JP2007129907A - Vinegar containing glucosylceramide, composition containing the same and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a raw material for foods and drinks, which is rich in glucosylceramide and producible by a simple method without using operation to remove extraction solvent, etc., a glucosylceramide-containing composition containing the material, etc., a method for producing the composition, etc., and a method for producing a glucosylceramide-containing material without using a process to remove the extraction solvent. <P>SOLUTION: A glucosylceramide-containing vinegar is produced from embryo of cereal and using saccharification, alcoholic fermentation and acetic acid fermentation, a liquid, solid, semisolid, granular or powdery composition containing the vinegar, a method for producing the glucosylceramide-containing vinegar or a composition containing the vinegar from embryo of cereal and using saccharification, alcoholic fermentation and acetic acid fermentation processes, and a method for producing a glucosylceramide-containing material includes at least a step to perform alcoholic fermentation of a material derived from a food containing glucosylceramide or its processed materialfw, and a step to extract the glucosylceramide in ethanol produced by the alcoholic fermentation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a glucosylceramide-containing vinegar, a composition containing the same, and a method for producing the same, and in particular, a glucosylceramide-containing vinegar obtained by utilizing a production process of brewed vinegar represented by black vinegar, and It is related with the composition containing them, and their manufacturing method.

  Glucosylramide has a moisturizing effect on human skin, a protective effect, a rough skin prevention / improvement effect, and the like, and is a kind of lipid essential for keeping the skin fresh and flexible. For this reason, glucosylceramide has attracted attention in the field of beauty and is used as a raw material for cosmetics. In recent years, glucosylceramide has been added to foods and beverages as food materials.

  Glucosylceramide is widely used in the animal and plant kingdoms and has been used after being extracted from bovine brain with an organic solvent. Recently, however, interest in safer ingredients has increased. For example, rice bran, soybean germ, konjac, Extraction from a plant material containing a relatively large amount of glucosylceramide such as ethanol with an extraction solvent such as ethanol has been performed. However, in order to commercialize the solvent-extracted glucosylceramide, it is necessary to separate and remove the extraction solvent used for the extraction, which requires additional operations and the cost of the extraction solvent is very high. It was not economical. Further, the concentration of the glucosylceramide extracted and collected in this way is not so high. In the case of a commercially available liquid glucosylceramide product, it is about 0.3 to 1.0% by mass, which is suitable for a powder product. Although it is concentrated, its concentration is about 3 to 10% by mass. At present, these liquid or powdery glucosylceramide products are used after being added in a small amount to beverages or foods.

On the other hand, no attempt has been made to obtain glucosylceramide having a high concentration. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes separation of an extraction solvent by high-performance liquid chromatography and purification of glucosylceramide. In Document 2, it is proposed that the extract is frozen to form a precipitate containing glucosylceramide to be separated from the extraction solvent, and the precipitate is washed with an organic solvent such as acetone. However, all of these proposed methods require complicated operations, and the resulting glucosylceramide has to be expensive.
JP 2002-294274 A JP 2005-120321 A

  The present invention was made to solve the disadvantages of the prior art as described above, and does not require an operation such as removal of the extraction solvent, and is rich in glucosylceramide that can be produced by a simple method. Foods and drinks or food and drink materials, and glucosylceramide-containing compositions containing these foods and drinks or food and drink materials, and methods for producing them, and methods for producing glucosylceramide-containing materials that do not require removal of the extraction solvent It is a problem to provide.

  As a result of intensive research conducted by the present inventors to solve the above-mentioned problems, accidentally, the fact that glucosylceramide is easily extracted from plant-derived raw materials by ethanol, and the brewed vinegar represented by black vinegar In the production process, the inventors came up with an unexpected combination with the fact that ethanol is produced by alcohol fermentation and that ethanol is further converted to acetic acid by acetic acid fermentation. That is, the present inventors pay attention to the production process of brewed vinegar, and if this can be used for extraction of glucosylceramide from plant-derived raw materials, it is not necessary to add ethanol separately as an extraction solvent, or the ethanol used for extraction is used. As a result of repeated trial and error, we considered that it would not be necessary to remove the cereal germs containing a relatively large amount of glucosylceramide, such as wheat germ, and saccharified them, followed by alcohol fermentation and acetic acid fermentation. Then, the glucosylceramide contained in the grain germ is well extracted in the ethanol produced by alcohol fermentation, and surprisingly, even if the fermentation progresses and ethanol changes to acetic acid, It has been found that glucosylceramide is present at a high concentration in the fermentation broth.

  That is, the present invention uses cereal germ as a raw material, glucosylceramide-containing vinegar produced through saccharification, alcoholic fermentation, and acetic acid fermentation, and liquid, solid, semi-solid, granular, containing this glucosylceramide-containing vinegar, Alternatively, a method for producing a glucosylceramide-containing vinegar or a composition comprising the same, comprising a powdered composition and a cereal germ as a raw material, saccharification, alcohol fermentation, and acetic acid fermentation, and further derived from a glucosylceramide-containing food By providing a method for producing a glucosylceramide-containing material, comprising at least a step of subjecting a raw material or a processed product thereof to alcohol fermentation, and extracting glucosylceramide in ethanol produced by alcohol fermentation, It is a solution.

  As described above, the present invention skillfully utilizes the process of producing vinegar by fermentation, and directly obtains vinegar which is a food or drink or a food or drink material containing abundant glucosylceramide. The technical idea of the present invention is to extract glucosylceramide contained in the raw material by solvent extraction, and concentrate or purify it to obtain a glucosylceramide product, which is further added to the food / beverage product to produce the glucosylceramide-containing food / beverage product. This is completely different from the conventional idea of obtaining. In addition, grain germs such as wheat germs, which contain a large amount of protein, have not been used as a raw material for vinegars because of their low starch content. The present invention is also different from the conventional technical idea in that such grain germ is used as a raw material.

  The glucosylceramide-containing vinegar of the present invention usually contains 0.04% by mass or more of glucosylceramide per dried product, although it depends on the type of grain germ used as a raw material. Since the fraction content (dry matter content) is usually about 8 to 10% by mass, if the glucosylceramide-containing vinegar of the present invention is drunk about 15 ml per day, the recommended daily intake required for adults Since 0.6 mg of glucosylceramide can be ingested, according to the glucosylceramide-containing vinegar of the present invention, there is an advantage that glucosylceramide necessary per day can be easily ingested without difficulty. Further, the glucosylceramide-containing vinegar of the present invention is produced by using cereal germ as a raw material and saccharifying, alcoholic fermentation, and acetic acid fermentation. Thus, as with commercially brewed vinegars such as black vinegar, It contains a large amount, and also contains vitamins and minerals in high concentrations, has high nutritional value, is extremely useful for both beauty and health, and has the advantage that it is mellow and suitable for drinking. Prepared. Therefore, the glucosylceramide-containing vinegar according to the present invention can be used as it is as a drink, and of course, like a normal vinegar, it remains liquid or powdered, not only as a seasoning, but also for beauty and health. There is an advantage that it can be used as a material for various foods and drinks including maintenance foods.

  In addition, according to the method for producing glucosylceramide-containing vinegar of the present invention, glucosylceramide in the raw material can be extracted with ethanol produced by alcohol fermentation, so there is no need to use a separate extraction solvent. Since the extracted ethanol is converted into acetic acid by acetic acid fermentation, it has an excellent advantage that it is not necessary to separate and remove ethanol as an extraction solvent. Thus, the technical idea of fermenting the raw material with alcohol and using the ethanol produced thereby for the extraction of glucosylceramide in the raw material has never existed, and the method for producing a glucosylceramide-containing product of the present invention is very The glucosylceramide-containing product can be produced by a simple means, and has an extremely excellent effect.

  The glucosylceramide-containing vinegar of the present invention can be obtained by using cereal germ as a raw material and saccharifying, alcoholic fermentation, and acetic acid fermentation. As a grain germ used as a raw material, any grain germ may be used as long as it contains glucosylceramide and vinegar can be produced by saccharification, alcohol fermentation, and acetic acid fermentation. For example, rice germ , Wheat germ, barley germ, soybean germ and the like. These grain germs may be used alone or in combination of two or more. However, from the viewpoint of obtaining a glucosylceramide-containing vinegar containing a high concentration, it is preferable to use wheat germ or rice germ, and it is particularly preferable to use wheat germ. It should be noted that the grain germ such as wheat germ used does not need to be highly purified and may contain skin parts and endosperm parts derived from grains, but the amount of contamination such as skin parts is as small as possible. preferable.

  Moreover, since grain germs, such as wheat germ, have less carbohydrates than rice, in order to compensate for this, starch or other materials containing starch may be added to the raw material as necessary. When using starch or other materials containing starch as a raw material in combination with cereal germ, the proportion of cereal germ is 70% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more in all raw materials. In other words, it is preferable that the ratio of wheat germ is 80% by mass or more in all raw materials.

  In order to produce glucosylceramide-containing vinegar using cereal germ as described above, or cereal germ and starch or other materials containing starch, the raw material and water are usually in a mass ratio of raw material: water = 1. : In a ratio of 2 to 1: 5, preferably in a ratio of raw material: water = 1: 2.5 to 1: 3.5, more preferably in a ratio of raw material: water = 1: 3, and heated. After the starch in the raw material is gelatinized by holding it in a state or the like, this may be saccharified, alcoholic fermentation, or acetic acid fermentation.

  Saccharification can be carried out using liquefied enzymes such as alpha amylase, beta amylase, glucoamylase, debranching enzyme, and saccharifying enzyme, which are commonly used, and at this time, a protease may be used in combination. Alternatively, saccharification can be performed using koji molds, as has been done in the production of black vinegar since ancient times. Commercially available various enzymes and koji molds can be used.

  Alcohol fermentation is performed by allowing a yeast such as a brewery yeast to act on a saccharified solution. There is no special restriction | limiting in the yeast to be used, and a commercial item can be used. Ethanol is produced by this alcohol fermentation, and glucosylceramide contained in the grain germ is extracted into ethanol. Subsequently, acetic acid bacteria are allowed to act, and acetic acid fermentation is performed. At this time, when the amount of ethanol produced by alcohol fermentation is insufficient and there is a concern that the acidity of vinegar as a product is insufficient, ethanol may be added after alcohol fermentation to adjust the acidity. In any case, the glucosylceramide-containing vinegar of the present invention is obtained through acetic acid fermentation.

  The steps of gelatinization, saccharification, alcoholic fermentation, and acetic acid fermentation as described above may be performed in order, or any two or more of them may be performed simultaneously. You may make it. Moreover, it is good also as a glucosylceramide containing vinegar through a fermentation process only with sticky rice, gelatinized grain germ, and preparation water similarly to the manufacturing method of the traditional black vinegar.

  In any case, glucosylceramide contained in the grain germ, which is the raw material, is extracted into ethanol produced by alcohol fermentation, and after the ethanol is converted to acetic acid by acetic acid fermentation, it remains in a high concentration in the fermentation broth. It exists and the glucosylceramide containing vinegar of this invention will be obtained.

  The obtained glucosylceramide-containing vinegar usually contains 0.04% by mass or more of glucosylceramide per dry matter, depending on the type and amount of grain germ used as a raw material. If you drink or eat an amount of about 15 ml or equivalent, you can easily take glucosylceramide at a recommended intake of 0.6 mg per day, which is necessary for adults.

  The glucosylceramide-containing vinegar according to the present invention is rich in amino acids, various vitamins and minerals in addition to glucosylceramide, which not only has excellent nutritional value but also promotes beauty and health with a gentle mouth. Of course, it can be used as a seasoning or as a material for various foods and beverages as it is in a liquid state, or solidified or powdered as needed. For example, it can be blended into beverages that favor moderate acidity, and can be used as a refreshing beverage for beauty and health promotion. It can also be blended into foods such as dressings and mayonnaise that normally contain vinegar to improve beauty and health. Dressing and mayonnaise are optional. Furthermore, the composition is solidified or powdered and mixed with other appropriate sweeteners and binders, and in some cases, enzymes, coenzymes, and other ingredients mixed in functional foods. It can be used as a powder, or it can be molded, granulated or tableted to make it a functional food with excellent nutritional value for beauty and health promotion. And may be a confectionery for beauty and health promotion.

  Moreover, the method of extracting the glucosylceramide contained in a raw material by using ethanol produced | generated by the above alcohol fermentation as an extraction solvent is not restricted to a vinegar, It can be used also for manufacture of a general glucosylceramide containing material. For example, ethanol produced by alcoholic fermentation by processing a food-derived material containing glucosylceramide, such as rice bran, beans such as soybeans and peanuts, cocoa and the like, or a processed product thereof, at least including a step of alcoholic fermentation. The glucosylceramide contained in the food-derived material is extracted inside, and a glucosylceramide-containing material can be produced. According to such a production method, a smaller amount of ethanol can be used without using ethanol as an extraction solvent, or even if ethanol production by alcohol fermentation is insufficient and ethanol needs to be added. As a result, the advantage that a glucosylceramide-containing product can be produced is obtained.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples.

<Example 1>
Add 300g of full-fat wheat germ to 900ml of feed water and perform gelatinization by holding at 100 ° C for 30 minutes. Then, add 0.75g of "Amylase AD-1" manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd. and "Glucozyme AF6" 0.2 g was added and maintained at pH 5.5 and 55 ° C. for 48 hours for saccharification and decomposition. The produced saccharified solution is cooled to 20 ° C., 1 g of dried sake yeast (“Dried yeast for sake” 901, manufactured by the Japan Brewing Association) is added and fermented with alcohol for 2 weeks. Removal by filtration gave an alcoholic fermentation broth having an alcohol concentration of 8% by mass. Acetic acid bacteria ("A. Pasterianus", manufactured by National Institute of Technology and Evaluation Technology Biotechnology Headquarters) were added to this alcoholic fermentation broth and kept at 25 ° C for 1 month to carry out acetic acid fermentation. Approximately 700 ml of vinegar Got. The amount of glucosylceramide contained in the obtained vinegar was measured by high performance liquid chromatography-light scattering detection method (“HPLC-ELSD”, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation). It was 0.064 mass% per unit. Moreover, the acidity of the produced vinegar was 4.5, the black taste peculiar to brewing vinegar, and what can be called black vinegar.

<Example 2>
300 g of defatted wheat germ is added to 1.2 liters of feed water and gelatinized by holding at 100 ° C. for 30 minutes. Thereafter, in the same manner as in Example 1, the saccharification step, alcohol fermentation step, filtration step, acetic acid fermentation step And about 1 liter of vinegar was obtained. When the amount of glucosylceramide in the obtained vinegar was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the amount of glucosylceramide was 0.062% by mass per dry matter. Moreover, when the amino acid content was measured by the same measurement method as the measurement of glucosylceramide, the obtained vinegar contained 3200 mg of amino acid per 100 g of vinegar. The acidity of the produced vinegar was 4.5, had a black taste peculiar to brewing vinegar, and could be called black vinegar.

<Example 3>
300 g of swollen defatted wheat germ was added to 900 ml of feed water, and then a saccharification step, an alcohol fermentation step, a filtration step, and an acetic acid fermentation step were performed in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain about 700 ml of vinegar. When the amount of glucosylceramide in the obtained vinegar was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the amount of glucosylceramide was 0.065% by mass per dry matter. Moreover, when the amino acid content was measured by the same measurement method as the measurement of glucosylceramide, the obtained vinegar contained 2500 mg of amino acid per 100 g of vinegar. The acidity of the produced vinegar was 4.5, had a black taste peculiar to brewing vinegar, and could be called black vinegar.

<Comparative example>
The amount of glucosylceramide contained in commercially available grain vinegar, rice vinegar, apple vinegar (manufactured by Mitsukan Co., Ltd.), and black vinegar (“Rinzan”, Uchibori Brewery Co., Ltd.) When measured similarly, in any commercially available vinegar, glucosylceramide was not measured and the amount was below the measurement limit.

  As described above, the glucosylceramide-containing vinegar according to the present invention contains glucosylceramide at a high concentration, and for example, by drinking it, an adult can easily and easily ingest the glucosylceramide that an adult needs per day. it can. Furthermore, the glucosylceramide-containing vinegar according to the present invention is rich in amino acids, vitamins, and minerals in addition to glucosylceramide, and has a smooth mouthfeel and a good mouthfeel, making it ideal for drinking. Contributing to beauty and health promotion. Furthermore, according to the method for producing glucosylceramide-containing vinegar according to the present invention, unlike conventional production methods in which glucosylceramide is extracted using an extraction solvent and further concentrated or purified, it contains glucosylceramide. Since vinegar which is a food or drink or a food and drink material can be directly produced by a simple method, it is extremely advantageous in terms of cost, and the present invention is extremely advantageous in the food and drink industry, and further in the functional food industry. It is useful.

Claims (7)

  A glucosylceramide-containing vinegar produced from cereal germs through saccharification, alcoholic fermentation, and acetic acid fermentation.   The glucosylceramide-containing vinegar according to claim 1, wherein the grain germ is wheat germ.   The glucosylceramide-containing vinegar according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dried product contains 0.04% by mass or more of glucosylceramide.   A liquid, solid, semi-solid, granular or powder composition comprising the glucosylceramide-containing vinegar according to claim 1, 2 or 3.   A method for producing a glucosylceramide-containing vinegar or a composition comprising the same, comprising a step of using cereal germ as a raw material and saccharification, alcohol fermentation, and acetic acid fermentation.   The method for producing a glucosylceramide-containing vinegar according to claim 5 or a composition comprising the same, wherein the grain germ is wheat germ.   A method for producing a glucosylceramide-containing product, comprising at least a step of subjecting a glucosylceramide-containing food-derived material or a processed product thereof to alcohol fermentation, and extracting glucosylceramide into ethanol produced by alcohol fermentation.