JP2005269941A - Phytosterol composition - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a phytosterol composition storable over a long period of time without causing isolation or precipitation of phytosterol crystals, retaining a uniformly and stably dispersed state and having excellent acid resistance and heat resistance required when added to foods and drinks. <P>SOLUTION: This phytosterol composition comprises (A) a phytosterol, (B) at least one kind of lipophilic emulsifier selected from polysorbate 20, polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 65 and polysorbate 80, and (C) dextrin. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant sterol composition and a food or drink containing the composition. More specifically, a plant sterol composition that retains a homogeneous dispersion state without precipitation or floating of the plant sterol and is excellent in heat resistance, acid resistance, and the like required when added to food and drink, and this composition It relates to the food and drink it contains.

  Plant sterol is a general term for various sterols and mixtures thereof contained in plants, and β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, and brassicasterol are known as main components. Plant sterols are known to have a blood cholesterol level-lowering effect. When plant sterols or their esters are taken orally as margarine additives, blood cholesterol levels can be significantly reduced (non-patented). Reference 1).

  Therefore, it has been highly expected that plant sterols having such excellent physiological effects are added to foods and drinks, particularly to beverages.

  However, phytosterols have a very low solubility in oil, solvent and water due to their structure, strong crystallinity, high melting point (130 to 150 ° C.), etc., so that they are uniformly dispersed in water and are stable liquids. It was difficult to use as a product.

  Therefore, preparations and foods have been suspended in oil or provided in the form of powder or granules. However, plant sterols that have been insolubilized are reported to have low absorbability to the human body, and workability at the time of use such as formulation design, addition to food, bulkiness, scattering, dispersion, aggregation, precipitation, etc. Badness has become a problem, and in particular, there has been a demand for improved dispersion and solubility in water.

There have been several reports on the method of dissolving plant sterols in water.
A water-soluble composition containing a plant sterol is prepared, and an edible oil and fat such as a medium chain fatty acid and a polyglycerin fatty acid ester are used in combination with an emulsifier such as glycerin fatty acid ester, and the HLB value by the combination of the emulsifier becomes 12 or more. Settings are disclosed. However, a composition comprising about 10 times the amount of plant sterol oil and fat, in which sterol is dispersed, and a mixture of sterol and fat is emulsified with an emulsifier, discloses the stability of the composition. It cannot be said that the dispersion stability is improved (Patent Document 1).

  As a composition having good stability, a water gel composition containing sterol, a lipophilic emulsifier, and fats and oils is disclosed. However, in the above-described technique, when used as an improving agent for processed foods, the gel collapses due to dilution, resulting in precipitation of sterol crystals. Moreover, in actual distribution, there are problems of storage stability such as decay of the gel composition, and the stability is not always satisfactory (Patent Document 2).

  An oil-in-water emulsion composition containing a plant sterol, lecithin, ethanol or the like is disclosed. However, when this oil-in-water emulsion composition is diluted with water and subjected to heat treatment, sterol crystals are precipitated, and there is a problem in the stability of the emulsion composition to heat. Therefore, in the prior art, there is no composition that is sufficiently satisfactory as a composition that is excellent in both acid resistance and heat resistance, which are properties required when added to food and drink, and maintains a stable dispersion state. (Patent Document 3).

  The above-described technique is oil-soluble and does not necessarily provide satisfactory liquid stability.

  In general, an emulsion (emulsion) is a fine dispersion of a liquid dispersoid in a liquid dispersion medium. The liquid dispersoid, that is, oily substances such as fats and oils, oily fragrances, crystals, and oily vitamins are finely dispersed. The technology is called emulsification technology. Further, when a solid dispersoid is used, a dispersion is a dispersion, and a technique for dispersing inorganic salts such as iron and calcium is called a dispersion technique.

  In addition, the particle diameter of an emulsion is a unit of 1-10 micrometers normally, and since it is considerably larger than the wavelength of light, it looks cloudy. When this particle diameter is in the range of several tens to 100 nm, a blue-colored transparent appearance is exhibited, which is called a microemulsion. Further, when the dispersoid is incorporated into the micelle of the emulsifier, the particle diameter becomes several tens of nm or less, and a transparent solution, that is, a solubilizing solution is obtained. While general emulsions are thermodynamically unstable, both microemulsions and solubilized liquids are thermodynamically stable.

  Several attempts have been reported to stabilize the sterol in an aqueous solution by adjusting the particle size in the liquid from the above emulsification techniques and the like.

  For example, it has been proposed to prepare sterol to a size of 20 μm or less using a mechanical impact force such as homogenization, but the actual particle size is not measured, and the dispersibility of sterol particles can be maintained. Whether or not it is unknown and a special device is required, it is difficult to say that a sufficiently satisfactory one can be secured at present (Patent Document 4).

  In order to make the sterol particle size nanoscale, sterol is extracted by supercritical extraction to a particle size of 10 to 300 nm, the particle is stabilized with a protective colloid of gelatin or chitosan, and the particle size of the preparation is 10 to 300 nm. Although it has been proposed that the absorption in the body is improved when it is present in the range, it has been described only in the evaluation in a solution state, and is not satisfactory (Patent Document 5).

  In order to improve the solubility or dispersibility of sterols, it has been proposed to use cyclodextrins as inclusions in plant sterols, but they are formulated in advance by dissolving them in alcohol. There are many points that need to be improved because it is difficult to escape easily (Patent Document 6).

  It has been proposed to form a lamellar structure by the combined use of sterols and sucrose fatty acid esters, but under acidic conditions, sucrose fatty acid esters are prone to degradation and the available range is limited at present. Yes (Patent Document 7).

  As described above, it is difficult to say that stabilization methods including dispersion solubility in an aqueous solution system have been established mainly with applications using fats and oils.

JP 2002-291442 A Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 6-59164 JP 2001-117 A Special Table 2002-535975 Special table 2003-516115 gazette JP-T-2002-517418 JP-A-10-231229 Peterson et al., J. Nutrir. 50, 1991 (1995)

  The present invention makes it possible to use in a wide range of fields such as preparations and foods by making the above-mentioned plant sterol that is hardly soluble in water easily dispersible in water, and the plant sterol crystals can be used even in a long period of storage. Provided is a plant sterol composition that maintains a homogeneous and stable dispersion state without causing release or precipitation, and has excellent acid resistance and heat resistance in properties required when added to food and drink. There is.

  As a result of diligent research to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that a plant sterol composition having excellent stability can be obtained with a specific formulation and a specific production method, and the present invention has been completed. It came to do.

That is, the present invention includes the following [1] to [3].
[1] It is composed of (A) plant sterol, (B) one or more lipophilic emulsifiers selected from polysorbate 20, polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 65, and polysorbate 80, and (C) dextrin. Plant sterol composition.
[2] The plant sterol composition according to item 1, wherein the weight ratio of (A) plant sterol to (B) polysorbate is in the range of 1:10 to 100: 1.
[3] A food or drink comprising the plant sterol composition according to Item 1 or 2.

The plant sterol composition of the present invention can maintain a homogeneous and stable state without precipitation or floating of the plant sterol even when stored for a long period of time.
Moreover, it is excellent also in acid resistance and heat resistance, and stability can be maintained even if it mix | blends the acid and salt used for a foodstuff and a food additive, and it is 100 ~ High-temperature sterilization or sterilization treatment at 150 ° C. can be performed, and it is stable against heating at this time, and can maintain a uniform state even when stored for a long time.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.
The (A) plant sterol used in the present invention is extracted and purified from vegetable oils such as soybean, rapeseed, and cottonseed, and has β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, brassicasterol and the like as main components. Is a mixture. Also, plant stanols, which are saturated forms of plant sterols, can be used in place of plant sterols or in combination with plant sterols.

  In this invention, content of a plant sterol is 0.05-50 weight% normally, Preferably it is 0.1-30 weight%, More preferably, it is 1-10 weight%. When the plant sterol content is less than 0.05% by weight, the physiological effect as a plant sterol is small, and when it is more than 50% by weight, the emulsion stability of the composition is inferior, which is not preferable.

  The (B) lipophilic emulsifier used in the present invention is, for example, one or more emulsifiers selected from polysorbate 20, polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 65, and polysorbate 80. The amount of the emulsifier used in the present invention is usually 0.01 to 50% by weight, preferably 1 to 20% by weight, and more preferably 1.5 to 10% by weight. When the amount of the emulsifier exceeds 50% by weight, when the plant sterol composition is added to food or drink, the taste unique to the emulsifier affects the taste of the food or drink. Moreover, if the compounding quantity of an emulsifier is less than 0.01 weight%, emulsification stability is inferior and it is unpreferable. As a commercial item of the said emulsifier, polysorbate 20, polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 65, polysorbate, etc. are mentioned.

  Examples of the (C) dextrin used in the present invention include white dextrin, branched dextrin, cyclodextrin, cluster dextrin, and reduced dextrin. These dextrins can be used alone or in appropriate combination. The blending amount of the above dextrins is usually 0.01 to 50% by weight, preferably 1 to 50% by weight, more preferably 2.5 to 40% by weight, based on the total composition. If the content of dextrins is 50% by weight or less, it can be easily used as a substance for stably dispersing sterols.

  The composition may be prepared by kneading and mixing the sterol and dextrin powder raw material and the polysorbate liquid raw material, sieving fractionation, fluidized bed granulation, or spray-drying a solution dissolved in advance by heating. The method is not limited.

  The ratio of the components in the composition is preferably such that the weight ratio of (A) plant sterol to (B) polysorbate is in the range of 1:10 to 100: 1.

  Moreover, you may add the food additive normally known in the range which does not impair the effect of this invention. Examples of food additives include emulsifiers such as glycerin fatty acid ester and polyglycerin fatty acid ester, water-soluble polysaccharides such as gum arabic, xanthan gum, tragacanth gum, guar gum, gellan gum, locust bean gum, erythritol, maltitol, reduced starch syrup, lactitol, palatinit , Reducing sugars such as erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, powdered sugar seasonings such as glucose fructose, high sweetness sweeteners such as thaumatin and sucralose, acids and salts, and the like.

  The plant sterol composition of the present invention can be taken as it is, or can be taken in combination with other foods and drinks.

  Examples of the foods and drinks include beverages such as soy milk and vitamin / mineral drinks; fruit juice drinks such as orange juice, apple juice and grapefruit juice; fruit drinks; carbonated drinks such as cola and cider; Alcoholic beverages such as cocktails; Milk beverages such as milk and lactic acid bacteria beverages; Coffee beverages; Tea-based beverages such as oolong tea beverages, tea beverages and green tea; Health beverages such as nutritional drinks; Health supplements; Functional beverages such as sports beverages; Bakery and confectionery such as bread, biscuits, candy and jelly; dessert such as yogurt and pudding; processed food such as ham; seasonings such as miso, sauce, sauce and dressing; processed food such as tofu and noodles; margarine, Fat processed foods such as fat spreads and shortenings; powdered foods such as powdered drinks and powdered soups Capsular, tablet, powder, health foods granulated, and the like.

  Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples and comparative examples.

Example 1
23.5 g of plant sterol (Cargill Co., soybean-derived, DVFP100 powder product), Polysorbate 60 (Leodol TW-S120, Kao Corp., semi-solid, heated liquid product) 5 g, Cluster dextrin (Nippon Food Chemical Co., Ltd.) (Product) 72.5 g was kneaded to obtain 100 g of a powdered plant sterol composition filtered through 60 mesh. In addition, the plant sterol water-dispersed composition containing water instead of the cluster dextrin was not suitable as a composition because it could not be stored at room temperature and mold was generated. In addition, those excluding dextrin were in a dumpling state that is difficult to filter through 60 mesh, and the combined use of dextrin solids was suitable.

Example 2
The polysorbate 60 of Example 1 was changed to polysorbate 20 (Rheidol TW-L120, manufactured by Kao Corporation, a viscous liquid) to obtain a plant sterol composition.

Comparative Example 1
Example 1 except that polysorbate 60 of Example 1 was changed to glycerin fatty acid ester (decaglycerin monostearate SY glycerin MSW-7S, Sakamoto Yakuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd., semi-solid at refrigerated warming, liquid state at warming) The plant sterol composition was obtained in exactly the same manner as in Example 1.

Comparative Example 2
A plant sterol composition was obtained by performing the same operation as in Example 1 except that the polysorbate 60 of Example 1 was changed to sucrose fatty acid ester (Ryoto Sugar Ester P1670, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods, Inc., powder).

  Using the plant sterol compositions obtained in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, heat resistance tests and acid / heat resistance tests were carried out by the following methods.

Example 3 heat resistance test,
Add 10 parts of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 to 100 parts of 10% sucrose aqueous solution and stir.
After heating at 121 ° C. for 15 minutes and allowing these aqueous solutions to cool at room temperature, the visual evaluation results of the stability (no floating or precipitate generation) are shown in the table.

表中、○は安定性良好、△は安定性がやや悪い、×は安定性が悪く、浮遊・沈殿物発生、＊は調製直後または保存中での分離をそれぞれ表す。

In the table, ○ indicates good stability, Δ indicates slightly poor stability, × indicates poor stability, generation of floating / precipitate, and * indicates separation immediately after preparation or during storage.

Example 4 Acid Resistance / Heat Resistance Test 10 parts of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were added and stirred in 100 parts of an aqueous solution containing 10% sucrose, 0.15% citric acid anhydride and 0.1% ascorbic acid, After heating at 121 ° C. for 15 minutes and allowing these aqueous solutions to cool at room temperature, the visual evaluation results of the stability (no floating or precipitate generation) are shown in the table.

それぞれの目視による評価結果を表に示した。表中、○は安定性良好、△は安定性がやや悪い、×は浮遊、沈殿物発生をそれぞれ表す。

Each visual evaluation result is shown in the table. In the table, ○ indicates good stability, Δ indicates slightly poor stability, and × indicates floating and precipitate generation.

Example 5 Juice Beverage Orange Frozen Concentrated Juice 55 (Ehime Beverage) 20 kg, 2 kg of Plant Sterol Composition of Example 1 and L-Ascorbic Acid 0.025 kg in 100 kg of water, and the mixed solution is heated to 93 ° C., The orange juice drink obtained by filling with heat had good dispersibility of the plant sterol, was not rough and smooth.

Example 6 Soft yogurt Milk 50 kg, Sugar 8 kg, Nonfat dry milk 8 kg, Plant sterol composition (Example 1) 2 kg, Gelling agent (Gel-up YO-S, LM pectin formulation) 0.3 kg with water and mixed Dissolve with stirring and heat at 80 ° C. for 10 minutes. After correction of the total amount, the mixture is passed through a homogenizer (pressure 14.7 MPa) and heated at 90 ° C. for 10 minutes. After cooling to about 40 ° C., 1 unit of yogurt starter (YO-MIX401 DIRECT FD, manufactured by Saneigen FFI, Lactobacillus bulgaricus Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Staphylococcus thermophilus) Add the minimum amount of lactic acid bacteria to be fermented), incubate for about 7 hours, and ferment to pH 4.5. After fermentation, the curd is crushed with a stirrer, cooled to 10 ° C., and filled into a container. The obtained yogurt had a sterol texture, that is, a rich texture and a smooth texture.

Example 7 Measurement of 50% Particle Size Particle size distribution measurement was performed in order to investigate whether sterol particles in an aqueous solution were stabilized by using polysorbate.
The 50% particle size of the plant sterol composition contained in the solution obtained in Example 4 including Example 1, Example 2, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 was measured using a laser particle size distribution meter (SALD 1100, Shimadzu Corporation). The result measured by the company) is shown. In addition, the example prepared by changing the kind of polyglycerol fatty acid ester used in Comparative Example 1 as shown in the table was examined as Comparative Example 3 to Comparative Example 8.
In addition, the state of the solution observed with the naked eye is described.
result

備考
測定できず：植物ステロールが凝集し、測定機にかけられない。
測定値：構成される粒子の５０％粒子径（μｍ）を示す。
肉眼観察：−：凝集、分離、沈殿等のため評価できず。
分散：植物ステロールが分散している状態で、上層への分離凝集や沈殿がみられない。
分離（上）：植物ステロールが液面上層へ凝集している。
分離（下）：植物ステロールを含む沈殿物が観察される。

Remarks Cannot be measured: Plant sterols aggregate and cannot be applied to the measuring machine.
Measurement value: The 50% particle diameter (μm) of the constituted particles is shown.
Visual observation:-: Cannot be evaluated due to aggregation, separation, precipitation, etc.
Dispersion: In the state where the plant sterol is dispersed, no separation aggregation or precipitation to the upper layer is observed.
Separation (upper): Plant sterols are agglomerated in the upper liquid layer.
Separation (bottom): A precipitate containing plant sterols is observed.

Result It was found that the 50% particle size of the particles of the plant sterol composition combined with polysorbate was around 10 μm, and that the other emulsifiers had a slightly larger particle size. When the solution of Example 1 was uniformly dispersed by a colloid mill, the 50% particle size was 9.39 μm. This shows that, when polysorbate is used, the particle size of the sterol is maintained as small as about 10 μm without applying mechanical impact. In addition, the polyglyceryl fatty acid ester shown in Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Examples 3 to 7 was found to have a tendency to agglomerate plant sterols or form aggregates of agglomerated decomposition products and precipitate over time. . Accordingly, it has been found that the use of polysorbate is preferred as an emulsifier that can be used for stabilization under acidic conditions and when heated.

Claims (3)

  (A) Plant sterol composition composed of (B) polysorbate 20, polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 65, and polysorbate 80, or one or more lipophilic emulsifiers selected from (C) dextrin Stuff.   The plant sterol composition according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of (A) plant sterol to (B) polysorbate is in the range of 1:10 to 100: 1. Food / beverage products containing the plant sterol composition of Claim 1 or 2.