JP2009023912A - Demulcent for dryness and itch of skin - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a demulcent which is used for the dryness and itch of skins, is excellent in effects for the moisture retention, protection and antipruritic effects of the skins, is lowly irritative, and is highly useful for dry skins accompanying itching, such as atopic dermatitis. <P>SOLUTION: Provided is the demulcent which is used for the dryness and itch of the skins and contains a low molecular pectin as an active ingredient. Preferably, the low molecular pectin has an average polymerization degree of 3 to 50. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a skin dry / itch relieving agent containing low molecular weight pectin as an active ingredient.

One of the diseases accompanied by itching is xeroderma caused by dryness. This symptom increases the dryness by scratching and causes the symptom to worsen. Various external preparations have been proposed to treat this symptom. For example, the natural ingredient urea that exists in the stratum corneum of the skin is known as a moisturizer, and the ingredient crotamiton is known as an antipruritic agent that gives mild irritation to the skin and thereby suppresses itching. is doing. However, anti-histamines are used in conventional moisturizers and antipruritic agents, but they are used for skin that is sensitive to irritation such as dry skin with itching such as atopic dermatitis to irritate the skin. There was a problem that it was not possible.

  On the other hand, pectin is an acidic polysaccharide mainly composed of galacturonic acid present in plant cell walls, and is widely used as a gelling agent and a protein stabilizer. Α-D-galacturonic acid is α-1,4 linked to the main chain, and a rhamnogalacturonan chain is formed in a form in which neutral sugars such as rhamnose and arabinose enter heterogeneously. Furthermore, it is considered to have side chains consisting of galacturonic acid and neutral sugars, and the average degree of polymerization is said to be 200 to 1000.

  It is also known that low molecular weight pectin with an average degree of polymerization of 300 or less has an emulsifying action, low molecular weight pectin with an average degree of polymerization of 10 or less has an antibacterial action, and an intestinal action as a dietary fiber. .

However, regarding the effect of low molecular weight pectin on the skin, the whitening effect described in Patent Document 1 is known, but it has not been known that it has an effect of reducing dryness and itching.
Japanese Patent No. 3569553

  In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a skin application that is excellent in moisturizing, protecting and antipruritic effects of the skin, and is highly useful for dry skin accompanied by itching such as atopic dermatitis. It is to provide an agent composition.

  As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that low molecular weight pectin is excellent in safety with little irritation to the skin, and also has an effect of alleviating dryness of the skin and an effect of reducing itching due to dryness. Reached. That is, the present invention is a skin dryness / itchiness alleviating agent characterized by containing a low molecular weight pectin as an active ingredient.

  The low molecular weight pectin used in the present invention refers to those having an average degree of polymerization of 300 or less, preferably those having an average degree of polymerization of 3 to 50. The low molecular weight pectin of the present invention can be obtained by a known method, for example, hydrolysis or enzymatic degradation of pectin.

  The dosage form of the skin dryness / itchiness relieving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains low molecular weight pectin as an active ingredient, and is not an ointment, emulsifier, cream, lotion, gel, powder, sheet, patch It can be provided as an arbitrary preparation such as an agent.

  Moreover, within the range which does not impair the effect of this invention, it mix | blends components, such as a normally used base material (example: petrolatum, polyethyleneglycol, etc.), a solvent (example: water, ethanol, etc.), surfactant, a fragrance | flavor suitably. Can do.

  In the skin dryness / itchiness relieving agent of the present invention, the content of low molecular weight pectin is usually preferably about 1 to 50% by weight, although it depends on the dosage form.

<Production of low molecular weight pectin (1)>
300 g of pectin (UNIPECTINE SS ND: manufactured by Cargill) was dispersed in 3 kg of water and heated under pressure in an autoclave (HIRAYAMA HA-240M) at 121 ° C. for 135 minutes to obtain 2453 g of a low molecular weight pectin solution. The degree of polymerization of this low molecular weight pectin was measured and found to be 12.
Low molecular weight pectin can be used as a component of food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and the like. The resulting low molecular weight pectin can be obtained as an aqueous solution, but it can also be used as a thicker solution or powder by adding ethanol or isopropanol to this and precipitating it or concentrating under reduced pressure.
The degree of polymerization was determined by quantifying the amount of uronic acid and the amount of reducing end of low molecular weight pectin, and using the following formula. The method for measuring the amount of uronic acid is Z. Dische, J. Biol. Chem., 167, 189 (1947), and the method for measuring the amount of reducing end is Y. Milner, G. Avigad, Carbohyd. Res., 4, 359- 361 (1967).

<Production of low molecular weight pectin (2)>
300 g of pectin (UNIPECTINE SS ND: manufactured by Cargill) was dispersed in 3 kg of water and heated under pressure in an autoclave (HIRAYAMA HA-240M) at 121 ° C. for 300 minutes to obtain 2453 g of a low molecular weight pectin solution. The degree of polymerization of this low molecular weight pectin was measured and found to be 4.

<Generation of low molecular weight pectin 3>
A solution in which 0.5 kg of pectin (UNIPECTINE SS ND: Cargill) was dispersed in 10 kg of water was prepared, and 300 ppm of pectinase was added and reacted at 35 ° C. for 15 hours to reduce the molecular weight. This solution was filtered, concentrated and dried to obtain 350 g of low molecular weight pectin. The degree of polymerization of this low molecular weight pectin was measured and found to be 3.

<Safety confirmation of low molecular weight pectin>
Each solution obtained in Example 1 and Example 3 was used as a sample, and a skin application test was performed with 15 subjects each, a total of 30 subjects. A sample of 3 drops of dropper was applied to the skin on the inner side of the upper arm twice a day for 1 week, and the change with time was observed. As a result, there was no subject who suffered from adverse effects such as inflammation and pain on the skin, and it was confirmed that low molecular weight pectin was safe.

<Confirmation of the effect of low molecular weight pectin on skin dryness and itching relief>
Using the solutions obtained in Example 1 and Example 3 as samples, a skin application test was performed on 30 subjects. The application was performed twice a day for 1 week to cover the affected area in the part that was worried about drying, and the change with time was observed. As a result, 7 out of 30 responded that itching had subsided, and 3 out of 30 responded that skin dryness had been alleviated.

As other impressions of the subject who performed this application test,
・ Improved that the skin of the finger was peeled off ・ Dry skin was reduced ・ Reddish atopic condition improved ・ It was effective when applied after shaving ・ Effective in reducing itching due to insect bites There was a cure for rusting of the hands, and the effectiveness of the low molecular weight pectin for skin protection was confirmed.

上記組成を均一化し、ワセリン軟膏を調製した。この軟膏は塗布感に優れ、皮膚の保湿、保護および鎮痒効果に優れ、しかも低刺激でアトピー性皮膚炎などの痒みを伴う乾燥肌に対して有用性の高いものであった。


<Preparation of ointment>

The above composition was homogenized to prepare petrolatum ointment. This ointment was excellent in application feeling, excellent in skin moisturizing, protective and antipruritic effects, and was highly useful for dry skin with mild irritation such as atopic dermatitis.

Claims (2)

  Skin dryness / itchiness relieving agent containing low molecular weight pectin as an active ingredient. The skin dry / itch relieving agent according to claim 1, wherein the low molecular weight pectin has an average degree of polymerization of 3 to 50.