JP6648333B1 - Drinks with reduced bitterness derived from gallate catechin - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage containing a gallate-type catechin and having a pH of 5.0 or higher, in which the stimulating bitterness derived from the gallate-type catechin, which is felt during drinking, is reduced. A beverage containing 1 to 250 ppm of gallate-type catechin, 40 ppm or more of linalool, and having a pH of 5.0 to 8.0. Further, a beverage having Brix of 1 or less, and a beverage containing a tea extract. [Selection diagram] None

Description

  The present invention relates to reducing bitterness derived from gallate-type catechins present in beverages.

  Due to an increase in health consciousness, physiological effects of polyphenols have attracted attention in recent years, and demand for beverages rich in polyphenols has been increasing. For example, catechins, which are a kind of polyphenols, are known to have a function such as a cholesterol increase inhibitory action. In particular, gallate-type catechin is known to exhibit high physiological activity in inactivating human influenza virus and suppressing oxidation of LDL. Therefore, there is a need for a beverage containing gallate catechin as a means for easily ingesting gallate catechin. However, beverages containing gallate-type catechin may have an unpleasant sensation due to too much instantaneous and irritating bitterness unique to gallate-type catechin. In order to cope with such a problem, for example, it is known that a beverage containing a gallate-type catechin contains a collagen peptide and / or gelatin having an average molecular weight of 20,000 or more, and a thickening stabilizer (Patent Document 1). ing.

  On the other hand, the flavor of the beverage can also be improved by the scent component. Linalool is a kind of monoterpene alcohol, and is said to have a lily of the valley, lavender, and bergamot-like aroma. Linalool is found as an essential oil component of many plants, and is included in essential oils such as rosewood, linaloe, and camphor. Patent Document 2 discloses a beverage having a fruit flavor, and the beverage contains linalool. Patent Literature 3 discloses a beer-flavored effervescent beverage containing linalool.

JP 2013-94081 A WO2015 / 156282 JP 2013-42675 A

  The present inventors have found that when a beverage having a pH of 5.0 or more contains gallate-type catechin, the bitterness derived from the gallate-type catechin is more strongly felt than a beverage having a pH of less than 5.0. An object of the present invention is to reduce, in a beverage containing gallate-type catechin having a pH of 5.0 or more, an irritating bitterness derived from gallate-type catechin, which is felt during drinking.

  In view of the circumstances described above, the present inventors have searched for beverages that are effective in reducing bitterness derived from gallate-type catechin. As a result of intensive studies, they have found that linalool can contribute to the reduction of the bitterness. The present invention has been completed based on such knowledge.

According to the present invention, the following is provided. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this.
(1) A beverage comprising (a) 1 to 250 ppm of gallate-type catechin, (b) containing 40 ppm or more of linalool, and (c) having a pH of 5.0 to 8.0.
(2) The beverage according to (1), wherein Brix is 1 or less.
(3) The beverage according to (1) or (2), comprising a tea extract.

The beverage of the present invention and related methods are described below.
Unless otherwise specified, "ppb" and "ppm" as used herein mean ppb and ppm by weight / volume (w / v), respectively. In this specification, a numerical range represented by a lower limit and an upper limit, that is, “lower limit to upper limit” includes the lower limit and the upper limit. For example, the range represented by “1-2” includes 1 and 2.

(Gallate catechin)
The beverage of the present invention contains gallate-type catechin. In the present specification, “gallate-type catechin” is a general term for epigallocatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, and catechin gallate. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the gallate-type catechin may include at least one selected from the group consisting of epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate, and catechin gallate. Although described for confirmation, the content of the gallate-type catechin means the total of the contents of the four compounds.

  The gallate-type catechin used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be a purified product, a crude product, a natural product containing the gallate-type catechin or a processed product thereof, for example, a plant extract or a concentrate thereof. There may be. An extract of a plant containing a gallate-type catechin or a concentrate thereof can be prepared using tea leaves belonging to Camellia sinensis such as black tea, green tea, oolong tea, and puer tea as a raw material. Above all, from the aspect of the effect of the present invention, an extract obtained from black tea leaves can be suitably used.

  The concentration of gallate-type catechin in the beverage of the present invention is 1 to 250 ppm, preferably 1 to 150 ppm, more preferably 3 to 65 ppm, and still more preferably 5 to 30 ppm. When the concentration of gallate-type catechin in the beverage is 1 ppm or more, the beverage has a strong bitter taste, which is preferable for obtaining the effect of reducing bitterness according to the present invention. When the concentration of gallate-type catechin in the beverage exceeds 250 ppm, the effect of reducing bitterness according to the present invention is obtained, but the bitterness may not be sufficiently reduced.

The concentration of gallate-type catechin in a beverage can be measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The measurement conditions can be set, for example, as follows.
・ HPLC device: TOSOH HPLC system LC8020 model I
-Column: TSKgel ODS80T sQA (4.6 mm x 150 mm)
-Column temperature: 40 ° C
Mobile phase A: water-acetonitrile-trifluoroacetic acid (90: 10: 0.05)
Mobile phase B: water-acetonitrile-trifluoroacetic acid (20: 80: 0.05)
・ Detection: UV275nm
・ Injection volume: 20 μL
-Flow rate: 1.0 mL / min.
・ Gradient program (% by volume):
Time (minutes)% A% B
0 100 0
5 92 8
11 90 10
21 90 10
22 0 100
29 0 100
30 100 0
-Standard substances: catechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate (Kurita Industry Co., Ltd., high purity reagent).

(Linalool)
The beverage of the present invention contains linalool in a specific amount. Thereby, the bitterness derived from gallate-type catechin can be reduced. The content of linalool in the beverage of the present invention is 40 ppm or more, preferably 40 to 1500 ppm, preferably 50 to 500 ppm, more preferably 60 to 400 ppm, and still more preferably 70 to 350 ppm. If the content of linalool in the beverage is less than 40 ppm, the effect of reducing bitterness derived from gallate-type catechin may be insufficient.

  In the beverage of the present invention, the ratio of the linalool content to the gallate-type catechin content (the linalool content / the gallate-type catechin content) is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 8 or more, and preferably 14 or more. You may.

The content of linalool in the beverage of the present invention can be measured by a known GC-MS method. However, in the present invention, the column is a high-polarity column (manufactured by Agilent Technologies, DB-WaxUI), the solid phase microextraction method (CTC Analytics, SPME-ArrowCarbon WR / PDMS) is used for the extraction method, and the high resolution column is used for the detector. It is preferable to use a mass spectrometer (Q Exclusive GC Orbitrap manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific).

  The linalool used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be a crude product in addition to a purified product. For example, a natural product containing linalool or a processed product thereof (a plant extract, an essential oil, a fermented plant product, a concentrate thereof or the like) may be used. More specific examples include fruit juices and extracts, in addition to flavors containing linalool. Flavors are a preferred example because they can be added to beverages in small quantities.

(PH)
The beverage of the present invention has a pH of 5.0 to 8.0, preferably 5.5 to 7.5. If the pH of the beverage is less than 5.0, bitterness may be masked by the sour component in the beverage. However, when the beverage has a pH of 5.0 or more, the bitterness can be remarkably perceived because the amount of the sour component acting as a masking component is small, so that it is preferable to obtain the effect of reducing the bitterness according to the present invention. The pH of the beverage can be appropriately adjusted using a pH adjuster such as sodium citrate, sodium hydroxide, and sodium bicarbonate. The pH of the beverage can be easily measured using a commercially available pH meter.

(Brix)
Brix of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 or less. Without being bound by theory, when Brix is 1 or less, it is considered that the bitterness of the gallate-type catechin is remarkably felt because the soluble solid content acting as a masking component of bitterness is small, so that the bitterness according to the present invention is considered. It is preferable to obtain a reduction effect. Brix can be evaluated by a Brix value obtained using a refractometer or a refractometer. The Brix value is a value obtained by converting a refractive index measured at 20 ° C. into a mass / mass percent of a sucrose solution based on a conversion table of ICUMSA (International Committee for Sugar Analysis). The unit is indicated by “° Bx”, “%” or “degree”.

(Other raw materials)
The beverage of the present invention may contain, in addition to the various components described above, components generally used in beverages. For example, without limitation, fragrances, sugars, acidulants, nutrient enhancers, antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, extracts, dietary fiber, quality stabilizers, etc., to the extent that the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Can be.

(Beverage)
The beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a soft drink. For example, any of nutritional drinks, functional drinks, flavored water (near water) drinks, tea drinks (black tea, oolong tea, green tea, etc.), coffee drinks, carbonated drinks and the like may be used. In one embodiment, the beverage of the present invention is preferably a tea beverage. Here, the `` tea beverage '' is a beverage containing an extract of tea leaves or an extract of cereals as a main component, and specifically, green tea, houjicha, blended tea, barley tea, mate tea, jasmine tea, black tea, Oolong tea, Tochu tea and the like. A particularly preferred tea beverage in the present invention is a black tea beverage.

  The beverage of the present invention is preferably a packaged beverage that has been heat sterilized and packed in a container. This is because heating the beverage may make the bitrate of gallate catechin more intense. The means for heat sterilization is not particularly limited, and any known means such as UHT sterilization and retort sterilization can be used. The container for filling the beverage is not particularly limited, and for example, a PET bottle, an aluminum can, a steel can, a paper pack, a chilled cup, a bottle, and the like can be used. From the viewpoint of convenience and convenience, a container that is lightweight, easy to carry, and can be re-plugged, for example, a container such as a PET bottle is preferable.

(The invention's effect)
Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage having a reduced bitterness derived from gallate-type catechin and a pH of 5.0 or more. In the present specification, the term “bitterness” means an irritating bitterness, such as a tongue sting, which is instantly felt when drinking.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to experimental examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Further, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, a numerical range is described as including its end points.

[Example 1] Influence of pH on bitterness As a gallate-type catechin, a tea extract (Sanphenone EGC-OP; Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd .; gallate-type catechin content 94%) was used. The beverage was prepared by adding the tea extract to water such that the concentration of gallate-type catechin in the beverage was 5 ppm. The pH of the beverage was adjusted using citric acid or sodium hydroxide as shown in Table 1 (Samples 1-5). In addition, a beverage in which linalool was further added to the beverage thus prepared so as to be 300 ppm was also prepared. Brix was 1 or less for all beverages.

Bitterness was evaluated for each beverage. According to the following criteria, three specialized panels evaluated bitterness on their own, and then the panel members discussed the final evaluation.
：: Almost no bitterness is felt. △: Bitterness is slightly felt. X: Bitterness is strongly felt. From the evaluation results of the beverage to which linalool was not added, it was found that an unpleasant bitterness derived from gallate-type catechin was perceived when the pH of the beverage was 5.0 or more. The addition of linalool to these beverages has been shown to reduce unpleasant bitterness.

On the other hand, it was found that unpleasant bitterness derived from gallate-type catechin did not cause much problem in the beverage having a pH of 3.5. It was also found that adding linalool to this beverage did not change the bitterness intensity.

[Example 2] Effect of content of gallate-type catechin and linalool on bitterness The tea extract and linalool were added to water, and the concentrations of gallate-type catechin and linalool were adjusted to the concentrations shown in Table 2, and each beverage was prepared. Prepared. The prepared beverage was filled into a 500 ml PET container. The pH of the prepared beverage was 5.9. Brix was 1 or less for all beverages.

Sensory evaluation was performed on the bitterness of the prepared beverage. Three expert panels evaluated 1 ppm of gallate-type catechin and a drink without linalool as a control (sample 1) according to the following criteria. The average of the scores of the three specialized panels was calculated, and a score of 3.0 or less was regarded as acceptable. Table 2 shows the results of the sensory evaluation.
5 points: Strong bitterness compared to control.
4 points: It has the same bitterness as the control.
3 points: Less bitterness than control.
2 points: Bitterness is considerably less than control.
1 point: No bitterness is felt.

  When linalool was added in an amount of 40 ppm or more and 40 to 1500 ppm to a beverage containing gallate-type catechin at 1 to 250 ppm, the unpleasant bitterness derived from gallate-type catechin was reduced, and the drink became easier to drink.

[Example 3]
Linalool was added to the black tea extract so that the concentration in the beverage was 20 ppm and 300 ppm, to prepare a black tea beverage. This was heat-sterilized and then filled into a 500 ml PET container. The resulting black tea beverage had a gallate-type catechin concentration of 5 ppm, a linalool concentration of 20 ppm or 300 ppm, a pH of 6.0, and a Brix of 0.3.

  The bitterness of these beverages was organoleptically evaluated according to the method described in Example 2. The beverage having a linalool concentration of 20 ppm had an evaluation of 4.3 (average of a specialized panel) and had a strong bitter taste and was difficult to drink. On the other hand, the beverage having a linalool concentration of 300 ppm showed little bitterness and was easy to drink.

Claims (3)

A beverage containing black tea extract containing 40 ppm or more of linalool,
The above beverage, comprising 1 to 250 ppm of gallate-type catechin, and having a pH of 5.0 to 8.0.   The beverage according to claim 1, wherein Brix is 1 or less. A method for producing a beverage containing a black tea extract,
The above method, comprising the step of adjusting the concentration of linalool to 40 ppm or more, the concentration of gallate-type catechin to 1 to 250 ppm, and the pH to 5.0 to 8.0.