the following method, but this is merely an example and the present invention is not limited to this method.

  1 kg of bark of French pine is added to 3 L of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride and extracted at 100 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain an extract (extraction step). Thereafter, the extract is filtered and the resulting insolubles are washed with 500 ml of a saturated solution of sodium chloride to obtain a washing solution (washing step). The extract and the washing solution are combined to obtain a crude extract of pine bark.

  Next, 250 ml of ethyl acetate is added to the crude extract, liquid separation is performed, and the step of collecting the ethyl acetate layer is performed five times. The collected ethyl acetate solutions are combined, directly added to 200 g of anhydrous sodium sulfate, and dehydrated. Thereafter, the ethyl acetate solution is filtered, and the filtrate is concentrated under reduced pressure to 1/5 of the original amount. The concentrated ethyl acetate solution is poured into 2 L of chloroform, and the precipitate obtained by stirring is collected by filtration. Thereafter, a washing step of repeating twice the operation of dissolving the precipitate in 100 ml of ethyl acetate and adding the precipitate to 1 L of chloroform again for precipitation is performed. According to this method, for example, about 5 g of a pine bark extract containing 20% by weight or more of OPC of 2 to 4 mer and 5% by weight or more of catechins is obtained.

  The extract derived from a raw material plant such as the pine bark contains OPC in an amount of preferably 20% by weight or more, more preferably 30% by weight or more in terms of dry weight. A pine bark extract is preferably used as a raw material containing a high proportion of OPC.

  In addition, the extract extracted from the plant using water or ethanol as described above also contains pentamer or more proanthocyanidins, but most of them are 10 to 10 from the solubility of proanthocyanidins in polar solvents. Not more than 20 mer.

  Proanthocyanidins containing OPC like the above-mentioned pine bark extract hardly cause aggregation precipitation and suspension with collagen peptide. As the OPC content increases, precipitation hardly occurs. Usually, proanthocyanidins containing 20% by weight or more, preferably 30% by weight or more, more preferably 50% by weight or more are used. In particular, a proanthocyanidin containing OPC in an amount of 1 part by weight or more per 1 part by weight of a proanthocyanidin of pentamer or more is preferable. It is not clear why coagulation and sedimentation do not occur in spite of containing pentamer or more of proanthocyanidin. However, when OPC is contained in the above-mentioned predetermined ratio or more, coagulation and sedimentation of proanthocyanidin and protein are performed. And suspension can be prevented.

  Preferably, the plant extract contains proanthocyanidins, particularly catechins, together with OPC, in an amount of 5% by weight or more in the raw material plant extract. Catechins are a general term for polyhydroxyflavan-3-ols. As catechins, (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, (+)-gallocatechin, (−)-epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, and the like are known. From an extract derived from a raw material plant such as the pine bark, in addition to (+)-catechin, which is said to be catechin in a narrow sense, gallocatechin, afzelequin, and a 3-galloyl derivative of (+)-catechin or gallocatechin are isolated. Have been. Catechins include carcinogenesis-suppressing action, arteriosclerosis-preventing action, fat metabolic disorder suppressing action, blood pressure increase suppressing action, platelet aggregation suppressing action, antiallergic action, antiviral action, antibacterial action, caries prevention action, bad breath prevention action, It is known that it has an intestinal flora normalizing action, a scavenging action of active oxygen and free radicals, an antioxidant action, and the like. It is known that catechins have an antidiabetic effect of suppressing an increase in blood sugar. Catechin has the property of activating OPC at the same time as increasing water solubility in the presence of OPC, and when taken together with OPC, enhances the action of OPC.

  Catechins, even if contained in the above-mentioned raw material plant extract, do not react with proteins and, in order to improve the solubility and function of OPC, are contained in an amount of 0.1 part by weight or more based on 1 part by weight of proanthocyanidin. Is preferred. More preferably, it is prepared so that the catechins are contained at 5% by weight or more in the raw plant extract containing 20% by weight or more of OPC. For example, when the catechin content of the pine bark extract is less than 5% by weight, the catechins may be added so as to be 5% by weight or more. It is most preferable to use a pine bark extract containing 5% by weight or more of catechins and 20% by weight or more of OPC.

  As described above, proanthocyanidins, particularly OPCs, are antioxidants, and therefore have an effect of reducing the risk of adult diseases such as cancer, heart disease and cerebral thrombosis, and have an allergic constitution such as arthritis, atopic dermatitis and pollinosis. It is known to have an improvement effect and the like.

  Furthermore, OPC has an antioxidant effect, an effect of suppressing bacterial growth in the oral cavity to reduce plaque (gum), an effect of restoring elasticity of blood vessels, an effect of improving skin quality, an effect of enhancing collagen, The effect of improving hyperlipidemia, preventing lipoproteins in the blood from being damaged by active oxygen, preventing the damaged fat from aggregating on the inner wall of blood vessels, and preventing cholesterol from adhering. It is known to have an effect of regenerating decomposed vitamin E, an effect as a vitamin E enhancer, and the like. Among them, blood flow can be improved by the effect of restoring elasticity of blood vessels. Furthermore, the skin quality can be improved by synergistic action with the enhancing effect of collagen.

  The food composition of the present invention contains proanthocyanidin, preferably 0.00001% to 50% by weight in terms of dry weight, more preferably 0.001% to 40% by weight, even more preferably 0.1% by weight in terms of dry weight. It contains from 01% by weight to 20% by weight.

  Another essential component of the food composition of the present invention is a peptide having an average molecular weight of 7,000 or less (hereinafter referred to as a proteolytic peptide) obtained by decomposing a protein. The proteolytic peptide may be a peptide obtained by organic synthesis. The proteolytic peptide is not particularly limited as long as various animal and plant proteins are decomposed using an acid, an alkali, or an enzyme. Examples of the protein serving as a raw material include animal proteins derived from livestock meat, fish, animal milk, eggs, etc., such as cows, pigs, and chickens; and vegetable proteins derived from soybeans, wheat, corn, peas, and the like. Proteins. In particular, collagen is preferable as a raw material protein, and a collagen peptide, which is a degradation product thereof, is most preferable as a proteolytic peptide.

  Collagen is a major protein constituting animal connective tissue, and is abundantly contained in bones, tendons, skin, blood vessel walls, and the like. There are various types that have one or more triple helix structures in the molecule and differ in the amino acid sequence of the constituent polypeptide chains. Gelatin, which is a denatured form of collagen, is a water-soluble protein having a molecular weight of about 300,000 to tens of thousands obtained by extracting a raw material containing collagen with warm (hot) water, and alkali-treated gelatin (isoelectric point of 4.8 to 5.3) and acid-treated gelatin (isoelectric point 7 to 9).

  A specific method for preparing a collagen peptide from collagen or gelatin is described below. First, the skin or bones of cows and pigs are subjected to an alkali treatment of immersing in an alkaline solution for 2 to 3 months or an acid treatment of immersing in dilute hydrochloric acid or the like for a short period of time to remove impurities contained in the raw materials and facilitate extraction. Pre-processing is performed. For example, when the raw material is beef bone, since minerals such as calcium phosphate are contained in the bone, the bones are previously immersed in dilute hydrochloric acid to remove the minerals, and gelatin is obtained by extracting the minerals with warm (hot) water. . In the warm (hot) water extraction, generally, the first extraction temperature is 50 to 60 ° C., and the extraction temperature is gradually increased from the second time onward, and finally the mixture is boiled. Next, the collagen obtained can be obtained by hydrolyzing the obtained gelatin with a commonly used acid or enzyme.

  The collagen peptide thus obtained has an average molecular weight of about 7,000 or less, preferably about 6,000 or less. Among collagen peptides having such a molecular weight, in order to stably dissolve in a solution together with OPC and to obtain the effect of preventing protein precipitation, the molecular weight is about 200 or more, preferably about 3,000 or more. More preferably, about 5,000 or more peptides are used. When the average molecular weight is larger than 7,000, high molecular weight proanthocyanidins (10 to 30 mer) are bound, and precipitation or suspension is easily caused.

  A commercially available collagen peptide having such a molecular weight can be easily obtained. For example, collagen peptides derived from animal collagen include nippipeptide PBF, nippipeptide PRA (all manufactured by Nippi Co., Ltd.), SCP-5000, SCP-3100 (all manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.), collagen peptide DS (manufactured by Kyowa High Foods Co., Ltd.) and Falconix CTP (manufactured by Ichimaru Falcos Co., Ltd.). Other than such animal-derived collagen peptides, those having a similar amino acid composition to animal collagen are preferable. For example, peptides similar to collagen include carrot (Daucus carota L.)-Derived peptides.

  The food composition of the present invention contains a proteolytic peptide, preferably a collagen peptide, in the composition in an amount of preferably 0.00001% to 90% by weight, more preferably 0.0001% to 50% by weight in terms of dry weight. contains.

  The food composition of the present invention contains, in addition to the above proanthocyanidins and proteolytic peptides, other ingredients commonly used in quasi-drugs, cosmetics, and the like, as long as the effects of the composition are not impaired. Is also good. Such components include, for example, water, other medicinal ingredients, other oils, humectants, surfactants, ultraviolet absorbers, absorption enhancers, fragrances, pigments, preservatives, thickeners, chelating agents, preservatives Antifungal agents and the like can be mentioned. Here, examples of other medicinal components include active oxygen scavengers, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory analgesics, antihistamines, antipruritics, bactericides, vitamins, hormones, and the like.

  Further, an antioxidant may be added for the purpose of enhancing the stability of proanthocyanidins. Thereby, the effect of preventing oxidation of proteins and lipids in the body, improving and protecting skin quality can be obtained.

  Examples of antioxidants include carotenoids such as vitamin A, vitamins B, ascorbic acid, vitamin E, derivatives or salts thereof, L-cysteine and derivatives or salts thereof, riboflavin, SOD, mannitol, tryptophan, Extracts such as histidine, quercetin, gallic acid and its derivatives, tea extracts, and glutathione yeast extracts.

  Among them, ascorbic acid not only enhances the stability of proanthocyanidins, but also exerts synergistic effects on the skin, and also improves skin quality (eg, improves firmness and luster) and enhances vascular protection. . When ascorbic acid is added, the food composition of the present invention is added to the proanthocyanidin in a weight ratio of preferably 1: 0.1 to 50, more preferably 1: 0.2 to 20. May be included. In addition, the amount of ascorbic acid may be larger than the above ratio.

  The food composition of the present invention can be prepared by mixing a proanthocyanidin and a proteolytic peptide with other components by a commonly used method, and is used as a food such as a drink in the form of a tablet, powder, or liquid. it can.

  For example, the food composition of the present invention is optionally mixed with additives such as excipients, extenders, binders, thickeners, emulsifiers, coloring agents, flavors, food additives, and seasonings. obtain. For example, royal jelly, vitamins, proteins, food additives as nutritional components such as calcium such as eggshell calcium, chitosan, lecithin, chlorella powder, ashitaba powder, moloheiya powder; stevia powder, matcha powder, lemon powder, honey, reduced maltose, Seasonings such as lactose, sugar solutions and the like can be mixed. These can be formed into capsules such as hard capsules and soft capsules, tablets, or pills, or into the form of powder, granules, tea, tea bags, candy, liquid, paste, and the like. These may be eaten or consumed as they are, or may be dissolved in water, hot water, milk, or the like, depending on the shape or preference.

  The daily intake of the food composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and is preferably in the range of 0.02 g to 1 g as proanthocyanidins. Suitable amounts of proteolytic peptides for proanthocyanidins within this range are preferably between 0.04 g and 0.5 g.

  When the food composition of the present invention is taken in an appropriate amount, it has an effect of improving skin quality and an effect of improving blood flow. In particular, when an extract containing 20% by weight or more of OPC in terms of dry weight is used as proanthocyanidin, particularly excellent effects are obtained. Thus, the food composition of the present invention can be used as a health food.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to examples. However, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited by the examples.

(Preparation of proanthocyanidins)
20 g of pine bark extract (2-4 tetramer: 40% by weight, pentamer and higher: 8.7% by weight, catechin: 5.1% by weight, trade name: Flavangenol, Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.), Sephadex It was subjected to LH-20 (manufactured by Pharmacia Biotech Co., Ltd.) for separation, and 7.6 g of dimer to tetramer and 1.6 g of pentamer or more proanthocyanidins were recovered by dry powder weight. The obtained pentamer or more proanthocyanidin (1 g) is mixed with the pine bark extract powder (2 g), and a pentamer or more proanthocyanidin-rich pine bark extract (2 to tetramer: 27% by weight) Pentamer or more: 39% by weight, catechin 1.7% by weight). These pine bark extracts were dissolved in an aqueous solution to a final concentration of 0.2% by weight.

Separation by Sephadex LH-20 was performed twice under the following conditions. First, Sephadex LH-20 swollen with water was packed in a 50 × 500 mm column so as to have a column volume of 500 mL, and washed with 500 mL of ethanol. 10 g of the above pine bark extract was dissolved in 200 mL of ethanol, passed through a column and adsorbed, and then eluted with a 100-80% (v / v) ethanol-water mixed solvent in a gradient to collect 100 mL each. did. For each fraction, by silica gel chromatography (TLC), each sample of OPC of dimer to tetramer (dimer: proanthocyanidin B-2 (Rf value: 0.6), trimer: proanthocyanidin C Elution of OPC was detected using -1 (Rf value: 0.4), tetramer: cinnamtannin A ₂ (Rf value: 0.2) as an index. The TLC conditions are as follows:
TLC: Silica gel plate (Merck & Co., Inc.)
Developing solvent: benzene / ethyl formate / formic acid (2/7/1)
Detection reagent: sulfuric acid and anisaldehyde sulfuric acid Sample volume: 10 μL each

  The fractions in which OPC was detected were collected and freeze-dried to obtain a powder. Then, 1000 mL of a 50% (v / v) water-acetone mixed solvent was passed through the column in which OPC was no longer detected to elute pentamer or more proanthocyanidins, and the collected fraction was lyophilized to obtain a powder. Got.

(Preparation of collagen and collagen peptide)
Collagen (average molecular weight 300,000: manufactured by Koken Co., Ltd.), Nippi Peptide PA-100 (average molecular weight 10,000: manufactured by Nippi Co., Ltd.), collagen peptide DS (average molecular weight 7,000: manufactured by Kyowa High Foods Co., Ltd.), SCP-5000 (Average molecular weight: 5,000: manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.), Falconix CTP (average molecular weight: 3,000: manufactured by Ichimaru Falcos Co., Ltd.), Nippi Peptide PA-10 (average molecular weight: 1,000: manufactured by Nippi Corporation), Using glycine (molecular weight: 75, manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.), 10 mL of each aqueous solution was prepared so that these collagen, collagen peptide, or amino acid was 10.0% by weight.

(Example 1: Aggregation sedimentation evaluation)
1 mL of the proanthocyanidin solution was mixed with each 1 mL of the collagen, collagen peptide, or amino acid solution prepared as described above, allowed to stand at room temperature for one week, and visually observed for precipitation and suspension after one week. Table 1 shows the results.

  As can be seen from Table 1, suspensions or precipitates were observed in any of the mixed solutions of pentamer or more proanthocyanidins and collagen peptides or collagen having a molecular weight. On the other hand, in the case of a mixed solution of 2 to 4 mer proanthocyanidins and collagen peptide or amino acid having a molecular weight of 7,000 or less, almost no suspension was observed. No precipitation was observed in the pine bark extract containing proanthocyanidins having a high proportion of the dimer to tetramer. When collagen having an average molecular weight of 300,000 was used, a gelled solid was precipitated. Thus, the proanthocyanidin (OPC) of dimer or tetramer or the pine resin extract containing a large amount of OPC as proanthocyanidin does not cause suspension or precipitation with the collagen peptide having a molecular weight of 7,000 or less and is stable as a mixture solution. It turned out to be.

(Example 2: Skin improvement effect)
An aqueous solution was prepared using the combinations described in Table 2 so that the final concentration of the pine bark extract was 0.2% by weight and the final concentration of the collagen peptide was 5% by weight, and the solution was filtered with a 0.45 μm filter for sterilization. After filtration, beverages 1 to 3 were obtained. In addition, in the beverage 3 before filtration, a slight suspension was observed.

  Three weeks old guinea pigs (Japan SLC Co., Ltd.) were fed with a general solid feed (RC4; Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.) and acclimated for one week, and then divided into four groups of five per group by a total randomization method. Allocated. The drinks 1 to 3 prepared as described above were orally administered to the guinea pigs of each group by gavage at a rate of 1 mL per day using a sonde for 28 days. As a control, a group to which purified water was administered was provided. Food and water were available ad libitum during the study. After the final administration, the central part of the back skin of the test animal was peeled and removed (3 cm × 3 cm) and dried at 60 ° C. overnight. The dried skin was crushed, 50 mg thereof was added to 5 mL of 6 M hydrochloric acid, and the mixture was heated at 110 ° C. for 24 hours using a heating block to hydrolyze. Next, the hydroxyproline (Hyp) content of this hydrolyzate was measured by the chloramine T method. Hyp is contained in a large amount in collagen, and a high Hyp content is an index indicating that collagen is generated. The results are shown in FIG.

  As can be seen from FIG. 1, the group to which beverages 1 to 3 were administered had a small but large amount of Hyp. This suggests that in the administration group, the amount of collagen in the skin was larger, and the metabolism of the skin was promoted.

(Example 3: Blood flow improving effect)
Healthy individuals aged 20 to 50 years were randomly assigned to four groups of 20 per group. First, the blood flow was measured before ingestion, and then the subject was ingested with 200 mL of the above beverages 1 to 3 or water, and the blood flow was measured again 1 hour after ingestion. The blood flow was measured by using a blood flow meter (laser blood flow imaging device PIM II; Sweden Permied) to measure the subcutaneous blood flow in the right forearm. Table 3 shows the results. The values in the table are the mean ± standard error, and the larger the value, the greater the blood flow.

  As shown in Table 3, all of beverages 1 to 3 had an increased blood flow, and a blood flow improving effect was observed. In addition, since the blood flows of beverages 1 and 2 are larger than that of beverage 3, it can be seen that the effects of proanthocyanidins are sufficiently exhibited without being offset by coagulation sedimentation or suspension.

  The food composition of the present invention is less likely to cause aggregation and precipitation of proanthocyanidins and proteolytic peptides, and thus can be exerted without impairing the functions and effects of each. Therefore, for example, the effect of improving skin quality and the effect of improving blood flow derived from proanthocyanidin and collagen are superior to conventional ones. The food composition of the present invention can be used as a health food.

It is a graph which shows the Hyp amount of the skin in the guinea pig of the group which administered each drink.

Claims (1)

  A food composition comprising proanthocyanidin and a proteolytic peptide having an average molecular weight of 7,000 or less, wherein the proanthocyanidin contains a dian-tetramer proanthocyanidin.

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