JP2006298887A - Active oxygen-removing agent, skin elasticity-retaining agent, anti-oxidizing action auxiliary - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an active oxygen-removing agent which can efficiently remove active oxygen causing the ageing of cell membranes, to provide a skin elasticity-retaining agent which protects skin elasticity-retaining fibers from an enzyme, and to provide an anti-oxidizing action auxiliary which assists the actions of anti-oxidizing ingredients in the body. <P>SOLUTION: This active oxygen-removing agent is characterized by containing a flavonoid, ubiquinone, and thioctic acid as active ingredients. This skin elasticity-retaining agent is characterized by containing a flavonoid, ubiquinone, and thioctic acid as active ingredients. This anti-oxidizing action auxiliary is characterized by containing a flavonoid, ubiquinone, and thioctic acid as active ingredients. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is an active oxygen removing agent that removes active oxygen that causes aging, a skin elasticity retaining agent that protects fibers that maintain skin elasticity from collagen (collagenase), and an antioxidant that helps the antioxidant components in the body work. It relates to an action aid.

The aging of the human body is caused by damage caused by free radicals generated in the body to the tissues constituting the human body.
This free radical not only oxidizes cell membranes to aging cells but also oxidizes cholesterol in blood to cause arteriosclerosis and damages proteins such as enzymes to cause lifestyle-related diseases. In addition, when free radicals damage gene DNA, it causes malignant tumors.
Oxygen is indispensable for humans to live. On the other hand, oxygen molecules lose electrons and become dangerously free radicals. Therefore, the human body is constantly exposed to the threat of free radicals. By the way, it is active oxygen that loses electrons from oxygen molecules and becomes free radicals.

The reason why human beings are healthy even if they are attacked by active oxygen is because the human body has its own defense system against active oxygen.
The main role of this defense system is “antioxidants”. “Antioxidants” are usually enzymes and amino acids that are produced in the body.
The human body's defense system constantly monitors the ratio of oxide (bad) to antioxidant (good) (hereinafter referred to as “redox level”). Antioxidants start to work to keep. However, the antioxidants produced in the body are quickly consumed and the redox level cannot maintain a normal value. Therefore, in order to keep the redox level at a normal value, it is necessary to compensate for the lack of antioxidants from food.

Cells are encased in lipid-filled cell membranes, and the cell membranes are high in molecular density and are therefore greatly damaged by active oxygen. When the cell membrane is damaged, the part that receives hormones and neurotransmitters present in the cell membrane does not function normally. This is the process of cell aging.
Therefore, to prevent damage (aging) due to active oxygen, the cell membrane must be protected from attack by active oxygen. To that end, antioxidants need to function properly. The performance required for the antioxidant is as follows.
(1) Antioxidants must have stronger affinity for active oxygen than tissues that constitute the human body. That is, the antioxidant must be able to adsorb active oxygen on the surface of the cell membrane before the cell membrane is attacked.
(2) Antioxidants must be non-toxic.
(3) Antioxidants must have the ability to reach the sites (cell membranes) that need to be protected.

Since the cell membrane is composed of fat as described above, the antioxidant must be fat-soluble in order for the antioxidant to enter the cell membrane. In addition, the fat-soluble antioxidant must be strong enough to inactivate the active oxygen before it can destroy the cell membrane.
In addition, the cell membrane is a protective wall that protects cells from attack of active oxygen. On the other hand, when it is damaged by oxidation or the like, it becomes a hotbed of inflammatory chemical substances. Reactive oxygen creates an opportunity to break down the phospholipids that make up cell membranes into harmful inflammatory chemicals. The inflammatory chemical substance thus generated enters the cell and causes cell inflammation.
In this way, aging and damage to various human bodies are caused by cell oxidation. Therefore, in order to prevent aging, it is necessary that a predetermined antioxidant is always present in the cell membrane.

Conventionally, compositions containing various antioxidants as active ingredients have been proposed, but their antioxidant action has not been sufficient (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1).
Health mail order Monsante web catalog, "Pycnogenol products" NET mail order diet com web catalog, North web limited company, "French coastal pine bark extract grain" NET mail order diet com web catalog, North web limited company, "alpha lipoic acid" Maruman Co., Ltd. Web Catalog, “α Lipoic Acid & CoQ10” ROHTO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD Web Catalog Tokado Freedom web catalog, "α-Lipoic acid & Coenzyme Q-10" Life Care Management Web Catalog, “Pinebark 25”

  However, hitherto, the proposed compositions have not been sufficient in anti-oxidation action, so that a stronger anti-oxidation action has been demanded.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an active oxygen remover that can effectively remove active oxygen that causes aging in cell membranes, a skin that protects fibers that maintain skin elasticity from enzymes. It is an object of the present invention to provide an elastic retention agent and an antioxidant auxiliary agent that helps the antioxidant components in the body work.

The active oxygen scavenger of the present invention is characterized by containing flavonoids, ubiquinone and thioctic acid as active ingredients.
The skin elasticity retaining agent of the present invention is characterized by containing flavonoids, ubiquinone and thioctic acid as active ingredients.
The antioxidant adjuvant of the present invention is characterized by containing flavonoids, ubiquinone, and thioctic acid as active ingredients.

According to the active oxygen scavenger of the present invention, since flavonoids, ubiquinone, and thioctic acid are used as active ingredients, antioxidative action, antibacterial / antiviral action, action to enhance immunity, lipid peroxidation inhibitory action, It has an effect of preventing heart failure, protecting the brain, organs and skin from damage caused by active oxygen. In particular, since it has fat-soluble and water-soluble thioctic acid, the active ingredient (thioctic acid) easily passes through the cells protecting the cell nucleus and enters the cell core, and the cells from the attack of active oxygen Can be protected. Further, according to the active oxygen scavenger of the present invention, flavonoids, ubiquinone and thioctic acid all function not only as powerful antioxidants, but also have different functioning locations (role) in vivo. A powerful active oxygen scavenging action can be obtained without ingesting many antioxidants. For example, flavonoids enhance the function of vitamin C, an important substance that strengthens the capillary walls that make up the cardiovascular system. It also activates the production of antioxidants such as vitamin E and glutathione. Ubiquinone is present in high concentrations in all cell membranes, and is particularly present in the mitochondria of organs that work actively, such as the heart, brain, kidney, and liver. Thioctic acid is abundant in the liver and kidney. All cells form a barrier with cell membrane fat so that water-soluble components inside and outside the cell are not mixed. In addition, network antioxidants in vivo are either fat-soluble or water-soluble, and have different intracellular compartments. However, since thioctic acid has both water-soluble and fat-soluble properties, it can exhibit an antioxidant effect at both sites.
According to the skin elasticity retaining agent of the present invention, flavonoids can strengthen skin tissues such as collagen fibers, and ubiquinone and thioctic acid can stop the skin that is weakened by active oxygen. .
The antioxidant adjuvant of the present invention contains ubiquinone essential for converting nutrients into energy in the mitochondria in the cells, and further contains thioctic acid to assist ubiquinone. Therefore, the amount of energy generated in the body can be increased, metabolism can be activated, cells can be repaired, and cytokine generation can be suppressed in the cells.

Hereinafter, the active oxygen scavenger of the present invention, the skin elasticity retention agent of the present invention, and the antioxidant adjuvant of the present invention will be described in detail.
The configuration described below is specifically described for better understanding of the gist of the invention, and does not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified.

The active oxygen scavenger of the present invention comprises flavonoids, ubiquinone and thioctic acid as active ingredients. This active oxygen scavenger contains other components as required.
Hereinafter, each component will be described.

(Flavonoids)
Flavonoid is a general term for a group of polyphenol mixtures which are pigment components contained in plants. Flavonoids are roughly classified into flavonols, isoflavones, catechins and the like. There are over 4,000 flavonoids just from plants, but animals cannot produce flavonoids. Therefore, it must be taken from food. The main foods containing flavonoids include ginkgo biloba, lemon, Unshu mandarin, grapefruit, buckwheat, apple, rutin, tea, onion, kale and pine bark. Among flavonoids, those extracted from pine bark (hereinafter abbreviated as “pine bark extract”) are preferred.
Pine bark extracts include Pinus Martina, larch, Japanese black pine, Japanese red pine, Japanese pine, Japanese pine, Korean pine, Japanese pine, Ryukyu pine, Utsukushima, Japanese pine, Japanese pine The bark extract of the plant which belongs to is mentioned.

  Among these bark extracts, French coastal pine (Pinus) is included because it contains very strong organic antioxidants such as proanthocyanidins, catechins, and more than 40 types of organic acids with different structures and chain lengths. Martina) bark extract is preferred. Examples of the extract of the bark of French coastal pine include Pycnogenol (registered trademark, manufactured by Hofer Research).

  French coastal pine grows in the forest of the Land of Gascony, southwestern France. The bark of this French coastal pine is very thick compared to other types of pine and is known to contain a mixture of many proanthocyanidins.

  Examples of proanthocyanidins include compounds composed of a condensation polymer having flavan-3-ol or flavan-3,4-diol as a constituent unit and a polymerization degree of 2 or more, or flavan-3-ol and flavan-3,4- Examples thereof include a compound comprising a copolymer having a diol as a structural unit and a polymerization degree of 2 or more.

  French maritime pine bark extract is a complex, synergistic action of proanthocyanidins, catechins, and over 40 organic acids that removes active oxygen and protects cells (antioxidant action), antibacterial・ Antiviral action, immunity enhancement, etc. French bark pine bark extract binds to skin collagen and elastin to strengthen skin tissue. This antioxidant also repairs fragile blood vessels and improves blood vessel function. In addition, the extract of bark of French coastal pine suppresses the damage of blood cells at the time of induction of circulatory system disorders such as venous thrombosis from heart attack. In addition, French coastal pine bark extracts can cross the blood-brain barrier, thus protecting the brain and nerve cells from oxidation. In addition, the anti-oxidant action of French coastal pine bark extract is 50 times that of vitamin E, which protects the blood cell membrane from attack of active oxygen.

Hereinafter, a method for preparing a pine bark extract will be described.
The pine bark extract is obtained by extracting the pine bark with water or an organic solvent.
When using water, it is preferable to use warm water or hot water. It is preferable to add a salt such as sodium chloride to these waters in order to improve the extraction efficiency.
As the organic solvent, those allowed for the production of foods or drugs are used. For example, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, acetone, hexane, cyclohexane, propylene glycol, Water-containing ethanol, water-containing propylene glycol, ethyl methyl ketone, glycerin, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, dichloromethane, edible oils and fats, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethene, etc. It is done.

  These water and organic solvent may be used alone or in combination. In particular, water, hot water, ethanol, hydrous ethanol, and hydrous propylene glycol are preferably used.

A specific example of a method for extracting a pine bark extract using water and an organic solvent is shown below.
100 kg of French coastal pine bark that has been coarsely powdered is extracted with 350 liters of boiling water for 12 hours, squeezed, and liquid with a combined extraction and squeeze amount of 250 liters is collected. The liquid is then cooled to 20 ° C. and filtered, and sodium chloride is added to the filtrate until it is saturated. The precipitate is then filtered off and the filtrate is extracted 3 times with ethyl acetate, each time using 1/10 volume of the water bath. The ethyl acetate is collected, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate (NaSO ₄ ) and distilled under reduced pressure to 1/5 of the amount. The concentrated solution is then poured into 3 volumes of chloroform with physical stirring, and proanthocyanidins precipitate, which are collected by filtration. The proanthocyanidin is then purified by re-dissolving in ethyl acetate to obtain a new precipitate in chloroform. Finally, it was washed with chloroform and dried at a temperature not exceeding 50 ° C. to obtain a pine bark extract (proanthocyanidins).

The method for extracting the pine bark extract from pine bark is not particularly limited. For example, supercritical fluid extraction method, warm extraction method, liquid carbon dioxide batch method, liquid carbon dioxide reflux method, supercritical carbon dioxide reflux method Etc. are used.
The supercritical fluid extraction method is a method that uses a supercritical fluid, which is a fluid that exceeds the critical point (critical temperature, critical pressure) of the gas-liquid of the substance, and extracts the target component with the supercritical fluid. And a separation step of separating the target component and the supercritical fluid.
In the separation step, any separation method such as extraction separation by pressure change, extraction separation by temperature change, and extraction separation using an adsorbent / absorbent may be performed.

  As the supercritical fluid, carbon dioxide, ethylene, propane, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and the like are used, and among these, carbon dioxide is preferably used.

  Since the supercritical fluid extraction method can be operated at a relatively low temperature, it can be applied to (1) substances that are altered or decomposed at high temperatures, (2) no extraction fluid remains, and (3) the solvent can be recycled. In addition, this is a preferable method from the viewpoint that the desolvation step and the like can be omitted and the step becomes simple.

  A plurality of extraction methods may be combined to extract the flavonoid complex from pine bark. By combining a plurality of extraction methods, it becomes possible to obtain pine bark extracts having various compositions.

(Ubiquinone)
The chemical name of ubiquinone is 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-decaprenyl-benzoquinone, also called “Coenzyme Q10”. Moreover, since the molecular structure of ubiquinone is similar to vitamin K and has the same function as vitamin, it is also called a vitamin-like substance, such as “vitamin Q”.
Ubiquinone dissolves well in nonpolar solvents such as hexane, but has low solubility in polar solvents such as alcohol and is difficult to dissolve in water.

Ubiquinone homologues including ubiquinone exist across species such as bacteria, plants and animals. The most noticeable effect of ubiquinone on the human body is that it is an indispensable substance involved in the energy production of individual cells in the body.
Ubiquinone is present in components constituting the cell membrane of cells such as mitochondria and lysosomes. Ubiquinone is also contained in some foods (sardines, beef, pork, spinach, dairy products, etc.). However, since the amount of ubiquinone contained in these foods is very small and partly destroyed by heating, it is difficult to replenish ubiquinone from the food.

  In addition, ubiquinone has an antioxidant capacity higher than that of vitamin E and vitamin C, protects the human body from oxidation, and cooperates with vitamin E to exert strong lipid peroxidation inhibition. However, after the age of 20, the amount of ubiquinone in the body gradually decreases. It is said that most people will be deficient in ubiquinone when they are in their 40s.

  In addition, the heart is a structure that can be said to be a mass of muscle and requires enormous energy. For this reason, ubiquinone levels in the heart are the highest in the body. When the ubiquinone level in the heart falls, energy production becomes insufficient and the muscles become weak. When this happens, the function of the heart is reduced, causing heart failure resulting from heart diseases such as ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, and arrhythmia.

In addition, ubiquinone has the effect of stopping and rejuvenating skin that is declining with age and active oxygen. By supplementing ubiquinone and improving blood flow, the body's antioxidant power increases, preventing the skin's enemy, “active oxygen”, from rusting cells. Ubiquinone also has the function of creating energy and activating cells, so that the metabolism of the skin becomes active, and it can keep young and smooth beautiful skin.
Thus, it is highly desirable to take ubiquinone from foods and the like in a proper manner.

(Thioctic acid)
Thioctic acid has a structure in which a 5-membered ring (1,2-dithiolane ring) having a disulfide structure portion (—S—S—) is bonded to the terminal of a short-chain fatty acid. The chemical name of thioctic acid is 6,8-dithioic octanoic acid, also called α-lipoic acid.
Thioctic acid is a yellow crystal with a characteristic bitter taste and a slight sulfur smell. Thioctic acid is extremely insoluble in water, but the sodium salt of thioctic acid is soluble in water and exhibits alkalinity. Moreover, thioctic acid is easily soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol, ethyl acetate, and acetone, and is hardly soluble in petroleum solvents such as hexane.

  Thioctic acid is one of the indispensable substances for making energy in cells, helps mitochondria, increases the amount of energy produced from nutrients, activates metabolism, and repairs cells. It is a “universal” antioxidant because it is soluble in water and fat. It easily passes through the cells that protect the cell nucleus and also dissolves in water, so you can enter the cell core. It penetrates into and out of the cell, wherever it fights free radicals and protects where it is needed. Thioctic acid is one of the few antioxidants that can pass through the blood-brain barrier and reach brain cells, thus protecting the brain from damage caused by active oxygen.

Thioctic acid is superior to any other antioxidant in the ability to suppress the excessive activation of the transcription factor NF-kB in the cell nucleus. Normally controlled NF-kB enhances resistance to various diseases, but when excessive, it reduces immune capacity. Thioctic acid suppresses the excessive activity of NF-kB, and consequently suppresses the generation of cytokines (inflammatory chemical substances). Thioctic acid also absorbs free radicals produced by already activated cytokines and suppresses further spread of inflammation.
Moreover, thioctic acid activates a factor called AP-1 in the cell nucleus, and as a result, wrinkles and wounds are erased. Thioctic acid can also increase the burning of sugar and suppress the increase in fat that occurs with aging. Furthermore, thioctic acid can also raise the effect of the above-mentioned ubiquinone.

Hereinafter, the production method of thioctic acid will be described by taking as an example a production method from an adipic acid derivative, which is considered to be the most usual method from an industrial viewpoint.
The starting material adipic acid monoester chloride is easily prepared in two steps: a monoesterification reaction in which the amount of alcohol used is limited from adipic acid, followed by an acid chlorideation reaction with a halogenating agent.
Adipic acid monoester chloride and ethylene are condensed at room temperature in the presence of anhydrous aluminum chloride, followed by treatment at 120 ° C. to cause dehydrohalogenation and obtain a vinyl ketone body.
Thioacetic acid is added to the vinyl ketone body, and the ketone portion of the thioacetic acid adduct is reduced with sodium borohydride under cooling.
When the ester part of the compound obtained by reduction is hydrolyzed with sodium hydroxide, a thiol hydroxy acid is obtained.
To this thiolhydroxy acid, thiourea is added in the presence of 50% hydrogen iodide and heated to obtain a dithiol form.
When the obtained dithiol body is oxidized with an oxidizing agent such as iodine, ferric chloride or hydrogen peroxide, thioctic acid is obtained.

(Other ingredients)
The active oxygen scavenger of the present invention may further contain other components having antioxidation action (other antioxidant substances), components that improve the absorption rate of antioxidant substances, and the like, if necessary.
Examples of other antioxidants include melon extract, evening primrose seed extract, glutathione, vitamin E (tocopherols, tocotrienols, etc.), vitamin C and its derivatives, astaxanthin and the like.

  Melon extract is an antioxidant obtained by coating antioxidant enzyme (SOD) extracted from melon with wheat extract gliadin. It is not digested by gastric acid and digestive enzymes, and does not act on antioxidants per se, but has the property of promoting the production of antioxidant enzymes in the body using the immune mechanism.

  Evening primrose seed extract is an antioxidant that contains polyphenols such as gallic acid, ellagic acid, pentagalloyl glucose, catechin, proanthocyanidins as active ingredients. Evening primrose seed extract has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and whitening effects.

  Vitamin E is an antioxidant substance that is abundant in palm palm, rice bran, and the like, and there are two tocopherols and tocotrienols. It is fat-soluble and acts on the lipid layer of the cell membrane, suppressing the generation of free radicals. Furthermore, it is recycled with vitamin C and thioctic acid. In combination with vitamin C, the antioxidant power is further improved.

  Astaxanthin is contained in a kind of algae called Haematococcus, which is stored in the body of fish and shellfish by the food chain and is a carotenoid pigment that becomes red prime such as salmon, salmon roe, trout, krill, shrimp, crab etc. It is a kind. Astaxanthin is converted into vitamin A by the necessary amount in the body. Antioxidant power is about 1000 times that of vitamin E and 100 times that of β-carotene, and is said to have the strongest antioxidant action in nature. By using astaxanthin together with tocotrienol, the skin beautifying effect is improved.

  Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant and suppresses the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) through interaction with vitamin E. Thioctic acid can also regenerate vitamin E, but vitamin C also promotes its action. They also interact with antioxidant flavonoids such as pine bark extract in a network.

  As a component which improves the absorption rate of an antioxidant substance, a black pepper extract is mentioned, for example. Black pepper extract is an extract from black pepper or Naga pepper fruit. Black pepper extract improves the absorption rate of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and herbs. For example, the absorption rate of ubiquinone is improved by 30 to 50%, the absorption rate of selenium as an antioxidant mineral is improved by about 30%, and the absorption rate of vitamins such as water-soluble vitamin B6 and fat-soluble β-carotene is improved by about 60%.

When the active oxygen scavenger of the present invention is used as a food or a pharmaceutical, for example, an excipient, a bulking agent, a binder, a thickener, an emulsifier, a lubricant, a wetting agent, a suspending agent, a coloring agent, Various ingredients used in normal foods or pharmaceuticals such as fragrances, nutritional ingredients, and food additives may be included depending on the purpose.
Nutritional ingredients include royal jelly, vitamins, protein, calcium, lecithin and the like.
Examples of food additives include sweeteners (such as stevia powder), acidulants (such as citric acid and phosphoric acid), seasonings (such as amino acids), and the like.

  The active oxygen scavenger of the present invention preferably contains 0.00001% by mass or more, more preferably 0.0002% by mass or more of flavonoids. The content of flavonoids in the active oxygen scavenger of the present invention is preferably 0.1 mg or more, more preferably 2 mg or more, in terms of daily intake in terms of proanthocyanidins.

  The active oxygen scavenger of the present invention preferably contains 0.00001% by mass or more of ubiquinone, more preferably 0.001% by mass or more. The content of ubiquinone in the active oxygen scavenger of the present invention is preferably 0.001 g or more, and more preferably 0.1 g or more, in terms of the daily intake of ubiquinone.

  The active oxygen scavenger of the present invention preferably contains 0.0001% by mass or more of thioctic acid, and more preferably 0.001% by mass or more. The content of thioctic acid in the active oxygen scavenger of the present invention is preferably 0.001 g or more, more preferably 0.01 g or more, in terms of daily intake of thioctic acid.

  Various components of the active oxygen scavenger can be prepared by mixing the above-mentioned components by methods usually used by those skilled in the art. For example, excipients and the like may be added to flavonoids, ubiquinone and thioctic acid to form into tablets and the like, or may be in the form of powder or other forms without molding. Other forms include capsules such as hard capsules, powders, granules, tea bags, baskets, liquids, and pastes.

When the active oxygen scavenger of the present invention is ingested, the ingestion method is not particularly limited. The active oxygen scavenger of the present invention may be consumed as it is depending on its shape or preference, or it may be taken by dissolving it in water, hot water, milk, etc. .
The active oxygen scavenger of the present invention can also be used in the form of lotion, emulsion, cream, pack, sheet, stick, capsule, etc. as an external preparation for skin.

  By the way, the harmfulness of active oxygen is that it directly acts on physiologically active substances and important tissues of the living body to cause various disorders. The target of attack of active oxygen in the living body is almost all living body components. Specific examples of the biological component include lipids, particularly lipids containing highly unsaturated fatty acids. Lipids containing this highly unsaturated fatty acid are easily denatured by the action of active oxygen and cause serious dysfunction. Since the dysfunction caused by the action of active oxygen is particularly related to lifestyle-related diseases, countermeasures against active oxygen are indispensable for the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. However, it is not easy to suppress the generation of active oxygen in a living body, and active oxygen is not one type. Therefore, in order to protect a living body from damage caused by active oxygen, it is necessary to appropriately take a wide variety of antioxidant substances corresponding to individual active oxygen.

  According to the active oxygen scavenger of the present invention, flavonoids, ubiquinone, and thioctic acid are used as active ingredients. Therefore, the antioxidative action, antibacterial / antiviral action, and immune ability are obtained by the combined and synergistic action of these ingredients. It has an action to enhance lipase, an action to suppress lipid peroxidation, an action to prevent heart failure, an action to protect the brain, organs and skin from damage caused by active oxygen. In particular, since it has fat-soluble and water-soluble thioctic acid, the active ingredient (thioctic acid) easily passes through the cells protecting the cell nucleus and enters the cell core, and the cells from the attack of active oxygen Can be protected. Further, according to the active oxygen scavenger of the present invention, flavonoids, ubiquinone and thioctic acid all function not only as powerful antioxidants, but also have different functioning locations (role) in vivo. A powerful active oxygen scavenging action can be obtained without ingesting many antioxidants.

  In addition, according to the skin elasticity retention agent of the present invention, skin tissues such as collagen fibers can be strengthened by flavonoids, and the skin that fades by active oxygen can be stopped by ubiquinone and thioctic acid. Can do.

  In addition, the antioxidant adjuvant of the present invention contains ubiquinone essential for converting nutrients into energy in intracellular mitochondria, and further contains thioctic acid to assist ubiquinone. Therefore, the amount of energy generated in the body can be increased, metabolism can be activated, cells can be repaired, and cytokine generation can be suppressed in the cells.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example demonstrates this invention further more concretely, this invention is not limited to a following example.

(Example)
Thioctic acid, ubiquinone, pine bark extract, other excipients (sucrose fatty acid ester, silicon dioxide, brewer's yeast), melon extract, vitamin E, vitamin C, evening primrose seed extract, astaxanthin, pepper extract A powdery active oxygen scavenger was prepared by adding an additive such as a product and hesperidin, and this powder was filled into a hard capsule to obtain a hard capsule filler.
In addition, each component was mix | blended so that the quantity of each component contained per 3 grain | grains which are the daily intake of a hard capsule filler might be as follows.
Thioctic acid 100mg
Ubiquinone 60mg
Pine bark extract 40mg
Melon extract 80mg
As the thioctic acid, α-lipoic acid, manufactured by Tateyama Kasei Co., Ltd. was used. As ubiquinone, Coenzyme Q10, manufactured by Nisshin Pharma Co., Ltd. was used. As the pine bark extract, Pycnogenol, manufactured by Swiss Hofer Research, was used.

14 males aged 26 to 59 and 19 females aged 28 to 63 who suffer from symptoms such as physical fatigue, rough skin, and obesity are subjects, and each subject is given this hard capsule filler once. 1 capsule 3 times a day (morning and night) for 2 weeks.
These subjects were tested for skin quality, body fat levels, blood tests, and sensitivity tests.

(Examination of skin quality)
Skin test was conducted on 13 subjects consisting of 8 males and 5 females before and after taking the hard capsule filler (after 2 weeks).
The skin quality test method was a method of measuring the skin quality of the subject around 10 am with Triple Sense K10229 (Mortex Co., Ltd.).
The evaluation criteria were H when moisture and elasticity were good, M when good and L when bad. The numerical value is from 1 to 100, and the higher the value, the better. In addition, since the evaluation is performed in units of 20 to 5 years old, the evaluation is determined based on the age range.
The results of evaluation are shown below.
There were 1 person whose water content value increased by 3, 1 person who rose 6-10, and 1 person who rose 21.
The number of elasticity increased by 4, 1 increased by 5-10, 2 increased by 10, 1 increased by 13, 1 increased by 18, 1 increased by 29, and increased by 69 There was one person.
Numerous skin quality improvement results appeared in 9 out of 13 people.

(Examination of body fat level)
Body fat values before and after taking the hard capsule filler (after 2 weeks) were measured for 21 subjects consisting of 8 males and 13 females.
The body fat value was measured using a body fat meter HBF-302 (manufactured by OMRON Corporation) to measure the body fat of the subject around 10:00 am.
The results are shown below.
4 people lost 0.1 to 0.5% of body fat, 1 person reduced 0.6%, 1 person reduced 0.7%, 3 people reduced 1%, There was 1 person who decreased 1.8%, 2 persons who decreased 2 to 2.1%, 1 person who decreased 2.6%, and 1 person who decreased 5%.
Body fat reduction was confirmed in 14 out of 21 persons, and the average value of the reduction rate in 14 persons was 1.43%.

(Blood test)
Blood tests were performed on 33 subjects comprising 14 males and 19 females before and after taking the hard capsule filler (after 2 weeks).
The blood test methods are (1) UV method for LDH, (2) Colorimetric method for γ-GTP, (3) Enzyme method for total cholesterol, (4) Direct method for HDL cholesterol, (5) Enzymatic assay was used for LDL cholesterol, and (5) enzymatic method was used for neutral fat and free fatty acids.
(Test items not disclosed in Tables 1 to 4 were not listed.)
The results are shown in Tables 1 to 4.
In Tables 1 to 4, the upper value of each person is the value before ingesting the hard capsule filler, and the lower value is the value after ingesting the hard capsule filler. ● indicates items that have been improved, and * indicates that the value of neutral fat has decreased.

The main results of blood tests are shown below.
(LDH)
The reference value of LDH is 120 U / l to 245 U / l.
Improvements were confirmed in the five persons whose numerical values were higher than the standard values as shown below.
Male (40 years old) 269 → 253
Female (63 years old) 262 → 240
Female (56 years old) 418 → 188
Female (32 years old) 266 → 179
Female (30 years old) 255 → 207

(Γ-GTP)
The reference value of γ-GTP is 16 U / l to 73 U / l.
Improvements were confirmed in the five persons whose numerical values were higher than the standard values as shown below.
Female (56 years old) 245 → 145
Male (42 years old) 187 → 168
Male (42 years old) 108 → 94
Male (28 years old) 90 → 74
Male (26 years old) 100 → 79
The other 11 persons also confirmed a decrease in the numerical value.

(Total cholesterol)
The reference value for total cholesterol is 150 mg / dl to 219 mg / dl.
Improvements were confirmed as shown below for the seven high people whose numerical values were higher than the standard values.
Female (63 years old) 239 → 230
Female (56 years old) 310 → 204
Female (38 years old) 220 → 215
Female (30 years old) 244 → 204
Female (30 years old) 222 → 190
Female (30 years old) 229 → 211
Female (30 years old) 243 → 228
The other 10 people also confirmed a drop in the numbers.

(Neutral fat)
The reference value for neutral fat is 50 mg / dl to 149 mg / dl.
The following improvement was confirmed in one person whose numerical value was higher than the reference value.
Male (54 years old) 178 → 150
The other 16 people also confirmed a decrease in numerical values.

  From the above results, it was confirmed that the hard capsule filler of this example imparts liver function, total cholesterol level, and neutral fat.

(Sensitive inspection)
The subjects were given a symptom that could be perceived as improved by comparing before and after ingestion of the hard capsule filler.
The results are shown below.
“It became difficult to get tired” 2 “Fatigue was not left the next day” 3 “Cooling was improved” 1 “It became difficult to get fat” 3 “Sleep became deeper” 2 “Wake up better 3 ”“ Improved wrinkles ”2“ Improved spots ”2“ Improved pore opening ”2“ Improved acne ”2“ No more hangovers ”1“ 1 person "The acne that did not heal no matter what you drink or what healed." 1 person

Claims (3)

  An active oxygen scavenger comprising flavonoids, ubiquinone and thioctic acid as active ingredients.   A skin elasticity-retaining agent comprising flavonoids, ubiquinone and thioctic acid as active ingredients. An antioxidant auxiliary agent characterized by comprising flavonoids, ubiquinone and thioctic acid as active ingredients.