JP2003146898A - Hyperlipemia-improving agent - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hyperlipemia-improving agent, and to provide a health food containing the agent. SOLUTION: This hyperlipemia-improving agent is obtained by using pine bark extract. The preferable pine bark extract contains >=20 wt.% OPC (oligomeric proanthocyanidin) and >=5.0 wt.% catechin. The food containing the pine bark extract and ascorbic acid or its salt has the excellent hyperlipemia-improving effect, decreases total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, neutral fat and phospholipid in blood and, at the same time, increases HDL- cholesterol in blood.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a hyperlipidemia-improving agent containing a pine bark extract, and a health food containing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With recent changes in eating habits, hyperlipidemia,
So-called lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes are increasing. In particular, hyperlipidemia is maintained with a high lipid concentration in the blood, and it is necessary to be careful because it progresses to arteriosclerosis, hypertension, stroke and the like as it progresses. As blood lipids, there are mainly two types of lipids, cholesterol and neutral fat.
For cholesterol, LDL (low density lipoprotein)
And HDL (high density lipoprotein). Of these, LDL is called bad cholesterol because it causes the above-mentioned lifestyle-related diseases, while HDL is called good cholesterol because it has an action of removing free cholesterol that can cause arteriosclerosis.

Therefore, in order to improve hyperlipidemia,
Studies have focused on the removal of LDL. However, it has recently been clarified that hyperlipidemia is improved by increasing the ratio of HDL in total cholesterol without lowering the total cholesterol concentration. Therefore, the ratio of HDL in total cholesterol is an index for improving hyperlipidemia.

To improve such hyperlipidemia, it goes without saying that a drug is used, but if it can be easily ingested as a food, the hyperlipidemia can be easily improved. Among foods, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has been reported to have a blood cholesterol lowering effect. Vitamin C is an indispensable micronutrient for humans, and also has actions such as an immunostimulating action and a whitening / skinning action.

However, this vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and cannot be maintained in the body for a long time.
Normally, even if ingested, it will be excreted as urine in a few hours. Therefore, the effect of lowering blood cholesterol is not sufficient. In order to fully exert the blood cholesterol lowering effect, it is necessary to devise such that vitamin C to be ingested daily is divided every several hours, but it is extremely complicated.

[0006] Therefore, there is a demand for foods that can improve hyperlipidemia.

[0007]

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a novel hyperlipidemia symptom improving agent and a health food containing the same. is there.

[0008]

As a result of searching for natural materials capable of improving hyperlipidemia, the present inventors have found that pine bark extract has an effect of improving hyperlipidemia. further,
The inventors have found that the hyperlipidemia is improved by using the pine bark extract in combination with ascorbic acid or a salt thereof, and completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention provides a hyperlipidemia-improving agent containing a pine bark extract.

In a preferred embodiment, a pine bark extract containing 20% by weight or more of OPC (oligomeric proanthocyanidin) is used as the pine bark extract.

In a preferred embodiment, the pine bark extract may further contain catechin (catech) in addition to OPC.
A pine bark extract containing 5.0% by weight or more of in) is used.

[0012] In a further preferred embodiment, the hyperlipidemia-improving agent further comprises ascorbic acid or a salt thereof.

The present invention also provides a health food containing any of the above hyperlipidemia-improving agents.

By ingesting a hyperlipidemia-improving agent containing the pine bark extract of the present invention and a health food containing this hyperlipidemia-improving agent, hyperlipidemia can be routinely improved.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The hyperlipidemia-improving agent of the present invention is characterized by containing a pine bark extract. As pine bark extracts, bark extraction of French coastal pine (Pinus Martima), larch, black pine, red pine, Himekomatsu, Goyo pine, Korean pine, high pine, Ryukyu pine, Utsuku pine, rhubarb pine, white pine, and Anneda of Quebec region of Canada. The thing is used preferably. Of these, bark extract of French coastal pine (Pinus Martima) is preferably used.

The French coastal pine is a marine pine that grows on a part of the Atlantic coast of southern France. The bark of this French coastal pine tree contains proanthocyanidin, which is a flavonoid, as a main component,
It contains organic acids and other physiologically active ingredients.
It is known that proanthocyanidin, which is this main component, has a strong antioxidant action of removing active oxygen.

The pine bark extract is obtained by extracting the bark of the pine tree with water or an organic solvent. When water is used, hot water or hot water is used. As the organic solvent used for extraction, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol,
2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol,
Butane, acetone, hexane, cyclohexane, propylene glycol, hydrous ethanol, hydrous propylene glycol, ethyl methyl ketone, glycerin, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, dichloromethane,
Edible oil and fat, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane,
Organic solvents acceptable for the production of foods or drugs such as 1,1,2-trichloroethene are preferably used. These water and organic solvents may be used alone or in combination. In particular, hot water, hydrous ethanol, hydrous propylene glycol and the like are preferably used.

The extraction method from pine bark is not particularly limited, but for example, a heating 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 that is a fluid in a state of exceeding the gas-liquid critical point (critical temperature, critical pressure) of a substance. Carbon dioxide, ethylene, propane, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and the like are used as the supercritical fluid, but carbon dioxide is preferably used.

In the supercritical fluid extraction method, an extraction step of extracting the target component with the supercritical fluid and a separation step of separating the target component and the supercritical fluid are performed. In the separation process, extraction separation due to pressure change, extraction separation due to temperature change, adsorbent
Any of extraction and separation using an absorbent may be performed.

Supercritical fluid extraction may be carried out by the entrainer addition method. According to this method, for example, ethanol, propanol, n-hexane, acetone, toluene, other lower aliphatic alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and ketones are added to the extraction fluid in an amount of 2 to 2.
By adding about 0 W / V% and performing supercritical fluid extraction using this fluid, the solubility of the target extract such as OPC and catechins in the extraction solvent is dramatically increased, or the selectivity of separation is increased. And a method for obtaining an efficient pine bark extract.

Since the supercritical fluid extraction method can be operated at a relatively low temperature, it can be applied to substances that are altered or decomposed at high temperatures, the advantage that the extraction fluid does not remain, and the solvent can be recycled. There is an advantage that the desolvation step and the like can be omitted and the step is 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 extraction method.

The extraction from pine bark may be performed by combining a plurality of extraction methods. By combining a plurality of extraction methods, it becomes possible to obtain pine bark extracts having various compositions.

The pine bark extract used in the present invention includes a polyanthocyanidin condensation polymer, that is, flavan-
A polycondensate having a degree of polymerization of 2 or more and containing 3-ol and / or flavan-3,4-diol as a constitutional unit is contained. As the polycondensate, a polycondensate having a low degree of polymerization is preferably used. Condensation polymer having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 30 (2 to
30-mer) is preferable, a condensation polymer having a degree of polymerization of 2-10 (2-10-mer) is more preferable, and a condensation polymer having a degree of polymerization of 2-4 (2-4mer) is more preferably used. .

In the present specification, among polycondensates of proanthocyanidins, the degree of polymerization of flavan-3-ol and / or flavan-3,4-diol as a constituent unit is 2
The polymers of 4 to 4 are called OPC (oligomeric proanthocyanidin).

OPC is a kind of polyphenol, which is a powerful antioxidant produced by plants, such as plant leaves, bark,
It is concentrated in the peels and seeds of fruits. Specifically, it is contained in grape seed, pine bark, peanut skin, ginkgo, black locust fruit, cowberry and the like. It is also known that cola nuts in West Africa, roots of Latania in Peru, and green tea in Japan also contain OPC. OPC is a substance that cannot be produced in the human body.

Since such OPC is an antioxidant, it has the effect of reducing the risk rate of adult diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and cerebral thrombosis, and the effect of improving allergic constitution such as arthritis, atopic dermatitis, and hay fever. And so on.

Further, OPC has an antioxidative effect, an effect of suppressing bacterial growth in the oral cavity to reduce plaque (dental plaque), an effect of restoring elasticity of blood vessels, and lipoprotein in blood is a reactive oxygen species. As a potentiator of vitamin E, the effect of preventing damaged fat from aggregating on the inner wall of blood vessels and preventing cholesterol from adhering, regenerating vitamin E decomposed by active oxygen, Is known to have the effect of.

In the present invention, a pine bark extract containing 20% by weight or more of OPC is preferably used. More preferably, it is 30% by weight or more.

When OPC is used as the pine bark extract,
Compared with the case of using a polymer with a high degree of polymerization, a more excellent preventive and therapeutic effect for hyperlipidemia can be obtained.

The pine bark extract used in the present invention preferably contains catechins in an amount of 5% by weight or more. Catechins are also extracted from pine bark and are included in the pine bark extract. That is, catechins can be extracted together with OPC.

The catechins are a general term for polyhydroxyflavan-3-ols, and in addition to (+)-catechin, which is said to be catechin in a narrow sense, gallocatechin, afzelekin, (+)-catechin or 3-galloyl of gallocatechin. Derivatives have been isolated from natural products. As catechins, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin,
(+)-Gallocatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, etc. are known. For catechins, carcinogenesis suppression, arteriosclerosis prevention, fat metabolism abnormality suppression, blood pressure increase suppression, thrombosis prevention,
It is known to have antiallergic, antiviral, antibacterial, tooth decay prevention, halitosis prevention, intestinal flora normalization effect, active oxygen and free radical scavenging effect, antioxidant effect and the like.
Further, catechins are known to have an antidiabetic effect of suppressing an increase in blood sugar.

Catechins have the property of being easily dissolved in water in the presence of OPC and being active at the same time.

As the hyperlipidemia-improving agent of the present invention, 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.
When the OPC content of the pine bark extract is less than 20% by weight, or the catechins content is less than 5% by weight, the OPC content is 20% by weight or more, or the catechins content is 5% by weight or more. Like, OP to pine bark extract
C or catechins may be added.

The pine bark extract used for the hyperlipidemia-improving agent of the present invention is specifically prepared by the following method, but this is an example and not limited to this method.

1 kg of bark of French coastal pine is extracted with 3 L of a saturated sodium chloride solution at 100 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain an extract (extraction step). Then, the extract is filtered and the resulting insoluble matter is saturated with sodium chloride solution 500.
Wash with ml to obtain a washing solution (washing step). A crude pine bark extract is obtained by combining the extract and the washing solution.

Then, ethyl acetate 250 was added to the crude extract.
ml is added and liquid-separated, and the ethyl acetate layer recovery step of recovering the ethyl acetate layer is performed 5 times. In this ethyl acetate layer recovery step, the ethyl acetate layer was replaced with anhydrous sodium sulfate 20%.
Dehydrate and collect at 0 g. After that, the ethyl acetate layer is filtered, and the filtrate is concentrated under reduced pressure until it becomes 1/5 of the original volume.
Pour the concentrated ethyl acetate layer into 2 L of chloroform,
The precipitate obtained by stirring is collected by filtration. Then, after dissolving the precipitate in 100 ml of ethyl acetate,
Add again to 1 L of chloroform to perform precipitation.
Repeat the washing process. By this method, about 5 g of a pine bark extract containing 20% by weight of a 2- to 4-meric OPC and 5% by weight or more of catechins can be obtained.

To obtain the effect of the present invention as a hyperlipidemia-improving agent, pine bark extract is used in an amount of 50 mg to 2000 mg per day.
mg, preferably 100 mg to 1000 mg, may be administered to or ingested by humans.

The health food of the present invention is obtained by incorporating the pine bark extract into food. The content of the pine bark extract in the health food may be determined in consideration of the above intake amount.

In the health food of the present invention, in addition to the pine bark extract, if necessary, an excipient, a bulking agent, a binder, a thickening agent,
It can be mixed with emulsifiers, colorants, flavors, food additives, seasonings and the like. For example, as a nutritional supplement, royal jelly, vitamins, proteins, calcium such as egg shell calcium, chitosan, lecithin, chlorella powder, ashitaba powder,
Moroheiya powder, etc. are added, and further, stevia powder, matcha powder, lemon powder, honey, reduced maltose,
The taste can be adjusted by adding lactose, sugar solution, seasonings and the like.

If necessary, these can be formed into capsules such as hard capsules and soft capsules, tablets or pills, or can be formed into powder, granules, candy and the like.

In such health food, the pine bark extract is generally 0.5 to 10% by weight, though it depends on the dosage form.
It is preferably blended in the range of 1 to 7% by weight.

The hyperlipidemia-improving agent and the health food containing the same according to the present embodiment may be eaten or drank as it is, or may be dissolved in water, hot water, milk or the like depending on the shape or taste. You can drink it as it is, or you can drink it with the ingredients leached out.

[0045]

The present invention will be described below with reference to examples.
It goes without saying that the invention is not limited by this example.

(Example) Purified feed containing L-ascorbic acid at a low concentration and 20 OPCs obtained by the above method.
The effect of the hyperlipidemia-improving agent of the present invention was evaluated as follows using a pine bark extract containing 5% by weight or more and 5% by weight or more of catechin (hereinafter referred to simply as pine bark extract).

A 3-week-old male guinea pig (Japan SLC, Inc.) was fed with a standard solid feed (RC4, Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.) for 1 week for acclimation, and then a group of 7 animals was prepared by the total randomization method. Allotted individually.

L-ascorbic acid (0.01% by weight)
A purified feed containing was prepared. This refined feed is corn starch (29.49%), milk casein (20.
00%), alfalfa meal (10.00%), α
-Potato starch (10.00%), cellulose powder (10.00%) sucrose (10.00%),
Soybean oil (6.00%), mineral mixture (AIN-7
6, 3.50%), vitamin mixture (AIN-76,
1.00%) and ascorbic acid (0.01%). All the numbers mean% by weight.

Then, the purified feed was mixed with the pine bark extract in an amount of 2.5% by weight and molded into a solid feed, which was allowed to freely ingest for 28 days.

28 days after the administration, blood cholesterol level, LDL cholesterol level, HDL cholesterol level, triglyceride and phospholipid concentration were measured using a measurement kit.

The unit of each value and the measuring method are as follows: (1) Total cholesterol: mg / dL, enzymatic method (“Serotech” TCHO-L: manufactured by Serotech Co., Ltd.) (2) LDL cholesterol: mg / dL, enzymatic method (“Cholestest LDL”: manufactured by Daiichi Pure Chemicals Co., Ltd.) (3) HDL cholesterol: mg / dL, enzymatic method (“Cholestest HDL”: manufactured by Daiichi Pure Chemicals Co., Ltd.) (4 ) Triglyceride: mg / dL, enzymatic method (“Serotech” TG-L: manufactured by Serotech Co., Ltd.) (5) Phospholipid: mg / dL, enzymatic method (“Serotech” P
LL: manufactured by Serotech Co., Ltd.)

The results are shown in Table 1. The control in Table 1 is the value of the group fed with the purified feed containing no pine bark extract.

[0053]

[Table 1]

The results in Table 1 show that the hyperlipidemia-improving agent of the present invention containing ascorbic acid and pine bark extract has a total cholesterol level, LDL cholesterol level and triglyceride (triglyceride) level of 22 respectively. 0.5%, 28.0
% And 41.2% while HDL cholesterol level known as good cholesterol is 24.4%
It is also shown to be useful in improving hyperlipidemia.

[0055]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention provides a hyperlipidemia-improving agent containing a pine bark extract. In particular, when a hyperlipidemia-improving agent containing ascorbic acid or a salt thereof and a pine bark extract containing OPC in an amount of 20% by weight or more and catechins in an amount of 5% by weight or more, total cholesterol in the blood, LD
HDL cholesterol can be elevated at the same time that L cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids are lowered.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 4B018 MD07 MD09 MD25 MD61 ME14                       MF01                 4C086 AA01 AA02 BA18 MA02 MA04                       NA14 ZC33                 4C088 AB03 AC06 BA08 MA03 NA14                       ZC33

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A hyperlipidemia-improving agent comprising a pine bark extract. 2. The pine bark extract is an OPC (oligomer).
The hyperlipidemia-improving agent according to claim 1, which is a pine bark extract containing 20% by weight or more of ic proanthocyanidin). 3. The hyperlipidemia-improving agent according to claim 2, wherein the pine bark extract is a pine bark extract further containing 5.0% by weight or more of catechins. 4. The hyperlipidemia-improving agent according to claim 1, further comprising ascorbic acid or a salt thereof. 5. A health food containing the hyperlipidemia-improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 4.