JP2015000056A - Confectionery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide confectionery having improved activity for oral cavity sanitation, with anti-candidal activity equivalent to or greater than that of decanoic acid, even not containing decanoic acid.SOLUTION: The confectionery includes three types of components, i.e. cinnamon, low molecular proanthocyanidin, and menthol, and further includes one or more types of components selected from medium chain fatty acid, medium chain fatty acid ester, and citral. The medium chain fatty acid or the medium chain fatty acid ester is decanoic acid or ethyl decanoate. Per intake at one time, the confectionery includes 0.28 mg or more of cinnamon, 0.5 mg or more of low molecular proanthocyanidin, and 0.2 mg or more of menthol, and further includes 0.008 mg or more of a medium chain fatty acid or a medium chain fatty acid ester, 0.14 mg or more of citral, and 0.09 mg or more of thickener. The cinnamon is a compound containing cinnamaldehyde, the low molecular proanthocyanidin is oligonol, and the medium chain fatty acid or the medium chain fatty acid ester is decanoic acid or ethyl decanoate.

Description

  The present invention relates to a confectionery having oral hygiene improving activity.

  In general, the surface of the oral cavity and its mucous membrane are moistened in a healthy state, and the epithelial cells that form the mucous membrane and gland cells that secrete saliva produce various complex carbohydrates and proteins to preserve the environment. ing. In addition, there are various microorganisms that normally live as resident bacteria without expressing pathogenicity. However, if an elderly person, a person who has weakened immunity, or has undergone fungal complications due to drug treatment or an opportunistic infection, even if it is a less pathogenic bacterium, it usually grows on the oral mucosa However, persistent symptoms may cause pain and discomfort over a long period of time, reducing the quality of life.

There is oral candidiasis as one cause of such deterioration of oral hygiene, and Non-Patent Document 1 discloses that various plant-derived substances are effective in treating candidiasis, and that specific substances include low molecular weight prodrugs. Anthocyanidins (trade name: Oligonol (registered trademark), Amino Up Chemical), cinnamon mainly composed of cinnamaldehyde, decanoic acid (capric acid), which is a linear fatty acid having 10 carbon atoms, and eugenol are disclosed.
Non-Patent Document 2 discloses that the oligonol inhibits Candida mycelium growth in vitro at 313 μg / mL or more (80% inhibition), and in an oral candidiasis mouse model, a 20 mg / mL oligonol solution. It is disclosed that the symptoms of the tongue were improved when (50 μL per dose) was administered into the oral cavity three times. In addition, oligonol has a drawback that, at a high concentration of 20 mg / mL, the astringency is strong and the flavor is significantly impaired.
In Non-patent Document 3, the cinnamaldehyde was administered to the oral cavity 3 times in the oral candidiasis mouse model by 19.5 mg / mL cinnamaldehyde solution (50 μL at a time). Has been disclosed.
Non-Patent Document 4 discloses that the decanoic acid inhibits Candida mycelium growth in vitro by 90% at 12.5 μg / mL or more and 50% at 3.13 μg / mL or more.
As is clear from these documents, decanoic acid was considered promising in that it exhibited anti-Candida activity in a small amount among various plant-derived substances.
In addition, as long as this inventor knows, the confectionery for improving oral hygiene deterioration, for example, the confectionery which paid its attention to anti-Candida activity is not known until now.

  Furthermore, as a document showing the superiority of decanoic acid, Patent Document 1 discloses that decanoic acid, geraniol, eugenol, and citral are each independently 3.13 μg / mL and 25 μg / mL for the growth of Candida mycelium in vitro. Inhibiting 95% at 200 μg / mL, 50 μg / mL or more, and that a high synergistic effect was observed when decanoic acid was used in combination with geraniol, eugenol, or citral. Patent Document 1 discloses a 1% (= 10 mg / mL) decanoic acid solution, 3% ginger essential oil solution, or 1% decanoic acid and 3% ginger essential oil-containing solution (both once) in an oral candidiasis mouse model. Is administered 3 times in the oral cavity, and it is disclosed that the symptoms of the tongue were improved and that the combined use of decanoic acid and ginger essential oil was most effective. In addition, the said ginger essential oil contains citral 24.9% and geraniol 4.7% as a composition ratio.

  These documents are all published by the inventor and his collaborators, except that Non-Patent Document 1 is a review document including the results of the inventor. The present inventor, while intensively studying the anti-Candida activity of many plant-derived substances, including those disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, continued research focusing on decanoic acid that shows activity even in a small amount. As shown in the said patent document 1, it discovered that decanoic acid showed a still higher effect by using together with another plant-derived substance (for example, citral), and came to be convinced of the superiority of decanoic acid.

JP 2013-40156 A

Abe S, et al. Medical Mycology Research. 2011; 2 (1): 15-20. Hayama K, et al. Jpn J Med Mycol. 2010; 51: 137-142. Taguchi Y, et al. Med Mycol J. 2011; 52: 145-152. Inoue S, et al. Med Mycol J. 2012; 53: 33-40.

Under such circumstances, regarding decanoic acid, which has so far been predominantly shown in in vitro tests, the present inventor, in conducting an evaluation with an oral candidiasis mouse model, used a composition containing no decanoic acid. Even if it exists, it discovered that there exist some which show the oral hygiene improvement activity equivalent to a decanoic acid containing composition.
That is, an object of the present invention is to provide an oral hygiene improving active composition exhibiting an activity equal to or higher than that even if decanoic acid is not contained, and particularly to provide it in a confectionery form.
In addition, confectionery aimed at improving oral hygiene has never been known so far, and another object of the present invention is to provide a confectionery having oral hygiene improving activity. Low molecular weight proanthocyanidins such as oligonol have a problem of being unfavorable as a confectionery because of their strong astringency and impaired flavor. It is also an object to provide a confectionery having oral hygiene improving activity with improved taste.

Said problem can be solved by the present invention described below:
[1] A confectionery containing three components of cinnamon, low molecular weight proanthocyanidins, and menthol.
[2] The confectionery according to [1], wherein the confectionery is for improving oral hygiene.
[3] The confectionery of [1] or [2], further containing one or more components selected from medium chain fatty acids, medium chain fatty acid esters, and citral.
[4] The confectionery according to any one of [1] to [3], further comprising a thickener.
[5] The confectionery according to any one of [1] to [4], which contains 0.28 mg or more of cinnamon, 0.5 mg or more of low molecular weight proanthocyanidins, and 0.2 mg or more of menthol per one intake.
[6] The confectionery according to [5], further containing 0.008 mg or more of medium chain fatty acid or medium chain fatty acid ester, 0.14 mg or more of citral, and 0.09 mg or more of thickener per one intake.
[7] The confectionery according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the cinnamon is a composition containing cinnamaldehyde.
[8] The confectionery according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the low-molecular proanthocyanidins are oligonol.
[9] The confectionery according to any one of [3] to [8], wherein the medium chain fatty acid or medium chain fatty acid ester is decanoic acid or ethyl decanoate.
Although the present invention relates to a confectionery, the present invention can also be understood as an oral hygiene improving active composition whose dosage form is a confectionery. Hereinafter, the present invention is an aspect of the present invention, which is an aspect of the present invention. Mainly described as an oral hygiene improving active composition without limitation.

  In the present specification, the “oral hygiene improving activity” is not limited to the following, for example, the activity of suppressing / reducing fungi such as Candida, and the suppression of pathogenic bacteria such as periodontitis / Activity to reduce, activity to suppress and reduce viruses such as herpes, activity to reduce and remove tongue and moss formed by bacterial and fungal and cellular secretions and food traps, activity to suppress and eliminate bad breath, saliva secretion It means the activity to moisten the mouth and moisturize, the anti-stress activity by giving a pleasant flavor and appropriate stimulus, the activity to give refreshing feeling by reducing the feeling of stickiness, the anti-inflammatory activity to reduce swelling and pain, etc. Preferably, it means that two or more of them are exhibited.

According to the present invention, even if decanoic acid is not contained, a confectionery having an activity equal to or higher than that can be obtained by simultaneously containing three kinds of specific components (that is, cinnamon, low molecular weight proanthocyanidins, and menthol). Can be provided.
In addition, low molecular weight proanthocyanidins that had to be used at high concentrations to exhibit sufficient anti-Candida activity when used alone are considered to be difficult to use as a confectionery because they have a strong astringency and a significant loss of flavor. However, according to the present invention, since the amount of low-molecular proanthocyanidins can be reduced, the flavor of confectionery can be improved.
In addition, even if this invention does not contain a decanoic acid, although the said effect is exhibited by containing three specific components, a cinnamon, a low molecular weight proanthocyanidin, and a menthol, decanoic acid is added. Thus, since an additional effect can be expected, an embodiment in which decanoic acid is added is not excluded from the present invention.

It is a graph which shows the improvement result of the tongue symptom score at the time of administering the oral hygiene improvement effect using an oral candidiasis mouse model (Example 1) when the 2 times dilution liquid of the composition A or the composition B is administered. In the same evaluation (Example 1), it is a graph which shows the improvement result of the tongue symptom score at the time of administering the 2 times dilution liquid or the 4 times dilution liquid of the composition B. In a volunteer test (Example 3), it is a graph which shows the change of the amount of tongue coating before and behind ingesting the composition B of 13 volunteers. In the same test (Example 3), it is a graph which shows the change of Candida (C. albicans) viable count before and after consumption of a composition in five Candida positive volunteers.

  The oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention is characterized by containing at least three kinds of components of cinnamon, low molecular weight proanthocyanidins, and menthol (hereinafter sometimes referred to as specific components in the present invention) as active ingredients. And In addition, the oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention includes, in addition to the specific component, one or more components selected from a medium chain fatty acid, a medium chain fatty acid ester, and citral, and / or a thickener as desired. Can further be contained.

  The cinnamon used in the present invention is a spice containing cinnamaldehyde, which is an aromatic aldehyde having a phenylpropanoid skeleton, as a scent component. As the cinnamon, for example, cinnamon powder, cinnamon oil, cinnamon powder, cinnamon extract can be used, or cinnamaldehyde purified from a chemically synthesized or natural product, or a composition containing cinnamaldehyde (for example, cinnamon). Mualdehyde-containing fragrance or cinnamaldehyde-containing oil) can also be used.

  The low molecular weight proanthocyanidins used in the present invention need only be composed mainly of low molecular weight monomers, dimers, and trimer proanthocyanidins, and are commercially available from Amino Up Chemical Co., Ltd. (Sapporo City, Hokkaido). Oligonol (registered trademark), which is obtained by chemically reducing the molecular weight of a polymer proanthocyanidin, which is a kind of polyphenol contained in a certain lychee, is preferable. In addition to these, low molecular weight proanthocyanidins include Pycnogenol (registered trademark, Hofer Research Limited), Flavangenol (registered trademark, Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.), and the like.

  The menthol used in the present invention is a volatile colorless crystal having a mint smell, and is frequently used for confectionery, mouth fresheners, and the like, and also for pharmaceuticals. Menthol has several isomers and derivatives, which are also included in natural products. In addition to L-menthol used in the examples of the present invention, these isomers and derivatives can also be used by chemical synthesis or extraction from natural products (for example, menthol-containing fragrance).

  As the medium chain fatty acid that can be optionally used in the present invention, a linear or branched saturated fatty acid having 5 to 12 carbon atoms (preferably 8 to 12 carbon atoms) can be used, and preferably a linear saturated fatty acid having the same carbon number. Fatty acids can be used. Examples of the medium chain fatty acid include pentanoic acid (also known as valeric acid, carbon number 5), hexanoic acid (caproic acid, carbon number 6), heptanoic acid (enanthic acid, carbon number 7), octanoic acid (caprylic acid, C8), nonanoic acid (pelargonic acid, carbon number 9), decanoic acid (capric acid, carbon number 10), dodecanoic acid (lauric acid, carbon number 11), tetradecanoic acid (myristic acid, carbon number 12) be able to.

  As the medium chain fatty acid ester that can be used as desired in the present invention, an ester of the above medium chain fatty acid and a lower alcohol having 1 to 4 (preferably 1 to 2) carbon atoms can be used. For example, when the medium chain fatty acid is decanoic acid, examples of the medium chain fatty acid ester include methyl decanoate, ethyl decanoate, propyl decanoate, and butyl decanoate. When the medium chain fatty acid is octanoic acid, examples of the medium chain fatty acid ester include methyl octoate, ethyl octoate, propyl octoate, and butyl octoate.

  Any one of these medium-chain fatty acids or medium-chain fatty acid esters can be used alone, or two or more kinds of medium-chain fatty acids and / or medium-chain fatty acid esters can be used in appropriate combination. . Further, as the medium chain fatty acid and / or medium chain fatty acid ester, an essential oil purified from a natural product (for example, a decanoic acid-containing fragrance) can be used, or a chemically synthesized product can be used.

  Citral that can be optionally used in the present invention is a monoterpene aldehyde, has a strong lemon odor, and is an essential oil component contained in herbs such as lemongrass, citrus fruits, yam, and ginger. As the citral, a natural plant-derived essential oil (for example, a citral-containing fragrance) can be used, or a citral that is chemically synthesized or purified from a natural product can be used.

  The thickener that can be optionally used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a non-assimilable thickener, such as methylcellulose, propylene glycol, arabinoxylan, carrageenan, pectin, xanthan gum and the like. Can be mentioned. When a thickener that is not assimilated is added, the active ingredients other than the thickener can extend the time for reacting with pathogenic bacteria such as Candida, and the growth of pathogenic bacteria can be more effectively inhibited. .

The oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention contains three specific components, cinnamon, low molecular weight proanthocyanidins, and menthol, in amounts necessary for improving oral hygiene.
In the present specification, “the amount necessary for improving oral hygiene” means that the tongue symptom score (0 to 4) is 3 or less (preferably 2.5 or less) in the oral candidiasis mouse model shown in Example 1 described later. Improvement or a tendency to improve compared to the control (water administration); in the in vitro Candida mycelium growth inhibition test shown in Example 2 described later, the ability to inhibit mycelium growth of 50% or more In other words, in the volunteer test shown in Example 3 described later, it means that at least one improvement effect is observed with respect to a decrease in the amount of tongue coating, a decrease in the number of viable Candida, and an improvement in the feeling of stickiness in the oral cavity.
It is preferable to use an oral candidiasis mouse model in that objective quantification is possible.

  The oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention is effective in a topical region (for example, on the oral mucosa such as on the tongue or below the tongue) that is expected to have an effect when cinnamon, low molecular weight proanthocyanidins, and menthol are administered into the oral cavity. Concentrations can be contained in amounts of 70 μg / mL or more, 125 μg / mL or more, and 50 μg / mL or more, respectively.

More specifically, the oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention has a cinnamon content of, for example, 0.28 mg or more, preferably 0.56 mg or more, more preferably, per dose (hereinafter referred to as a dosage unit). 1.12 mg or more, more preferably 2.24 mg or more, further preferably 5.6 mg or more, particularly preferably 11.2 mg or more.
In addition, the oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention contains cinnamaldehyde, for example, 0.018 mg or more, preferably 0.036 mg or more, more preferably 0.072 mg or more, still more preferably 0.14 mg or more, per dosage unit. More preferably 0.36 mg or more, and particularly preferably 0.72 mg or more.
The oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention contains, for example, 0.5 mg, preferably 1.0 mg or more, more preferably 2.0 mg or more, still more preferably 4.0 mg or more, and low molecular weight proanthocyanidins per dosage unit. The content can be preferably 10.0 mg or more, particularly preferably 20.0 mg or more.
In the oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention, the menthol (for example, L-menthol) is, for example, 0.2 mg or more, preferably 0.4 mg or more, more preferably 0.8 mg or more, and further preferably 1 per dosage unit. .6 mg or more, more preferably 4.0 mg or more, and particularly preferably 8.0 mg or more.

The oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention contains medium chain fatty acid (for example, decanoic acid) or medium chain fatty acid ester, for example, 0.008 mg or more, preferably 0.016 mg or more, more preferably 0.032 mg per dosage unit. More preferably, it can be contained in an amount of 0.064 mg or more, more preferably 0.16 mg or more, and particularly preferably 0.32 mg or more.
The oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention has a citral content of, for example, 0.14 mg, preferably 0.28 mg or more, more preferably 0.56 mg or more, still more preferably 1.12 mg or more, and further preferably 2 per dosage unit. 0.8 mg or more, particularly preferably 5.6 mg or more.
The active composition for improving oral hygiene of the present invention contains, for example, 0.09 mg or more, preferably 0.18 mg or more, more preferably 0.36 mg or more, still more preferably 0, of a thickener (for example, methylcellulose) per dosage unit. 0.772 mg or more, more preferably 1.8 mg or more, particularly preferably 3.6 mg or more.

  The upper limit of the content in each of these components is determined as appropriate depending on, for example, adverse effects such as flavor inhibition and excessive irritation, the content of other coexisting components, cost effectiveness, etc. The total weight is 99% or less as a certain aspect, 90% or less as another aspect, 80% or less as another aspect, and 50 as another aspect relative to the weight of the composition for improving oral hygiene of the present invention. % Or less.

  The oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention is capable of exerting an oral hygiene effect by being kept in the oral cavity for a predetermined time regardless of whether it is swallowed or ejected after intraoral storage. As long as it is not particularly limited, it can be administered as a normal medicine (eg, mouthwash, liquid, ointment, cleansing agent), and used in the form of food, cosmetics, oral hygiene products, etc. be able to. Examples of the food include confectionery such as strawberries, gums, troches, and gummi, beverages, yogurt, dressings, and supplements. Examples of the cosmetic or oral hygiene product include mouthwash, toothpaste, gargle, gel, and spray. In each of these dosage forms, in addition to the above-mentioned active ingredients, known carriers, diluents, auxiliary auxiliaries and the like used in each dosage form can be added. The oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention is preferably used in a confectionery form, and particularly preferably used in a candy.

  When the oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention is produced as a candy, for example, a hard candy or a soft candy can be mentioned, and in particular, a hard candy having a moisture value of 5% by weight or less retained long in the oral cavity. Preferably there is. For the purpose of improving oral hygiene, non-sugar candy based on sugar alcohols such as maltitol and palatinose, which have low caries, is preferable to sugar-based candy. There is no limitation as to the taste, and various flavors such as lemon and milk can be used in addition to mint candy. Moreover, the amount of each active ingredient can also be adjusted arbitrarily, and it may be adjusted to such a level that the eater can reasonably take the intended intake of each active ingredient.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described by way of examples, but these do not limit the scope of the present invention.

<< Example 1: Evaluation of oral hygiene improvement effect by an oral candidiasis mouse model >>
As the oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention, reduced maltose starch syrup (67.2% with respect to the composition weight) and reduced starch syrup (31.3% with respect to the composition weight) have the contents shown in Table 1. By adding various additives and sweeteners and emulsifiers (0.1% each with respect to the composition weight), two types of viscous liquid compositions (飴) were prepared. In addition, the unit of content of various additives shown in Table 1 is an additive weight (mg / mL) per 1 mL of the composition.
As various additives shown in Table 1, cinnamon powder (SB Foods Co., Ltd.), Oligonol (Amino Up Co., Ltd.), L-Menthol (Osaka Fragrance Co., Ltd.), Decanoic Acid-containing Fragrance (Ve Man Fis Fragrance) Co., Ltd.), citral-containing fragrance (Ve Manfis Fragrance Co., Ltd.), and methylcellulose (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) were used. The cinnamaldehyde content in the cinnamon powder used this time was 6.4%.

An ICR mouse (female, 6 weeks old) was injected subcutaneously with 100 mg / kg of prednisolone for the purpose of immunosuppression on the day before inoculation of Candida albicans (TIMM1768 strain stored at Teikyo University Medical Mycology Research Center). From that day, tap water containing 4.125 mg / mL of chlortetracycline hydrochloride was freely taken. On the day of inoculation, chloropromazine hydrochloride 14.4 mg / kg was administered intramuscularly in order to keep the mice resting. A cotton swab was dipped in a Candida suspension with the number of bacteria adjusted to 2 × 10 ⁸ cells / mL, and it was inoculated by rubbing it on the mouth of a mouse which had become resting. The composition to be evaluated was diluted 2-fold or 4-fold with sterilized water, and 50 μL was dropped on the back of the tongue in the oral cavity using a gastric sonde for mice 3 hours, 24 hours, and 27 hours after inoculation with Candida bacteria. Administered. As a control, sterilized water was administered. Two days after inoculation, the mice were euthanized and the tongue symptom score (0-4) was evaluated according to the criteria shown in Table 2.

The results of administering composition A and composition B after diluting each two-fold are shown in FIG. Further, FIG. 2 shows the results of administration of the composition B diluted 2 times and the composition B diluted 4 times.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the composition A or B of the present invention was diluted two times as compared with the case where only water was administered, no significant difference was observed, but the tongue symptoms were improved. A trend was confirmed. In particular, the composition A does not contain decanoic acid, which has been considered as a promising candidate for an anti-Candida therapeutic agent, and citral, which has been known to exhibit a synergistic effect when used in combination with decanoic acid, is also used. In spite of not containing, unexpectedly, the improvement effect equivalent to the composition B containing these was shown.
Further, the concentrations of cinnamon and oligonol in the 2-fold diluted solution of composition A were 1.4 mg / mL and 2.5 mg / mL (1/2 of the contents shown in Table 1), respectively. Compared with the effective concentrations at the time of single administration of these were 19.5 mg / mL (Non-patent Document 3) and 20 mg / mL (Non-patent Document 2), respectively, an extremely small amount is sufficient. It has been found that a significant improvement effect can be obtained. In particular, for oligonol, a high concentration of 20 mg / mL has a strong astringency and markedly impaired flavor, and it was considered difficult to use as an oral hygiene improving active composition. It is extremely important in making it easier.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, when the composition B of the present invention was diluted 2 or 4 times as compared with the case where water alone was administered, the score value decreased to around 2, Significant improvement in tongue symptoms was observed.
From these results, the composition of the present invention tends to inhibit the formation of white moss by Candida bacteria adhering to the tongue, improve the symptoms, and may improve the oral environment or maintain hygiene It has been suggested.

<< Example 2: Evaluation of anti-Candida activity by in vitro Candida mycelium growth inhibition test >>
Using composition A prepared in Example 1, its Candida mycelium growth inhibitory activity was evaluated by crystal staining. In this method, Candida albicans (TIMM1768 strain stored at Teikyo University Medical Mycology Research Center) is stained with crystal purple solution, and the amount of staining is the number of growing colonies or [H ³ ] -glucose cells. The amount of staining is used as an index of the degree of growth of Candida mycelium based on the correlation with the amount of uptake. Candida live bacteria prepared in RPMI 1640 medium containing fetal calf serum (FCS) were injected into a 96-well flat bottom plate at a concentration of 5 × 10 ² cells / well. To this, composition A diluted to each concentration was added and cultured under conditions of 37 ° C. and 5% CO ² for about 20 hours. Thereafter, the mycelium-shaped Candida adhering to the bottom of the well was stained with a crystal purple solution, and then the crystal purple was extracted from the stained Candida cells with an isopropyl alcohol solution. By measuring the amount of the dye spectrophotometrically (620 nm), the amount of growth inhibition (relative value) was determined.

As a result of the test, it was confirmed that the composition A had a mycelial growth inhibition ability of 50% even when diluted about 40 times. Table 3 shows the concentration of each active ingredient in the 40-fold dilution of Composition A.
This result shows that Candida, which is one of the causes of tongue coating that impairs the hygiene of the oral cavity, is prevented from adhering to the oral mucosa, and is effective in maintaining oral hygiene. It suggests the possibility of showing. In addition, when the same test was done using the composition B prepared in Example 1, it was confirmed that even if diluted about 1000 times, it has 50% mycelial growth inhibition ability.

<< Example 3: Evaluation of oral hygiene improvement effect by volunteer test >>
As an oral hygiene improving active composition of the present invention, reduced maltose starch syrup (67.2% with respect to the composition weight) and reduced starch syrup (31.3% with respect to the composition weight), composition B in Table 1 A viscous liquid composition was prepared by adding oligonol and methylcellulose of the indicated contents, and further sweeteners and emulsifiers (0.1% each based on the weight of the composition). This viscous liquid composition is cooked to a moisture value of 0.5%, and further kneaded with cinnamon powder, L-menthol, decanoic acid, and citral having the contents shown in composition B in Table 1 and 4 g per capsule.飴 was prepared.

  Volunteers were recruited and the prepared koji (composition B) was ingested for 2 days, and the oral hygiene improvement effect was evaluated by the amount of tongue coating before and after ingestion, the number of C. albicans viable bacteria, and a questionnaire. In addition, although it contained a low molecular weight proanthocyanidin having a strong astringency, no particularly unpleasant astringency was felt. Immediately after waking up in the morning of the first day of the test, the tongue was rubbed three times with a commercially available tongue brush and collected in a tube containing physiological saline. The collected sample was transferred by refrigeration, centrifuged, the precipitate was collected and weighed, and this was defined as the amount of tongue coating. The precipitate was well dispersed and resuspended in RPMI 1640 medium, applied to a Candida selection medium, cultured at 37 ° C. for 3 days, and the number of viable Candida was measured. Volunteers ingested about 4 g (1 grain) of Composition B three times a day after every meal for two days. Table 4 shows the content of each active ingredient per grain. On the morning of the third day, tongue coating was collected and transferred by the same method, and the amount of tongue coating and the number of viable Candida were measured. Volunteers were also asked to evaluate the change in oral physiology before and after ingestion of the composition in five levels using a questionnaire.

  FIG. 3 shows changes in the amount of tongue coating before and after the intake of Composition B by 13 volunteers. The test results show that the amount of tongue coating containing exfoliated epithelial cells, bacteria and fungi, food residues, etc. is reduced after ingestion of the composition.

  FIG. 4 shows changes in C. albicans viable count before and after ingestion of the composition in 5 Candida positive volunteers whose colonies were observed in the Candida selection medium. FIG. 4 shows that 4 out of 5 people had decreased C. albicans numbers in tongue coating after taking the composition. In addition, one person whose decrease was not observed was found to have a decrease in the number of live Candida sp. Other than C. albicans (before ingestion: 2,970 CFU / tongue, after ingestion: 1, 452 CFU / tongue).

Table 5 shows changes in oral physiological state before and after the composition intake of 13 volunteers. This result shows that the improvement effect of 8 volunteers over 50 years old is high in the item of improvement of the feeling of stickiness in the oral cavity.
From the above results, the composition of the present invention is effective as an active composition for improving oral hygiene by improving the amount of tongue coating, the decrease in the number of viable Candida and the feeling of stickiness in the oral cavity, and can be used for humans. It was confirmed that.

  The present invention can be used in the field of oral hygiene improvement.

Claims (9)

  A confectionery containing three ingredients: cinnamon, low molecular weight proanthocyanidins, and menthol.   The confectionery according to claim 1, wherein the confectionery is for improving oral hygiene.   The confectionery according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising at least one component selected from medium chain fatty acids, medium chain fatty acid esters, and citral.   Furthermore, the confectionery as described in any one of Claims 1-3 containing a thickener.   The confectionery according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising 0.28 mg or more of cinnamon, 0.5 mg or more of low-molecular proanthocyanidins, and 0.2 mg or more of menthol per one intake.   The confectionery according to claim 5, further comprising 0.008 mg or more of medium chain fatty acid or medium chain fatty acid ester, 0.14 mg or more of citral, and 0.09 mg or more of thickener per one intake.   The confectionery according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cinnamon is a composition containing cinnamaldehyde.   The confectionery according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the low-molecular proanthocyanidins are oligonol.   The confectionery according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the medium chain fatty acid or medium chain fatty acid ester is decanoic acid or ethyl decanoate.

Images