JP5599649B2 - Emulsion composition and powder composition - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an emulsion composition and a powder composition obtained by drying the emulsion composition.

In recent years, focusing on the high functionality of carotenoids, various compositions containing carotenoids have been proposed. In general, carotenoids are widely known as poorly soluble materials, and thus usually emulsified compositions are employed.
Specifically, the carotenoid-containing emulsion composition containing at least one water-soluble emulsifier in the aqueous phase and the carotenoid-containing emulsion composition containing tocopherol and lecithin in the oil phase (see Patent Document 1) and foods. A carotenoid pigment solubilizing solution for foods having a transmittance at 660 nm of 99% or more when the composition of the carotenoid pigment and polyglycerin fatty acid ester is finely divided and the absorbance at the maximum absorption wavelength of the visible portion is 1 Formulation (see Patent Document 2), and further, an oil phase obtained by dissolving carotenoids in fats and oils is emulsified in an aqueous phase containing a polyhydric alcohol in the presence of polyglycerin fatty acid ester and lecithin, and the oil phase A carotenoid-containing composition (see Patent Document 3) having an average particle size of 100 nm or less is known.

  These carotenoids have been tried for various applications in foods and cosmetics in order to utilize their high functions. However, as mentioned above, they are poorly soluble oily components, so they have a high absorption efficiency in the digestive tract and skin. However, a technique for increasing the absorption efficiency without using an additive not involved in functionality is desired.

JP 2008-13751 A JP-A-10-120933 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-157159

  An object of this invention is to provide the emulsion composition which is excellent in the absorption efficiency of the contained carotenoid, and the powder composition using this emulsion composition.

The configuration of the present invention to solve the above problems is as follows.
<1> The content of other carotenoids is 30 parts by mass or more and 100 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the carotenoid contained at least in the two or more types of carotenoids. An emulsion composition comprising an oil phase and an aqueous phase , wherein the two or more carotenoids contain astaxanthin, and the oil phase further contains fats and oils .
<2> The emulsion composition according to <1>, wherein a carotenoid other than astaxanthin is at least one selected from lutein and lycopene among the two or more carotenoids.
<3> The emulsion composition according to <1> or <2>, wherein the content of the two or more carotenoids relative to the total amount of the emulsion composition is 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less.
<4> The emulsion composition according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the fat is a medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride.
< 5 > The emulsion composition according to any one of <1> to < 4 >, wherein the oil phase has a particle size of 1 nm to 200 nm.
<6> The emulsion composition according to any one of <1> to <5>, further comprising at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of a polyglycerin fatty acid ester and a sucrose fatty acid ester.

< 7 > The emulsion composition according to any one of <1> to < 6 >, further containing an antioxidant.
< 8 > The emulsion composition according to any one of <1> to < 7 >, further containing a phospholipid.
< 9 > A powder composition obtained by drying a carotenoid-containing composition containing the emulsion composition according to any one of <1> to < 8 > and an excipient.
< 10 > The powder composition according to < 9 >, wherein the excipient is inulin.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an emulsion composition with improved carotenoid absorption efficiency and a powder composition using the emulsion composition.
Since the emulsion composition and powder composition of the present invention have good carotenoid absorption efficiency, they can be suitably used for foods and cosmetics.

<Emulsion composition>
The emulsion composition of the present invention is characterized in that the oil phase contains two or more types of carotenoids, and the content of the carotenoid contained in the maximum amount among the two or more types of carotenoids contained in the oil phase. relative to 100 parts by weight, der content 30 parts by mass or more to 100 parts by mass or less of other carotenoids is, the two or more carotenoids comprises astaxanthin, further including fats in the oil phase.
The emulsion composition of the present invention is an oil-in-water emulsion composition obtained by mixing an oil phase containing the two or more kinds of carotenoids in a specific ratio with an aqueous phase preferably containing an appropriate emulsifier. The oily phase in the obtained oil-in-water emulsion composition, that is, the dispersed particles containing two or more types of carotenoids, preferably has a particle diameter of 1 nm or more and 200 nm or less.
Although the action of the present invention is not clear, in this way, by coexisting two or more types of carotenoids in a specific ratio in the oil phase, any carotenoid can absorb as compared with the case where each carotenoid is contained alone. It became clear that improved.

In the present specification, a numerical range indicated using “to” indicates a range including the numerical values described before and after “to” as the minimum value and the maximum value, respectively.
In the present invention, the content of each component in the composition, unless otherwise specified, when one component corresponding to each component defined in the present specification is included in the composition, the content is Meaning, when two or more are included, the total amount is meant.
The emulsion composition of the present invention is an oil-in-water emulsion in which dispersed particles containing carotenoid are dispersed in an aqueous phase as an oil phase. Here, the oil phase component constituting the oil phase may be a completely dissolved oil droplet state or a partially insoluble solid state. Such oil droplets and solids are collectively referred to herein as dispersed particles.
Hereafter, each component which comprises the emulsion composition of this invention is demonstrated.

[Two or more carotenoids]
The emulsion composition of the present invention contains at least two carotenoids containing astaxanthin in the oil phase (dispersed particles).
Specific examples of carotenoids include lycopene, α-carotene, β-carotene, γ-carotene, actinioerythrol, bixin, canthaxanthin, capsorubin, β-8′-apo-carotenal (apocarotenal) , Β-12′-apo-carotenal, xanthophylls (for example, astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, capsanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, violaxanthin, etc.), and hydroxyl or carboxyl derivatives thereof.

  In addition, astaxanthin (ester bond type), capsanthin (ester bond type), β-cryptoxanthin (ester bond type), lutein (ester bond type), violaxanthin (ester bond type), zeaxanthin (ester bond type), and these Among them, esters containing hydroxyl or carboxyl may be used.

In the emulsion composition of the present invention, two or more of the carotenoids may be appropriately selected and used in combination.
Here, the two or more types of carotenoids are not particularly limited as long as they are carotenoids having different structures, for example, lycopene isomers, or astaxanthin isomers, astaxanthin and ester-linked astaxanthin, etc. From the viewpoint of the effect, it is preferable to use different carotenoids in combination, such as astaxanthin and lycopene, astaxanthin and lutein, rather than combinations.

  Among these, it is preferable to combine two or more selected from astaxanthin, lutein, and lycopene, and specifically, combinations of astaxanthin and lutein, astaxanthin and lycopene, lutein and lycopene, astaxanthin, lutein and lycopene are preferable. Is exemplified.

  The content ratio of two or more types of carotenoids is such that the content of other carotenoids is 30 when the content of carotenoids contained in the maximum amount in the oil phase (hereinafter referred to as “main carotenoid” as appropriate) is 100 parts by mass. It is necessary that the amount is not less than 100 parts by mass. Therefore, the case where the main carotenoid contains different types of carotenoids as impurities is not included in the “combination of two kinds of carotenoids” in the present invention.

Hereinafter, the carotenoid suitably used in the present invention will be described.
(Astaxanthin)
As one of the preferred carotenoids used in the present invention, an ester of astaxanthin and astaxanthin which has an antioxidant effect, an anti-inflammatory effect, an anti-skin aging effect, a whitening effect and the like and is known as a colorant in a yellow to red range. And at least one selected from derivatives such as these (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as “astaxanthins”).
Astaxanthin is excellent in handling property because it is oily at room temperature.

Astaxanthin is a red pigment having an absorption maximum at 476 nm (ethanol) and 468 nm (hexane) and belongs to a kind of carotenoid xanthophylls. The chemical structure of astaxanthin is 3,3′-dihydroxy-β, β-carotene- ₄ , 4′-dione (C ₄₀ H ₅₂ O ₄ , molecular weight 596.82).

  Astaxanthin has a 3S, 3S′-form, 3S, 3R′-form (meso-form), 3R, 3R ′-, due to the configuration of the 3 (3 ′)-positioned hydroxyl groups of the ring structure present at both ends of the molecule. There are three isomers of the body. In addition, there are cis- and trans- isomers of conjugated double bonds at the center of the molecule. For example, all cis-, 9-cis and 13-cis isomers.

The hydroxyl group at the 3 (3 ′)-position can form an ester with a fatty acid. Astaxanthin obtained from krill is a diester formed by linking two fatty acids, H.P. What is obtained from Pluvialis is 3S, 3S′-form, which contains a large amount of monoester conjugated with one fatty acid.
In addition, astaxanthin obtained from Phaffia Rhodozyma is a 3R, 3R′-form, and has a structure opposite to that of the 3S, 3S′-form, which is usually found in nature. It also exists in a free form that is not esterified with fatty acids.

The astaxanthin and its ester (astaxanthins) may be used in the emulsion composition of the present invention as an astaxanthin-containing oil separated and extracted from a natural product containing astaxanthin and / or its ester. Examples of such astaxanthin-containing oils include red yeast paffia, green algae hematococcus, marine bacteria, and the like, and extracts from the cultures, extracts from Antarctic krill, and the like.
It is known that hematococcus algae extract (haematococcus algae-derived pigment) differs from krill-derived pigment and synthesized astaxanthin in terms of the main component of fatty acid ester (monoester, diester, etc.).

  Astaxanthins that can be used in the present invention may be the above-mentioned extract, or a product obtained by appropriately purifying the extract as necessary, or a synthetic product. As the astaxanthins, those extracted from Haematococcus alga (also referred to as Haematococcus alga extract) are particularly preferred from the viewpoint of quality and productivity.

Specific examples of the haematococcus alga extract that can be used in the present invention include Haematococcus pluviaris, Haematococcus lacustris, Examples thereof include Haematococcus droebakensis, Haematococcus zimbabiensis, and the like.
In the present invention, a widely commercially available Haematococcus algae extract can be used as astaxanthin. For example, ASTOTS-S, -2.5 O, and -5 O manufactured by Takeda Shiki Co., Ltd. -10 O, etc., Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Asteryl Oil 50F, 5F, etc., Toyo Enzyme Chemical Co., Ltd. BioAstin SCE7, etc. are mentioned.

The content of astaxanthin in the Haematococcus alga extract that can be used in the present invention is preferably 0.001 to 50 mass%, more preferably 0.01 to 25 mass%.
The Haematococcus alga extract that can be used in the present invention contains astaxanthin or an ester thereof as the pure pigment, as in the pigment described in JP-A-2-49091. % Or more, preferably 75 mol% or more, more preferably 90% mol or more.
Among these astaxanthins, those extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide are more preferable in terms of odor when formulated.

(Lycopene)
One preferred carotenoid used in the present invention is lycopene. Lycopene is known to have a very high antioxidant effect, whitening effect, etc., and has been conventionally added to foods, cosmetics, raw materials for pharmaceuticals and processed products thereof.

Lycopene is a carotenoid of the chemical formula C ₄₀ H ₅₆ (molecular weight 536.87) and belongs to carotenes. It is a red pigment exhibiting an absorption maximum at 474 nm (acetone).
Lycopene also has a cis- and trans- isomer of a conjugated double bond at the center of the molecule. For example, all trans-, 9-cis and 13-cis isomers.

Lycopene may be contained in the emulsion composition of the present invention as a lycopene-containing oil separated and extracted from a natural product containing it.
Lycopene is naturally contained in tomatoes, strawberries, watermelons, and pink grapefruits, and the above-mentioned lycopene-containing oil may be separated and extracted from these natural products.
In addition, the lycopene used in the present invention may be the above-described extract, a product obtained by appropriately purifying the extract as necessary, or a synthetic product.
In the present invention, lycopene extracted from tomato is particularly preferable from the viewpoint of quality and productivity.

  Moreover, in this invention, the tomato extract currently marketed widely can be used as a lycopene containing oil. As such commercially available lycopene-containing oils, for example, Lyc-O-Mato 15%, Lyc-O-Mato 6%, sold by Sunbright Co., Ltd., and Kyowa Hakko Bio Co., Ltd. are sold. Examples include lycopene 18 and the like.

(Lutein)
One preferred carotenoid used in the present invention is lutein. Lutein is known for its antioxidant effect and preventive effect on age-related macular degeneration, and is added to foods.
Lutein is a carotenoid having the chemical formula C ₄₀ H ₅₆ O ₂ (molecular weight 568.87) and belongs to xanthophylls. It is an orange dye having an absorption maximum at 445 nm (acetone). Two hydroxyl groups can be bonded to fatty acids by ester bonds.
Lutein and its esters (luteins) may be those separated and extracted from natural products such as green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, marigold, and egg yolk. In the present invention, as lutein and its ester, those extracted from marigold are particularly preferred from the viewpoint of quality and productivity.
Moreover, in this invention, the marigold extract currently marketed widely can be used as lutein containing oil. As such commercially available lutein-containing oils, for example, lutein-P80 sold by Oriza Oil Chemical Co., Ltd., lutein 20S sold by Kyowa Hakko Bio Co., Ltd., sold by Kemin Japan Co., Ltd. FloraGLO lutein 20% and the like.

In the present invention, when two kinds of carotenoids are contained, when the main carotenoid content [content (A)] is 100 parts by mass, the content of other carotenoids [content (B)] is 30 masses. It is necessary that the amount is not less than 100 parts and not more than 100 parts by mass. That is, when two kinds of carotenoids are used, the content ratio of both is in the range of [content (A)]: [content (B)] = 100: 30 to 100: 100, 100: 50 to 100% It is preferably 100: 100, and more preferably in the range of 100: 70 to 100: 100.
In the case of containing three types of carotenoids, the content of the third type of carotenoid [content (C)] is also 30 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the main carotenoid content [content (A)]. It is necessary to be 100 parts by mass or less. When three types of carotenoids are contained, the content ratio is [content (A)]: [content (B)]: [content (C)] = 100: 30: 30 to 100: 100: 100 in terms of mass. The range is preferably 100: 50: 50 to 100: 100: 100, more preferably 100: 70: 70 to 100: 100: 100.
If the content of other carotenoids is less than 30 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the main carotenoid, the effect of improving the absorption efficiency by the combined use cannot be obtained sufficiently.

The content of each of the carotenoids contained in the plurality of species is preferably 0.1% by mass to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.2% by mass to 7% by mass, and 0.5% by mass with respect to the total mass of the emulsion composition. % To 5% by mass is more preferable.
The total carotenoid content is preferably 0.2% by mass to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.4% by mass to 14% by mass, and more preferably 1% by mass to 10% by mass with respect to the total mass of the emulsion composition. Is more preferable.

[Other oily ingredients]
In the present invention, the oil phase may contain an oil component other than the two or more kinds of carotenoids described above. The other oily component is not particularly limited as long as it is a component that does not dissolve in the aqueous medium but dissolves in the oily medium. The emulsion composition of the present invention contains fats and oils in the oil phase.
Hereinafter, other oil components will be described.

  In the present invention, as other oily components, phospholipids, unsaturated fatty acids, fats and oils such as coconut oil, antioxidants containing oil-soluble vitamins such as tocopherol, and ubiquinones are preferably used.

(Unsaturated fatty acids)
Examples of unsaturated fatty acids in other oily components include monounsaturated fatty acids (ω-9, oleic acid, etc.) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3, ω-6).
Of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, ω-3 oils are preferably linolenic acid (including linseed oil). ), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and fish oils containing these.
Among them, DHA is an abbreviation for docosahexaenoic acid and is a general term for carboxylic acids having 22 carbon chains containing six double bonds (22: 6), but are usually important for living organisms. This is useful because it has cis-type double bonds at positions 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19.

(Oils and fats)
Examples of the fats and oils other than ω-3 fats and oils in other oily components include liquid fats and oils (fatty oils) and solid fats and oils (fats) at room temperature.
Examples of the liquid fats and oils include triglycerin, medium chain fatty acid triglycerides such as glycerin trioctanoate and glycerin triisopaltiminate, in addition to the oil used for detecting the melting point of the high melting point carotenoid described above. For example, olive oil, camellia oil, macadamia nut oil, castor oil, avocado oil, evening primrose oil, turtle oil, corn oil, mink oil, rapeseed oil, egg yolk oil, sesame oil, persic oil, wheat germ oil, sasanqua oil, flaxseed oil, saury Flower oil, cottonseed oil, eno oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, tea seed oil, kaya oil, rice bran oil, cinnagari oil, Japanese kiri oil, jojoba oil, germ oil, salad oil, safflower oil (safflower oil), palm oil, Examples include coconut oil, peanut oil, almond oil, hazelnut oil, walnut oil, and grape seed oil.
Solid fats include beef tallow, hardened beef tallow, beef leg fat, beef bone fat, mink oil, egg yolk oil, pork tallow, horse fat, sheep fat, hardened oil, cocoa butter, palm oil, hardened palm oil, palm Oil, hardened palm oil, owl, owl kernel oil, hardened castor oil, waxes, higher alcohols and the like.
Among these, medium chain fatty acid triglycerides are preferable from the viewpoint of the particle size and stability of the emulsion composition, and specifically, coconut oil is preferably used.

In the present invention, commercially available products can be used as the fats and oils.
Moreover, in this invention, fats and oils may be used individually by 1 type, and 2 or more types may be mixed and used for them.

(Antioxidant)
As another oil component in the present invention, it is preferable to contain a fat-soluble antioxidant having a radical scavenging function.
It is also a preferred embodiment that the antioxidant is used alone as an oil component, or used in combination in order to prevent oxidation of other oil components.

  Antioxidants are additives that suppress the generation of radicals and capture the radicals generated as quickly as possible to break the chain reaction (Source: “Oil Chemistry Handbook 4th Edition”, Japan Oil Chemists' Society). Ed. 2001).

As a direct method for confirming the function as an antioxidant, there is known a method of measuring with a spectrophotometer or ESR (electron spin resonance apparatus) how to mix radicals with a reagent and capture radicals. In these methods, DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) or galvinoxyl radical is used as a reagent.
In the present invention, the time required to raise the peroxide value (POV value) of fats and oils to 60 meq / kg using the autoxidation reaction of fats and oils under the following experimental conditions is more than twice that of the blank. Certain compounds are defined as “antioxidants”. The peroxide value (POV value) of fats and oils is measured by a conventional method.

<Conditions>
Oil and fat: Olive oil Sample addition amount: 0.1% by mass based on oil and fat
Test method: The sample was heated at 190 ° C., the POV value was measured by a conventional method over time, and the time for 60 meq / kg was calculated.
The antioxidant in the present invention is preferably an antioxidant in which the time required to reach the POV value of 60 meq / kg is 5 times or more that of the blank from the viewpoint of stability of the emulsion to oxidation.

Compounds that can be used as antioxidants of the present invention are described in “Theory and Practice of Antioxidants” (Enomoto, Sanshobo 1984) and “Antioxidants Handbook” (Saruwatari, Nishino, Tabata, Taiseisha 1976). Of the various antioxidants described, it is sufficient that it functions as an antioxidant. Specifically, compounds having phenolic OH, amine compounds such as phenylenediamine, and oils of ascorbic acid and erythorbic acid Examples include solubilized derivatives.
Preferred antioxidants are exemplified below, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

  As compounds having phenolic OH, polyphenols (for example, catechin contained in tea extract), guaiac fat, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), gallic acid esters, BHT (butylhydroxytoluene), BHA (butyl) Hydroxyanisole), carcinonic acids (such as rosemary extract), ferulic acid, vitamin E, and bisphenol. Examples of gallic acid esters include propyl gallate, butyl gallate, and octyl gallate.

  Examples of the amine compound include phenylenediamine, diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine, and 4-amino-p-diphenylamine, and diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine or 4-amino-p-diphenylamine is more preferable.

  Examples of oil-solubilized derivatives of ascorbic acid and erythorbic acid include stearic acid L-ascorbyl ester, tetraisopalmitic acid L-ascorbyl ester, palmitic acid L-ascorbyl ester, palmitic acid erythorbyl ester, tetraisopalmitic acid erythorbyl ester, etc. Is mentioned.

Among these, vitamin E is particularly preferably used from the viewpoint of excellent safety and antioxidation functions.
Vitamin E is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include those selected from a compound group consisting of tocopherol and its derivatives, and a compound group consisting of tocotrienol and its derivatives. These may be used alone or in combination. Moreover, you may use combining the compound group which consists of a tocophenol and its derivative, and each selected from the compound group which consists of a tocotrienol and its derivative, respectively.

The compound group consisting of tocopherol and its derivatives includes dl-α-tocopherol, dl-β-tocopherol, dl-γ-tocopherol, dl-δ-tocopherol, dl-α-tocopherol acetate, nicotinic acid-dl-α-tocopherol Linoleic acid-dl-α-tocopherol, succinic acid dl-α-tocopherol and the like. Among these, dl-α-tocopherol, dl-β-tocopherol, dl-γ-tocopherol, dl-δ-tocopherol, and a mixture thereof (mixed tocopherol) are more preferable. In addition, as the tocopherol derivative, these acetates are preferably used.
The compound group consisting of tocotrienol and derivatives thereof includes α-tocotrienol, β-tocotrienol, γ-tocotrienol, δ-tocotrienol and the like. In addition, as the tocotrienol derivative, these acetates are preferably used. Tocotrienol is a tocopherol-like compound contained in wheat, rice bran, palm oil, and the like, and has three double bonds in the side chain portion of tocopherol and has excellent antioxidant performance.

  It is preferable that these vitamin Es are contained as oil-soluble antioxidants, particularly in the oil phase of the emulsion composition of the present invention, because the antioxidant function of oily components can be effectively exhibited. Among the above vitamin E, it is more preferable to contain at least one selected from the group of compounds consisting of tocotrienol and derivatives thereof from the viewpoint of the antioxidant effect.

  The total content of antioxidants in the emulsion composition is generally 0.001% to 20.0% by weight, preferably 0.01% to 10.0%, based on the emulsion composition. It is 0.1 mass%, More preferably, it is 0.1 mass%-5.0 mass%.

(Ubiquinones)
Ubiquinones may be used as the other oil component in the present invention. Examples of ubiquinones include coenzyme Qs such as coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 is a kind of coenzyme described in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia as “Ubidecarenone” and is sometimes called ubiquinone 10, coenzyme UQ10, or the like. In nature, it is abundant in natural products such as yeast, koji, koji, and wheat germ. Coenzyme Q10 can be extracted with a solvent such as hot water, hydrous alcohol, and acetone. It can also be produced industrially, and generally a fermentation method or a synthesis method is known. Coenzyme Q10 used in the present invention may be extracted from a natural product or may be industrially synthesized. Commercially available products may be used as Coenzyme Q10, such as Coenzyme Q10 manufactured by Nisshin Pharma, Coenzyme Q10 powder manufactured by Nippon Oil & Fats, and the like.

(Phospholipid)
The emulsion composition of the present invention may contain phospholipids as other components.
The phospholipid used in the present invention is an ester composed of fatty acid, alcohol and phosphoric acid among complex lipids, and is a group having phosphoric acid ester and fatty acid ester, and refers to glycerophospholipid and sphingophospholipid.
Details will be described below.

Examples of glycerophospholipids that can be used in the present invention include phosphatidic acid, bisphosphatidic acid, lecithin (phosphatidylcholine), phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerin, and diphosphatidylglycerin. (Cardiolipin), etc., including those derived from plants such as soybeans, corn, peanuts, rapeseed, wheat, etc., those derived from animals such as egg yolk and cattle, and various lecithins derived from microorganisms such as E. coli Can do.
Examples of the sphingophospholipid that can be used in the present invention include sphingomyelin.

In the present invention, glycerophospholipid that has been enzymatically decomposed can be used as glycerophospholipid.
For example, lysolecithin (enzymatically decomposed lecithin) obtained by enzymatic degradation of lecithin is one in which either one of fatty acids (acyl groups) bonded to the 1-position or 2-position of glycerophospholipid is lost. By using one fatty acid group, the hydrophilicity of lecithin can be improved, and the emulsifiability and dispersibility in water can be improved.
Lysolecithin can be obtained by hydrolysis of lecithin with an acid or alkali catalyst, but it can also be obtained by hydrolysis of lecithin using phospholipase A ₁ or A ₂ .
When lyso compounds represented by such lysolecithin are represented by compound names, lysophosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidylglycerin, lysophosphatidylinositol, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylmethylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylcholine (lysolecithin), lysophosphatidylserine, etc. Is mentioned.

Furthermore, the glycerophospholipids typified by the above lecithin can also be used in the present invention after being hydrogenated or hydroxylated.
The hydrogenation is performed, for example, by reacting lecithin with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, and the unsaturated bond of the fatty acid moiety is hydrogenated. Hydrogenation improves the oxidation stability of lecithin.
Moreover, the said hydroxylation heats a lecithin with high concentration hydrogen peroxide and organic acids, such as an acetic acid, tartaric acid, and butyric acid, and the unsaturated bond of a fatty-acid part is hydroxylated. Hydroxylation improves the hydrophilicity of lecithin.
These hydrogenated, hydroxylated lecithins are particularly preferred for cosmetic applications.

Among these, glycerophospholipid lecithin and lysolecithin are preferable from the viewpoint of emulsion stability, and lecithin is more preferable.
Since the lecithin has a hydrophilic group and a hydrophobic group in the molecule, it has been widely used as an emulsifier in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields.

Although the lecithin having a purity of 60% by mass or more is industrially used as lecithin, in the present invention, a lecithin having a purity of 80% by mass or more generally called “high purity lecithin” is preferable. Preferably it is 90 mass% or more.
This lecithin purity (mass%) is obtained by subtracting the mass of the toluene insoluble matter and the acetone soluble matter by utilizing the property that lecithin is easily dissolved in toluene and not dissolved in acetone.
High-purity lecithin is higher in lipophilicity than lysolecithin, and therefore, the compatibility between lecithin and the oil component is increased, and it is considered that the emulsion stability is improved.
In addition, when using highly hydrophilic lecithin, you may mix | blend as an aqueous phase component.

  The phospholipid used in the present invention can be used alone or in the form of a mixture of plural kinds. When the emulsion composition of the present invention contains a phospholipid, the total content of the phospholipid is based on the total mass of the oil component contained in the oil phase from the viewpoint of the transparency and dispersion stability of the emulsion composition. It is preferable to contain 1 to 50 mass%.

The total content of the oil component in the emulsion composition of the present invention is preferably 1% by mass to 50% by mass, more preferably 2 from the viewpoints of application of the emulsion composition, particle diameter of the particles, and storage stability thereof. The content is from mass% to 30 mass%, more preferably from 5 mass% to 20 mass%.
When the total content of the oil component is higher than 1% by mass, the active ingredient is sufficiently contained, and the emulsion composition is suitable for application to foods and cosmetics. It tends to be difficult to cause an increase in diameter and deterioration in emulsion stability.

〔emulsifier〕
The aqueous phase preferably contains an appropriate emulsifier from the viewpoint of ensuring the emulsion stability of the formed emulsion.
The emulsifier that can be used in the emulsion composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a conventionally known nonionic emulsifier. From the viewpoint that it can be added to foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, for example, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester. , Glycerin fatty acid ester, organic acid glycerin fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, and polysorbates.

One emulsifier suitable for the emulsion composition of the present invention is polyglycerin fatty acid ester.
The polyglycerin fatty acid ester used in the emulsifier has an average degree of polymerization of 2 or more, preferably 6 to 15, more preferably 8 to 10 and a fatty acid having 8 to 18 carbon atoms such as caprylic acid and capric acid. , Esters of lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid.
Preferred examples of polyglycerol fatty acid esters include hexaglycerol monooleate, hexaglycerol monostearate, hexaglycerol monopalmitate, hexaglycerol monomyristate, hexaglycerol monolaurate, decaglycerol monooleate , Decaglycerin monostearic acid ester, decaglycerin monopalmitic acid ester, decaglycerin monomyristic acid ester, decaglycerin monolauric acid ester and the like.
Among these, more preferably, decaglycerol monooleate (HLB = 12), decaglycerol monostearate (HLB = 12), decaglycerol monopalmitate (HLB = 13), decaglycerol monomyristate (HLB = 14), decaglycerin monolaurate (HLB = 16), and the like.
These polyglycerin fatty acid esters can be used alone or in combination.

  Here, HLB is a balance between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity that is usually used in the field of surfactants, and a commonly used calculation formula such as the Kawakami formula can be used. In the present invention, the following Kawakami equation is adopted.

HLB = 7 + 11.7 log (M _w / M ₀ )
Here, the molecular weight M _w of the hydrophilic group, M ₀ is the molecular weight of the hydrophobic group.

Moreover, you may use the numerical value of HLB described in the catalog etc.
Further, as can be seen from the above formula, a compound having an arbitrary HLB value can be obtained by utilizing the additivity of HLB.

As a commercial item of polyglyceryl fatty acid ester, Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd. make, NIKKOL DGMS, NIKKOL DGMO-CV, NIKKOL DGMO-90V, NIKKOL DGDO, NIKKOL DGKI, NIKKOL DGIS, NIKKOL DGGI 1-O, NIKKOL Tettaglyn 3-S, NIKKOL Tettaglyn 5-S, NIKKOL Tetlagyn 5-O, NIKKOL Hexagly 1-M S, NIKKOL Hexaglyn 4-B, NIKK OL Hexaglyn 5-S, NIKKOL Hexaglyn 5-O, NIKKOL Hexaglyn PR-15, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-L, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-M, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-SV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-50SV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-ISV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-O, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-OV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-LN, NIKKOL Decaglyn 2-SV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 2-ISV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 3-SV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 3-OV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 5-SV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 5- HS, NIK KOL Decaglyn 5-IS, NIKKOL Decaglyn 5-OV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 5-O-R, NIKKOL Decaglyn 7-S, NIKKOL Decaglyn 7-O, NIKKOL Decaglyn 10-SV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 10-IS, NIKKOL Decaglyn 10-OV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 10-MAC, NIKKOL Decaglyn PR-20, Ryoto polyglycerase, L-7D, L-10D, M-10D, P-8D, SWA-10D, SWA-15D, SWA manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd. -20D, S-24D, S-28D, O-15D, O-50D, B-70D, B-100D, ER-60D, LOP-120DP, DS13W, DS HS11, HS9, TS4, TS2, DL15, DO13, Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd. Sunsoft Q-17UL, Sunsoft Q-14S, Sunsoft A-141C, Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd. Poem DO-100, Poem J-0021 and the like.
Among these, preferably, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-L, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-M, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-SV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-50SV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-ISV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-O, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-OV, NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-LN, Ryoto-polyglycerester L-7D, L-10D, M-10D, P-8D, SWA-10D, SWA-15D, SWA-20D, S-24D, S-28D, O-15D, O -50D, B-70D, B-100D, ER-60D, LOP-120DP.

  The nonionic emulsifier is preferably a hydrophilic emulsifier. Here, the hydrophilic emulsifier is defined by the aforementioned HLB being 10 or more. Examples of hydrophilic nonionic emulsifiers include sucrose fatty acid esters and polysorbates.

The sucrose fatty acid ester used in the present invention preferably has a fatty acid having 12 or more carbon atoms, more preferably 12-20.
Preferred examples of sucrose fatty acid esters include sucrose dioleate, sucrose distearate, sucrose dipalmitate, sucrose dimyristic ester, sucrose dilaurate, sucrose monooleate, sucrose Examples include sugar monostearate, sucrose monopalmitate, sucrose monomyristic ester, and sucrose monolaurate. Among these, sucrose monooleate, sucrose monostearate, sucrose Monopalmitate, sucrose monomyristate, and sucrose monolaurate are more preferable.
In the present invention, these sucrose fatty acid esters can be used alone or in combination.

Examples of commercially available sucrose fatty acid esters include Ryoto Sugar Esters S-070, S-170, S-270, S-370, S-370F, S-570, and S- manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation. 770, S-970, S-1170, S-1170F, S-1570, S-1670, P-070, P-170, P-1570, P-1670, M-1695, O-170, O-1570, OWA-1570, L-195, L-595, L-1695, LWA-1570, B-370, B-370F, ER-190, ER-290, POS-135, manufactured by Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd. , DK Ester SS, F160, F140, F110, F90, F70, F50, F-A50, F-20W, F-10, F-A10E, Cosmelike B-30, S-10, S-50, S-70, S-110, S-160, S-190, SA-10, SA-50, P-10, P-160, M-160, L-10, L-50, L- 160, L-150A, L-160A, R-10, R-20, O-10, O-150 and the like.
Among the above, Ryoto sugar ester S-1170, S-1170F, S-1570, S-1670, P-1570, P-1670, M-1695, O-1570, L-1695, DK ester SS, F160, F140, F110, cosmetics S-110, S-160, S-190, P-160, M-160, L-160, L-150A, L-160A, O-150.

Preferable examples of polysorbates used in the present invention include polysorbate 20 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate), polysorbate 40 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monopalmitate), polysorbate 60 (polyoxyethylene ( 20) sorbitan monostearate), polysorbate 65 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan tristearate), polysorbate 80 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate), polysorbate 85 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan trioleate) ) And the like.
In the present invention, these polysorbates can be used alone or in combination.

  Examples of commercially available products of polysorbates include Nikko Chemicals, Inc., NIKKOLTL-10, NIKKOL TP-10V, NIKKOL TS-10V, NIKKOL TS-10MV, NIKKOL TS-106V, NIKKOL TS-30VL, IKKOL TS-30VL 10V, NIKKOL TO-10V, NIKKOL TO-10MV, NIKKOL TO-106V, NIKKOL TO-30V and the like.

  In the present invention, the nonionic emulsifier may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

When the nonionic emulsifier different from polyglycerin fatty acid ester is used as the emulsifier, if the amount is too small, fine particles cannot be obtained, and the stability of the emulsion is not sufficient, and the amount is further increased. If the amount is too large, problems such as intense foaming of the emulsion occur. Therefore, the content is preferably 0.01% by mass to 8% by mass, more preferably 0.1% by mass to 5% by mass, and 0.5% by mass. More preferably, the content is 3% by mass to 3% by mass.
Further, as the total content of the polyglycerin fatty acid ester, if the amount is too small, fine particles cannot be obtained, and the stability of the emulsion is not sufficient, and if the amount is too large, foaming of the emulsion is severe. Therefore, 0.1% by mass to 20% by mass is preferable, 1% by mass to 18% by mass is more preferable, and 5% by mass to 15% by mass is still more preferable.

  The total content of the emulsifier in the emulsion composition of the present invention is 0.1% by mass to 30% by mass from the viewpoint of the fineness of the particle diameter, the storage stability of the fine particles, and the transparency of the emulsion composition. It is preferable that it is the range of 1 mass%-20 mass%.

[Other ingredients]
The emulsion composition of the present invention may contain the following components as other components. Each component should just be contained in the water phase or the oil phase according to each physical property.
(Polyhydric alcohol)
The emulsion composition of the present invention preferably contains a polyhydric alcohol from the viewpoints of particle size, stability, and antiseptic properties.
The polyhydric alcohol has a moisturizing function and a viscosity adjusting function. The polyhydric alcohol also has a function of reducing the interfacial tension between water and an oil and fat component, facilitating the widening of the interface, and facilitating the formation of fine and stable fine particles.
From the above, the emulsion composition contains a polyhydric alcohol from the viewpoint that the emulsion particle diameter can be further refined and can be stably maintained over a long period of time while the particle diameter is in a fine particle diameter state. preferable.
Moreover, the addition of a polyhydric alcohol can lower the water activity of the emulsion composition and suppress the growth of microorganisms.

The polyhydric alcohol that can be used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a dihydric or higher alcohol.
Examples of the polyhydric alcohol include glycerin, diglycerin, polyglycerin, 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol, 1,3-butylene glycol, isoprene glycol, polyethylene glycol, 1,2-pentanediol, 1, 2-hexanediol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, pentaerythritol, neopentyl glycol, maltitol, reduced starch syrup, sucrose, lactitol, palatinit, erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, xylose, glucose , Lactose, mannose, maltose, galactose, fructose, inositol, pentaerythritol, maltotriose, sorbi Lumpur, sorbitan, trehalose, starch degradation sugars, starch decomposing sugar reduced alcohol and the like, can be used in the form of a single or a plurality of kinds of mixtures.

  As the polyhydric alcohol, it is preferable to use a polyhydric alcohol having 3 or more hydroxyl groups in one molecule. Thereby, the interfacial tension between the aqueous solvent and the oil and fat component can be reduced more effectively, and finer and more stable fine particles can be formed. As a result, intestinal absorbability can be made higher for food use, and transdermal absorbability can be made higher for cosmetic use.

  Among the polyhydric alcohols that satisfy the above-described conditions, particularly when glycerin is used, the particle diameter of the emulsion becomes smaller, and it is preferable because the particle diameter is kept small and stable for a long period of time. .

The total content of the polyhydric alcohol is preferably 10% by mass to 60% by mass with respect to the emulsion composition from the viewpoint of the viscosity of the emulsion composition in addition to the particle size, stability and antiseptic properties described above. Preferably they are 20 mass%-55 mass%, More preferably, they are 30 mass%-50 mass%.
When the total content of the polyhydric alcohol is 10% by mass or more, it is preferable in that sufficient storage stability is easily obtained depending on the type and content of the fat and oil component. On the other hand, when the content of the polyhydric alcohol is 60% by mass or less, the maximum effect is obtained, and this is preferable because it is easy to suppress an increase in the viscosity of the emulsion composition.

<Radical scavenger>
The emulsion composition of the present invention may contain other antioxidant (radical scavenger) in addition to the above-described antioxidant. The radical scavenger is an additive that suppresses the generation of radicals and also captures the generated radicals as quickly as possible and plays a role in breaking the chain reaction (Source: “Oil Chemistry Handbook 4th Edition”, Japan Oil Chemists' Society). Ed. 2001).
As a direct method for confirming the function as the radical scavenger, there is known a method in which the state of trapping radicals by mixing with a reagent is measured by a spectrophotometer or an ESR (electron spin resonance apparatus). In these methods, DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) or galvinoxyl radical is used as a reagent.
In the present invention, the definition of “radical scavenger” is the same as the above-mentioned “antioxidant”.

Preferred radical scavengers include, for example, (I) ascorbic acid or erythorbic acid or a salt thereof, or a compound group consisting of an ascorbic acid derivative or an erythorbic acid derivative or a salt thereof, and (II) a compound group consisting of polyphenols. Mention may be made of at least one compound selected.
The content of the radical scavenger (antioxidant) in the powder composition of the present invention is generally 0.001 to 5.0% by mass, preferably 0.01 to 3.0% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 2.5% by mass.

(I) Ascorbic acid or erythorbic acid or salts thereof Ascorbic acid or ascorbic acid derivatives or salts thereof include L-ascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid Na, L-ascorbic acid K, L-ascorbic acid Ca, and L-ascorbic acid phosphorus Acid ester, magnesium salt of L-ascorbic acid phosphate, L-ascorbic acid sulfate, L-ascorbic acid sulfate disodium salt, L-ascorbic acid stearate, L-ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, the oil described above Examples include solubilized derivatives, L-ascorbyl palmitate, and tetraisopalmitate L-ascorbyl. Among these, L-ascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid Na, L-ascorbic acid stearate, L-ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, L-ascorbyl palmitate, magnesium salt of L-ascorbic acid phosphate, L-ascorbic acid sulfate disodium salt and L-ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate are particularly preferred.

  Examples of erythorbic acid or erythorbic acid derivatives or salts thereof include erythorbic acid, erythorbic acid Na, erythorbic acid K, erythorbic acid Ca, erythorbic acid phosphoric acid ester, erythorbic acid sulfuric acid ester, and the aforementioned oil-solubilized derivatives. Of these, erythorbic acid and erythorbic acid Na are particularly preferred.

  As the radical scavenger belonging to the compound group (I) used in the present invention, commercially available ones can be appropriately used. For example, L-ascorbic acid (Takeda Pharmaceutical, Fuso Chemical, BASF Japan, Daiichi Pharmaceutical, etc.), L-ascorbic acid Na (Takeda Pharmaceutical, Fuso Chemical, BASF Japan, Daiichi Pharmaceutical, etc.), Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside (Product name: AA-2G: Hayashibara Biochemical Research Institute), Mg as L-ascorbate phosphate (Product name: Ascorbic acid PM “SDK” (Showa Denko), Product name: NIKKOL VC-PMG (Nikko Chemicals), Product name: Seamate (Takeda) Pharmaceutical industry)), ascorbyl palmitate (DSM Nutrition Japan, Kongo Pharmaceutical, Merck, etc.).

(II) Compound group consisting of polyphenols As compound group consisting of polyphenols, flavonoids (catechin, anthocyanin, flavone, isoflavone, flavan, flavanone, rutin), phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, gallic acid, propyl gallate) ), Lignans, curcumins, coumarins and the like. Moreover, since these compounds are contained in a large amount in the following natural product-derived extracts, they can be used in the form of extracts.

  For example, licorice extract, cucumber extract, caquette extract, gentian (gentian) extract, Gentian extract, cholesterol and its derivatives, hawthorn extract, peonies extract, ginkgo biloba extract, scallop (Ogon) extract, carrot Extract, Maika (Maika, Hamanasu) extract, Sunpens (Kawara-Ketsumei) extract, Tormentilla extract, Parsley extract, Button (buttonpi) extract, Mokka (bokeh) extract, Melissa extract, Yashajitsu (Yasha) extract , Yukinoshita extract, Rosemary (mannenrou) extract, lettuce extract, tea extract (Oolong tea, black tea, green tea, etc.), microbial fermentation metabolites, Rakan fruit extract, etc. (in parentheses are plant aliases) , Herbal medicine name etc. were described.) Among these polyphenols, catechin, rosemary extract, glucosyl rutin, ellagic acid, and gallic acid are particularly preferable.

  As the radical scavenger belonging to the compound group (II) used in the present invention, commercially available ones can be appropriately used. For example, ellagic acid (Wako Pure Chemicals, etc.), rosemary extract (trade names RM-21A, RM-21E: Mitsubishi Chemical Foods, etc.), catechin (trade names Sancatol W-5, No. 1: Taiyo Kagaku, etc.) , Na gallate (trade name: Sancatol: Taiyo Kagaku, etc.), rutin, glucosylrutin, enzymatically-decomposed rutin (trade names: rutin K-2, P-10: Kiriya Chemical, trade name: αG rutin: Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratory ) And the like.

〔Particle size〕
The particle diameter of the dispersed particles contained in the emulsion composition of the present invention needs to be 1 nm to 200 nm in terms of volume average particle diameter, more preferably 120 nm or less, and most preferably 100 nm or less.
By setting the particle diameter (volume average particle diameter) of the dispersed particles to 200 nm or less, the transparency of foods, cosmetics and the like produced using the emulsion composition (emulsion) of the present invention is improved, and the body (digestion) Tube) It is preferable in terms of good absorbability and transdermal absorbability.

  The particle diameter of the dispersed particles contained in the emulsion composition of the present invention can be measured with a commercially available particle size distribution meter or the like. Emulsion particle size distribution measurement methods include optical microscopy, confocal laser microscopy, electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, static light scattering, laser diffraction, dynamic light scattering, centrifugal sedimentation, electricity A pulse measurement method, a chromatography method, an ultrasonic attenuation method, and the like are known, and apparatuses corresponding to the respective principles are commercially available.

In the present invention, it is preferable to use a dynamic light scattering method for measuring the particle size of the particles because of the particle size range and ease of measurement. As a commercially available measuring device using dynamic light scattering, Nanotrac UPA (Nikkiso Co., Ltd.), dynamic light scattering type particle size distribution measuring device LB-550 (Horiba, Ltd.), a concentrated particle size analyzer FPAR-1000 (Otsuka Electronics Co., Ltd.) etc. are mentioned.
The particle diameter in the present invention is a value measured using a concentrated particle size analyzer FPAR-1000 (Otsuka Electronics Co., Ltd.), and specifically, a value measured as follows is adopted.
The particle diameter is measured by diluting with pure water so that the concentration of the oil component is 1% by mass, and using a glass cell. The particle diameter can be obtained as the median diameter when the dispersion medium refractive index is set to 1.313 (pure water) and the dispersion medium viscosity is set to 0.8854 (pure water).

  In addition to the components of the emulsion composition described above, the particle size of the particles contained in the emulsion composition is the oil phase and water phase dissolution temperature and the stirring conditions (shearing force, temperature, pressure) in the emulsion composition production method described below. ), And can be refined by factors such as the ratio of the oil phase to the water phase.

<Method for producing emulsion composition>
The method for producing the emulsion composition of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, a) a nonionic emulsifier is dissolved in an aqueous medium (such as water) to obtain an aqueous phase, and b) two or more kinds Mixing and dissolving oily components containing carotenoids to obtain an oil phase, c) mixing the aqueous phase and the oil phase with stirring, emulsifying and dispersing, and obtaining an emulsion composition. A manufacturing method is preferred.
In particular, in the present invention, since two or more types of carotenoids are contained, the carotenoid contained in the oil phase is sufficiently dissolved by heat treatment at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point, and then mixed with the aqueous phase to emulsify. It is necessary to do.
The components contained in the oil phase and the aqueous phase in this production method are the same as the constituent components of the emulsion composition of the present invention described above, and preferred examples and preferred amounts are also the same, and preferred combinations are more preferred.

The ratio (mass) of the oil phase and the water phase in the above emulsification dispersion is not particularly limited, but the oil phase / water phase ratio (mass%) is 0.1 / 99.9 to 50/50. Preferably, 0.5 / 99.5 to 30/70 is more preferable, and 1/99 to 20/80 is still more preferable.
By setting the oil phase / water phase ratio to 0.1 / 99.9 or more, the active ingredient does not become low, and the practical problem of the emulsion composition tends not to occur, which is preferable. Further, by setting the oil phase / water phase ratio to 50/50 or less, the surfactant concentration does not become thin, and the emulsion stability of the emulsion composition tends not to deteriorate, which is preferable.

The emulsification dispersion may be performed by a one-step emulsification operation, but it is preferable to perform an emulsification operation of two or more steps from the viewpoint of obtaining uniform and fine particles.
Specifically, in addition to a one-step emulsification operation in which emulsification is performed using a normal emulsification apparatus (for example, stirrer, impeller stirring, homomixer, continuous flow shearing apparatus, etc.) using a shearing action, a high-pressure homogenizer, It is particularly preferable to use two or more types of emulsifying devices together by a method such as emulsification through an ultrasonic disperser or the like. By using a high-pressure homogenizer, the emulsion can be arranged into even more uniform droplets of fine particles. Further, it may be performed a plurality of times for the purpose of forming droplets having a more uniform particle diameter.

  As a useful method for making an emulsion fine, a surface chemical emulsification method such as a PIT emulsification method or a gel emulsification method is known. This method has the advantage that less energy is consumed, and is suitable for finely emulsifying a material that is easily deteriorated by heat.

  Moreover, as a general-purpose emulsification method, a method using mechanical force, that is, a method of breaking oil droplets by applying a strong shearing force from the outside is applied. The most common mechanical force is a high speed, high shear stirrer. As such a stirrer, what is called a homomixer, a disper mixer and an ultramixer are commercially available.

Moreover, there is a high-pressure homogenizer as another mechanical emulsification apparatus useful for miniaturization, and various apparatuses are commercially available. Since the high-pressure homogenizer can give a larger shearing force than the stirring method, it can be miniaturized even if the amount of the emulsifier is relatively small.
High-pressure homogenizers can be broadly classified into a chamber-type high-pressure homogenizer having a fixed throttle portion and a homogeneous valve-type high-pressure homogenizer that controls the opening of the throttle.
Examples of the chamber type high-pressure homogenizer include a microfluidizer (manufactured by Microfluidics), a nanomizer (manufactured by Yoshida Kikai Kogyo Co., Ltd.), an optimizer (manufactured by Sugino Machine Co., Ltd.), and the like.
The homogeneous valve type high-pressure homogenizer includes Gorin type homogenizer (manufactured by APV), Lanier type homogenizer (manufactured by Lanier), high-pressure homogenizer (manufactured by Niro Soabi), homogenizer (manufactured by Sanwa Machinery Co., Ltd.), high-pressure homogenizer ( Izumi Food Machinery Co., Ltd.), ultra-high pressure homogenizer (manufactured by Ika), and the like.

  There is an ultrasonic homogenizer as an emulsifying device which is a relatively energy efficient dispersion device and has a simple structure. Examples of high-power ultrasonic homogenizers that can be manufactured include ultrasonic homogenizers US-600, US-1200T, RUS-1200T, MUS-1200T (above, manufactured by Nippon Seiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.), ultrasonic processor UIP2000, UIP-4000, UIP-8000, UIP-16000 (above, manufactured by Heelscher) and the like. These high-power ultrasonic irradiation devices are used at a frequency of 25 kHz or less, preferably 15 to 20 kHz.

  As another known emulsifying means, a method using a static mixer, a microchannel, a micromixer, a membrane emulsifying apparatus or the like which does not have an external stirring unit and requires only low energy is also a useful method.

The temperature condition for emulsifying and dispersing in the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10 to 100 ° C. from the viewpoint of the stability of the functional oil component, and depending on the melting point of the functional oil component to be handled, A preferable range can be appropriately selected.
In the present invention, when a high-pressure homogenizer is used, the pressure is preferably 50 MPa or more, more preferably 50 to 280 MPa, still more preferably 100 to 280 MPa.
Moreover, it is preferable from the viewpoint of maintaining the particle size of the dispersed particles that the emulsified liquid, which is an emulsified and dispersed composition, is cooled through some cooler within 30 seconds, preferably within 3 seconds immediately after passing through the chamber.

The emulsion composition of the present invention can be widely used for food or cosmetics. Here, foods include beverages, frozen desserts, and cosmetics include skin cosmetics (skin lotion, cosmetic liquid, milky lotion, cream, etc.), lipsticks, sunscreen cosmetics, makeup cosmetics, However, it is not limited to these.
Moreover, the component which can be added to foodstuffs or cosmetics can be suitably added to the foodstuffs or cosmetics containing the emulsion composition of this invention as needed.

The amount of the emulsion composition of the present invention used for foods, cosmetics and the like varies depending on the type and purpose of the product and cannot be specified unconditionally, but is 0.01% by mass to 10% by mass with respect to the product, Preferably, it can be used in the range of 0.05 mass% to 5 mass%.
If the amount added is too small, the desired effect may not be achieved, and if it is too large, the excessively added emulsion composition may not contribute to the effect.
The emulsion composition of the present invention is used in particular for beverages (in the case of food), lotions, cosmetic liquids, emulsions, cream packs / masks, packs, hair-washing cosmetics, fragrance cosmetics, liquid body cleaning agents, UV care cosmetics, deodorant cosmetics, When used in aqueous products such as oral care cosmetics (in the case of cosmetics), a transparent product is obtained, and insoluble precipitates, precipitates or precipitates under severe conditions such as long-term storage or sterilization Occurrence of inconvenient phenomena such as neck ring can be suppressed.

  The food or cosmetic of the present invention can be obtained, for example, by mixing the emulsion composition of the present invention and components that can be added as necessary, by a conventional method.

<Powder composition>
A preferred application mode of the emulsion composition of the present invention is a powder composition. The powder composition of the present invention can be obtained by drying the carotenoid-containing composition containing the emulsion composition of the present invention and an excipient.

[Excipient]
The powder composition of the present invention contains an excipient for imparting tableting ability and granulation ability. As an excipient | filler, it may contain individually by 1 type or in combination of 2 or more types.
The excipient may be any commonly used water-soluble substance, such as glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, dextrin, maltodextrin, cyclodextrin, maltose, trehalose, gum arabic, guar gum, pectin, Monosaccharides and polysaccharides such as thickening polysaccharides such as pullulan; sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactose, maltotriitol, xylitol; inorganic salts such as sodium chloride and sodium sulfate; hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose Cellulose derivatives such as starch derivatives, starch derivatives obtained by esterification, etherification treatment, and terminal reduction treatment; processed starch, gelatin degradation products, agar, polyvinyl alcohol and the like. Among these, monosaccharides, polysaccharides, sugar alcohols, and inorganic salts are preferable from the viewpoint of solubility.

Among the excipients, polysaccharides are particularly preferable. Among the above polysaccharides, at least one polysaccharide selected from a fructose polymer and an oligomer comprising a sugar unit containing a fructose unit (hereinafter simply referred to as “fructose polymer”). Or “oligomer”) is more preferred.
Such fructose polymers or oligomers can protect the oil droplets during the pulverization process and storage of the powder composition, and as a result, the oil droplet size is kept fine and the oil droplets in the oil droplets are protected. The deterioration of the oil component can be reduced, and when the powder composition is redissolved in water, the water dispersibility of the oil component can be improved, and the transparency after re-dissolution can be improved.

The fructose polymer or oligomer in the present invention refers to a polymer or oligomer composed of a saccharide unit containing fructose (fructose) as a repeating unit and a plurality of saccharide units bonded by dehydration condensation. In the present invention, those having less than 20 sugar repeating units containing fructose units are called fructose oligomers, and those having 20 or more sugar units are called fructose polymers.
The number of repeating sugar units is preferably 2 to 60, more preferably 4 to 20 from the viewpoints of drying suitability and refinement of oil droplets during re-dissolution. If the number of repetitions (the degree of polymerization of fructose) is 2 or more, the hygroscopicity is not too strong, and it can effectively prevent the recovery rate from adhering to the drying container during the drying process, On the other hand, when the number is 60 or less, it is possible to effectively prevent the coarsening of the oil droplet diameter during re-dissolution of water.

In addition to fructose, the fructose polymer or oligomer may contain other monosaccharides at the molecular ends or chains. Other monosaccharide units that can be included here include glucose (glucose), galactose, mannose, idose, altrose, gulose, talose, allose, xylose, arabinose, lyxose, ribose, threose, erythrose, erythrulose, xylulose, There are ribulose, psicose, sorbose, tagatose, etc., but it is not limited thereto. Among these monosaccharides, glucose is preferable from the viewpoint of availability. In addition, it is preferable that the binding position is present at the end of the fructose chain from the viewpoint of refinement of oil droplets during re-dissolution.
When saccharides other than fructose are included, the content ratio is 50% or less, preferably 30% or less, in terms of the degree of polymerization with respect to the number of fructose units from the viewpoint of drying suitability and refinement of oil droplets during re-dissolution.

Inulin is mentioned as a water-soluble packaging agent preferably used in the present invention from the viewpoints of storage stability of dyes and availability. Inulin in the present invention refers to a fructose polymer or fructose oligomer having one glucose at the end. Inulin is widely known to exist in nature, and is abundant in chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, dahlia, garlic, leek, onion and the like. Details of inulin are described in the Handbook of Hydrocolloids, GOPhillips, PAWilliams Ed., 397-403, (2000) CRC Press. Generally, the chain length is expressed with G as the glucose unit and F as the fructose unit. The inulin of the present invention does not include sucrose represented by GF.
Inulin, which is usually extracted from nature, is a polymer or oligomer ranging from GF2 (kestose), GF3 (nystose), GF4 (fructosylnystose) to about GF60, or a mixture thereof.

In the present invention, inulin can be extracted from hot roots such as chicory, Jerusalem artichoke and dahlia, extracted from hot water, concentrated and spray-dried for sale. Examples of this include Frutafit extracted from chicory root (manufactured by SENSSUS), Beneo (Orafuti) also extracted from chicory root, Dahlia root-derived reagent (Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., Sigma), chicory root extraction A reagent (Sigma) etc. can be mentioned.
In addition, the fructose oligomers and polymers in the present invention can include those prepared from sucrose (sucrose) using the fructan transfer activity of β-fructofuranosidase. Examples of this include Fuji FF (Fuji Nippon Seika Co., Ltd.) and GF2 (Meiji Seika Co., Ltd.).

The inulin used in the present invention is preferably 2 to 60 in terms of the number of fructose repetitions (degree of polymerization) from the viewpoint of refinement of oil droplets during re-dissolution, and more preferably to the apparatus during spray drying. From the viewpoint of adhesion and solubility in water, the degree of polymerization of fructose is 4-20.
The fructose polymer or oligomer of the present invention is preferably added during emulsification, but part or all of the fructose polymer or oligomer can also be added after emulsification.

  In addition, other water-soluble polymers and oligomers may be used in combination with the fructose polymer or oligomer. Examples of other water-soluble polymers and oligomers include agarose, starch, carrageenan, gelatin, xanthan gum, gellan gum, galactomannan, casein, tragand gum, xyloglucan, β-glucan, curdlan, water-soluble soybean fiber, chitosan, alginic acid, alginic acid Although an atrium etc. are mentioned, it is not limited to these.

The content of the excipient in the powder composition of the present invention is 1 to 50 times the total mass of the oil component in the powder composition of the present invention from the viewpoint of shape maintenance and solubility. More preferably, it is 1.5 times or more and 10 times or less, and most preferably 2 times or more and 5 times or less.
When the fructose polymer or oligomer is used in combination with other water-soluble polymers and oligomers, the blending amount of the fructose polymer or oligomer is the total amount of the excipient from the viewpoint of refining oil droplets during re-dissolution. It can be made into 50 mass%-100 mass%, and it is still more preferable that it is 70 mass%-100 mass%.

  In addition to the above components, the powder composition of the present invention may be used in combination with other components that can be used for food, pharmaceuticals, etc., depending on the purpose, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Good.

<Production method of powder composition>
The powder composition of the present invention can be obtained by first producing a carotenoid-containing composition containing the above-described emulsion composition of the present invention and an excipient, and drying the composition.
That is, in the preparation of the above-described emulsion composition, a method for producing a powder composition includes a step of obtaining an emulsion composition (carotenoid-containing composition) containing an excipient (emulsification step), and drying the obtained emulsion composition. Including a process (drying process).
The excipient in the emulsification step may be added to the aqueous phase in advance before the emulsification step or may be added after the emulsification, but is added to the aqueous phase before emulsification from the viewpoint of including oil droplets. It is preferable. The details of the emulsification step are as described above in the method for producing an emulsion composition.

The oil-in-water emulsion composition obtained by emulsification is then dried and powdered in a drying step.
In the present oil-in-water emulsion composition, the functional oil component is included in the water-soluble emulsifying agent, so that an easily water-dispersible dry powder can be obtained by drying the emulsion. As a result, it can be set as the functional powder by which the fine oil droplet state of the functional oil component was hold | maintained.

  In addition, since the powder composition obtained by the method for producing a functional powder of the present invention removes most of the water in the emulsion, it prevents coarsening due to coalescence of oil droplets, hydrolysis of the functional oil component, etc. It is possible to prevent deterioration due to, and to prevent corruption and fouling during storage. Moreover, since it can reduce in weight by obtaining functional powder by removing the water | moisture content in an emulsion, it becomes possible to reduce a transportation cost significantly.

As the drying means, known drying means can be used, and examples thereof include natural drying, heat drying, hot air drying, high frequency drying, ultrasonic drying, reduced pressure drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying, and spray drying. These means may be used singly or in combination of two or more kinds.
In the present invention, since functional materials that are relatively weak against heat are often contained, vacuum drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying, and spray drying are preferable. Moreover, although it is one of vacuum drying, the method of drying in vacuum (reduced pressure), maintaining the temperature below 0 degreeC or more freezing temperature is also preferable.
In the case of vacuum drying or vacuum drying, it is preferable to dry while repeating the concentration while gradually increasing the degree of vacuum to avoid scattering of the emulsion due to bumping.

As a means for drying the emulsion composition (carotenoid-containing composition) of the present invention, freeze drying in which water is removed by sublimating ice from a frozen material is preferable. In this freeze-drying method, the drying process usually proceeds at 0 ° C. or less, usually from about −20 ° C. to −50 ° C., so that the material does not undergo thermal denaturation, and the taste, color, nutritional value, shape in the condensate process A great merit is that the texture and the like can be easily restored to the state before drying.
Examples of commercially available freeze dryers include freeze dryer VD-800F (Tytec Corporation), Flexi Dry MP (FTS Systems), Duratop Durastop (FTS Systems), Takara Vacuum Freeze Dryer Type A (Takara ATM Co., Ltd.), desktop freeze dryer FD-1000 (Tokyo Rika Kikai Co., Ltd.), vacuum freeze dryer FD-550 (Tokyo Rika Kikai Co., Ltd.), vacuum freeze dryer (Takara Manufacturing Co., Ltd.) ) And the like, but are not limited thereto.

  In the present invention, the spray drying method is particularly preferable as a drying means from the viewpoint of achieving both production efficiency and quality. Spray drying is a type of convection hot air drying. The liquid emulsion is sprayed as fine particles of several hundreds μm or less in hot air, and is recovered as a solid powder by falling inside the tower while being dried. The material is temporarily exposed to hot air, but because the exposure time is very short and the temperature does not rise excessively due to the latent heat of vaporization of water, heat denaturation of the material is unlikely to occur as in freeze-drying. Changes due to water are also small. In the case of a material that is very sensitive to heat, it is possible to supply cold air instead of hot air. In that case, although a drying capability falls, it is preferable at the point which can implement | achieve milder drying.

Examples of commercially available spray dryers include spray dryer SD-1000 (Tokyo Rika Kikai Co., Ltd.), spray dryer L-8i (Okawara Chemical Co., Ltd.), and closed spray dryer CL-12 (Okawara Kako). ), Spray dryer ADL310 (Yamato Scientific Co., Ltd.), mini spray dryer B-290 (Buch), PJ-MiniMax (Powdering Japan), PHARMASD (Niro), etc. It is not limited to this.
Further, for example, fluidized bed granulator / dryer MP-01 (Paulec Co., Ltd.), fluidized bed built-in spray dryer FSD (Niro Co., Ltd.), etc. It is also preferable to use a device that can perform drying and granulation at the same time and form a granule that is excellent in handleability simultaneously with drying.

  The powder composition of the present invention has a property of restoring water, that is, restoring the state of the emulsion before drying when re-dissolved (re-dispersed) in water.

  The particle size of the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention can be measured with a commercially available particle size distribution meter or the like, as described in the emulsion composition.

  In the powder composition of the present invention, after drying using the drying device, the oil droplet diameter when the aqueous solution is 1% by mass (at the time of re-dissolution) is from the viewpoint of transparency and absorbency. It is preferably 30 nm or more and 200 nm or less, and more preferably 30 nm or more and 130 nm or less, and most preferably 30 nm or more and 90 nm or less from the viewpoint of transparency.

  The powder composition of the present invention provides an emulsion composition having a good carotenoid absorbability. For this reason, it can be preferably applied to food compositions, cosmetic compositions, and pharmaceutical compositions.

The powder composition of the present invention can be stored for a long time as a powder. In particular, it can be redissolved to dissolve in water-soluble products such as beverages (in the case of food), lotions, cosmetics, emulsions, cream packs / masks, packs, hair washing When used for cosmetics, fragrance cosmetics, liquid body cleansers, UV care cosmetics, deodorant cosmetics, oral care cosmetics (in the case of cosmetics), etc., a transparent product is obtained.
Especially when used in foods, it can be stored for a long time as a powdered food, and when dissolved in an aqueous medium, it becomes a dispersion composition having fine dispersed particles and excellent transparency, and good carotenoid absorption Can also be shown.

Here, the form of the functional food of the present invention includes not only general foods such as nutrition drinks, nourishing tonics, palatability drinks, frozen desserts, but also nutritional supplements in the form of tablets, granules, capsules, etc. However, it is not limited to these examples.
The functional food of the present invention can be obtained by mixing the powder composition of the present invention and an optional component that can be added to achieve a desired object by a conventional method.

When used as a functional food, the amount of the powder composition of the present invention varies depending on the type and purpose of the product and cannot be specified unconditionally, but is 0.01 to 10% by mass, preferably Can be added and used so that it may become the range of 0.05-5 mass%.
If the added amount is 0.01% by mass or more, the desired effect can be expected, and if it is 10% by mass or less, the appropriate effect can often be exhibited efficiently.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example demonstrates this invention, this invention is not limited to this.

<Example 1>
Emulsion composition EM-1 (containing 0.5% astaxanthin and 0.5% lutein) was prepared by the following composition and the following production method.
Composition 1
(1) Haematococcus alga pigment (astaxanthin content 20% by mass) 2.5% by mass
(ASTOTS-S: Takeda Paper Co., Ltd.)
(2) Marigold dye (Lutein content 40% by mass) 1.2% by mass
(Lutein-P80: manufactured by Oriza Oil Co., Ltd.)
(3) Mixed tocopherol 1.0% by mass
(RIKEN E Oil 800: Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)
(4) Lecithin (Resion P: manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 1.0% by mass
(5) Coconut oil (Coconard MT: manufactured by Kao Corporation) 9.3% by mass
(6) Sucrose stearate 3.3 mass%
(Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1670: manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
(7) Polyglyceryl oleate-10 6.7% by mass
(NIKKOL Decaglyn 1-O: manufactured by Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd.)
(8) Glycerin 45.0% by mass
(9) Purified water 30.0% by mass

(Manufacturing method)
(A) The above components (1) to (5) are weighed in a container, heated and mixed with stirring in a thermostatic bath at 70 ° C., confirmed to be well mixed, and kept at 70 ° C. to obtain a mixture A It was.
(B) The above components (6) to (9) are weighed in a container, heated and mixed with stirring in a thermostatic bath at 70 ° C., confirmed to be well mixed, and kept at 70 ° C. to obtain a mixture B It was.
(C) The mixture A was added to the mixture B, mixed, and uniformly emulsified. As the emulsifier, a homogenizer (manufactured by SMT) was used, and the mixture was stirred at 10,000 rpm for 5 minutes to obtain a mixture C.
(D) The mixture C was emulsified using a high-pressure homogenizer (Ultimizer HJP-25003: manufactured by Sugino Machine Co., Ltd.) at a pressure of 245 MPa and a liquid temperature of 60 ° C. to obtain an emulsion composition EM-1.

<Example 2>
Of the compositions described in Example 1, (2) Marigold pigment was changed to tomato pigment (Lyc-O-Mato 15%: manufactured by Rico Red Co., Ltd.), and the amount of pigment added and (5) of coconut oil Emulsion composition EM-2 (containing 0.5% astaxanthin and 0.5% lycopene) was obtained in the same manner as emulsion composition EM-1, except that the amount added was changed to the amount shown in Table 1 below. .

< Reference Example 3>
In the composition described in Example 1, the Haematococcus alga pigment of (1) is changed to the tomato pigment used in Example 2, and the mass% of the pigment and (5) the amount of coconut oil added are shown in Table 1 below. The emulsion composition EM-3 (containing 0.5% lutein and 0.5% lycopene) was obtained in the same manner as the emulsion composition EM-1 except that the composition was changed as described above.

<Comparative Example 1>
Among the compositions described in Example 1, emulsion composition EM-1 except that (2) marigold dye was not added and (5) the amount of coconut oil added was changed as shown in Table 1 below. In the same manner as above, an emulsion composition EM-4 (astaxanthin 0.5%, alone) was obtained.
<Comparative example 2>
Among the compositions described in Example 1, emulsion composition EM- was prepared except that (1) Haematococcus alga pigment was not added and (5) the amount of coconut oil was changed as shown in Table 1 below. In the same manner as in Example 1, emulsion composition EM-5 (Lutein 0.5%, alone) was obtained.

<Comparative Example 3>
Among the compositions described in Example 2, the emulsion composition EM- was prepared except that (1) Haematococcus alga pigment was not added and (5) the amount of coconut oil was changed as shown in Table 1 below. In the same manner as in Example 2, an emulsion composition EM-6 (lycopene 0.5%, alone) was obtained.

<Evaluation>
(Particle diameter)
About the sample which melt | dissolved 0.1 g of emulsion compositions (EM-1 to EM-6) obtained above in 9.9 g of water, a cumulative 50% particle diameter was measured using a particle size distribution meter (FPAR-1000: manufactured by Otsuka Electronics Co., Ltd.). ). The results are shown in Table 1 above. The unit of the numerical value of the particle diameter in Table 1 is nm.

(Rat Oral Administration-Blood Concentration Evaluation Test)
Using the prepared emulsion compositions (EM-1 to EM-6), a rat oral administration-blood concentration evaluation test was performed.
Each composition was orally administered to male 8-week-old Crl: CD (SD) rats (Nippon Charles River Co., Ltd.) so that each carotenoid dose was 10 mg / kg (n = 4 for each group). After 1 to 24 hours, 0.4 ml of blood was collected. The collected blood was centrifuged, 0.1 ml of the supernatant plasma was taken out, carotenoids in the plasma were extracted with an organic solvent, and quantified by HPLC. From this result, the relationship between the time from administration to blood collection and the carotenoid concentration in plasma was graphed, and AUC (area under the blood concentration-time curve, 0 to 8 hours) was determined for each administration composition.
For each carotenoid AUC thus obtained, relative values for each example were calculated when the AUC value in the comparative example was defined as 100. The results are shown in Table 2 below. The larger this value, the higher the active ingredient concentration in the blood.

From the above results, each of the emulsion compositions of the present invention in the examples is improved in both the blood concentrations of each carotenoid compared to Comparative Examples 1 to 3 which are emulsion compositions containing each carotenoid alone. Therefore, it was found that by using an emulsion composition containing at least two or more types of carotenoids, the emulsion composition containing only one type of carotenoid has an excellent property of improving the absorption efficiency of carotenoids.

Claims (10)

An oil phase containing two or more carotenoids, wherein the content of the other carotenoid is 30 parts by mass or more and 100 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the carotenoid contained at the maximum among the two or more carotenoids. And an aqueous phase , wherein the two or more carotenoids contain astaxanthin, and the oil phase further contains fats and oils . The emulsion composition according to claim 1, wherein the carotenoid other than astaxanthin among the two or more carotenoids is at least one selected from lutein and lycopene.   3. The emulsion composition according to claim 1, wherein the content of the two or more carotenoids relative to the total amount of the emulsion composition is 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less.   The emulsion composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fat is a medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride. The emulsion composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein a particle diameter of the oil phase is 1 nm or more and 200 nm or less.   Furthermore, the emulsion composition of any one of Claims 1-5 containing the at least 1 sort (s) of emulsifier selected from the group which consists of polyglyceryl fatty acid ester and sucrose fatty acid ester. Furthermore, the emulsion composition of any one of Claims 1-6 containing antioxidant. Furthermore emulsion composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7 containing phospholipids. The powder composition obtained by drying the carotenoid containing composition containing the emulsion composition and excipient | filler of any one of Claims 1-8 . The powder composition according to claim 9 , wherein the excipient is inulin.