JP2006075176A - Soybean milk kefir and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a health food capable of imparting health-preserving effects of a milk-fermented product, i.e. the comprehensive and higher health-preserving effects not obtained by the conventional health food derived from a milk-fermented product to a human body; and to provide an administrable herb-containing composition by improving taste of herbs. <P>SOLUTION: The soybean milk kefir is obtained by fermenting soybean milk with kefir bacteria. The method for producing the kefir and the health food containing the soybean milk kefir are also provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a health food that provides a health effect to the human body. More particularly, the present invention relates to a health food having a novel composition containing active ingredients that comprehensively improve the health effects on the human body without impairing the flavor of the fermented milk product. The present invention also relates to kefir made from soy milk.

Various health foods have been developed and marketed reflecting the recent health food boom. For example, yogurt, which is a fermented product of animal milk, has increased in consumption with increasing interest in the health benefits of fermented milk, and has become widespread in households. The present inventors have developed a freeze-dried yogurt having a physiological effect as a health food for fermented products and a method for producing this freeze-dried yogurt from milk and kefir bacteria. This was proposed as No. 83842 (Patent Document 1).
It is also known that the kefir produced in this way has antitumor activity, antithrombotic activity and initial immune activation activity.

However, the health effect of such a fermented milk product is often influenced by the fermented product derived from the bacteria used in the fermentation process in the production of the fermented milk product, and has the disadvantage that it is naturally limited to a specific effect. there were.
As a method for improving this drawback, attempts have been made to add harmonized health foods as a whole by adding other ingredients to the fermented milk product. For example, a product obtained by adding calcium salt, oligosaccharide and honey to a fermented milk product (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-37711 / Patent Document 2), or a fermented milk product including calcium salt and oligosaccharide, nucleic acid food, salmon cartilage, chlorella In addition, a supplemental component such as collagen (JP-A-9-191852, Patent Document 3) has been reported.
Attempts have been made to provide comprehensive health foods by adding ingredients such as those mentioned above to fermented milk products, but the effect is not always sufficient, and it is difficult to achieve sufficient effects with a small number of ingredients. Met.

JP-A-62-83842 JP-A-9-37711 JP-A-9-191852

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks, and provides a health food that can provide the human body with the health effect of the fermented milk product, and a comprehensive and higher health effect that could not be obtained with conventional health foods derived from the fermented milk product. It is the purpose.
In addition, herbs have strong bitterness alone, and it has been difficult to take them alone. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a herb-containing composition that improves the taste of herbs and is easy to take.

The present invention relates to a health food comprising a fermented milk product containing at least one herb. The health food of the present invention may be one obtained by adding at least one component selected from the group consisting of collagens, chondroitins, and glucosamines in addition to the herbs described above.
The present invention also relates to an oral composition comprising herbs having improved taste such as bitterness and a fermented milk product, preferably kefir.

  The health food of the present invention is obtained by blending one or more herbs with fermented milk products such as yogurt and kefir, and in addition to the physiological effects unique to each component, the synergistic effects of these components provide a comprehensive response to the human body. It is a food that enhances the health effect and is excellent in taste. Furthermore, if collagens, chondroitins, vitamins and / or glucosamines are added to this, it can be provided as a health food having a further excellent health effect. The present invention also provides a herb-containing composition that improves the bitterness peculiar to herbs and is easy to take.

  The fermented milk product in the health food of the present invention is yogurt, fermented milk or kefir, which is a fermented product of animal milk or soy milk. Examples of animal milk include milk such as cows, horses, sheep, and goats. Examples of soy milk include emulsions such as soybeans. A method for producing a fermentation product from these animal milk or soy milk is not particularly limited. For example, yogurt using milk as a raw material, a method for producing a milk fermentation liquid or kefir, or a horse currently used in Eastern Europe or the like. A method for producing fermented milk coomis from milk can be employed. However, in particular, kefir, a fermented milk product obtained by adding kefir bacteria to milk or soy milk and fermenting the kefir, is preferably used, and the kefir can be produced by a method similar to the method of JP-A-62-83842, for example. it can.

The present invention also relates to a soymilk kefir obtained by fermenting soymilk using kefir bacteria, a method for producing the same, and a health food containing the soymilk kefir.
The soymilk kefir of the present invention can be produced by a similar method using soymilk as a raw material instead of animal milk. For example, soymilk is inoculated with an appropriate kefir starter to produce yogurt.
Kefir bacteria behave biologically as a single organism, but are scientifically natural symbiotic organisms of various microorganisms. The kefir grains, which are aggregates of kefir bacteria, have sizes from red beans to little fingers, and the constituent bacteria are in a dormant state.
A kefir starter can be obtained by culturing and activating the kefir grains at 20 to 25 ° C. in milk or the like (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-83842).
Activated kefir starter is added to the soymilk in a proportion of 0.1 to 10%, preferably 0.5 to 5%, more preferably 2 to 5%, and the culture temperature is 15 to 30 ° C., preferably 18 to 25%. Culturing is carried out at a temperature of 10 to 35 hours, preferably 20 to 25 hours.
When the lactic acid content of the culture solution reaches 0.5 to 1.5%, preferably about 0.7 to 1.2%, the fermentation is stopped by cooling or the like, and a yogurt-like product can be obtained. This can be dried as appropriate, for example, by freeze-drying or the like, to obtain dried soymilk kefir.
As the raw material soy milk, only soy milk may be used, but animal milk, for example, milk or other dairy products may be added to this as needed.
The soymilk kefir of the present invention has kefir characteristics, is low in animal fat, and is excellent as a health food.

  The form of the fermented milk product is yogurt in the form of milky white mud, or a powder product obtained by subjecting the yogurt product to a drying treatment such as freeze-drying, or a granule obtained by molding the powder product It may be a tablet or a capsule. Further, the fermented milk product may be processed into a liquid suitable for drinking.

  The health food of the present invention is a product obtained by adding at least one herb component as an active ingredient to a fermented milk product.

Herbs can be used as active ingredients in the health foods of the present invention, such as herbal medicines that have been used in traditional folk remedies, and recently also in so-called Western medicine alternatives (alternative therapy). .
There are no particular limitations on the herbs used in the present invention, and one or two or more kinds such as ones commonly known as medicinal herbs can be used in addition to those that are generally edible / drinkable. Therefore, it is necessary to consider that the effects of the components contained in each other are not diminished. In addition, depending on the component, when the flavor as it is is not suitable as a food, the taste can be adjusted by adding sweeteners or fruits. Further, the herb can be used either in a dry form (dry) or in a fresh form (fresh). However, a dry herb is preferred because it is generally easily available and easy to handle, store and process.

  Preferred herbs used in the present invention include, for example, evening primrose, various perillas, barrengi (Echinacea), Hypericum perforatum, Maria thistle, yellow thistle, ginkgo biloba, chamomile (camilla), horsetail, gymnema, etc. Examples include evening primrose, perilla, barreng, Western hypericum, maria thistle, yellow thistle, and ginkgo biloba. Further, the blending ratio is not particularly limited as long as the problem of efficacy and flavor does not occur, but usually 5 to 100% by weight, preferably 10 to 80% of the total weight of the dried milk fermented product and the dried herbs. % By weight, more preferably 15 to 50% by weight.

As for the evening primrose which is one of the herbs in this invention, Preferably the seed oil of evening primrose is mentioned. Evening primrose seed oil has long been used as a folk medicine and has also been called the "king's panacea".
Evening primrose seed oil contains about 7-7.5% γ-linolenic acid and about 72% linoleic acid, and these fatty acids are involved in the biosynthetic pathway of prostaglandins. These herbs contribute to many physiological functions involving gin. In particular, ingestion of γ-linolenic acid is indispensable for a person whose conversion from linoleic acid to γ-linolenic acid is inhibited. Furthermore, it has been reported that evening primrose seed oil has an antiallergic effect and an atopic disease.

  As perilla, dry red perilla leaves are preferably used. Perilaldehyde in this is an essential oil component, and is also an aromatic component peculiar to perilla. As perilla efficacy, there are perspiration, gastric juice secretion, gastrointestinal peristalsis and other healthy stomach effects, diuretic effects, antiallergic effects, and the like. In addition, since ancient times, it has been known to have an excellent antiseptic action and is said to be effective in neutralizing food poisoning, fish poisons, and the like. Perilla leaves contain a large amount of vitamin A, and its content is very high at 4800 IU in 100 g.

  Barengiku (Echinacea) is a plant belonging to the family Asteraceae and is also called Echinacea or Echinacea. In recent years, in the United States, attracted attention as an herb with the effect of enhancing immunity. Interest in Japan is growing. It is a herb that is widely used in Europe and is approved as a medicine, especially in Germany. Other effects of barrengiku include SOD-like action (reactive oxygen scavenging action), allergy improving action, anti-inflammatory action and the like. Currently known active ingredients include inulin, betaine, eumethyltetradecadiene, echinacein and echinacoside.

  Western Hypericum is a very well-known herb in Europe and America, and there are Westernoma and Japanese species. Western folk remedies are used to decoction seeds and are said to be effective for diuresis, headache, insomnia, gastrointestinal catarrh, etc. Japanese decoction is also used for heart disease, back pain, abdominal pain, and uterine bleeding. Both Western and Japanese species contain hypericin represented by the following formula (I) as an active ingredient. Based on recent studies, hypericin is expected to have a tranquilizing action (tranquilizer), antidepressant action, anti-stress action, autonomic nerve stabilizing action, various menopausal symptoms improving action, and the like. Synergistic effects can also be expected when used in combination with other herbicidal herbs such as lavender.

  Maria Thistle has long been used as a medicine for liver disease in Europe. This effect has been confirmed by recent studies. In addition, it is known that vegetables called artichokes are also good for the liver in the same thistle family. The effect of thistle thistle is recognized for liver diseases, especially acute hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, viral hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, ischemic liver damage, etc. It is also used to improve circulatory disorders. In addition, it has been found that juice decocted with seeds is effective in allergy improvement. The active ingredient is flavonignan such as silybin (refer to the following formula (II)) generically called silmarine, silydianine or silicristine.

Also, thistle thistle is a member of the same thistle and is a well-known herb in Europe and the United States, but its effects are antipyretic action, diuretic action, appetite enhancement action, etc.
Furthermore, it is also known that thistle thistle has an SOD-like action like the above-mentioned barrengi and ginkgo biloba.

  Ginkgo biloba has been used together with seeds for pulmonary diseases as a traditional Chinese medicine, in addition to the SOD-like action described above. Extracts have also been used as a blood circulation improving drug in Germany. This effect is thought to be due to about 20 flavonoids contained in ginkgo biloba leaves. Flavonoids are contained in all plants and seaweeds as regulators of seed germination and growth, but in the case of ginkgo biloba, several unique components that are not found elsewhere in nature are found: double flavones. Among them, it is known that a component called ginkgolide has a function of expanding peripheral blood vessels.

  Chamomile (chamomile) has long been known as an herb, and boiled soup using its flower head is excellent in sedation and digestion. The fragrance is so gentle that it can be used as a tea for many years, and the effects of other herbs are hardly negated.

  In the present invention, various herbs can be used in addition to the above, and two or more kinds may be blended and used for improving the flavor and synergistic effect. It is also possible to color products using pigments possessed by herbs.

  The health food of the present invention may further contain at least one component selected from the group consisting of collagens, chondroitins, glucosamines and vitamins. Collagen is an elongated fibrous protein that occupies 1/3 of human protein and is the main component of intercellular substances. Furthermore, it accounts for 70 to 80% of skin tissue excluding moisture, and has been attracting attention as an effective moisturizing ingredient in cosmetics, but it is also present in many bones, joints, muscles and blood vessels, and plays an important role in its composition. Therefore, it can be used as an active ingredient of health food. That is, it is important in the formation of organs such as bones, muscles, and organs by connecting cells to proliferation and cell tissues.

Collagen is continuously produced in cells using amino acids as a raw material, secreted outside the cell, and acts throughout the body. If this generation is insufficient, cell proliferation will decline and biological functions will decline, which in turn tends to lead to various diseases. Furthermore, since collagen has a slow metabolic rate, it undergoes an aging phenomenon until it is decomposed, resulting in a vicious circle in which cell function is lowered and metabolism is deteriorated. Therefore, it can be said that it is desirable to take an appropriate amount from a functional food or health food in addition to the intake from a normal meal.
The collagen of this invention can use what is obtained by a normal method.

Chondroitin, also called glycosaminoglycan, is a kind of mucopolysaccharide, and is obtained by isolating chondroitin sulfate having a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (III) after isolation from squid peel. In this way, chondroitin has a repeating structure of disaccharides consisting of amino sugar and uronic acid or galactose, and in the human body, it is abundant in connective tissues such as bone, cornea, and vascular wall, and is bound to proteins in the tissue. . It is also called a precursor in the biosynthesis of chondroitin sulfate.
Chondroitin sulfate is animal and is found in cattle, shark cartilage, fish bones, and eyeballs, and its salt regulates water in the body, lubrication, infection prevention (immunity enhancement), ossification, wound healing, fat Effects such as blood purification, maintenance of corneal transparency, and prevention of blood coagulation are known.

(In the formula, R represents a hydrogen atom or SO ₃ H.)
Glucosamine is a kind of amino sugar in human and animal organisms, and is an important component for the formation of chondrocytes present in cartilage and many connective tissues as a viscous mucopolysaccharide component. Glucosamine hydrochloride is hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid. Already known to be effective in arthritis and joint pain in the West. In addition to improving such joint disorders, it is known to increase calcium metabolism and cartilage tissue metabolism and to be produced in vivo by chondroitin and hyaluronic acid, and can be expected to have a health effect for the elderly.

  The added amount of one or more components of collagens, chondroitins or glucosamines added as a component of the present invention is 2 to 25%, preferably 2% to the weight of the fermentation liquid of the lactic acid fermentation product. 3 to 20%, more preferably 3 to 15%, more specifically 2 to 25% for collagens, preferably 2 to 10%, and 2 to 5% for chondroitins or glucosamines , Preferably 2 to 4%.

In addition to the essential ingredients described above, the health food of the present invention contains calcium salts, oligosaccharides, honey, dietary fibers, crustacean-derived basic sugars, carotene, fatty acid koji, etc. as necessary. It can also mix | blend and add suitably.
The health food of the present invention may be further added with additives usually used in foods for taste and flavor.

The health food of the present invention may be in the form of powder, granule, tablet, or yogurt, and can be made into a product in an appropriate form according to each purpose. In addition, when the product is produced in the form of yogurt, when it is in a state that is inconvenient and inconvenient to intake due to the ratio of each active ingredient blended or the ratio of the active ingredient and the auxiliary ingredient, water at an appropriate concentration Dilute to In particular, the effect as a soft drink can be expected by actively diluting and cooling in summer.
Furthermore, the health food of the present invention can be used as an additive to other foods such as confectionery and bread. Therefore, the present invention also relates to foods containing the health food of the present invention.

  The health food of the present invention is a product in which the gentle physiological activity of herbs is moderately harmonized in addition to the intestinal regulation effect of the fermented milk product, and further, collagens having different physiological activities, By blending chondroitins, vitamins and / or glucosamines, it is useful as a functional food that gives physiological activity to the living body in a balanced manner. In addition, unfavorable tastes such as bitterness of herbs can be remarkably improved by blending a fermented milk product, particularly kefir, and the health food with improved herb taste.

  Furthermore, by blending the above-mentioned auxiliary ingredients in addition to these active ingredients, an excellent effect based on the synergistic action of each of these active ingredients or the active ingredient and the auxiliary ingredient is exhibited. For example, the physiological activity of the human body is enhanced by herbs. This activation effect promotes the intestinal adjustment, immunostimulatory action and antitumor activity by ingesting the fermented milk product, and enhances the absorption efficiency of the herbs to enhance the physiological activity of the herbs. Such a synergistic action can further enhance the effects of herbs, collagens, chondroitins, vitamins and / or glucosamines and the fermented milk products.

  Hereinafter, although the health food of this invention and the health food of this invention are demonstrated in detail based on the Example added to the other foodstuff, this invention is not limited to these aspects.

Example 1 (Method for producing kefir using soybean soy milk)
The selected soybeans are washed, soaked in water, ground, steamed in a steaming kettle, filtered to remove okara, further sterilized and cooled to obtain the raw material for soy milk.
On the other hand, a starter is prepared by culturing and growing using a medium (for example, milk or the like) containing nutrients necessary for culturing specific kefir species by sieve.
A soy milk of appropriate temperature that has been sterilized and cooled in advance is prepared (23 to 26 ° C.), and the kefir starter prepared above is mixed to a concentration of 3 to 5%, and the culture is started with sufficient stirring. The culture temperature is about 18 to 28 ° C. for about 15 to 24 hours. When the required lactic acid acidity reaches 0.8 to 1.2%, it is cooled to 5 to 2 ° C. to stop the progress of fermentation. This is used as a raw material in a liquid state or as a dry powder.

Example 2
Kefir freeze-dried powder is used as a fermented milk product, and evening primrose seed oil and perilla oil (egoma) are used as herbs as active ingredients, and various auxiliary ingredients are used in this. A mixed powder was prepared. Next, this mixed powder was molded to produce granular and tablet health foods.

Kefir 140.00mg
Evening primrose oil 50.00mg
Perilla oil (egoma) 10mg
Vitamin E 60% 10.00mg
Beeswax proper amount fat proper amount

  The obtained health food was a delicious food having the milky aroma of freeze-dried kefir, and was excellent in nutritional health benefits.

Example 3
The powdered health food obtained in Example 2 was blended into various foods at the blending ratio shown below. The obtained foods were all provided with a health effect and sufficiently exhibited the effect as a health food.

(A) Bread Strong powder: 390 g, skim milk: 8 g, sugar: 24 g, dry yeast: 4 g, butter: 15 g, water: 300 g, salt: 7 g, health food of Example 2: 10 g.

(B) Biscuit Wheat flour: 454 g, reduced maltose: 113 g, sugar: 113 g, skim milk: 17 g, egg: 28 g, baking powder: 4.5 g, flavor: 0.5 g, health food of Example 2: 100 g, margarine: 170 g .

(C) Power Maboko Surimi: 400 g, sodium glutamate: 6 g, water: 280 g, starch: 20 g, salt: 10 g, health food of Example 2: 10 g.

Example 4 (Example of Echinacea)
Echinacea was used as herbs, and health food was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2.
Kefir 70.00mg
Echinacea 30.00mg
Vitamin E 10.00mg
Squalene 10.00mg
Emulsifier, etc.

Example 5 (St. John's wort example)
St. John's wort was used as herbs, and health food was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2.
Kefir 100.00mg
St. John's wort 70.00mg
Vitamin E 10.00mg
Emulsifier, etc.

Example 6 (Ginkgo biloba example)
Using ginkgo leaves as herbs, health food was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2.
Kefir 100.00mg
Ginkgo biloba 20.00mg
Vitamin E 10.00mg
Other appropriate amount

Test example 1
About 20 people who suffered from atopic diseases took capsules of kefir mixed with evening primrose for about 8 weeks. As a control group, about 20 people took kefir alone (in powder form).
The results are shown in Table 1.

  In this way, if you drink a powder of kefir plus evening primrose, the rate of marked improvement will be 2.5 times compared to when you take kefir alone, and the improvement will be 1.5 times, so you can drink kefir alone More useful.

Test example 2
Ginkgo leaves were added to kefir and powdered, and the taste of the ginkgo leaves was compared with the powder. Ten people took it.
The results are shown in Table 2.

  As described above, the taste was remarkably improved by adding ginkgo leaves to kefir compared to ginkgo leaves alone. Ginkgo biloba originally has a strong bitter taste and is often consumed in capsules. However, when added to kefir, its refreshing taste and sourness of fermented food masks the bitterness and makes it easier to drink.

Claims (10)

  Soy milk kefir obtained by adding kefir bacteria to soy milk and fermenting.   The soymilk kefir according to claim 2, wherein the soymilk kefir is solid.   A health food comprising the soymilk kefir according to claim 1 or 2.   A method for producing soymilk kefir, wherein kefir bacteria are added to soymilk and fermented, and the fermentation product is freeze-dried as desired.   The method according to claim 4, wherein kefir bacteria are added as a kefir starter.   A health food comprising the soymilk kefir according to claim 1 or 2 containing at least one herb.   The health food according to claim 6, wherein the herbs are at least one component selected from the group consisting of evening primrose, perilla, barengi (Echinacea), Western Hypericum, Maria thistle, ginkgo biloba, and chamomile (chamomile).   The health food according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising at least one component selected from the group consisting of collagens, chondroitins, vitamins, and glucosamines.   The health food according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the health food is in the form of a capsule, granule, tablet, paste or beverage. A food comprising the health food according to any one of claims 6 to 9 in another food.