JP6844857B2 - A skin moisturizing composition containing acacia bark-derived products - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a skin moisturizing composition derived from a tree belonging to the genus Acacia, and its use as a food or quasi-drug.

For trees of the genus Acacia, it is known that acacia honey and tannins extracted from its bark can be used as skin tanning agents and wood adhesives. Recently, the extract of Acacia has a selective inhibitory effect on COX-2 (Patent Document 1), and the bark of Acacia has an active oxygen scavenging effect (Patent Document 2) and a whitening effect due to a tyrosinase activity inhibitory effect (Patent Document 1). 3) It has been reported that it has a preventive and therapeutic effect on pruritus (Patent Document 4).

For the hot water extract obtained from the bark of Acacia mearnsii, a species of the genus Acacia, a decrease in ceramide, which plays an important role in water retention of sebum in a test using mice with atopic dermatitis. It has been reported that the expression level of mRNA of ceramide in the skin, which suppresses the amount of ceramide in the skin and further reduces the ceramide content in the skin, was suppressed (Non-Patent Document 1).

However, even if the bark-derived product of the genus Acacia is orally ingested by a subject who does not have atopic dermatitis, it exerts a moisturizing effect such as suppressing the amount of water evaporation from the skin and improving the amount of water in the stratum corneum. It was not known.

Special Table 2004-532811 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-352639 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-025283 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-30602

Ikarashi N, Sato W, Toda T, et al. Inhibitory Effect of Polyphenol-Rich Fraction from the Bark of Acacia mearnsii on Itching Associated with Allergic Dermatitis. Evidence-based Complement Altern Med. 2012; 2012: 120389.

The present invention was obtained in the course of research on quasi-drugs derived from the genus Acacia, and is used for subjects who are not atopic dermatitis and can be taken orally and have no risk of side effects even if taken for a long period of time. An object of the present invention is to provide a skin moisturizing composition that can be used, and its use as a food or quasi-drug.

As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have obtained the amount of water evaporated from the skin of acacia bark-derived products by oral ingestion even in humans who do not have atopic dermatitis. The present invention has been completed by finding that it exerts a moisturizing effect of suppressing and improving the water content of the stratum corneum.
That is, the present invention relates to a skin moisturizing composition, which is characterized by containing a product derived from the bark of the genus Acacia and is used orally ingested by a subject who does not have atopic dermatitis.
The present invention also relates to a product derived from the bark of the genus Acacia as a skin moisturizing composition used by orally ingesting a subject who does not have atopic dermatitis.
Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a method of using an acacia bark-derived product for producing a skin moisturizing composition used by orally ingesting a subject who does not have atopic dermatitis.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a composition having an excellent skin moisturizing effect. By oral ingestion, the composition of the present invention can suppress the amount of water evaporation from the skin and exert a moisturizing effect even on a subject who does not have atopic dermatitis. In addition, the composition of the present invention is safe and there is little concern about side effects even if it is orally ingested for a long period of time.

The back of the hand of a subject whose skin surface water content, percutaneous water evaporation amount, skin surface glossiness, and skin viscoelasticity were measured is shown. The shaded area in the figure indicates the inspection point on the back of the hand where the measurement was performed.

The product derived from the bark of the genus Acacia that can be used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is obtained from the bark of a tree belonging to the genus Acacia (hereinafter referred to as "Acacia" or "genus Acacia"). For example, extracts such as acacia bark debris, powder and suspensions thereof, acacia bark extract, concentrated extract, and extract powder, as well as purified products obtained by purifying this extract. Can be mentioned. An extract of the bark of the genus Acacia, particularly an acacia bark polyphenol, for example, acacia bark-derived proanthocyanidins, is preferable in order to obtain an excellent skin moisturizing effect.
In the present invention, only one kind of these acacia bark-derived products may be used, or two or more kinds may be used in combination.

The acacia that can be used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a tree belonging to the genus Acacia, but the genus Acacia of the leguminous family, preferably the genus Acacia of the leguminous family, is obtained in that a bark-derived product of the genus Acacia having an excellent skin moisturizing effect can be obtained. The bark of the subgenus Phyllodineae is used. Among them, scientific name: Acacia mearnsii De Wild. (generic name Black Wattle), scientific name: Acacia mangium Willd. (generic name Acacia mangium), scientific name: Acacia dealbata Link, scientific name: Acacia decurrens Willd., And scientific name: Acacia pycnantha Benth The bark of the genus Acacia selected from the group consisting of. Is preferable, and Acacia mearnsii De Wild. And Acacia mangium Willd., Especially Acacia mearnsii De Wild. Are preferable.
In the present invention, only one kind of these Acacia bark may be used, or two or more kinds may be used in combination.

The bark of the genus Acacia is usually used after being cut down as a tree, and then only the bark is peeled off and used without drying, or it may be used after being collected and dried.
When the bark of the genus Acacia is used without drying, the bark peeled from the xylem may be used as it is or may be crushed and used. The peeled bark may be used immediately or may be left for several days before use.
When the bark of the genus Acacia is collected and then dried and used, the bark peeled from the xylem may be dried as it is, or may be crushed and dried. The peeled bark may be dried immediately or left for several days before being dried. In order to efficiently obtain the bark extract from the dried bark, the bark dried in the sun or by artificial work such as hot air, electron beam, or heating may be used.
The bark of the genus Acacia is composed of an exodermis and a slightly fibrous endothelium, and when it is dried to a water content of about 20% or less, it is easily pulverized by a crusher such as a hammer mill.
In the present invention, as the bark of the genus Acacia, both the endodermis and the exodermis of the genus Acacia may be used together, or only one of them may be used.

The Acacia bark strips can be obtained by pulverizing the Acacia bark to an appropriate size according to a conventional method.
The powder of the bark of the genus Acacia can be obtained by pulverizing the bark of the genus Acacia by a conventional method and pulverizing it, and a powder having a particle size of 100 μm or less, particularly 50 to 70 μm is particularly preferable. For powder fractionation, bark dried to a moisture content of 20% or less is crushed to an appropriate size, for example, a particle size of about 1.6 mm or less, and the obtained powder is classified by a vibrating sieve or the like to obtain the required powder. Obtainable.

The above-mentioned extract of the bark of the genus Acacia can be obtained by extracting the bark of the genus Acacia according to a conventional method. In order to obtain an extract of the bark of the genus Acacia having an excellent skin moisturizing effect, it is preferable to extract the bark of the genus Acacia with alcohol or a polar solvent.
Ethanol can be used as such an alcohol, and water or the like can be used as a polar solvent. In addition to water and ethanol, organic solvents permitted for the production of foods or drugs, such as methanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1 -Butanol, 2-butanol, butane, acetone, hexane, cyclohexane, propylene glycol, hydrous ethanol, hydrous propylene glycol, ethylmethylketone, glycerin, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, dichloromethane, edible fats and oils, 1,1,1 , 2-Tetrafluoroethane, and 1,1,2-trichloroethane can be used. Water, ethanol, and these organic solvents may be used alone or in combination. For example, a mixed solvent of water and an alcohol such as ethyl alcohol can be used.
Further, the extraction operation may be performed a plurality of times with the same or different solvents.
In order to obtain an extract having an excellent skin moisturizing effect, an extract obtained by further extracting an extract from the bark of the genus Acacia with water or hot water with the above solvent such as ethanol may be used.

Extraction is usually carried out by adding a solvent to crushed acacia bark, bark fragments or powder, and stirring as necessary, but the temperature, time, or solid-liquid ratio is not particularly limited. The extraction method is not particularly limited, and for example, a heating extraction method, a supercritical fluid extraction method, or the like may be used, and extraction may be performed at room temperature or while heating under pressure.
When water is used as the solvent, it may be extracted with hot water. The obtained extract may be freeze-dried or spray-dried as it is, or may be freeze-dried or spray-dried after being concentrated under reduced pressure. The obtained extract can be in various forms such as an extract, a solution, a powder, a concentrate, and a paste, and can be widely used as needed.
Further, the bark extract of the genus Acacia of the present invention obtained in these forms can be used as it is as the composition of the present invention, and further purified as necessary, and the purified product is also used as the composition of the present invention. be able to.

In the present invention, as a product derived from the bark of the genus Acacia, a component contained in the bark of the genus Acacia is also exemplified. Examples of such components include acacia bark polyphenols. In particular, acacia bark polyphenols, particularly acacia bark-derived proanthocyanidins, are preferable components because they exhibit excellent skin moisturizing effects.
The acacia bark-derived proanthocyanidins of the present invention include, for example, flavan-3-ols such as (-)-fisetinidol, (-)-robinetinidol, (+)-catechin, and (+)-galocatechin; and these flavan-3s. -Ol and / or flavan-3,4-ol Condensed tannin, which is a polymer in which flavanols having a basic skeleton of C4-C8 and C4-C6 are bonded, for example, 2 such as proanthocyanidins and profisetinidines. It means condensed tannins of quanta, and condensed tannins of trimers or more having a flavanetinidol skeleton as an extension unit. Here, as such condensed tannins, those having a molecular weight of 280 to 5000, particularly preferably 300 to 3000. The acacia bark-derived proanthocyanidin used in the present invention can be obtained by hot water extraction of the above-mentioned powder of the bark of the genus Acacia.
In addition, as acacia bark-derived products containing acacia bark-derived proanthocyanidins, registered trademarks MIMOSA ME POWDER, MIMOSA MS POWDER, MIMOSA GS POWDER, MIMOSA FS POWDER, MIMOSA WS POWDER, MIMOSA RG POWDER manufactured by MIMOSA Central Co-operative Ltd. , MIMOSA RN POWDER, MIMOSA DK POWDER, MIMOSA AL POWDER, MIMOSA CR POWDER, GOLDEN MIMOSA POWDER, or UCL's Mimosa Me Food Grade Powder.

The composition of the present invention may be an acacia bark-derived product, for example, an acacia bark, an extract thereof, a purified product thereof, or an acacia bark polyphenol, for example, an acacia bark-derived proanthocyanidin itself, or only them. It may be contained as an active ingredient.
In addition, the composition of the present invention contains other substances having a skin moisturizing effect such as hyaluronic acid, collagen, α-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, placenta, ceramide, mucopolysaccharide, proteoglycan, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. It may contain vitamins, polyphenols (catechins, isoflavones, apple polyphenols, pine bark extracts, and anthocyanins, etc.), rice koji, sake koji, and natural moisturizing factors.

The composition of the present invention contains excipients, sweeteners, acidulants, thickeners, flavors, pigments, emulsifiers and other materials commonly used in pharmaceuticals and foods, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. You may be.

The subject to which the composition of the present invention is orally ingested is not particularly limited as long as it is not atopic dermatitis, but for example, a person with dry skin, for example, a person with dry skin such as face or hands, or a person with dry skin, or , Humans who feel discomfort in their skin due to dry skin, for example, a feeling of muzzle.

The composition of the present invention can be used for the prevention or treatment of diseases and symptoms for which the moisturizing effect of the skin is effective, except for atopic dermatitis. Examples of such diseases and symptoms include sebum deficiency, pruritus cutaneous, senile xerosis, and psoriasis.

The composition according to the present invention is, for example, a health food, a health functional food (for example, a specified health food, a nutritionally functional food, and a food with a functional claim), a health supplement, as a food for the purpose of moisturizing the skin or a feed for animals. It can be used as a food, beauty food, or nutritional supplement (supplement), especially as a food with functional claims. These foods and animal feeds may be in the form of drinking water such as tea and juice; ice cream, jelly, candy, chocolate, chewing gum and the like. It may also be in the form of a liquid, a powder, a granule, a capsule, or a tablet. Here, the animals for animal feed include all animals that require skin moisturization, including pet animals, livestock animals, and animals bred in zoos and the like.

In addition, the composition according to the present invention can be used as a pharmaceutical product for the purpose of preventing or treating the above-mentioned diseases or symptoms, or as a quasi-drug for the purpose of moisturizing the skin. These drugs and quasi-drugs are orally administered in the form of tablets, coated tablets, sugar-coated tablets, hard or soft gelatin capsules, liquids, emulsions, or suspensions, for example.

The ingestion amount of the composition according to the present invention is not particularly limited, but can be appropriately selected depending on the dosage form and the age, weight and symptom of the ingestor such as the user or the patient or the ingesting animal. For example, the amount of proanthocyanidin derived from acacia bark per day as the amount of active ingredient per 1 kg of body weight of the ingestor or the ingested animal is 0.0001 to 1 g, preferably 0.0001 to 0.5 g, and more preferably 0.001 to 0. Oral ingestion of 05 g is desirable because it provides an excellent skin moisturizing effect.
The ingestion period can be arbitrarily determined according to the age and symptoms of the user or patient.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to production examples, compounding examples, and test examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In particular, although examples are shown here without dividing the bark of the genus Acacia of the present invention into an exodermis and an endothelium, the exodermis can be separated from the endothelium and used respectively.
In the following production examples, test examples, etc., each acacia of the present invention is indicated by the number shown in parentheses after each scientific name. For example, the scientific name: Acacia mearnsii De Wild. Acacia is referred to as Acacia No.1.
Scientific name: Acacia mearnsii De Wild. (No.1), Scientific name: Acacia mangium Willd. (No.2), Scientific name: Acacia dealbata Link (No.3), Scientific name: Acacia decurrens Willd. (No.4), Scientific name: Acacia pycnantha Benth. (No.5).
Further,% means% by weight unless otherwise specified.

Production example of acacia bark powder 1
The bark of Acacia No. 1 is dried to a water content of 20% or less, and the dried bark is crushed into a powder of 1.6 mm or less (passed through a 10-mesh sieve (Tyler)) with a hammer mill, and then further with a vibrating sieve. The classification was performed to obtain a fine powder having a size of 63 μm or less (under a 250 mesh sieve).
In the same manner, the barks of the remaining four types of acacia Nos. 2 to 5 were crushed to obtain fine powders of 63 μm or less, respectively. Although there are some differences in the yield of the fine powder passing through the 250 mesh sieve depending on the type, the desired fine powder was obtained.

Production example 2 of acacia bark extract
The bark of each acacia No. 1 to 5 of the present invention is crushed into a powder of 1.6 mm or less with a hammer mill as it is without being dried, and then 5 times the amount of hot water is added to 100 g of the crushed bark. After boiling, the mixture was extracted for 15 minutes and filtered using a 10 to 20 μm filter. The obtained filtrate was spray-dried with a spray dryer to obtain 16 g of a hot water extract of each bark.
Hereinafter, the hot water extract of each bark is referred to as Acacia No. 1 to 5 hot water extract.

Production Example 3 of Acacia Bark Extract
The bark of each acacia No. 1 to 5 of the present invention is dried to a moisture content of 20% or less, the dried bark is crushed into a powder of 1.6 mm or less with a hammer mill, and then 5 per 100 g of the dry crushed bark. Double the amount of hot water was added, the mixture was boiled, extracted for 15 minutes, and filtered using a 10 to 20 μm filter. The obtained filtrate was spray-dried with a spray dryer to obtain 40 g of a hot water extract of each bark.

Production Example 4 of Acacia Bark Extract
The bark of Acacia No. 1 of the present invention is crushed into a powder of 1.6 mm or less with a hammer mill without being dried as it is, and then 5 times the amount of ethanol is added to 100 g of the crushed bark, and the mixture is boiled and refluxed. Extraction was carried out for 15 minutes, and the mixture was filtered using a filter of 10 to 20 μm. After evaporating ethanol from the obtained filtrate, the concentrated solution was spray-dried with a closed spray dryer to obtain 16 g of an ethanol extract of bark (hereinafter referred to as Acacia No. 1 ethanol extract).
Similarly, acacia No. 2-5 ethanol extracts were obtained.

Production Example 5 of Acacia Bark Extract
The bark of Acacia No. 1 of the present invention is dried to a water content of 20% or less, the dried bark is crushed into a powder of 1.6 mm or less with a hammer mill, and then 5 times the amount of ethanol is added to 100 g of the dried crushed bark. Was added, and the mixture was boiled and refluxed for 15 minutes, and filtered using a 10 to 20 μm filter. After evaporating ethanol from the obtained filtrate, the concentrate was spray-dried with a closed spray dryer to obtain 40 g of an ethanol extract of bark.
Similarly, ethanol extracts of Acacia Nos. 2 to 5 were obtained.

Production Example 6 of Acacia Bark Extract
To 10 g of the Acacia No. 1 hot water extract obtained in Production Example 2, 3 times the amount of ethanol was added, and the mixture was extracted for 15 minutes while boiling and refluxing, and filtered using a 10 to 20 μm filter. Ethanol was evaporated from the obtained filtrate, water was added thereto, and then freeze-dried to obtain 9 g of an extract (hereinafter referred to as Acacia No. 1 hot water extract ethanol fraction).
In the same manner, the ethanol fraction of the hot water extract of Acacia Nos. 2 to 5 was obtained.

Production example of acacia bark extract 7
To 10 g of the hot water extract of Acacia No. 1 obtained in Production Example 3, 3 times the amount of ethanol was added, and the mixture was extracted for 15 minutes while boiling and refluxing, and filtered using a filter of 10 to 20 μm. Ethanol was evaporated from the obtained filtrate, water was added thereto, and the mixture was freeze-dried to obtain 9 g of an extract.
In the same manner, the ethanol fraction of the hot water extract of Acacia Nos. 2 to 5 was obtained.

Formulation Example 1 Preparation of Oral Preparation An internal preparation was prepared using the ethanol fraction of the acacia bark hot water extract of Production Example 6 with the composition shown below.
Extract fraction of Production Example 6 1.0 (% by weight)
Lactose 30.0
Cornstarch 60.0
Crystalline cellulose 8.0
Polyvinyl pyrrolidone 1.0
100.0 in total

Formulation Example 2 Preparation of Pet Food Using the acacia bark hot water extract of Production Example 2, a pet food was prepared with the composition shown below.
Extract of Production Example 2 1.0 (% by weight)
Oatmeal 88.0
Starch 5.0
Salt 2.5
Whole egg 3.0
Seasoning 0.5
100.0 in total

Formulation Example 3 Preparation of Tablets (Confectionery) Using the ethanol fraction of the acacia bark hot water extract of Production Example 6, tablets (confectionery) were prepared with the composition shown below.
Extract fraction of Production Example 6 1.0 (% by weight)
Citric acid 1.0
Skim milk powder 15.0
Sucrose ester 1.0
Flavor 0.5
Powdered sugar 20.0
Lactose 61.5
100.0 in total

Formulation Example 4 Preparation of Tablets Using the Acacia No. 1 hot water extract of Production Example 2, tablets were prepared with the composition per tablet shown below.
Acacia No. 1 hot water extract of Production Example 2 125 (mg)
Sucrose ester 9
Lactose 166
300 in total

Formulation Example 5 Preparation of Tablets Using the Acacia No. 1 hot water extract of Production Example 2, tablets were prepared with the composition per tablet shown below.
Acacia No. 1 hot water extract of Production Example 2 62.52 (mg)
Dextrin 126.48
Reduced maltose 45
Cellulose 60
Calcium stearate 6
300 in total

Test example
(1) Study design This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group comparative study.

(2) Subjects We selected subjects who met the following registration criteria and selection criteria and did not meet the exclusion criteria.
[Registration criteria]
a. Japanese adult men and women who feel discomfort (mushy feeling) on their skin due to dry skin (face and hands) [Exclusion criteria]
Those who are undergoing treatment or have a history of malignant tumor, heart failure, or myocardial infarction
b. Those who are being treated for the following chronic diseases: Arrhythmia, liver disorder, renal disorder, cerebrovascular disorder, rheumatism, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and other chronic diseases
c. Persons who regularly consume foods for specified health use and foods with functional claims
d. Those who have been diagnosed with restless legs syndrome
e. Those who have been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis
f. Those who use creams, serums, all-in-one products, packs, etc. other than lotion, milky lotion, and sunscreen as daily skin care
g. Those who receive skin care treatments (esthetics, etc.) on a daily basis or use beauty equipment (facial equipment, etc.).
h. Those who have had excessive sunburn in the past month from the date of obtaining the consent form, or who plan to have excessive sunburn during the test period (from the date of obtaining the consent form to the final inspection).
i. Those who regularly use medicines (including Chinese herbs) and supplements
j. Persons with allergies (pharmaceutical products, test foods, skin)
k. Those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or willing to become pregnant during the study period
l. Those who participated in other clinical trials in the 3 months prior to the date of obtaining the consent form
m. Others who are judged by the investigator to be inappropriate for this study [Selection criteria]
a. Those who the investigator has determined that there is no skin disease (atopy, etc.) and that there is no problem in participating in the study.
Among ba, those with TARC less than 450 pg / mL and non-specific IgE less than 170 IU / mL
Among cb, those with relatively high transepidermal water loss

The subjects were asked to thoroughly observe the following points as compliance items during the test participation.
Ingest the test food according to the prescribed dosage and administration.
b. During the test period, avoid binge eating and do not change your lifestyle.
c. Do not change your makeup habits during the test period. (Including skin care such as lotion and milky lotion)
d. Avoid excessive sunburn during the test period.
e. If possible, avoid using hand cream during the test period.
f. Do not drink alcohol or exercise excessively from the day before the test until the end of the test on the day.
g. On the day of the test, bathing / showering and the use of face wash sheets, body sheets, antiperspirant sprays, etc. are prohibited until the end of the test.
h. Eating and drinking is prohibited from 6 hours before blood collection. Ingestion of test foods is also prohibited. However, only water can be ingested. Fuctioned water and tea are not allowed.
i. If you experience any changes in your physical condition during the test period, immediately contact the test administration and ask for further instructions.
j. During the test period, avoid eating foods for specified health use, foods with functional claims, and other foods / beverages with possible functionality as much as possible.

(3) Preparation of test foods Test foods and placebo foods (collectively referred to as “test foods” in the present specification) were prepared. As the test food, the tablets prepared in Formulation Example 5 were used. In addition, as a placebo food, tablets prepared with the composition per grain shown below were used.
Dextrin 175.5 (mg)
Reduced maltose 60
Cellulose 60
Calcium Stearate 4.5
300 in total

(4) Test schedule and test contents a. Test schedule Measure the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) of the selected subject, and subject the subject to Microsoft Excel add-in Statlight # 11 (Yukmus Co., Ltd.) according to the following allocation criteria. The company) was used to divide the group into two groups, a test food group and a placebo group, by a completely random method.
[Assignment criteria]
The mean and standard deviation of transepidermal water loss should not differ significantly between groups.
b. The gender ratio and age should not differ significantly between groups.

The test food was distributed to the subjects in the test food group, and the placebo food was distributed to the subjects in the placebo group, and 6 tablets were ingested once a day with water or lukewarm water for 8 weeks.
Then, the following evaluation items were inspected 4 weeks after ingestion and 8 weeks after ingestion of the test food.

B Evaluation items
(A) Major outcomes
i. Skin surface moisture measurement
Implementation details: Each inspection point was measured 3 times using a corneometer.
b. Survey item: stratum corneum water content
c. Evaluation method: The average value was calculated by measuring 3 times at each inspection point.
ii. Percutaneous transpiration (TEWL) measurement
Implementation details: Measurements were performed 3 times for about 60 seconds using a tevameter.
b. Survey item: Amount of transepidermal water loss
c. Evaluation method: The average value was calculated by measuring 3 times at each inspection point.
(B) Secondary outcome
i. Skin surface gloss measurement
Implementation details: Each inspection point was measured 3 times using a glossy meter.
b. Survey item: Gloss of skin surface
c. Evaluation method: The average value was calculated by measuring 3 times at each inspection point.
ii. Skin viscoelasticity measurement
Implementation details: Each inspection point was measured 3 times using a cute meter.
b. Survey item: Skin elasticity
c. Evaluation method: The average value was calculated by measuring 3 times at each inspection point.

The amount of water on the skin surface, the amount of evapotranspiration on the skin surface, the glossiness of the skin surface, and the elasticity of the skin were determined in a room having a temperature of 23 ± 5 degrees and a humidity of 50 ± 15% after cleansing, washing the face, and washing the hands. After acclimatization for 10 minutes or more, the measurement was performed at the inspection points: the face (the intersection of the line vertically lowered from the outer corner of the right eye and the line extending parallel to the ground from the center of the nose) and the back of the hand (hatched portion in FIG. 1). However, the amount of transepidermal water loss was measured only on the face.

(5) Test Results A Subject This test was conducted on Japanese adult men and women who feel discomfort (feeling of muzzle) on their skin due to dry skin (face and hands). Of the 101 patients who agreed to participate in the study, 35 were excluded due to interviews with the investigator and selection criteria, so 66 were included in the study.
After the end of the test, 1 person whose data was lost due to unfollowability during the test period and 5 people who violated the compliance items were excluded from the analysis. When we checked the breakdown of those who were excluded from the analysis after the key opening, 1 person whose data was missing due to untraceable was the test food group, 3 people in the placebo group and 2 people in the test food group violated the compliance items. Met. Therefore, the final analysis target was the Per Protocol Set, with 30 subjects in the placebo group (8 males, 22 females: 44.8 ± 9.1 years old) and 30 subjects in the test food group (7 males, 7 males). Twenty-three women: 44.3 ± 9.8 years old). There were no subjects whose intake rate of the test food was less than 90%.

B. Inspection items Regarding the water content of the stratum corneum, the glossiness of the skin surface, and the elasticity of the skin, the measured values before ingestion and the measured values at each inspection time point (4 weeks after ingestion and 8 weeks after ingestion) are measured by Dunnett's method. Used for comparison.
Regarding the amount of transdermal water evaporation, the change in the measured value from before ingestion to each test time point (4 weeks after ingestion and 8 weeks after ingestion) was used to compare the placebo group and the test food group using Student's t-test. did.
The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

As shown in Table 1, ingestion of the test food increased the water content of the stratum corneum, the glossiness of the skin surface, and the elasticity of the skin, and in particular, the water content of the stratum corneum (hands) and the skin 4 weeks after ingestion. The glossiness of the surface (hands), the water content of the stratum corneum (face) 8 weeks after ingestion, the water content of the stratum corneum (hands), and the glossiness of the skin surface (hands) were significantly increased.

As shown in Table 2, the transepidermal water loss (face) was significantly lower in the test food group than in the placebo group.

In the above test example, adult men and women who feel discomfort (feeling of muzzle) on the skin due to dry skin (face and hands) were targeted. The purpose was to verify the effect of improving the dryness and discomfort of the skin by continuously ingesting the test food containing the acacia bark extract for 8 weeks.
Regarding the water content of the stratum corneum, a significant increase in the score by the test food was observed throughout the test period (Table 1). Regarding the amount of percutaneous water evaporation, the amount of percutaneous water evaporation on the face of the test food group was significantly higher than that of the placebo group in the amount of change after 8 weeks of ingestion (= measured value after 8 weeks of ingestion-measured value before ingestion). It showed a low value (Table 2). Since prevention of transepidermal water loss is one of the effective approaches to suppress skin dryness, that is, to maintain the water content of the stratum corneum (Yoshihiro Shishido, Kazuki Torii, Toshio Fujiwara et al. Journal of the Society of Hot Spring Climate Physics. 1989; 52 (2): 97-103.), It was considered that suppressing the evaporation of transdermal water suppresses the dryness of the skin and leads to moisturizing the skin.
In addition, although the data is not shown in particular, improvement of subjective skin symptoms, improvement of QOL related to skin condition, and improvement of itch were observed. Since the dryness of the skin was suppressed, it was considered that the subjective symptoms related to itching and pain of the skin were alleviated and the QOL of the skin was improved.
Based on the above, ingestion of the test food should reduce skin damage, itchiness and inflammatory reaction due to dryness, and improve dryness and discomfort of the skin by the moisturizing effect of the acacia bark extract through the effect of suppressing the amount of water evaporation. Can be expected.
Finally, the safety of the test food was evaluated by physical measurement / physical examination, urinalysis, and peripheral blood test before, 4 weeks after, and 8 weeks after ingestion. As a result, in the physical measurement / physical examination and the peripheral blood test, although significant fluctuations were found in the average value of the measured values, all the items were fluctuations within the normal range or the standard value. Urinalysis showed no significant difference in the number of people inside and outside the standard value before and after ingestion and between groups. From the results of these safety tests, it was also confirmed that the test food was safe.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a skin moisturizing composition that is safe and has less concern about side effects even when taken orally for a long period of time.
In addition, the composition of the present invention can suppress the evaporation of water from the skin and exert a moisturizing effect by oral ingestion, so that the moisturizing power of the skin is enhanced and the moisture (moisture) of the skin is hard to escape. It is useful for retaining moisture and keeping the skin moisturized, especially for moisturizing human skin, which tends to be dry. In addition, the composition of the present invention is also useful for maintaining the health of the skin by suppressing dryness and rough skin.
The composition of the present invention is also useful for suppressing the amount of water evapotranspiration from the skin, preventing or improving dryness of the skin, eliminating skin troubles due to dryness, for example, improving rough skin.
The composition of the present invention is a pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical product, or a health food, a health functional food (for example, a food for specified health use, a nutritionally functional food, and a food with a functional claim), a health supplement, a beauty food, or a nutritional supplement. It can be used as foods such as foods (supplements) or animal feeds, especially foods with functional claims.

Claims (7)

It is not atopic dermatitis characterized by containing acacia bark-derived products, but is used by oral ingestion by humans with dry skin or those who feel discomfort due to dry skin. A composition for moisturizing the skin, derived from the bark of the genus Acacia, scientific name: Acacia mearnsii De Wild., Scientific name: Acacia mangium Willd., Scientific name: Acacia dealbata Link, scientific name: Acacia decurrens Willd. A composition for moisturizing the skin, which is derived from at least one or more Acacia bark selected from the group consisting of . The skin moisturizing composition according to claim 1, wherein the bark-derived product of the genus Acacia is derived from at least one or more bark of the genus Acacia selected from the group consisting of the scientific name: Acacia mearnsii De Wild. And the scientific name: Acacia mangium Willd. Stuff. The skin moisturizing composition according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the acacia bark-derived product is an extract of the acacia bark. The skin moisturizing composition according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the acacia bark-derived product is an acacia bark-derived proanthocyanidin. The skin moisturizing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which is a food product. The skin moisturizing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which is a pharmaceutical product. The skin moisturizing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which is a quasi-drug.