JP2005110548A - Food composition containing methylsulfonylmethane - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a food composition which contains methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and an organic acid, reduces a bitter taste and irritation, even when the MSM is contained in a high concentration, and has an excellent taste. <P>SOLUTION: This food composition contains MSM and the organic acid. The food composition preferably further contains a sweetener. The methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a compound represented by the formula: (CH3)2SO2, and is a substance detected from many animals and plants in extremely fine amounts. For example, the MSM is detected in the blood of a normal person in a concentration of about 1 ppm. The MSM is one of components mainly constituting connective tissues and bones, is decreased with ageing, and affects the connective tissues. For example, wrinkles are formed in the skin. The organic acid includes citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, gluconic acid, ketoglutaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, and their derivatives and salts. The organic acid includes preferably citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, and their derivatives and salts. The above sweetener is a sugar usually used by persons skilled in the art, such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, a sugar alcohol, a high sweetness degree sweetener, or trehalose. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a food composition containing methylsulfonylmethane.

  Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a sulfur compound that exists in many natural plants and animals. This compound is absorbed and used as a sulfur source in the body in most animals and plants. MSM is also contained in foods, and among them, it is most abundant in fresh milk, and in trace amounts in coffee, tea, tomatoes, apples, cabbage and the like.

  In recent years, it has been reported that active intake of MSM can provide various symptom-improving effects, such as anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in joints (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). However, according to these documents, in order to obtain these effects, intake of as much as 1 to 3 g per day for an adult may be necessary. Since MSM has a bitter taste and strong irritation to the tongue, it is difficult to take the above amounts.

When a food containing MSM is cooked, MSM is greatly lost. Patent Document 4 describes that MSM is added to milk, fruits, and vegetables that have lost MSM due to processing so as to have the original content. However, since milk, raw vegetables, fruits and the like have an MSM content of about 5 ppm or less, a sufficient amount cannot be consumed even when cooking is not performed. Furthermore, with changes in modern eating habits, MSM intake tends to decrease.
JP 56-36412 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-27321 Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-16406 Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-2268

  An object of the present invention is to provide an MSM-containing food composition which is a natural sulfur source, reduces the bitterness and irritation of MSM having various actions, and is excellent in palatability.

  The present inventors have found that by combining MSM and an organic acid, a food composition with reduced bitterness and irritation and excellent palatability can be obtained even when MSM is contained in a high concentration. The invention has been completed.

  That is, the food composition of the present invention contains methylsulfonylmethane and an organic acid.

  In a preferred embodiment, the food composition of the present invention further contains a sweetener.

  In a preferred embodiment, the organic acid is at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, and derivatives or salts thereof.

  In a preferred embodiment, the sweetener is at least one selected from the group consisting of sugar alcohols, high-intensity sweeteners, and trehalose.

  In a preferred embodiment, the food composition of the present invention further contains an aroma component.

  According to the present invention, the bitterness and irritation peculiar to MSM can be reduced by including an organic acid in the MSM-containing food composition. This food is excellent in palatability even when it contains a high concentration of MSM. Therefore, it is possible to ingest the amount that MSM works effectively. Furthermore, palatability can be further improved by including a sweetener or an aroma component in the food composition of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, the food composition of the present invention will be described. The configurations described below are not intended to limit the present invention, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

  The food composition of the present invention contains methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and an organic acid. This food composition preferably further contains a sweetener and an aroma component, and if necessary, other components.

(1) Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)
MSM is the following formula:
(CH ₃ ) ₂ SO ₂
It is a compound that is detected in a very small amount from many animals and plants. For example, in a healthy person, it is detected at a concentration of about 1 ppm in blood. MSM is one of the components that mainly constitute connective tissue and bone, and decreases with age, affects the connective tissue, and causes wrinkles on the skin, for example.

The MSM contained in the food composition of the present invention may be a natural product or a synthetic product. MSM derived from natural products can be obtained by extraction from animal milk such as cow's milk or plants such as pine (for example, pine leaves), green-yellow vegetables, tomatoes, and tea (for example, tea leaves). Alternatively, for example, it can also be obtained by isolating lignin from pine and mixing this lignin and sulfur to oxidize sulfur. It is preferable that the MSM derived from natural products thus obtained is then purified by purification such as distillation. In the case of a synthetic product, for example, the following reaction formula:
(CH ₃ ) ₂ SO + H ₂ O ₂ → (CH ₃ ) ₂ SO ₂ + H ₂ O
It can be obtained by oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide as shown in FIG. MSM having a purity of 90% by weight or more is preferably used.

(2) Organic acid Another essential component of the present invention is an organic acid. By taking organic acids with MSM, the bitterness and irritation specific to MSM can be reduced.

  Examples of the organic acid include citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, gluconic acid, ketoglutaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, and derivatives or salts thereof. Preferred are citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, and derivatives or salts thereof. Since MSM has the characteristic that it is easy to feel bitterness and irritation to the tongue in the aftertaste, an organic acid having a sour taste is more preferable, and an organic acid having a sourness lasting, for example, citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, and More preferred is ascorbic acid. Furthermore, from the point of having a sour taste with high palatability, the organic acid which is a sour component of fruits, for example, a citric acid, malic acid, and tartaric acid is the most preferable. As the organic acid, food materials containing the above organic acid, for example, squeezed juice (fruit juice etc.) or extract (coffee etc.) derived from plants such as citrus fruits, grapes, apples, ume, coffee beans, etc. may be used. Coffee includes, for example, citric acid, malic acid, chlorogenic acid and the like. These organic acids may be used alone or in combination.

(3) Sweetener It is preferable to add a sweetener to the food composition of the present invention from the viewpoint of further improving or enhancing the palatability. Even if a sweetener is added to MSM alone, the bitterness peculiar to MSM cannot be reduced. However, by adding a sweetener to a food composition containing MSM and an organic acid, both the bitterness caused by MSM and the acidity caused by the organic acid can be reduced (masked) and taken as food. It becomes easy. Furthermore, since there is little bitterness and sourness, it becomes easy to utilize as a food material.

  Examples of the sweetener include sugars commonly used by those skilled in the art, for example, glucose, fructose, sucrose, sugar alcohol, high-intensity sweetener, and trehalose. Sweeteners that have a high effect of masking bitterness and sourness are preferred. For example, sugar alcohols, high-intensity sweeteners, and trehalose are preferred, and sugar alcohols and high-intensity sweeteners are more preferred. A food material (for example, honey) containing the above sweetener may be used as a sweetener as long as it does not interfere with the masking effect of bitterness and sourness. These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination.

  Examples of the sugar alcohol include erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, lactitol, and reduced maltose. From the viewpoint of obtaining a refreshing feeling, erythritol and xylitol are preferred.

  Examples of the high sweetness sweetener include saccharin, sucralose (4,1 ′, 6′-trichlorogalactosucrose), stevia, aspartame, glycyrrhizin, licorice extract and the like. Of these, sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame are preferred because they have a high sweetness and a masking effect is easily obtained.

(4) Aroma component It is preferable to add an aroma component to the food composition of the present invention. As the aroma component, a component capable of enhancing palatability in combination with the acidity of the organic acid is used. For example, it is obtained from the fruit (fruit), seed, leaf, stem, etc. of a plant (fruit, vegetable, etc.). Food fragrances commonly used by those skilled in the art, such as extracted extracts (plant-derived medium extracts) and synthetic fragrances. You may make the food composition contain the plant itself containing the said aromatic component (dry powder of a plant etc.) or the juice (fruit juice, vegetable juice etc.) of a plant as a material containing an aromatic component. The aroma component is preferably a plant-derived extract, a plant dry powder, and a plant juice, more preferably a fruit extract, a plant dry powder, and a fruit juice. These components may be used alone or in combination.

  Examples of the plant that is a raw material for the aroma component include citrus fruits, grapes, plums, apples and perillas. Among them, it is preferable to use citrus fruits as a raw material from the viewpoint of efficiently masking the bitter taste of MSM by the synergistic effect with the sourness by the organic acid and enhancing the palatability.

  As mentioned above, fruit juice contains both organic acids and aroma components. Therefore, by using fruit juice as the organic acid, the aroma component is also contained in the food composition, so that both effects can be obtained and higher palatability can be obtained.

(5) Other components The food composition of the present invention is a normal food such as an excipient, a bulking agent, a binder, a thickener, an emulsifier, a colorant, a fragrance, a functional ingredient, and a seasoning as necessary. Contains other ingredients that can be used in Among these, examples of excipients include cyclic oligosaccharides (cyclodextrins) and indigestible dextrins. Among these, cyclic oligosaccharides and indigestible dextrins are preferable because the effect of natural and mellow taste of the food composition is obtained. Functional components include, for example, components related to joints and beauty such as amino sugars (eg glucosamine), amino acids, proteins (eg collagen), mucopolysaccharides (eg chondroitin and hyaluronic acid); flavonols (eg hesperidin) And quercetin), flavanols (for example, proanthocyanidins and epigallocatechin), vitamin A, vitamin E and other anti-oxidant components; ubiquinones, cysteine-containing peptides (for example, glutathione), lignans (for example, sesamin and sesamolin) Ingredients having a reducing action such as curcumin and derivatives thereof; vitamins other than the above (for example, vitamin B group); royal jelly; calcium-containing material (for example, eggshell calcium); chitosan; lecithin; Such as plant extracts having the like. Examples of the seasoning include matcha powder.

(6) Food composition The food composition of the present invention contains methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and an organic acid. Preferably, it further contains at least one of a sweetener and a fragrance component, and may contain other components as required. The food composition of the present invention particularly preferably contains MSM, organic acid, sweetener, fruit juice, and flavor. The food composition of the present invention has low bitterness and irritation even if it contains MSM at a high concentration, and is excellent in palatability, so that it can be easily ingested in an amount that MSM acts effectively.

  There is no restriction | limiting in particular in content of MSM in the food composition of this invention. Preferably, the food composition may contain 0.05 wt% to 80 wt%, more preferably 0.1 wt% to 60 wt%, and even more preferably 0.2 wt% to 50 wt%. Furthermore, it is preferable to contain in the food composition so that the intake amount of MSM is 100 mg to 5000 mg per adult (recommended intake amount per adult day), preferably 300 mg to 3000 mg, more preferably 500 mg to 2000 mg. In particular, when the form of the food composition is a beverage, it is preferable to contain 0.1 to 10% by weight of MSM in the beverage from the viewpoint of excellent palatability. can do.

  The content of the organic acid contained in the food composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the bitterness and irritation specific to MSM can be reduced. The amount of the organic acid to be contained varies depending on the type of the organic acid and is not limited to the following numerical values, but is generally 10 to 1000 parts by weight, preferably 15 to 500 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of MSM. Parts by weight, more preferably 20 parts by weight to 300 parts by weight. When a food material containing an organic acid is used as the organic acid, basically, the amount of the food material to be contained in the composition may be determined in consideration of the organic acid content in the food material. When other components such as sweeteners and aroma components are contained in addition to organic acids, such as fruit juice and coffee, the bitter taste of MSM can be reduced in a smaller amount than the above range.

  When the form of the food composition of the present invention is a liquid, it is preferable to acidify the food composition (solution) from the viewpoint that an acidity due to an organic acid is easily obtained. For example, the pH in the solution is preferably adjusted to 7 or less, more preferably 5 or less. For example, when citric acid is used as the organic acid, the pH can be adjusted using citric acid and sodium citrate.

  There is no restriction | limiting in particular in content of the sweetener in the food composition of this invention. In order to effectively reduce the bitterness due to MSM and the sourness due to organic acids, 0.001 to 1500 parts by weight, more preferably 0.01 to 1000 parts by weight of sweetener is preferably added to 100 parts by weight of MSM. contains. In particular, sugar alcohol and trehalose are contained in an amount of 10 to 1500 parts by weight, preferably 20 to 1000 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of MSM. In the case of a high-sweetness sweetener, 0.001 to 20 parts by weight, preferably 0.01 to 10 parts by weight is contained with respect to 100 parts by weight of MSM. When using a food material containing a sweetener, the amount of the food material to be included in the food composition may be determined in consideration of the sweetener content in the food material.

  There is no restriction | limiting in particular in content of the aromatic component in the foodstuff composition of this invention. Preferably, the aroma component is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 20 parts by weight, more preferably 0.2 to 10 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of MSM.

  There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the form of the food composition of this invention. For example, it can be made into dosage forms such as capsules (hard capsules or soft capsules), tablets (tablets), pills, powders, granules and the like. Alternatively, it may be in the form of tea, tea bag, bowl, liquid (beverage), paste, jelly, or the like. Among these, a granular or tablet (tablet) or jelly-like form for preparing a beverage is preferable because the intake of MSM per time can be increased and the effect of improving palatability can be sufficiently exhibited. .

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although this invention is demonstrated based on an Example, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to this Example.

(Preparation Example 1: Preparation of beverage)
MSM (Cardinal Co., Ltd.) and citric acid (San-Eigen FFI Co., Ltd.) were dissolved in water so as to have the proportions (% by weight) shown in Table 1 to prepare a concentrated solution. 10 mL of this concentrated solution was diluted with purified water to 100 mL to prepare a beverage.

(Preparation Examples 2 to 4: Preparation of beverage)
Other than using malic acid (Fuso Chemical Co., Ltd.), tartaric acid (Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), or ascorbic acid (Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) in the proportions (% by weight) shown in Table 1 instead of citric acid A concentrated solution was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. 10 mL of this concentrated solution was diluted with purified water to 100 mL to prepare a beverage.

(Comparative Preparation Examples 1-9)
Instead of citric acid, erythritol (Niken Chemical Co., Ltd.), xylitol (Niken Chemical Co., Ltd.), licorice extract (Ikeda Saccharification Co., Ltd. colored paper company), sucralose (San-Eigen FFI Co., Ltd.), aspartame (Ajinomoto Co., Inc.) ), Trehalose (Hayashibara Corporation), sucrose (Nippon Sugar Co., Ltd.), or glutamic acid (Ajinomoto Co., Inc.) in the proportions (% by weight) shown in Table 1, or no citric acid was used A concentrated solution was prepared in the same manner as Example 1 except for the above. 10 mL of this concentrated solution was diluted with purified water to 100 mL to prepare a beverage.

(Example 1: Evaluation 1 of bitterness, irritation of tongue, and palatability)
100 panelists of each of Preparation Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Preparation Examples 1 to 9 were allowed to be tasted at random by 10 panelists (26 to 52 years old men and women) without disclosing the contents, and bitterness and irritation to the tongue , And palatability were evaluated in five levels according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 1. The numbers in Table 1 show the average score of all panelists:
Bitterness and tongue irritation Not felt: 2 points Somewhat felt: 1 point Feeled: 0 points Somewhat strongly felt: -1 point Strongly felt: -2 points Preference Good: 2 points Somewhat good: 1 point Normal : 0 points Somewhat bad: -1 points Bad: -2 points

  From Table 1, the beverage containing MSM of the preparation example and the organic acid is less likely to feel bitterness and irritation than the beverage containing the MSM of the comparative preparation example and other components (sweetener or glutamic acid), It turns out that the nature is high. In particular, among the preparation examples, the beverages of Preparation Examples 1 and 2 using citric acid or malic acid as the organic acid showed a higher effect, and the beverage of Preparation Example 1 using citric acid showed a higher effect.

(Preparation Example 5: Preparation of beverage)
Using MSM, citric acid, and erythritol, it was dissolved in water so as to have the ratio (% by weight) shown in Table 2 to prepare a concentrated solution. 10 mL of this concentrated solution was diluted with purified water to 100 mL to prepare a beverage.

(Examples 6 to 17: Preparation of beverage)
MSM, organic acid, sweetener, and grapefruit fragrance (manufactured by Nippon Fragrance Chemicals) were dissolved in water so as to have the ratio (% by weight) shown in Table 2 to prepare a concentrated solution. 10 mL of this concentrated solution was diluted with purified water to 100 mL to prepare a beverage.

(Example 2: Evaluation 2 of bitterness, irritation to the tongue, and palatability)
The beverages of Preparation Examples 5 to 14 were sampled at random without disclosing the contents to the same panelists as in Example 1, and the bitterness, irritation to the tongue, and palatability were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2. In addition, the numerical value of Table 2 shows the average score of all the panelists.

(Example 3: Evaluation 3 of bitterness, irritation of tongue, and palatability)
The beverages of Preparation Example 5 and Preparation Examples 15 to 17 were sampled at random without disclosing the contents to the same panelists as in Example 1, and as in Example 1, bitterness, irritation to the tongue, and palatability evaluated. The results are shown in Table 2.

  From the results of Example 2 in Table 2, it can be seen that all of the beverages containing MSM and organic acid of the preparation examples are less likely to feel bitterness and unique irritation and have high palatability. In particular, it can be seen that the beverages of Preparation Examples 5 to 13 containing a sweetener have reduced bitterness and irritation and are excellent in palatability. Furthermore, among sweeteners, sugar alcohols such as erythritol (Preparation Example 5) and xylitol (Example 6); licorice extract (Example 7), sucralose (Example 8), and aspartame (Example 9) It turns out that a high effect is acquired by using a sweetness sweetener; and trehalose (Example 10), and a still higher effect is acquired by using a high sweetness sweetener (Examples 7-9).

  From the results of Example 3 in Table 2, the beverages of Preparation Examples 15 and 16 containing citrus fruit juice as the organic acid tend to have higher palatability than the beverage of Preparation Example 5 containing citric acid as the organic acid. I know that there is. Moreover, it turns out that the bitterness of the drink of the preparation example 17 which contains a fragrance | flavor further in the preparation example 5 is reduced compared with the drink of the preparation example 5, and there exists a tendency for preference.

(Example 4: Preparation and evaluation of beverage)
A beverage was prepared by blending the following ingredients:
<Beverage ingredients> Weight (per 300 mL)
MSM: 3.0g
Citric acid: 0.5g
Lactic acid: 0.5g
Cyclic oligosaccharide: 2.0 g
Aspartame: 0.6mg
Fructose: 5.0 g
Vitamin B1: 1.5mg
Vitamin B2: 1.0mg
Vitamin B6: 10mg
Vitamin B12: 50μg
Fragrance (grapefruit): 0.1g

  The beverage had a refreshing acidity without the unique bitterness and irritation of MSM. It is conceivable that a cyclic oligosaccharide is further contained as a cause of a mild flavor and excellent palatability. Such a beverage can take MSM equivalent to the recommended daily intake more easily.

(Example 5: Preparation and evaluation of tablets)
The following ingredients were mixed to prepare 250 mg tablets per tablet:
<Tablet ingredients>
MSM: 30 parts by weight Glucosamine: 5 parts by weight Ascorbic acid: 10 parts by weight Malic acid: 5 parts by weight Sucralose: 0.01 parts by weight Erythritol: 20 parts by weight Orange juice powder: 5 parts by weight Sucrose ester: 4 parts by weight Silicon dioxide: 1 part by weight Crystalline cellulose: 7 parts by weight Reduced palatinose: 12.09 parts by weight

  The tablet had a refreshing and refreshing acidity, and the bitterness and irritation peculiar to MSM were reduced. Furthermore, even if 15 tablets per day (equivalent to MSM 1125 mg) were ingested, the bitterness and irritation did not remain and the palatability was excellent.

(Example 6: Preparation and evaluation of granules)
Granules (4 g) were prepared by mixing the following ingredients:
<Ingredients of granules>
MSM: 50 parts by weight Chondroitin: 1 part by weight Ascorbic acid: 5 parts by weight Tartaric acid: 5 parts by weight Aspartame: 0.3 parts by weight Trehalose: 10 parts by weight Fragrance (Perilla leaf powder): 5 parts by weight Indigestible dextrin: 18 .7 parts by weight

  Even if the granule was eaten as it was, the bitterness and irritation peculiar to MSM were reduced. In addition, when 4 g of the granule was dissolved in 50 mL of water to obtain a beverage, the beverage was particularly easy to drink.

(Example 7: Preparation and evaluation of coffee beverage)
A coffee drink (150 mL) was prepared by blending the following components:
<Ingredients of coffee beverage>
MSM: 1g
Coffee extract (Ajinomoto General Foods Co., Ltd.): 3g
Creamy powder (Ajinomoto Co., Inc.): 3g
Aspartame: 0.02g

  The coffee beverage had a high palatability, with little bitter taste of MSM and no irritation to the tongue.

  Since the bitterness and irritation peculiar to MSM are reduced, the food composition of the present invention is excellent in palatability even if MSM is contained at a high concentration. Therefore, it is possible to ingest the amount that MSM works effectively.

Claims (5)

  A food composition comprising methylsulfonylmethane and an organic acid.   Furthermore, the food composition of Claim 1 containing a sweetener.   The food composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the organic acid is at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, and derivatives or salts thereof. .   The food composition according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the sweetener is at least one selected from the group consisting of sugar alcohols, high-intensity sweeteners, and trehalose.   The food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an aroma component.