JP2023067331A - Composition for improving liver function - Google Patents

Abstract

To discover a new natural product having a liver function improving action.SOLUTION: A composition for improving a liver function comprises seaweed powder of Lessonia, Laminariales, as an active ingredient for improving the liver function.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to liver function improvement using seaweed.

Obesity is a risk factor that induces metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, and increases the morbidity rate of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, renal dysfunction, and mortality (Non-Patent Document 1). Interventions to reduce obesity include dietary and exercise interventions, and combinations of these, where such weight-loss interventions result in reductions in body weight and body fat percentage, improving blood pressure, serum lipids, blood glucose, and liver function. Improvements have been reported (Non-Patent Documents 2-4).
The liver is known as an organ that receives absorbed nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract and performs metabolism and storage of various nutrients. The liver also functions to secrete bile into the gastrointestinal tract, and to decompose or detoxify alcohol, drugs, poisons, and the like. However, as the liver is called a ``silent organ,'' it has no nerves. Liver disease is commonly called liver disease, and acute or chronic hepatitis develops due to causes such as viruses, alcohol, drugs, and autoimmune diseases.

Conventionally, for the treatment of liver disease, depending on the symptoms, administration of drugs such as antiviral drugs and liver protection drugs, as well as improvement of dietary habits, etc., have been applied as main treatment methods. When the drug is administered, there is a possibility that side effects may occur on the liver, so there is a problem that strict use is required or that it cannot be used in cases of severe liver damage.
Therefore, a search has been made for a safe hepatic function-improving agent without side effects, and the aerial parts of plants belonging to the Labiatae family, such as mint, lemon balm, and rosemary, extracts of the aerial parts of plants, or extracts of such extracts. A fraction (Patent Document 1), an extract composition of a novel mushroom Basidiomycetes X FERM BP-10011 (Patent Document 2), tectorigenins contained in Iridaceae and leguminous plants (Patent Document 3), Arginine, alanine and phenylalanine amino acids (Patent Document 4), fermented ginger (Patent Document 5), and the like.

JP 2013-199447 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-35396 JP 2020-125362 A JP 2019-99497 A JP 2021-107445 A

Hu FB. Obesity Epidemiology. Oxford University Press, New York, 2008. Miller WC, Koceja DM, Hamilton EJ. A meta-analysis of the past 25 years of weight loss research using diet, exercise or diet plus exercise intervention. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 21: 941-7, 1997. Nakata Y, Okura T, Matsuo T, Tanaka K. Factors alleviating metabolic syndrome via diet-induced weight loss with or without exercise in overweight Japanese women. Prev Med. 48: 351-6, 2009. Norris SL, Zhang X, Avenell A, et al. Long-term effectiveness of lifestyle and behavioral weight loss interventions in adults with type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis. Am J Med. 117: 762-74, 2004.

An object of the present invention is to discover a new natural product having an effect of improving liver function.

As a result of intensive studies on the above problems, the present inventors have found that seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae has a liver function-improving action, and have completed the present invention.
That is, the present invention has the following main configurations.
1. A composition for improving liver function, comprising a seaweed powder belonging to the order Laminariaceae, Lessoniaceae, as an active ingredient for improving liver function.
2. 1. It is characterized by being a seaweed powder belonging to the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae, which contains a high amount of phlorotannin. The composition for improving liver function as described.
3. 1. Characterized by using seaweed powder belonging to the family Lessoniaceae of the order Laminariales, which was collected at the time when the phlorotannin content was high. or 2. The composition for improving liver function as described.
4. The seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae is Tsuruarame. ~3. A composition for improving liver function according to any one of
5. 1. The seaweed powder is dry powder or extract powder. ~ 4. A composition for improving liver function according to any one of
6. Reduces at least one blood liver function parameter selected from AST, ALP and γ-GTP1. ~ 5. A composition for improving liver function according to any one of
7.1. ~6. A capsule, tablet, or powder containing the composition for improving liver function according to any one of 1 above.
8.1. ~6. A food for improving liver function, containing the composition for improving liver function according to any one of 1 above.
9.1. ~6. A pharmaceutical composition containing the composition for improving liver function according to any one of 1.
10. A Tsuruarame powder food or a Tsuruarame liquid food for improving liver function.

1. Seaweed powder of Laminariaceae Lessoniaceae was developed as an active ingredient for liver function improvement.
The mechanism of action newly proposed by the present invention is that the dry powder of the seaweed of the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae shows liver function-improving action.
2. A capsule, tablet, powder, food, or novel functional food containing a liver function-improving composition derived from a seaweed of the order Laminariaceae Lessoniaceae. In addition, a pharmaceutical composition containing a seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae Lessoniaceae is a novel pharmaceutical composition.
3. Since the naturally-derived seaweed belonging to the order Laminariales and the family Lessoniaceae has experience as a food, it is possible to provide capsules, tablets, powders, foods, and pharmaceutical compositions having a highly safe liver function-improving action. can.
4. The composition for improving liver function of the present invention, which contains as an active ingredient dry powder of seaweed of the order Laminariaceae of the family Lessoniaceae, for improving liver function has an effect of improving liver function, so that it prevents liver diseases such as hepatitis, fatty liver, and cirrhosis. It can greatly contribute to improvement.

Graph showing changes in AST in Example 1 Graph showing changes in ALT in Example 1 Graph showing changes in γ-GTP in Example 1

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
The liver function-improving action of the dry powder of the tsuralame, which is a seaweed belonging to the Laminariaceae of the present invention, was evaluated in a human intervention test (placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, parallel group) targeting 60 men and women aged 20 to 65 years. In the interim test), it was confirmed that the values of AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and γ-GTP (gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase), which are indicators of liver function, are reduced. The invention is a novel seaweed-derived composition for improving liver function.

A composition for improving liver function containing, as an active ingredient, a dry powder of seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae, Lessoniiaceae, such as Glycine lame, has a liver function-improving effect, and therefore prevents or improves liver diseases such as hepatitis, fatty liver, and cirrhosis. can make a significant contribution to
Capsules, tablets, powders, foods, and pharmaceutical compositions containing a liver function-improving composition containing, as an active ingredient, a dry powder of seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae, Lessoniiaceae, including Lambulatus, which can be expected to have such a mechanism of action. , to provide new functional foods or pharmaceuticals.
The liver function-improving composition of the present embodiment contains, as an active ingredient, dry powder of seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae, such as tuna lame.

Here, in the present embodiment, the "seaweed powder containing a high amount of phlorotannin" is quantified by a general method for polyphenols such as the Folin-Denis method or the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and is 7.0% or more, preferably 8%. A seaweed powder belonging to the order Laminariaceae, Lessoniaceae, containing phlorotannin in an amount of 0% or more and 15.0% or less.
In the present embodiment, the "seaweed powder collected during a period of high phlorotannin content" is June to November, preferably August to October, which is a period of high phlorotannin content, as shown in Table 1. It is a seaweed powder produced from a seaweed raw material of the order Laminariaceae Lessoniaceae collected in .

In the present embodiment, the term "dried matter" refers to the above-mentioned seaweed that has been artificially dried in the sun or using hot air, and includes powder that has been pulverized using a pulverizer or the like.
In the present embodiment, the term “extract” refers to an extract obtained from the seaweed as an extraction raw material, a diluted or concentrated solution of the extract, a dried product obtained by drying the extract, or a crudely purified product thereof. or purified.

[Production of Seaweed Powder of Laminariales, Lessoniaceae]
In the present embodiment, the seaweed raw material used for producing the dry powder or extract powder of seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae Lessoniaceae is preferably Ecklonia stolonifera, but Ecklonia cava, Ecklonia cava, Arame (scientific name: Eisenia bicyclis), Sagarame (scientific name: Eisenia arborea), Antokume (scientific name: Eckloniopsis radicosa), and Kurome (scientific name: Ecklonia kurome) can also be used.

Ecklonia stolonifera is a brown algae of the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae. It is distributed from the southern part of Hokkaido, the Japanese coast of Honshu to the northern coast of Kyushu. The size is 25 to 150 cm in height.
The body consists of a stem and a membranous leaf. In addition, the leaves are wrinkled throughout. It is characterized by creeping branches extending from the base and new leaves appearing from the tip, and the name ``vine'' is derived from the creeping branches.

Ecklonia cava (Ecklonia cava) is a brown alga belonging to the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae. It is distributed in the central part of the Pacific coast of Honshu, the Seto Inland Sea, the southern part of the Japanese coast of Honshu, and Kyushu. The size is 1 to 3 m in height.
The sporophyte consists of a short stem and an elliptical leaf part in juveniles, and the stem grows as it grows. Lateral leaves may be further branched. The leaf part is smooth without wrinkles and hard to the touch. Color is brown to dark brown. They live in colonies called marine forests.

Arame (Eisenia bicyclis) is a brown alga belonging to the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae. Distributed from the northern Pacific coast of Honshu to central Honshu, from eastern Shikoku to the Seto Inland Sea, Kyushu, and the southern Japanese coast of Honshu. The size is 1 to 3 m in height.
The body consists of stems and leaves. Juveniles have bamboo-leaf-shaped leaves on short stems, and from the second year onwards, the upper part of the stem is bifurcated, and each branch bears many lateral leaves. Lateral leaves are often further branched. It grows in colonies and forms a marine forest. The color is brown or dark brown. The leaves are wrinkled and hard to the touch.

Eisenia arborea (Sagara cloth) is a brown alga belonging to the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae. A seaweed similar to arame, it is distributed from Omaezaki in Shizuoka Prefecture to the Kii Peninsula and Tokushima Prefecture. The side leaves of Arame are often branched, whereas the side leaves of Sagarame are hardly branched.

Antokume (Eckloniopsis radicosa) is a brown alga belonging to the order Laminariales and the family Lessoniaceae. Distributed in the central to southern part of the Pacific coast of Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and the southern part of the Japanese coast of Honshu, inhabiting the subtidal zone. The size is 0.3-2m in length and 20-35cm in width.
The body is membranous, and leaves such as bamboo leaves and long ovals are attached to short stems. There is no midrib, and there are uneven wrinkles and white spots on the surface. The color is brown or greenish brown. Among Japanese Laminaria seaweeds, it is the most distributed to the south.

Ecklonia kurome (black cloth) is a brown alga belonging to the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae. Distributed in the central to southern Pacific coast of Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, the Seto Inland Sea, and the Japan coast of Honshu, inhabiting the subtidal zone. The size is 1 to 2 m in height.
The body consists of a stem and a membranous leaf, and several lateral leaves extend from the leaf. It looks a lot like Ecklonia japonica but is a little smaller, and can be distinguished by the uneven wrinkles on the entire leaf and the fact that the center of the leaf is not thick. However, there are many variations in form.

In the present specification, "Tsuruarame", "Ecklonia", "Arame", "Sagarame", "Antokume", and "Kurome" refer to the entire algal body of Tsuruarame or Ecklonia, Arame, Sagarame, Antokume, and Kurome, and leaf pieces. , lobes, midribs, stems, and rhizomes. These seaweeds are not common, but have been eaten in some regions.
Substances having liver function-improving effects contained in dried powders or extract powders of seaweeds belonging to the order Laminariaceae, including lamellar seaweed, are fluorochemicals such as eckol, 6,6'-bieckol, and 8,8'-bieckol. As for tannins, an extract having this effect can be obtained from the seaweed by an extraction method generally used for extracting seaweed.

For example, it can be obtained by drying seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae, Lessoniaceae, and then subjecting it to extraction with an extraction solvent as it is or by pulverizing it with a pulverizer. Drying may be performed in the sun, or may be performed using a commonly used dryer. In addition, it may be used as an extraction raw material after being subjected to pretreatment such as degreasing with a nonpolar solvent such as hexane. By performing a pretreatment such as degreasing, the extraction treatment of the seaweed with a polar solvent can be performed efficiently.
The median diameter of the phlorotannin-containing extract powder obtained through such treatment can be measured using a particle size distribution analyzer utilizing a laser diffraction/scattering method. For example, when measuring the particle size distribution using Mastersizer 3000 (manufactured by Malvern Panalytical), the measurement conditions are dispersion medium: isopropanol, sample refractive index: 1.70, dispersion medium refractive index: 1.390. When doing so, it is preferable to adjust the sample concentration so that the laser scattering intensity is 10% to 15%.

The median diameter of the phlorotannin-containing extract powder obtained from the seaweed belonging to the family Laminariaceae of the present invention is the 50% particle diameter ( d50).
The median diameter of the phlorotannin-containing extract powder measured by the above method is preferably 100 μm or less, more preferably 95 μm or less, and more preferably 90 μm or less. It is more preferable to process to In addition, the 90% particle size (d90) of the phlorotannin-containing extract powder measured by the same method as the median size is preferably 200 μm or less, preferably 150 μm or less. is more preferable, and it is even more preferable to treat so as to have a thickness of 100 μm or less. That is, by decreasing the median diameter, the rate of absorption of phlorotannin from the intestinal tract can be increased, and the effect of improving liver function can be exhibited more effectively.
The phlorotannin-containing extract powder of the present invention exhibits an excellent liver function-improving action even when the powder has a small median size and a 90% particle size of not more than the above upper limits.

"Composition for improving liver function"
Each seaweed-derived dry powder, extract powder, or component obtained as described above has an excellent liver function-improving action. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, it was found that the dry powder of the seaweed of the Laminariaceae Ressoniaceae of the present invention has the effect of improving liver function, so that the liver function of the dried powder of the seaweed of the Laminariaceae Ressoniaceae Utilizing its improving action, it can be used as an active ingredient of a composition for improving liver function.
Such liver function-improving compositions can be incorporated into capsules, tablets, powders, foods, pharmaceutical compositions, and the like.

A composition for improving liver function containing a dry powder of seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae, Lessoniaceae, such as Glycine, can be used as a material for capsules, tablets, powders, foods, pharmaceutical compositions, and the like. A composition for improving liver function containing a dry powder of seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae, Lessoniiaceae, such as Tsuruarame, is a capsule or tablet or powder (for example, health food such as oral supplement) or food (for example, sausage or kamaboko) (such as fish paste products) and pharmaceutical compositions (eg, oral tablets, capsules). These capsules, tablets, powders, foods, and pharmaceutical compositions can be used, in particular, for the prevention or improvement of various liver diseases such as hepatitis, fatty liver, and cirrhosis.

Capsules, tablets, or powders include a composition for improving liver function containing dry powder of seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae, and the family Lessoniaceae, such as tuna lame, as well as glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, maltitol, sorbitol, lactose, and citric acid. Acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, casein, gelatin, pectin, agar, amino acids, excipients, bulking agents, binders, thickeners, emulsifiers, coloring agents, flavors, food additives, seasonings , preservatives, and the like, as appropriate. Manufacture of capsules or tablets or powders (eg, oral supplements) can be carried out by methods commonly used by those skilled in the art. The amount of the liver function-improving composition to be added to the capsule, tablet, or powder, the method of blending, and the time of blending can be appropriately selected. Capsules, tablets, or powders may contain the liver function-improving composition in an amount of 0.1 to 100% by mass, more preferably 10 to 80% by mass (based on dry powder) relative to the total amount of the composition.

The composition for improving liver function can be ingested as it is, or it can be ingested after being dissolved or suspended in a solvent such as water. The composition for improving liver function can be orally ingested before, after or between meals.
The liver function-improving composition can also be added to food and drink. Foods to which a composition for improving liver function has been added include, for example, anti-allergic food for home use, liquid diet, food for sick people (combination food for preparation of food for improving liver function, etc.), food for specified health use, and alleviation of symptoms of liver disease. foods, or foods and drinks containing carbohydrates as main ingredients, but are not limited to these.

Specific food forms include, but are not limited to, rice products, barley products, vegetable products, dairy products, soft drinks, and candies.
The addition or processing of the liver function-improving composition to food or drink can be carried out by a method commonly used by those skilled in the art, and the amount, method and timing of addition can be appropriately selected. It can also be added to feeds for animals other than humans, such as livestock or pets (eg, mice, rats, hamsters, dogs, cats, cows, pigs, monkeys, etc.).
The composition for improving liver function of the present embodiment has excellent liver function-improving action and is also excellent in safety, and thus is suitable for formulation as a pharmaceutical composition, for example. The composition for improving liver function of the present invention can be made into a form such as a tablet and used as a pharmaceutical composition.

In addition, the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention may contain additives or pharmaceutically acceptable carriers other than the liver function-improving composition of the present invention. Examples of such additives or pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include excipients, disintegrants, binders, lubricants, surfactants, buffers, solubilizers, stabilizers, tonicity agents, Suspending agents, emulsifiers, solvents, thickeners, mucolytic agents, wetting agents, preservatives and the like.
Although the form of the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, it may be either an oral formulation or a parenteral formulation. Oral preparations include granules, powders, tablets, capsules, syrups, tinctures, jellies and the like. Parenteral agents include injections, drops, ointments, nasal drops, suppositories and the like.

The dosage of the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention is not particularly limited. The dosage may be in the range of 5-100 mg/kg body weight, preferably 1-50 mg/kg body weight. When the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention is parenterally administered, the content is 0.05 mg/kg body weight to 50 mg/kg body weight, preferably 0.5 mg/kg body weight to 50 mg/kg body weight. can do.
EXAMPLES The present invention will be specifically described below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

<Human intervention test>
(Test system)
In accordance with the spirit of the "Declaration of Helsinki (last revision in October 2013)", this study is based on the "Ethical Guidelines for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Notification, December 2014)". 22 (final revision on February 28, 2017))”.
Informed consent was obtained in writing from the subjects after fully explaining the contents of the study in writing.

(test food)
In the present test, dried and powdered seaweed of the present invention, Tsuruarame, which is a seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae, collected in August along the coast of Nishinoshima-cho, Oki-gun, Shimane Prefecture, was used. In addition, in this test, two types of test foods were used, a test food and a control food. That is, the test food is a hard capsule-shaped food consisting of 340 mg of Tsuruarame dry powder (containing 37.4 mg of phlorotannin) per tablet. On the other hand, the control food is a hard capsule-shaped food containing 250 mg of maltodextrin (product name: TK-16, Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) per tablet. For both test foods, the contents of the capsule were obscured by appearance.
Table 2 shows the calorie and nutritional component values per daily intake of each test food.

(subject)
In this study, 60 healthy adults who satisfied all of the following inclusion criteria and did not meet any exclusion criteria were selected as subjects.
1) Selection criteria (a) Subjects who have received a sufficient explanation about the purpose and content of this study, are capable of giving consent, have fully understood the subject, volunteered voluntarily, and agreed to participate in writing (b) At the time of obtaining informed consent 2) Exclusion Criteria (a) Those who have chronic diseases and are receiving drug treatment. Persons with a history of serious illness (diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease, respiratory disease, endocrine disease, etc.) ) Subjects who routinely take the test food (Tsuruarame) (d) Subjects who routinely consume seaweed or foods/supplements containing seaweed (e) Have an otolaryngology examination, or (f) Subjects diagnosed with acute rhinitis, sinusitis, or hypertrophic rhinitis (g) Subjects diagnosed with bronchial asthma (h) Subjects with severe anemia. Persons with alcoholism or other mental disorders (i) People who smoke (j) Medicines, foods for specified health use, foods with function claims, health foods that may affect discomfort in the nose or eyes (k) Subjects who may change their lifestyle during the test period (night work, long trips, etc.)
(l) Subjects who plan to newly ingest foods such as foods with health claims and supplements during the test period. (m) Subjects who participated in other tests within one month before the start of the test. Alternatively, those who plan to participate in other studies after consenting to this study (n) those who are judged to be ineligible by the judgment of the study supervising physician and the research director (o) those who are breast-feeding and pregnant. Subjects who plan to become pregnant or wish to become pregnant during the study period In addition, study discontinuation criteria were established, and if any applicable study participant occurred during the study period, the study was discontinued for that study participant.

(test design)
This study adopted a double-blind method. The person in charge of allocation allocated 30 subjects each to Group I or Group II based on the age, sex, and nasal/eye symptom total score of the QOL questionnaire at the time of informed consent. This study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial so as not to cause differences in medical background between study groups due to allocation.
The test schedule consisted of a period before ingestion of the test food, a period of ingestion of the test food (4 weeks), and a period after ingestion of the test food. In this test, the group was divided into two groups, a test food intake group and a control food intake group. , one tablet of a control food containing maltodextrin was freely taken every day for 4 weeks without specifying the time, but the subjects were instructed to comply with the following.

(a) Excessive drinking and overeating is prohibited from 3 days before the examination date (b) Excessive exercise is prohibited on the day before the examination, and you should finish eating by 21:00 and get enough sleep. In addition, food containing highly irritating spices (curry, red pepper, tabasco, etc.) and alcohol intake are prohibited from the day before the test until the end of the test on the day of the test. Skip (breakfast or lunch). However, only water and calorie-free tea beverages can be taken. (d) On the day of the test, exercise and physical activity that may cause sweating are prohibited until the end of the test. (e) On the day of the test, fever and diarrhea due to acute illness.・Discontinue the study if vomiting occurs. (f) Avoid irregular lifestyles such as lack of sleep, overdrinking, and overeating during the study period. Maintain the same quantity and quality as before the start of this study for items other than the products to be tested. . However, as-needed medications such as headache medicines are excluded. In addition, if you use or have used it, contact the consultation desk and record the name of the product used, the name of the manufacturer, and the reason for use in a diary. (i) New intake or use of health foods including foods with health claims prohibited. If you have been using health foods for the purpose of maintaining your health before participating in the study, you should continue to use them without changing the dosage and administration. When using or using, contact the consultation desk and record the name of the product used, the name of the manufacturer, and the reason for use in a diary. (j) Participation in other human clinical trials is prohibited during the trial period. (k) In addition, follow the instructions of the supervising investigator (l) Prohibit other matters that may affect the study results (Evaluation items)
For the subjects, the values of liver function enzymes (AST, ALT, and γ-GTP), which are indicators of liver function, were measured twice before the start of ingestion of the test food and after the end of ingestion of the test food.

(Test results)
The test results are shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 below. FIG. 1 is a graph showing changes in AST. FIG. 2 is a graph showing changes in ALT. FIG. 3 is a graph showing changes in γ-GTP.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in the control food intake group, no significant improvement was observed in any of AST, ALT and γ-GTP before (0 weeks) and after (4 weeks) intake. On the other hand, in the test food intake group that ingested the dry powder of the seaweed of the Laminariaceae Classoniaceae of the present invention, the AST, ALT and γ-GTP levels all decreased significantly after ingestion (4 weeks). (both p<0.05), confirming improvement in liver function.

(Preparation of Seaweed Dry Powder, Laminariales, Lessoniaceae)
3 g each of seaweeds belonging to the order Laminariaceae Lessoniaceae, Kurome, Kajime, Tsuruarame, Arame, Sagarame, and Antokume were pulverized in a mill to prepare dry powders of various kinds of seaweed.

(Preparation of Seaweed Extract of Laminariales, Lessoniaceae)
3 g each of the dried seaweeds of kurome, Ecklonia, tsuruarame, arame, sagarame, and antokume, which are seaweeds belonging to the order Laminariaceae Lessoniaceae, were pulverized in a mill and collected in a 50 mL plastic tube. Then, 30 mL of methanol was added to the plastic tube, and ultrasonic extraction was performed three times for 15 minutes. 15,000 r.p.m. p. After centrifuging for 5 minutes at 100 m, the supernatant is concentrated under reduced pressure to obtain a methanol extract of seaweed belonging to the family Lessoniaceae of the order Laminaria. was prepared.

(Manufacturing of tablets)
Tablets having the following composition were produced in accordance with a conventional method using the dry powder of tuna arame obtained in Example 2.
Tsuruarame dry powder combination tablet (Composition) (Composition: weight %)
Tsuruarame dry powder 24
Lactose 63
Cornstarch 12
guar gum 1

(manufacture of juice)
Juice having the following composition was produced in accordance with a conventional method using the extract powder of kuromae obtained in Example 3.
Juice containing Kurome extract powder (Composition) (Formulation: wt%)
Frozen Concentrated Satsuma Mandarin Juice 5.0
Fructose glucose liquid sugar 11.0
Citric acid 0.2
L-ascorbic acid 0.02
Perfume 0.2
Pigment 0.1
Kurome extract powder 0.2
Water 83.288

The composition for improving liver function containing as an active ingredient the dry powder or extract powder of seaweed of the order Laminariaceae of the present invention, which contains AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and γ-GTP (gamma- Glutamyl transpeptidase) value is reduced and liver function is improved, so it can greatly contribute to the prevention or improvement of various liver diseases such as hepatitis, fatty liver, and cirrhosis.

Claims (10)

A composition for improving liver function, comprising a seaweed powder belonging to the order Laminariaceae, Lessoniaceae, as an active ingredient for improving liver function. 2. The composition for improving liver function according to claim 1, which is a seaweed powder belonging to the family Lessoniaceae of the order Laminariales, which contains a high amount of phlorotannin. 3. The composition for improving liver function according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the seaweed powder belonging to the order Laminariaceae, Lessoniaceae, collected at the time when the phlorotannin content is high is used. 4. The composition for improving liver function according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the seaweed belonging to the order Laminariaceae and the family Lessoniaceae is a seaweed. The composition for improving liver function according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the seaweed powder is a dry powder or an extract powder. The composition for improving liver function according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which reduces at least one blood liver function parameter selected from AST, ALP and γ-GTP. A capsule, tablet or powder containing the composition for improving liver function according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A food for improving liver function, containing the composition for improving liver function according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A pharmaceutical composition containing the composition for improving liver function according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Tsuruarame powder food or Tsuruarame liquid food for improving function.

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