JP5986793B2 - Method for producing savory extract - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing a savory extract having improved processability to foods while retaining the flavor characteristics and physiologically active functions of the savory, and a savory extract produced by the production method. That is, the present invention relates to a method for producing a savory extract that has both a good flavor and an excellent function and is optimal for various foods and drinks.

The savory plant of Lamiaceae, which has been used as a medicinal herb for many years, has excellent bioactive function and excellent cooking ability with some ingredients, but it has a bitter taste and hay-like miscellaneous taste. It was not widely used for various processed foods.
Savory seen as a medicinal herb is said to have various physiological effects such as digestion promotion, mental retardation, asthma, bronchitis, stomatitis, toothache. Both rosmarinic acid, a kind of polyphenol contained in savory, and carvacrol, an essential oil component, have excellent antioxidant action.
In particular, rosmarinic acid has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory action, a carcinogenesis-inhibiting action, an allergy alleviating action and the like in addition to the antioxidant action (Non-patent Document 1). Furthermore, recently, it has been reported that savory has an effect of improving cold symptoms (Non-patent Document 2).

Therefore, it has been proposed to take advantage of the useful physiologically active function of savory to add savory to various foods and drinks to enhance the functionality of the food and drinks and to take in excellent medicinal ingredients.
However, savory has a unique strong fragrance and an pungent pungent taste, as well as a slight resin odor and an off-flavor such as bittersweet bitterness and withered odor. For this reason, it could not be used for any food, it was only used to remove the smell of herbal teas, meat dishes and egg dishes, and to add flavor to bean dishes.

On the other hand, in the field of food flavors, various methods have been developed to obtain high-quality extracts or flavors by extracting good aromas and flavors of raw materials at high titers (for example, Patent Document 1). However, since these conventional methods have no selectivity for flavor components, there remains a problem in that even miscellaneous tastes and undesirable components contained in the material are extracted (for example, liquid color and precipitation).
In addition, with the aim of alleviating the irritation inherent in ginger, the viscous and colored components in ginger oleoresin are selectively removed to eliminate only unnecessary components such as irritants and improve irritation. Attempts have also been made (for example, Patent Document 2).

However, miscellaneous tastes and undesirable components contained in plant materials and their contents differ from plant material to plant material, and in order to selectively remove undesirable components, different improvement methods must be taken for each plant material. I had to.
Therefore, even if the conventional method is applied to savory, it is difficult to exclude only unnecessary components while leaving preferable savory flavor characteristics and bioactive functions.

JP-A-11-189539 JP 2007-55929 A

"Functions of Spices and Herbs and Latest Applied Technology", CMC Publishing Co., Ltd., published on January 26, 2011, pp. 61-65 Hideki Masuda et al., "Effects of Winter Savory (Satureja Montana L.) on Peripheral Body Temperature of People Who Experience a Feeling of Cold (Hie-sho)", Food Sci. Technol. Res., 17 (5), 429 -436, 2011

  The object of the present invention is to selectively remove unpleasant tastes and odors such as bitter taste and dead grass-like miscellaneous taste while maintaining the excellent characteristics contained in the savory of the plant body such as rich flavor and useful physiologically active function. An object of the present invention is to provide a savory extract with improved flavor and taste that can be easily used in a wide range of foods and drinks.

The inventors of the present invention have made extensive studies to solve the above problems.
By optimizing the concentration of carvacrol, the main aromatic component that characterizes the flavor of savory, and the concentration of rosmarinic acid, the main antioxidant component that characterizes the functionality of savory, It has been found that an improved savory extract can be produced.
A fraction containing highly volatile carvacrol, which is a major aromatic component, can be obtained by steam distillation of savory. On the other hand, a fraction containing the main antioxidant component and non-volatile rosmarinic acid can be obtained by further hot water extraction of the savory residue after steam distillation.

Therefore, when the savory flavor was analyzed, it was found that some resin odors, bittersweet bitterness, and wilt odors that were felt as savory aftertaste were present in the fraction containing rosmarinic acid. It was found that the causative substances (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “contaminants”) of resin odor, bittersweet, and withered odor are mostly contained in the fractions insoluble in 75% ethanol aqueous solution. (See “Test Example 1” below.)
From the above detailed examination, it was possible to identify a fraction containing a large amount of impurities that are savory off-flavors.

Based on the above findings, unpleasant taste and odor components contained in savory can be selectively removed, and the present invention has been completed.
That is, the present invention
(1) Step 1 for recovering a condensate containing a savory volatile aroma component containing carvacrol as a component, obtained by steam distillation of a savory plant;
(2) Step 2 of recovering an extract containing rosmarinic acid as a component by extracting the savory plant residue after recovering the aromatic component in Step 1 with an aqueous solvent;
(3) a) Step a in which an ethanol aqueous solution is added to the condensate in Step 1, and after cooling, solid-liquid separation is performed to obtain an ethanol-soluble component a;
b) Step 3 including the step b of obtaining the ethanol-soluble component b by adding an aqueous ethanol solution to the extract of Step 2 and performing solid-liquid separation after cooling;
(4) Step 4 of mixing the ethanol-soluble component a and the ethanol-soluble component b obtained in Step 3;
Is a method for producing a savory extract (Production Method 1).

Moreover, this invention is the manufacturing method of the savory extract which replaced the said process 3 and the process 4 with the following processes 3 and 4 (manufacturing method 2).
(3) Step 3 of mixing the condensate recovered in Step 1 and the extract recovered in Step 2;
(4) Step 4 in which only an ethanol-soluble component is obtained by adding an ethanol aqueous solution to the extract mixed in Step 3, followed by cooling and solid-liquid separation.

Furthermore, since the savory impurities are in the fraction containing rosmarinic acid, the same effect can be achieved even if the timing for removing the impurities is variously adjusted.
That is, this invention is the manufacturing method of the savory extract which replaced the said process 3 and the process 4 with the following processes 3 and 4 (manufacturing method 3).
(3) Step 3 of obtaining an ethanol-soluble component by adding an aqueous ethanol solution to the extract of Step 2 and performing solid-liquid separation after cooling;
(4) Step 4 of mixing the condensate obtained in Step 1 and the ethanol-soluble component obtained in Step 3

Moreover, this invention is the manufacturing method of the savory extract which replaced the said process 3 and the process 4 with the following processes 3 and 4 (manufacturing method 4).
(3) Step 3 of adding an aqueous ethanol solution to either the condensate of Step 1 or the extract of Step 2;
(4) The ethanol aqueous solution in step 3 and the coagulated liquid in step 1 or the extract in step 2 to which no ethanol aqueous solution was added were mixed, cooled, and subjected to solid-liquid separation, so that ethanol-soluble components were obtained. Including step 4

  Furthermore, the present invention is a savory extract obtained by the above production method, wherein the ratio of carvacrol and rosmarinic acid contained therein is adjusted to 100: 1 to 0.4: 1 by mass ratio. It is a featured savory extract.

  Moreover, this invention is the food / beverage products to which the said savory extract was added, and also the density | concentration of rosmarinic acid is adjusted to 0.0044% or less.

In the production method of the present invention, an ethanol-insoluble fraction is fractionated from a condensate obtained by steam distillation, and a fraction containing a large amount of carvacrol, which is a savory aroma main component, is recovered. Therefore, the savory extract produced has a fragrant flavor.
In the production method of the present invention, a residue containing a large amount of rosmarinic acid, which is a main physiologically active substance, is recovered by extracting the residue after steam distillation with an aqueous solvent. Therefore, the savory extract produced has a high bioactive function and is useful.
In the production method of the present invention, the ethanol-insoluble fraction containing the off-flavor contaminants is separated to remove bitterness and hay-like miscellaneous taste. It can be used.

  Therefore, it has become possible to produce a savory extract with less off-flavor and maximizing the content of carvacrol and rosmarinic acid. Furthermore, the fraction containing carvacrol and the fraction containing rosmarinic acid can be blended in accordance with the desired taste, and there is also an advantage that subtle flavor variations can be prepared.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail according to embodiments.
[1] Ingredients Savory, a raw material of the savory extract of the present invention, is a plant belonging to the family Lamiaceae originating in the Mediterranean region, and is an annual herbaceous summer savory (Saturqa hortensis L.) having a height of 10 to 50 cm. And Sekine Grass Winter Savory (S.montana L.).
Summer savory is also called “Kidachiha mint” because its leaves grow and grow, and its production is large. Savory usually refers to summer savory. Summer savory is produced in Canada, Germany, England, etc., mainly in France, Spain, Morocco. It is cultivated mainly in California in the United States.
Winter savory is produced in Germany, Hungary, the former Soviet Union, Italy, etc. mainly in Yugoslavia and Spain.

The special component of summer savory and winter savory essential oils is carvacrol (carvacro1), and thymol, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, etc. Although it is not, it is generally said that summer savory is higher in fragrance evaluation.
Sabo leaf flavor is used as a flavoring agent for seasoning in addition to flavoring ingredients for blends such as sauces, seasonings, canned products, pickles, vinegar, and meat processing. When adding to these, it is important to use it so as not to impair palatability with other blended fragrances or additives and raw materials used.
In the present invention, both summer savory and winter savory can be used as raw materials. The summer savory is preferably a dried product with a lot of leaves at the time of cocoon around July to August, while the winter savory is preferably the whole plant in the flowering period.

[2] Method for producing savory extract (1) Step 1
Step 1 is a step of steam-distilling the dried product of the savory plant body and collecting a condensate containing a savory volatile aroma component containing carvacrol as one component.
The steam distillation method is a method in which water vapor is passed through a raw material, and the aromatic component distilled off accompanying the water vapor is condensed together with the water vapor. Any distillation means such as pressure steam distillation or vacuum steam distillation can be employed.
Specifically, for example, steam is blown from the bottom of a steam distillation kettle charged with a dried savory material, and the distillate vapor is cooled by a cooler connected to the upper distillate side. A distillate containing a natural aromatic component can be collected.

If necessary, a volatile fragrance component having a lower boiling point can be reliably collected by connecting a cold trap using a refrigerant to the end of the fragrance collection device. In this invention, it is preferable to introduce | transduce a vapor | steam of 60-100 degreeC into a distillation apparatus in a normal pressure or pressure reduction state.
In addition, since the oil (essential oil component) contained in the savory is distilled by steam distillation, the recovered condensate is separated into an oil layer part and an aqueous layer part. Since carvacrol is slightly soluble in water and most of it is present in the oil layer, it is more efficient to separate only the oil layer part and apply to the next step at this stage, but in the present invention the water layer part is mixed. Will not cause any problems.

  In addition, when steam distillation is performed, distillation in the presence of an inert gas such as nitrogen gas and / or an antioxidant such as vitamin C can effectively prevent deterioration due to heating of aroma components. It is. Steam distillation has the merit that each component can be distilled at a temperature considerably lower than the boiling point, promotes evaporation of the low boiling point component, and prevents alteration at high temperature. Accordingly, not only low-boiling components but also high-boiling components can be efficiently collected from savory components without being affected by alteration due to temperature.

The molecular weight of carvacrol, which is the main aromatic component contained in savory, is 150.21 and the boiling point is 236-237 ° C., and carvacrol contained in savory can be efficiently taken out by steam distillation.
In the present invention, an ordinary steam distiller is used, and steam at 100 ° C. at normal pressure is preferably introduced into the distiller at a space velocity (SV) of 130 to 610 h ⁻¹ , particularly preferably 190 to 410 h ^−1. It is preferable to perform distillation and then cool to 5 to 20 ° C. with a condenser to obtain a condensate.

In addition, it can replace with a normal steam distillation apparatus, and can also use the gas-liquid countercurrent contact apparatus which is the improved type of a steam distillation apparatus, especially a spinning cone column (SCC) extraction apparatus (rotating cone type countercurrent contact apparatus). .
The gas-liquid countercurrent contact extraction method can be carried out by various methods known per se, and for example, a method of extraction using an apparatus described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-22646 can be adopted.

  The means for recovering fragrance using this apparatus will be described in detail. On the rotating cone of the gas-liquid countercurrent contact extraction apparatus having a structure in which rotating cones and fixed cones are alternately combined, a liquid or paste-like raw material is used. Can be flown down from the upper part, and the steam is raised from the lower part, and a method of recovering the aromatic component originally present in the raw material can be exemplified. The operating conditions of the gas-liquid countercurrent contact extraction apparatus can be arbitrarily selected depending on the processing capacity of the apparatus, the type and concentration of the raw material, the intensity of the aroma, and the like.

(2) Step 2
Step 2 is a step of obtaining an extract containing rosmarinic acid as one component by extracting the savory plant residue after the fragrance component was recovered in Step 1 with an aqueous solvent, preferably water.
The amount of the aqueous solvent to be used is not particularly limited, but is usually preferably 0.3 to 3 parts by mass, particularly preferably 0.5 to 2 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of the savory dry product. . When the amount of the solvent is less than 0.3 parts by weight with respect to 1 part by weight of the dried plant body, the extraction may not be sufficient depending on the type of the solvent. On the other hand, when the amount of the solvent exceeds 3 parts by weight, it is economical. May not be advantageous.

  As an extraction method, the savory plant residue can be obtained as it is or by immersing the pulverized product in water, or by stirring under heating (range from room temperature to 100 ° C.). The extraction operation is preferably performed at a temperature of 50 to 95 ° C., particularly preferably with hot water of 80 to 95 ° C., for example, 95 ° C. hot water is sprayed over the savory plant residue over 30 to 60 minutes, and the extract is applied. The method of obtaining is mentioned.

The molecular weight of rosmarinic acid, which is the main physiologically active ingredient (medicinal ingredient) contained in savory, is 360.31, and the melting point is 171 to 175 ° C. Therefore, steam distillation does not distill together with aroma components such as carvacrol and can be taken out by the hot water extraction operation in this step.
The obtained extract can be used in the next step as it is, but before that, it is preferable to clarify the extract using diatomaceous earth or the like.

(3) Process 3
Step 3 includes steps a and b. In step a, an ethanol aqueous solution is added to the condensate obtained in step 1 to precipitate an ethanol-insoluble component, which is cooled and subjected to solid-liquid separation. It is the step of recovering component a.
On the other hand, stage b is a stage in which the ethanol-soluble component b is recovered by adding an aqueous ethanol solution to the extract obtained in step 2 to precipitate an ethanol-insoluble component and cooling to perform solid-liquid separation. It should be noted that the order in which the steps a and b are performed is not limited, and either one may be performed first and the other may be performed later, or may be performed simultaneously.
The aqueous ethanol solution used in step a and step b preferably has an ethanol concentration of 50 to 90% (w / w), particularly preferably 70 to 80% (w / w).
Note that the concentration of the aqueous ethanol solution to be added may be the same or different in the stage a and the stage b.

Most of the contaminants that cause the slight odor of savory, bittersweet, and withered odor are presumed to be high molecular weight polysaccharides but dissolve in water, but not in ethanol. Therefore, by adding a high-purity ethanol aqueous solution, impurities that have already been dissolved gradually precipitate and precipitate.
Precipitation / precipitation of such impurities is likely to occur at a lower temperature. Therefore, it is preferably cooled to −15 to 0 ° C., particularly preferably −10 to −5 ° C., and solid-liquid separation means such as filtration or centrifugation is performed. It is possible to separate only ethanol-soluble components efficiently and with high purity.
The ethanol-soluble component a obtained in step a contains abundant savory aromas (aromatic components) including carvacrol, but impurities have been removed. On the other hand, the ethanol-soluble component b obtained in step b contains abundant rosmarinic acid, but impurities are similarly removed.

(4) Step 4
Step 4 is a step of obtaining the target savory extract by mixing the ethanol-soluble component a and the ethanol-soluble component b obtained in Step 3. Since both components are in the form of an ethanol aqueous solution, they can be easily mixed in a uniform state by a normal stirring operation.
A fraction containing carvacrol (ethanol-soluble component a) and a fraction containing rosmarinic acid (ethanol-soluble component b) can be blended at an arbitrary ratio according to the desired taste.
However, when the amount of rosmarinic acid is large, the bitter astringency and the unpleasant odor of phenyl-like and vinyl-like odors become strong, so considering the flavor tolerance, the ratio of carvacrol and rosmarinic acid in the savory extract It is desirable to mix so that is adjusted to a mass ratio of preferably 100: 1 to 0.4: 1, particularly preferably 50: 1 to 2: 1.

(5) Production method of savory extract by production method 2 As a production method of another aspect, in step 3 following steps 1 and 2, the condensate recovered in step 1 and the extract recovered in step 2 are mixed. Then, in Step 4, there is a production method 2 in which an ethanol aqueous solution is added to the extract mixed in Step 3, and after cooling, solid-liquid separation is performed to recover only ethanol-soluble components.

That is, production method 2 is as follows.
“In producing savory extract from savory plants,
(1) Step 1 of recovering a condensate obtained by steam distillation of a savory plant, containing a volatile scent component of savory containing carvacrol as one component;
(2) Step 2 of recovering an extract containing rosmarinic acid as a component by extracting the savory plant residue after recovering the aromatic component in Step 1 with an aqueous solvent;
(3) Step 3 of mixing the condensate recovered in Step 1 and the extract recovered in Step 2;
(4) Step 4 in which only an ethanol-soluble component is obtained by adding an aqueous ethanol solution to the extract mixed in Step 3 and performing solid-liquid separation after cooling;
The manufacturing method of the savory extract characterized by including. "

The production method according to production method 2 is industrially advantageous because the production process can be simplified and the production cost (especially the amount of ethanol used) can be reduced as compared with the method described above.
Since the condensate recovered in step 1 and the extract recovered in step 2 both use water as a solvent, in step 3 of production method 2, they are easily mixed in a uniform state by a normal stirring operation. Is possible.
The amount and concentration of the aqueous ethanol solution, the cooling temperature, and the solid-liquid separation means in Step 4 of Production Method 2 are the same as those described above.

[3] Applicable savory extract The savory extract obtained by the above production method has been removed from off-flavor bitterness and hay-like miscellaneous taste, and has improved flavor and taste. Can be used.
For example, confectionery such as candy, chocolate, chewing gum, jelly, bakery, snack confectionery; beverages such as carbonated beverages, fruit beverages, dairy beverages, vegetable juices, sports beverages, taste beverages, health / nutrition drinks, alcoholic beverages; ice Frozen desserts such as cream, popsicles and sorbets; desserts such as pudding, yogurt, jelly, bavaroa, mousse; dairy and fat products such as margarine, coffee whitener, cheese food, dressing oil; powder soup, retort pouch soup, canned soup Soups such as sauces, seasonings such as sauces, mayonnaise, dressings; processed meat products such as ham, sausage, hamburger, canned meat; fish processed products such as fish ham, fish sausage, marine products, canned fish; noodles, plant protein processing Product, jam paste Dessert source, pickles, agricultural canning, fruit juice, pulp processed products, grain processed products of processed agricultural products; prepared foods, retort foods, cooking foods such as frozen food; and the like can be mentioned.

The amount of the savory extract added to the food or drink can be appropriately set according to the type and strength of the flavor of the food or drink itself and the purpose of adding the savory extract. However, when the amount of rosmarinic acid is large, the bitter astringency and the unpleasant odor of phenyl-like and vinyl-like become strong. Therefore, in consideration of flavor tolerance, the savory extract is adjusted to a food or drink so that the rosmarinic acid concentration in the food or drink is preferably adjusted to 0.0044% or less, particularly preferably 0.00005 to 0.001%. It is desirable to add to.
In addition, the addition time to the food / beverage products of a savory extract can be added suitably in each step of the manufacturing process of food / beverage products, and is not specifically limited.

EXAMPLES Next, although an Example is shown and this invention is demonstrated further more concretely, this invention is not limited to these Examples.
In this example, the quantitative analysis of carvacrol and rosmarinic acid and the measurement of the dry solid content were carried out by the following methods.

[Analysis of carvacrol]
The carvacrol concentration was measured with a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS).

The measurement conditions are as follows.
Measuring instrument: HP5890 series II (manufactured by Hewlett-Packard Company)
Measuring unit: HP-5972 (manufactured by Hewlett-Packard Company)
Carrier gas: He (1.0 ml / min)
Injection: 250 ° C, split ratio 1:50
Column oven temperature: 60 ° C.-210 ° C. (40 min) Temperature increase 3 ° C./min.
Column: DB-1 (60 m × 0.25 mm id film thickness of 0.25 μm) (manufactured by J & W Scientific)
Sample volume: 1 μL

[Analysis of rosmarinic acid]
Analysis of rosmarinic acid was performed by HPLC after each sample was filtered through a 0.45 μm membrane filter (DISMIC-13HP, manufactured by Toyo Roshi Kaisha, Ltd.).

The measurement conditions are as follows.
Measuring instrument: Agilent 1100 series HPLC system (manufactured by Agilent)
Measurement unit: Diode array Measurement wavelength: 280 nm
Column: Capcell Pak C18 MG column (250 mm x 4.6 mm id μm) (Shiseido Co., Ltd.)
Column oven temperature: 40 ° C
Mobile phase: linear gradient from 100% solvent A (10% acetonitrile, pH 2.5) to 100% solvent B (acetonitrile) Flow rate: 1 ml / min
Sample volume: 20 μL

(Dry solid amount)
The dry solid amount was measured by mixing about 4 g of the sample with about 20 g of sea sand, heating in an oven at 105 ° C. for 2 hours, allowing to cool for about 30 minutes with a desiccator, and then measuring the weight to determine the dry solid amount.

[Example 1] (Production of savory extract by the production method of the present invention (Production method 1))
(1) Steam distillation 2.0 kg of dried leaves of winter savory were charged into a steam distillation machine. At normal pressure, steam (100 ° C.) is introduced from the lower part of the raw material at a space velocity (SV) of 200 h ⁻¹ , the extracted water vapor that has passed through the raw material is cooled by a condenser (5 ° C.), the agglomerated liquid is recovered, The savory aroma 16g was obtained by isolate | separating only a part and adding the ethanol solution of 95% concentration ethanol, and performing cooling filtration (-5 degreeC).

(2) Hot water extraction On the winter savory plant residue after steam distillation in the above step (1), 95 g of hot water at 95 ° C. was sprayed to obtain 1000 g of an extract. The obtained extract was cooled to 5 ° C. and then filtered through diatomaceous earth to obtain 900 g of a clear extract.
A 95% strength aqueous ethanol solution was added to this extract, and cooling filtration (−5 ° C.) was performed to obtain 1200 g of sevoked lip.

(3) Mixing To the savory aroma 2.8g, 0.28g, 0.56g, 5.6g and 28.0g of sevoked lip were added and mixed to produce 4 types of savory extract (see below " Samples 2 to 5) of “Test Example 2”.

[Comparative Example 1] (Manufacture of savory extract by conventional manufacturing method)
1000 g of hot water (85 ° C.) was added to 10 g of dry leaves of winter savory, and extraction was performed for 10 minutes while constantly stirring. After extraction, solid-liquid separation was performed with a filter paper (No. 5277), followed by cooling to obtain a savory hot water extract (800 g).

[Test Example 1] (Confirmation of removal of impurities by adding high-concentration ethanol and cooling filtration)
The hot water extract from the steam distillation residue in step (2) of Example 1 was concentrated exactly 5 times, and then 4 times the amount of 95% aqueous ethanol solution was added (at this time, the first extraction). The solution had the same concentration as that of the liquid), and was allowed to stand for a certain period of time, followed by cooling filtration to obtain a sabolead lip.
The above extract and sevoked lip were added to ion-exchanged water at 0.5%, and flavor evaluation was performed. (Table 1)
In addition to flavor evaluation, rosmarinic acid analysis by HPLC analysis, dry solid concentration, and changes in visual color tone were compared.

[Scoring method for sensory evaluation]
The aroma, taste, bitterness, refreshing feeling, hay blossom-like, and spicy feeling were evaluated in 7 grades by absolute evaluation.
1 point: very weak 2 points: weak 3 points: slightly weak 4 points: normal 5 points: slightly strong 6 points: strong 7 points: very strong

By cooling and filtering (−5 ° C.) after adding ethanol, the dry solid concentration of the sevoked lip decreased by 44% compared to the extract. In particular, withered and savory flavors that give a negative impression of savory, bitter tastes were significantly reduced, and a refreshing flavor was obtained. In addition, the color tone changed from brown to colorless and transparent.
On the other hand, the refreshing sensation that is one of the flavor characteristics of savory and anti-oxidative rosmarinic acid are not affected by this operation, so removal of insolubles by adding ethanol is effective in improving the savory flavor. It turns out that.

[Test Example 2] (Sensory evaluation of savory extract)
A savory extract sample was prepared by blending the savory aroma obtained in Example 1 and the savory lip so that the concentration of carvacrol was 0.0021% and the concentration of rosmarinic acid was the specified concentration. Sample 6 in Table 2 is the hot water extract of Comparative Example 1.

〔Evaluation method〕
About the prepared samples 1-6, sensory evaluation was performed by five skilled panels.
[Scoring method]
The aroma, taste, bitterness, refreshing feeling, hay blossom-like, and spicy feeling were used as indicators, and an absolute evaluation was performed in 7 stages.
1 point: very weak 2 points: weak 3 points: slightly weak 4 points: normal 5 points: slightly strong 6 points: strong 7 points: very strong

Comprehensive evaluation, when added to food and drink as a fragrance, does not impair the original characteristics of the food and drink (color tone, fragrance, taste, etc.), and if the fragrance is suitable, ○, remarkably impair the characteristics of the food, When there was no fragrance | flavor aptitude, x was described. The results are shown in Table 3.
From the results of the sensory test, if the flavor tolerance is taken into consideration, the ratio of carvacrol and rosmarinic acid in the savory extract is 100: 1 to 0.4: 1 by mass ratio, and the rosmarinic acid concentration is It is desirable that it is 0.0044% or less.

[Example 2] (Production of savory extract by the production method of the present invention (Production method 2))
After condensing the condensate of the steam distillation of Example 1 and the hot water extract of the plant residue after steam distillation, a 95% ethanol aqueous solution was added thereto to make the final ethanol concentration 75%.
The solution was cooled to −5 ° C., allowed to stand for 3 hours, filtered, and the resulting clear filtrate was designated as savory extract A. That is, savory extract A is a savory extract obtained by first mixing the steam-distilled flocculant and the hot-water extract of steam-distilled residue in Example 1 and then separating and removing the ethanol-insoluble fraction from the mixture. is there.

The flavor change of the obtained savory extract A and the savory extract obtained in Example 1 (that is, the savory extract produced by mixing the savory aroma from which the ethanol-insoluble fraction was removed and the savory lip) was examined.
When the content of carvacrol and rosmarinic acid in savory extract A was measured, the following results were obtained.

When the carvacrol concentration of the above savory extract A was diluted with water so as to be 0.0021%, the rosmarinic acid concentration was 0.0000%, which was the same as that of the sample 3 of the “Test Example 2”.
Further, even when sensory evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Test Example 2, there was no flavor difference from Sample 3.
Therefore, it is found that the flavor, carvacrol concentration, and rosmarinic acid concentration do not change even if the step of removing ethanol-free fraction from the steam distillation condensate and the hot water extract of the distillation residue is performed before and after mixing each. It was.

[Test Example 3]
Next, beverage samples 1 and 2 were prepared by blending savory extract A and savory hot water extract (Comparative Example 1), respectively, so that the carvacrol concentrations were equal, and savory extract A and savory hot water extract were prepared. The storage stability in acidic (pH 3) solutions was compared. It mix | blended as the following Table 5 and sterilized for 10 minutes at 70 degreeC.

The beverage samples 1 and 2 produced in Test Example 3 were stored for 2 weeks in a refrigerated (6 ° C.), normal temperature (20 ° C.), and warmed (50 ° C.) state, and changes in appearance were confirmed.
The results are shown in Table 6. It was found that the savory extract A obtained in Example 2 was suitable for beverages without any change in liquid color or precipitation in the acidic aqueous solution as compared with the hot water extract obtained in Comparative Example 1. .

[Test Example 4]
Next, beverage samples 3 and 4 were prepared by blending savory extract A and savory hot water extract (Comparative Example 1), respectively, so that the carvacrol concentrations were equal, and the savory extract A and savory hot water extract were weak. The storage stability in an acidic (pH 6) solution was compared. It mix | blended as shown in following Table 7, and sterilized for 10 minutes at 121 degreeC.

Beverage samples 3 and 4 produced in Test Example 4 were stored for 2 weeks in a refrigerated (6 ° C.), normal temperature (20 ° C.), and warmed (50 ° C.) state, and changes in appearance were confirmed.
The results are shown in Table 8. The savory extract A obtained in Example 2 has no change in liquid color and no occurrence of precipitation in a weakly acidic aqueous solution compared to the savory hot water extract obtained in Comparative Example 1, and may be drinkable. I understood.

  Next, various foods and drinks each containing the savory extract A of Example 2 and the savory hot water extract of Comparative Example 1 were prepared so that the carvacrol concentrations were equal, and sensory evaluation of the foods and drinks was performed. . The scoring methods for evaluation are as follows.

[Scoring method]
Sensory evaluation was performed by four skilled panels as follows.
Using the aroma, bitterness, dry grass-like, and spicy feeling as indices, an absolute evaluation was performed based on the following 7 levels, and an average score of 4 people was obtained.
1 point: very weak 2 points: weak 3 points: slightly weak 4 points: normal 5 points: slightly strong 6 points: strong 7 points: very strong

[Example 3, Comparative Example 2] (Cola-style carbonated beverage)
Blended as shown in Table 9 below, the carbon dioxide pressure was adjusted so as to be 2.8 kg / cm ² (20 ° C.), and sterilization was performed at 70 ° C. for 10 minutes to produce a cola-style carbonated beverage.

  The cola-style carbonated beverages produced in Example 3 and Comparative Example 2 were subjected to sensory evaluation. The results are shown in Table 10.

[Example 4, Comparative Example 3] (Cider-style carbonated drink)
Blended as shown in Table 11, the carbon dioxide pressure was adjusted to 2.8 kg / cm ² (20 ° C.), and sterilized at 70 ° C. for 10 minutes to produce a cider-style carbonated beverage.

  The sensory evaluation was performed on the cider-style carbonated beverages produced in Example 4 and Comparative Example 3. The results are shown in Table 12.

[Example 5, Comparative Example 4] (Lemon flavored fruit juice drink)
It mix | blended like Table 13 and sterilized for 10 minutes at 70 degreeC, and manufactured the lemon flavored fruit juice drink.

  Sensory evaluation was performed on the lemon-flavored fruit juice beverages produced in Example 5 and Comparative Example 4. The results are shown in Table 14.

[Example 6, Comparative Example 5] (Dry drink)
Blended as shown in Table 15 and sterilized at 70 ° C. for 10 minutes to produce a dairy beverage.

  Sensory evaluation was performed on the milk beverages produced in Example 6 and Comparative Example 5. The results are shown in Table 16.

[Example 7, Comparative Example 6] (sport drink-style soft drink)
It mix | blended like Table 17, and sterilized for 10 minutes at 70 degreeC, and produced the sports drink style soft drink.

  The sports drink-style soft drinks produced in Example 7 and Comparative Example 6 were subjected to sensory evaluation. The results are shown in Table 18.

[Example 8, Comparative Example 7] (Milk tea)
Milk tea was produced by blending as shown in Table 19 and sterilizing at 123 ° C. for 20 minutes.

  The milk tea produced in Example 8 and Comparative Example 7 was subjected to sensory evaluation. The results are shown in Table 20.

(Grape flavored jelly drink)
[Example 9, Comparative Example 8]
Blended as shown in Table 21 and sterilized at 85 ° C. for 20 minutes to produce grape flavored jelly drink.

  Sensory evaluation was performed on the grape flavored jelly drinks produced in Example 9 and Comparative Example 8. The results are shown in Table 22.

[Example 10, Comparative Example 9] (Lemon flavored miso high)
Blended as shown in Table 23, the carbon dioxide pressure was adjusted to 1.9 kg / cm ² (20 ° C.), and sterilization was performed at 60 ° C. for 10 minutes to produce lemon-flavored miso high.

  Sensory evaluation was performed on the lemon-flavored miso high produced in Example 10 and Comparative Example 9. The results are shown in Table 24.

[Example 11, comparative example 10] (consomme soup)
Consomme soup was prepared by blending as shown in Table 25 and sterilizing at 123 ° C. for 20 minutes.

  Sensory evaluation was performed on the consomme soup produced in Example 11 and Comparative Example 10. The results are shown in Table 26.

[Example 12, Comparative Example 11] (Nutritional drink)
Formulated as shown in Table 27, sterilized at 123 ° C. for 20 minutes to produce an energy drink.

  Sensory evaluation was performed on the energy drinks produced in Example 12 and Comparative Example 11. The results are shown in Table 28.

[Example 13, Comparative Example 12] (Candy)
First, granulated sugar, starch syrup, water and hot water extract were mixed with the formulation of Table 29 and boiled to 155 ° C. Once cooled to 130 ° C., safflower pigment was mixed, further cooled to 120 ° C. or lower, citric acid, savory extract A and savory hot water extract were added and molded to produce a candy.

  Sensory evaluation was performed on the candies produced in Example 13 and Comparative Example 12. The results are shown in Table 30.

[Example 14] (chewing gum)
To 50 g of gum base, 0.5 g of herb flavor and savory extract A were added to 0.005 g, and then kneaded using a kneader. After molding, a chewing gum was completed.
The flavor of the chewing gum obtained in this way was good as a result of evaluation by four skilled panelists, and did not cause off-flavors.

[Example 15] (Tablet confectionery)
Mix 53g of lactose and 40g of reduced maltose starch syrup, add 10g of water as a binder and granulate in fluidized bed, and add 2.7g of sucrose fatty acid ester, 0.1g of fragrance, and 0.001g of savory extract A to the formed granules. After mixing and tableting, tablet confection was obtained.
The flavor of the tablet confection obtained in this way was good and did not give off a nasty smell as a result of evaluation by four skilled panels.

Claims (7)

When producing savory extract from savory plants,
(1) Step 1 for recovering a condensate containing a savory volatile aroma component containing carvacrol as a component, obtained by steam distillation of a savory plant;
(2) Step 2 of recovering an extract containing rosmarinic acid as a component by extracting the savory plant residue after recovering the aromatic component in Step 1 with hot water at 50 to 95 ° C . ;
(3) a) An ethanol aqueous solution is added to the condensate in Step 1 to precipitate an ethanol-insoluble component under the condition of an ethanol concentration of 50 to 90% (w / w), followed by solid-liquid separation after cooling. Obtaining an ethanol-soluble component a;
b) An ethanol aqueous solution is added to the extract of step 2 to precipitate ethanol-insoluble components under conditions of ethanol concentration of 50 to 90% (w / w), and after cooling, solid-liquid separation is performed. Step 3 including step b of obtaining dissolved component b;
(4) Step 4 of mixing the ethanol-soluble component a and the ethanol-soluble component b obtained in Step 3;
The manufacturing method of the savory extract characterized by including. When producing savory extract from savory plants,
(1) Step 1 of recovering a condensate obtained by steam distillation of a savory plant, containing a volatile scent component of savory containing carvacrol as one component;
(2) Step 2 of recovering an extract containing rosmarinic acid as a component by extracting the savory plant residue after recovering the aromatic component in Step 1 with hot water at 50 to 95 ° C . ;
(3) Step 3 of mixing the condensate recovered in Step 1 and the extract recovered in Step 2;
(4) By adding an ethanol aqueous solution to the extract mixed in step 3, the ethanol-insoluble component is precipitated under the condition of 50 to 90% (w / w) ethanol concentration, and after cooling, solid-liquid separation is performed. Step 4 of obtaining only ethanol-soluble components;
The manufacturing method of the savory extract characterized by including. When producing savory extract from savory plants,
(1) Step 1 for recovering a condensate containing a savory volatile aroma component containing carvacrol as a component, obtained by steam distillation of a savory plant;
(2) Step 2 of recovering an extract containing rosmarinic acid as a component by extracting the savory plant residue after recovering the aromatic component in Step 1 with hot water at 50 to 95 ° C . ;
(3) An ethanol aqueous solution is added to the extract of Step 2 to precipitate an ethanol-insoluble component under the ethanol concentration of 50 to 90% (w / w), and after cooling, solid-liquid separation is performed, whereby ethanol is obtained. Step 3 of obtaining a soluble component;
(4) Step 4 of mixing the condensate obtained in Step 1 and the ethanol-soluble component obtained in Step 3;
The manufacturing method of the savory extract characterized by including. When producing savory extract from savory plants,
(1) Step 1 for recovering a condensate containing a savory volatile aroma component containing carvacrol as a component, obtained by steam distillation of a savory plant;
(2) Step 2 of recovering an extract containing rosmarinic acid as a component by extracting the savory plant residue after recovering the aromatic component in Step 1 with hot water at 50 to 95 ° C . ;
(3) Step 3 of adding an aqueous ethanol solution to either the condensate of Step 1 or the extract of Step 2;
(4) The ethanol aqueous solution in step 3 and the coagulated liquid in step 1 or the extract in step 2 to which no aqueous ethanol solution was added were mixed , and ethanol insoluble under conditions of 50 to 90% (w / w) ethanol concentration Step 4 including an ethanol-soluble component by precipitating the component, cooling it, and performing solid-liquid separation;
The manufacturing method of the savory extract characterized by including.   The savory extract obtained by the production method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of carvacrol and rosmarinic acid contained therein is adjusted to 100: 1 to 0.4: 1 by mass ratio. A savory extract characterized by   A food or drink to which the savory extract of claim 5 is added.   7. The food or drink according to claim 6, wherein the rosmarinic acid concentration is adjusted to 0.0044% or less.