JP4714438B2 - Anti-fatigue agent and food and drink containing the same - Google Patents

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an anti-fatigue agent containing an organic solvent extract of mugwort and a food or drink comprising the same.

Fatigue refers to a condition characterized by a decrease in work, inefficiency in performance, etc., following mental or physical activity. Usually accompanied by fatigue, drowsiness and anger. It can also occur when the energy consumption exceeds the regeneration process for various reasons and may be limited to a single organ.
Long periods of exercise and labor cause peripheral fatigue due to energy depletion and excitatory contractile dysfunction and central fatigue due to decreased serotonin metabolism. In order to reduce fatigue, it is possible to take rest and sleep as effective means. However, it is difficult to take sufficient rest and sleep to recover from fatigue in daily life. However, since the intake of foods and beverages and pharmaceuticals containing ingredients having an anti-fatigue effect can be carried out simply and continuously at any time, a method for preventing fatigue due to daily exercise or labor, or promoting recovery from fatigue It is effective as

  Artemisia is a perennial plant belonging to the family Asteraceae and is widely distributed from the coast to the high mountains. Mugwort is used for grass moths and has other names such as mochigusa and mogusa or cypress. There are many types of mugwort. There are about 30 species in Japan and it is said that there are about 250 to 400 species all over the world. Depending on the type of mugwort, it can be used as a coating for the purpose of preventing itching by insect bites, treating cuts or stopping hemostasis, used for beverages intended for the treatment of neuralgia, rheumatism, stomach diseases, etc. Or it is used for general foods such as mugwort.

By using mugwort for cosmetics, cleaning compositions, oral compositions or foods, the cosmetics can be used for wound healing, prevention of rough skin, improvement of rough skin, improvement of skin itchiness, prevention of body odor or bad breath, etc. It is known that there is an effect (Patent Document 1). In addition, when mugwort is roasted or far-infrared roasted and used in foods such as sprinkles or cosmetics such as shampoos, rinses, toothpastes, bathing agents, deodorants, skin lotions, etc. It is known that activity, deodorant activity, antioxidant activity or amylase inhibitory activity can be imparted (Patent Documents 2 and 3). In addition, it is described in Non-Patent Document 1 that hot water extract obtained from mugwort treated with far-infrared roasting has an effect of improving exercise ability, and its research report is the 49th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Nutrition and Food Science. On May 21, 1995. In this presentation, it has been reported that no effect is observed on an extract from unroasted mugwort. Furthermore, the medicinal effects of mugwort are known to be effective against abdominal pain, low back pain, vomiting, uterine bleeding, fever, arteriosclerosis, zensoku, sputum, and diarrhea (Patent Document 4 and Patent Document 5), and a dried mugwort powder is preserved. It is also known to have an action (Patent Document 6).
However, the details of the action and effect of mugwort have not been clarified, and further action and effect of mugwort have been found, and development of a new and useful application of mugwort is expected.

JP 05-000962 A JP 07-033636 A Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-245983 JP-A-8-70829 JP-A-8-89219 JP 2003-259834 A The 49th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Nutrition and Food, Abstracts, April 10, 1995, page 220

  An object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful application of an organic solvent extract of mugwort. Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel anti-fatigue agent.

As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above object, the present inventors have surprisingly found that, among the processed products of mugwort, not the water extract of mugwort but the organic solvent extract of mugwort has an excellent anti-fatigue action. It has been found that the organic solvent extract of mugwort is useful as an anti-fatigue agent.
In addition, after obtaining such various findings, the present inventors have further studied and completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention
[1] An anti-fatigue agent comprising an organic solvent extract of mugwort as an active ingredient,
[2] The anti-fatigue agent according to the above [1], which is an accelerator for recovery from fatigue,
[3] The anti-fatigue agent according to [1], which is a fatigue preventive agent,
[4] The anti-fatigue agent according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the organic solvent extract of Artemisia is a lower alcohol extract of Artemisia.
[5] The anti-fatigue agent according to the above [4], wherein the lower alcohol extract of mugwort is an ethanol extract of mugwort,
[6] The anti-fatigue agent according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the organic solvent extract of mugwort is an organic solvent extract concentrate of mugwort,
[7] The anti-fatigue agent according to any one of [1] to [6], which is a unit dosage form containing 0.05 to 5 g of an organic solvent extract of mugwort in terms of dry weight, and [8] A food or drink comprising the anti-fatigue agent according to any one of [1] to [7],
About.

  The anti-fatigue agent of the present invention and foods and drinks comprising the same exhibit an excellent anti-fatigue effect and are useful for maintaining and improving health.

  The organic solvent extract of mugwort used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as mugwort is extracted with an organic solvent, and examples thereof include whole mugwort, roots, leaves, stems or seeds of mugwort. The dried product and the pulverized product of the dried product are soaked and extracted with an organic solvent (for example, alcohol such as methanol or ethanol, ether or ketone, etc.), and the residue is separated by filtration. Organic solvent extract concentrate (concentrated extract) obtained by removing the solvent from the extract or the concentrated extract, fine powders thereof, or those obtained by dissolving, dispersing or diluting them with an appropriate solvent. In the present invention, the mugwort organic solvent extract is preferably a mugwort alcohol extract, more preferably a mugwort lower alcohol extract, and most preferably an artemisia ethanol extract. Also, the above-mentioned Artemisia organic solvent extract is preferably an Artemisia organic solvent extract concentrate, more preferably Artemisia lower alcohol extract concentrate, and most preferably Artemisia ethanol extract concentrate. .

  The above-mentioned mugwort is not particularly limited as the place of production, and may be Japanese mugwort or Chinese mugwort. It may be mugwort distributed in all countries. Examples of the artemisia include Artemisia, Artilleon, Siphonostegia, and the like.

  As a plant of Artemisia schmidtiana Maxim., Artemisia keiskeana Miq., Artemisia iwayomogi Kitam., Estragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.), Artemisia trifura unc. , Artemisia Montana (NAKAI) PAMP., Artemisia vulgaris L.var.vulgatissima BESS.}, Artemisia insularis Kitam., Artemisia koidzumii Nakai, Artemisia japonica Thun Artemisia congesta Kitam.), Arthrosia lavandulaefolia DC., Artemisia princeps PAMP., Artemisia vulgaris L.indica MAXIM, Artemisia apiacea Hance, Artemisia capillaris Temib. Artemisia capillaris Temib. , Carrot (Artemisia annua Linn.), Crumb Artemisia kurramensis, Artemisia dubia Wall. Ex DC., Artemisia arctica Less. Subsp. Sachalinensis Hulten, Artemisia laciniata Willd., China (Artemisia cina Berg.), Artemisia cina Berg. (Artemisia arctica Less. Subsp. Sachalinensis Hulten f. Villosa (Koidz.) Kitam.), Artemisia stelleriana Besser, Artemisia sinanensis Yabe, Artemisia selengensis Turcz. Artemisia argyi LEVL. Et VANT., Artemisia campestris Linn., Artemisia absinthium Linn., Artemisia indica Willd., Artemisia sieversiana Willd.ata Lemi, Artemisia sieversiana Willd. .), Artemisia japonica Thunb. Var. Littoricola (Kitam.) Kitam. ), Artemisia fukudo Makino, Artemisia monophylla Kitam., Artemisia feddei Leveil. Et Vaniot, Artemisia stolonifera (Maxim.) Komar., And Artemisia fate , Artemisia maritima Linn., Artemisia pedunculosa Miq., Artemisia rubripes Nakai, Artemisia momiyamae Kitam., Artemisia lactiflora Wall. Ex DCsia, gil Miq.).

  As plants of the genus Artemisia, for example, Azumagiku (Erigeron thunbergii A. Gray), Apoiazumagiku (Erigeron thunbergii A. Gray var. Angustifolius), Arechinogiku (Erigeron bonariensis Linn.), Ezomu no ogi (Erigeron acer Retz.), Erigeron pusillus Nutt., Euleron philadelphicus Linn., Erigeron canadensis Linn., Erigeron acer Linn. Var. Amplifus Kit .), Erigeron acer Linn. Var. Linearifolius (Koidz.) Kitam., Erigeron thunbergii A. Gray subsp. Glabratus (A. Gray) Hara, Erigeron miyabeanus Tatew. Et Kitam. ), Mugwort (Erigeron acer Linn. Var. Kamtschaticus (DC.) Herder) or willow Himejon (Erigeron pseudo-annuus Makino).

Examples of the plant belonging to the genus Akimugi include Siphonostegia laeta S. Moore and Siphonostegia chinensis Benth.
In the present invention, the mugwort is preferably Japanese mugwort or Chinese mugwort.

According to the present invention, when the organic solvent extract of mugwort is a lower alcohol extract of mugwort (dry matter), the blending ratio of the lower alcohol and the mugwort is about 10 to 10 mugworts per 1 L of the lower alcohol. It is preferably 200 g, more preferably about 10 to 100 g.
Further, according to the present invention, when the organic solvent extract of mugwort is a lower alcohol extract concentrate of mugwort (dry matter), the blending ratio of the lower alcohol after concentration and the mugwort is 1 mL of lower alcohol. On the other hand, the above mugwort is preferably about 0.01 to 50 g, more preferably about 0.1 to 20 g.

  The anti-fatigue agent of the present invention is produced according to a conventional method using the above-mentioned mugwort organic solvent extract and optionally additives and the like.

  Examples of the additives include excipients, pH adjusters, cooling agents, suspending agents, antifoaming agents, thickening agents, solubilizing agents, disintegrating agents, binders, lubricants, and antioxidants. , Coating agents, colorants, flavoring agents, surfactants, plasticizers or fragrances.

  Examples of the excipient include sugar alcohols such as D-sorbitol, D-mannitol or xylitol, sugars such as glucose, sucrose, lactose or fructose, crystalline cellulose, carmellose sodium, calcium hydrogen phosphate, wheat starch, rice Examples thereof include starch, corn starch, potato starch, dextrin, β-cyclodextrin, light anhydrous silicic acid, titanium oxide, or magnesium aluminate metasilicate.

  Examples of the pH adjuster include citric acid, malic acid, sodium hydrogen phosphate, and dipotassium phosphate.

  Examples of the refreshing agent include l-menthol or mint water.

  Examples of the suspending agent include kaolin, carmellose sodium, xanthan gum, methylcellulose, and tragacanth.

  Examples of the antifoaming agent include dimethylpolysiloxane or silicon antifoaming agent.

  Examples of the thickener include xanthan gum, tragacanth, methylcellulose, and dextrin.

  Examples of the solubilizer include ethanol, sucrose fatty acid ester, and macrogol.

  Examples of the disintegrant include low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose calcium, croscarmellose sodium, hydroxypropyl starch, or partially pregelatinized starch.

  Examples of the binder include methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, gelatin, gum arabic, ethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, pullulan, pregelatinized starch, agar, tragacanth, sodium alginate, or propylene glycol alginate. Can be mentioned.

  Examples of the lubricant include stearic acid, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, polyoxyl stearate, cetanol, talc, hydrogenated oil, sucrose fatty acid ester, dimethylpolysiloxane, beeswax, and white beeswax.

  Examples of the antioxidant include dibutylhydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, butylhydroxyanisole (BHA), tocopherol, and citric acid.

  Examples of the coating agent include hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate, carboxymethylethylcellulose, cellulose acetate phthalate, polyvinyl acetal diethylaminoacetate, aminoalkyl methacrylate. Copolymer, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate, methacrylic acid copolymer, polyvinyl acetate diethylaminoacetate or shellac.

  Examples of the colorant include turmeric extract, riboflavin, titanium oxide, or carotene solution.

  Examples of the flavoring agent include citric acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and menthol.

  Examples of the surfactant include polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil, glyceryl monostearate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan monolaurate, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene, polysorbates, sodium lauryl sulfate, macrogol or sucrose. Examples include fatty acid esters.

  Examples of the plasticizer include triethyl citrate, polyethylene glycol, triacetin, and cetanol.

  As said fragrance | flavor, synthetic fragrance | flavors, such as natural fragrance | flavors, such as an animal fragrance | flavor or a vegetable fragrance | flavor, or an isolated fragrance | flavor, a pure synthetic fragrance | flavor, etc. are mentioned, for example.

  The dosage form is appropriately selected according to the administration form or usage form, and is a known dosage form, for example, a solid dosage form such as a powder, granule, tablet, capsule, suppository or ointment, for example, a solution or suspension. It can be processed into liquid dosage forms such as agents, gels, sols and the like. The administration form is generally oral administration, but is not limited thereto.

  The anti-fatigue agent of the present invention is preferably in a unit dosage form containing 0.05-5 g, preferably 0.1-1.5 g, of an organic solvent extract of mugwort in terms of dry weight. As used herein and in the claims, “unit dosage form” means physically separated units, each unit having a predetermined amount calculated to provide the desired anti-fatigue effect. Active ingredients together with additives.

  In addition, the anti-fatigue agent of the present invention is an agent for recovering from an organic solvent extract of mugwort, which is an active ingredient when applied to humans, whether it is a recovery accelerator from fatigue or an anti-fatigue agent. The daily intake is preferably 2.5 to 50 g / day, more preferably 5 to 25 g / day, in terms of dry weight of mugwort as a raw material.

  Artemisia leaves have been used in food for a long time, and their uses include kusadon, grass dumplings, and seasonings. However, the amount used is small, for example, mugwort contained in one grass basket (50 g) is about 0.25 g in dry weight. As described above, when the anti-fatigue agent of the present invention is applied to humans, the daily intake of the organic solvent extract of mugwort as its active ingredient is 2.5 to 2.5 in terms of dry weight of mugwort as the raw material. It is preferable that it is 50 g / day, More preferably, it is 5-25 g / day. Therefore, in order to exert an anti-fatigue effect by eating grass, it is necessary to eat 10 to 200 grass per day. However, if a large amount of grass is consumed in this way, health problems due to excessive eating of grass In reality, it is difficult to implement. However, the use of a mugwort organic solvent extract concentrate makes it possible to easily satisfy the intake amount of the above active ingredient, and therefore the mugwort organic solvent extract concentrate is useful as an active ingredient of an anti-fatigue agent.

  The food / beverage products of this invention are manufactured in accordance with a conventional method using the organic solvent extract of a mugwort or the said anti-fatigue agent. For example, it is produced by a known means such as adding an organic solvent extract of mugwort or the anti-fatigue agent to a food / beverage product, its food material or its food / beverage product intermediate material. For example, when using an ethanol extract of mugwort, extract the mugwort with ethanol and then concentrate, add the obtained extract of mugwort to the food and drink material, and then make the food and drink by a conventional method. Manufactured.

  Examples of the food and drink include confectionery (for example, snacks including potato chips, baked confectionery such as biscuits or cookies, chocolate, gum, candy, etc.), desserts (for example, pudding, jelly, yogurt or ice cream) ) As well as noodles (for example, buckwheat, udon, ramen or pasta), food equivalent to staple foods such as cereals (for example, corn flakes or oatmeal), seasoned food (for example, soup, curry or stew) ), Processed agricultural products (for example, jam), milk oil food (for example, spreads or cheese), health food (for example, protein or fiber), calorie-adjusted food, non-alcoholic beverage (for example, soybean roasted tea beverage, grain tea, coffee Beverages, tea drinks, green tea drinks, barley tea drinks, matcha tea Beverages, vegetable juice drinks, orange juice, grapefruit juice, soft drinks, etc.) or alcoholic drinks (eg beer, wine, sake, sparkling liquor, plum wine, whiskey, brandy, shochu, vodka, rum, gin, liqueurs or cocktails) Etc.).

Moreover, since there is no worry of a side effect, the intake of the said food / beverage products may be an amount equivalent to the intake of the above-mentioned anti-fatigue agent in terms of the weight of the mugwort of the raw material.
The food and drink are used for promoting recovery from fatigue or preventing fatigue, and are particularly suitably used as health foods, foods for specified health use, and foods for medical use.

  Furthermore, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals, vitamins, and the like may be appropriately blended in the anti-fatigue agent and food and drink containing the anti-fatigue agent.

  Examples of the carbohydrate include polysaccharides such as starch or corn starch, and other saccharides such as dextrin, sucrose, glucose or fructose.

  Examples of the protein include a combination of animal protein and vegetable protein, and more specifically milk protein, soybean protein, egg protein, and the like.

  Examples of the lipid include saturated fatty acids having 14 to 22 carbon atoms (for example, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, etc.) or salts thereof (for example, sodium salts and potassium salts); Higher alcohols (for example, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, etc.); monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides (for example, 1-monostearin, 1-monopalmitin, etc.) of the above fatty acids which are fatty acid glycerin esters; fats and oils (for example, castor oil) Hardened oil such as cottonseed oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, beef tallow); waxes (eg beeswax, carnauba wax, whale wax etc.); hydrocarbons (eg paraffin, microcrystalline wax etc.), phospholipids (eg water And lecithin).

  Examples of the minerals include calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium, zinc, copper, chromium, selenium, manganese, and molybdenum.

Examples of the vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin B ₁ , vitamin B ₂ , vitamin B ₆ , vitamin B ₁₂ , vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, niacin, pantothenic acid, and folic acid.

  Examples of the amino acid include glutamine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, lysine, threonine, methionine, histidine, glycine, alanine, serine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, arginine, cystine, cysteine, tyrosine, proline or And hydroxyproline.

  When mammals including humans ingest the anti-fatigue agent of the present invention and foods and drinks containing the same, fatigue becomes difficult and recovery from fatigue is promoted.

[Example 1: Anti-fatigue effect of ethanol extract of mugwort]
(Production of mugwort ethanol extract)
120 g of dried mugwort leaves were placed in a sample bottle, 1.8 L of 99.5% ethanol was added, and the mixture was extracted at 5 ° C. for 3 days. Extracted mugwort ethanol extract was filtered with paper no. The mixture was filtered at 2 and concentrated to 14.4 ml with a vacuum concentrator to produce a mugwort ethanol concentrated extract (raw material mugwort weight conversion: 120 g).

(Preparation of mugwort ethanol extract-containing food)
Containing 5% mugwort ethanol extract by adding 9.9 ml of above-mentioned mugwort ethanol concentrated extract (raw mugwort weight conversion: 82.5 g) to 1650 g of commercially available powdered feed CE-2 (Nippon Claire Co., Ltd.) and mixing uniformly. A meal (raw material mugwort weight conversion: 82.5 g) was prepared.

(Examination group)
Mice (BALB / c, male, 6 weeks old, N = 37) were allowed to freely ingest commercially available solid feed CE-2 (Nippon Claire Co., Ltd.) and water for 13 days, followed by swimming in the following manner After acclimatization and swimming acclimatization, solid CE-2 was changed to powder CE-2 and reared for 4 days, and then divided into two groups, a control group and a diet group containing 5% mugwort ethanol extract by the following method. The control group (N = 8) had a powdered CE-2 and water, a 5% mugwort ethanol extract-containing group (N = 7) had a 5% mugwort ethanol extract-containing food and water ad libitum, and was free for 3 days. Later, the following swimming test was conducted.

(Swimming acclimatization)
Stop with a piece of vinyl tape so that it does not pass through the washer corresponding to 3% of the body weight of the mouse tail, wipe the body surface other than the head with absorbent cotton soaked in 50% ethanol, and apply deaeration treatment. The sample was placed in a 2 L graduated cylinder (body diameter φ84 × height 517 mm) infused with water having a water temperature of 30 ° C. to a height of about 360 mm, and acclimatized to swimming for 3 minutes every other day for a total of 5 minutes.

(Grouping)
The grouping test was started 3 days after the last day of swimming acclimatization. Stop with a piece of vinyl tape so that it does not pass through the washer corresponding to 3% of the body weight of the mouse tail, wipe the body surface other than the head with absorbent cotton soaked in 50% ethanol, and apply deaeration treatment. In a 2 L graduated cylinder (body diameter φ84 × height 517 mm) infused with water at a temperature of 30 ° C. to a height of 360 mm. The time until it stopped was measured. Using the three swimming times measured, the average swimming time and standard deviation within the individual were calculated, and mice with small standard deviations were selected, and the control group and 5% mugwort ethanol so that the average time within the group was approximately the same. It was divided into the extract-containing food group.

(Swimming test)
The swimming test was started 3 days after the final day of the grouping test. Stop with a piece of vinyl tape so that it does not pass through the washer corresponding to 3% of the body weight of the mouse tail, wipe the body surface other than the head with absorbent cotton soaked in 50% ethanol, and apply deaeration treatment. In a 2 L graduated cylinder (body diameter φ84 × height 517 mm) infused with water at a temperature of 30 ° C. to a height of 360 mm, the mouse sinks into the water 4 times a day, and the tip of the nose does not rise for more than 7 seconds The time until was measured. The four swimming times measured were converted to a percentage of the swimming time of the third grouping test, and the transition of the swimming test 1 to 4 days was examined. The results are shown in Table 1.

  As shown in Table 1, in the control group, it was found that the swimming endurance decreased due to daily swimming and decreased to 64.0 ± 15.8% on the fourth day of swimming. This shows that the physical strength is not completely recovered only by normal eating, resting and sleeping, against the accumulation of fatigue due to swimming every day. On the other hand, the 5% mugwort ethanol extract-containing food group was 96.2 ± 28.9% even on the 4th day of daily swimming, and there was almost no decrease in swimming ability. This indicates that the component in the mugwort ethanol extract suppressed the decrease in swimming endurance because the difference in conditions with the control group was only the feed. Therefore, it is understood that mugwort ethanol extract has an action to suppress a decrease in endurance due to fatigue due to daily exercise stress load, that is, an anti-fatigue effect.

The present invention provides an anti-fatigue agent that is less likely to be fatigued and promotes recovery from fatigue, and a food or drink comprising the same.

Claims (5)

An agent for suppressing a decrease in endurance caused by fatigue due to exercise stress , characterized by containing an organic solvent extract of Artemisia princeps as an active ingredient and administering it orally. The organic solvent extract of Artemisia princeps is a lower alcohol extract of Artemisia princeps, The agent for suppressing a decrease in endurance caused by fatigue due to exercise stress load according to claim 1 . The inhibitor for lowering endurance caused by fatigue due to exercise stress loading according to claim 2 , wherein the lower alcohol extract of Artemisia Princes is an ethanol extract of Artemisia Princes. The organic solvent extract of Artemisia princeps is an organic solvent extract concentrate of Artemisia princeps, The endurance reduction inhibitor resulting from the fatigue by the exercise stress load of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned . The inhibitor for lowering endurance caused by fatigue due to exercise stress load according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which is a unit dosage form containing 0.05 to 5 g of an organic solvent extract of Artemisia Princes in terms of dry weight .