JPH05117155A - Preventing and treating agent for constipation - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a therapeutic agent capable of shortening residence time of digestive tract of food and improving evacuation and useful for prevention and treatment of chronic constipation by containing a hydrolyzate of guar gum as an active ingredient. CONSTITUTION:The preventing and treating agent containing a hydrolyzate of guar gum obtained by hydrolyzing guar gum using an enzyme, e.g. an enzyme produced by alkalophilic Bacillus bacterium, preferably hydrolyzate of quar gum having 4000-50000 average molecular weight and composition ratio of mannose: galactose of (1.5-2.0): 1.0 and being 100-1000cp in viscosity at 20 deg.C in the case of 40wt.% aqueous solution as an active ingredient. The effective dose of the compound is 1-10g per day and preferably administered once per day or in divided dose. The compound has high safety and is administrable and capable of readily carrying out addition to food or processing thereof. Thereby prevention and treatment of chronic constipation is especially made possible.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drug for the prevention and treatment of constipation.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Gel forming dietary fibers such as guar gum, pectin and glucomannan are known to improve the frequency of defecation, the amount of defecation and the nature of feces in constipation. However, these gel-forming dietary fibers, including guar gum,
Since it is extremely viscous and hardly soluble even at a low concentration, it has a drawback that it is difficult to take when it is used as an oral preparation, and it is difficult to add it to ordinary foods and process it. Furthermore, when excessive intake of these high-viscosity gel-forming dietary fibers causes excessive gastric retention in the stomach, symptoms such as stomach sensation and abdominal pain are a concern. Therefore, it is desired to develop a water-soluble low-viscosity dietary fiber that is easy to take, easy to add to foods and process, and does not cause extension of gastric residence time and has an excellent constipation-improving action. It was The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art,
It is intended to provide a prophylactic and therapeutic agent for constipation, which contains dietary fiber having excellent physical properties and physiological functions as an active ingredient.

[0003]

In view of the above situation, the present inventors have made various investigations, and as a result, the guar gum hydrolyzate markedly shortened the residence time of food in the digestive tract, increased the amount of feces, and improved bowel movements. They have found that they are highly effective, have high safety, are easy to take, and can be easily added to foods and processed, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention provides a preventive and / or therapeutic agent for constipation, which comprises a guar gum hydrolyzate as an active ingredient.

A guar gum hydrolyzate, which is an active ingredient of the preventive and therapeutic agent for constipation of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the agent of the present invention"), is a low-molecular substance obtained by hydrolyzing guar gum with an enzyme. If there is no particular limitation. That is, the polysaccharide that is the main component of guar gum is
It is said to have a β-1,4-D-mannopyranoside structure, and the guar gum hydrolyzate is obtained by treating with an enzyme suitable for hydrolyzing the β-1,4-D-mannopyranoside structure. Examples of such an enzyme include those disclosed in JP-A-63-36775 and 63-56289.
Alkaliphilic Bacillus AM-001 (Alkalop
hilic Bacillus. , AM-001) (Microtechnology Research Institute, No. 8856), Alcalophilic Bacillus AM-024 (Alkalophilic Bac)
illus. , AM-024) (Microtechnology Research Institute, Microbiology 8857)
No.) and Alcalophyllic Bacillus AM-044
(Alkalophilic Bacillus., AM
-044) (Ministry of Microbiological Research, No. 8858)]. As a basic hydrolysis method, there is JP-A-6
The method described in JP-A-3-49093 can be mentioned.

A particularly preferred guar gum hydrolyzate is, for example, a low molecular weight substance which is easily soluble in water and has a low viscosity when dissolved in water, which is obtained by the method described in JP-A-2-248401. More specifically, the average molecular weight is 4,000 to 50,000 and the mannose:
It is a guar gum hydrolyzate having a composition ratio of galactose of 1.5 to 2.0: 1.0 and having a viscosity of 100 to 1,000 cp at 20 ° C. when made into a 40% by weight aqueous solution.

[0007] The guar gum hydrolyzate has an excellent action of shortening the gastrointestinal retention time of food, and its administration can prevent and treat constipation.

In the agent of the present invention, a guar gum hydrolyzate is used alone, and appropriate additives such as general excipients, stabilizers, preservatives, binders and disintegrants are mixed to prepare a solution, a capsule, Appropriate dosage forms such as granules, pills, powders, tablets and the like can be selected and formulated and administered orally or enterally. Further, addition of guar gum hydrolyzate to an appropriate food product does not prevent it from being a nutritional food for the purpose of treatment. The guar gum hydrolyzate, which is an active ingredient of the drug of the present invention, is a dietary fiber derived from a natural product and is substantially harmless with respect to toxicity. The dosage of the drug of the present invention to humans should be determined according to individual age, body weight, and symptom. In most cases, the effective dose is 1 to 10 g per day as a guar gum hydrolyzate. Therefore, it is suitable to administer once or in divided doses.

[0009]

The guar gum hydrolyzate used in the present invention shortens the gastrointestinal retention time of food and increases the amount of feces without causing the gastric retention of food observed when untreated guar gum is administered. The effect was recognized.

[0010]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in more detail by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Further, the guar gum hydrolyzate used in the following examples was prepared by the method described in JP-A-2-248401, but the lot used had properties such as an average molecular weight of 5,000 and a white color. It was an almost tasteless powder, and the dietary fiber content (by the enzyme gravimetric method) was 80% or more. The aqueous solution was neutral, colorless and transparent, and the viscosity of a 20% by weight solution was 12 cp at 20 ° C., and almost no coloration was observed even when heated alone or together with an amino acid.

Example 1 (Effect of food on gastric retention) In the experiment, ICR male mice (body weight 27.9 to 31.5 g) were used in groups of 5 mice. As an experimental method, 0.3 ml of bromthymol blue 0.3% was orally administered simultaneously with sucrose and a test substance to a group of mice fasted overnight as a marker of gastric retention. After 30 minutes, the animals were sacrificed and the stomach and intestine were removed. On the other hand, during this period, the total amount of feces was collected, the contents of the stomach and intestinal tract, and the amount of bromthymol blue in the feces were measured to determine the gastric retention rate. As shown in Table 1, the guar gum hydrolyzate used in the present invention had no effect on the gastric retention of food. On the other hand, significant gastric retention was observed in the untreated guar gum administration group.

[0012]

[Table 1]

Example 2 (Effects of Food on Gastrointestinal Transit Time and Fecal Weight) In experiments, ICR male and female mice (body weight 31.4 to 44.8) were used.
g) was used as one group consisting of 5 to 6 animals. After an overnight fast 1
Animals were used that had been fed for a period of time and had a constant food intake. Atropine 0.5mg / kg was subcutaneously administered twice every 3 hours,
A mouse experimental constipation model was created. Simultaneously with the administration of atropine and the test substance, 0.3% bromthymol blue was orally administered, and feces were collected over time in individual cages for up to 6 hours. The test substance was administered 1 g / kg four times every hour, and the amount of bromthymol blue in feces was measured to determine the excretion amount. As shown in Table 2, in the guar gum hydrolyzate-administered group used in the present invention, it was confirmed that the fecal excretion rate of bromthymol blue was increased and the food transit time to the digestive tract was shortened.

[0014]

[Table 2]

Example 3 (Amelioration of bowel movements in adolescent females) A beverage containing guar gum hydrolyzate used in the present invention and polydextrose (manufactured by Pfizer) as a control was prepared separately, and 16 adolescent females were prepared. Crossover for the purpose of investigating the effect of bowel movement improvement (ages 20 to 28).
Tested by law. The dose of guar gum hydrolyzate was 0, 2 and 5 g per day and the dose of polydextrose was 5 g per day. Each test period is 5 days,
A non-administration period of 2 days was provided between them. The order of the tests was randomly determined for each subject. The evaluation items were the frequency of defecation, the hardness of the stool, the properties of the stool, and the feeling of refreshment after defecation. As a result, as shown in Table 3, administration of the guar gum hydrolyzate tended to improve bowel movements.

[0016]

[Table 3]

[0017]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The guar gum hydrolyzate used in the present invention is substantially non-toxic and, unlike untreated guar gum and pectin, is water-soluble and has low viscosity, and does not cause gastric retention of food. It is an indigestible dietary fiber that is safe and easy to use. With the use of guar gum hydrolyzate as an active ingredient, it has become possible to provide a prophylactic and therapeutic agent for constipation, particularly chronic constipation. It is also possible to add a guar gum hydrolyzate to foods to provide a medical nutritional food for constipation.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A preventive and / or therapeutic agent for constipation, which comprises a guar gum hydrolyzate as an active ingredient. 2. The preventive and therapeutic agent for constipation according to claim 1, wherein the guar gum hydrolyzate has an average molecular weight (4,000 to 50,000).