JPH08109178A - Production of low-caffeine tea polyphenol - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain the subject tea polyphenol having antioxidant, antibacterial/ bacteriostatic action, etc., thus useful for foods, fancy foods, cosmetics, etc., by easily, efficiently and safely decreasing the caffeine in tea extracts. CONSTITUTION: Tea extracts (e.g. hot water extracts from tea, organic solvent extracts from tea, various kinds of treated products of these extracts) are dissolved or suspended in water or a hydrous organic solvent and then brought into contact with a synthetic adsorbent (pref. with styrene-, acrylic, amide-, cellulose-based matrix) under an alkaline condition of pref. pH7-14 to effect adsorption and removal of the caffeine contained in the extracts. The hydrous organic solvent is pref. ethanol or ethanol (esp. ethanol), its concentration being pref. 0-50 (esp. 0-30) (V/V). The caffeine content of the obtained low-caffeine tea polyphenol stands at 0.1-1.0wt.% or so.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing tea polyphenol, and more particularly to a method for producing low caffeine tea polyphenol.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Tea polyphenols have an antioxidative action (JP-A-59-219384, JP-A-1-268683), antibacterial / bacteriostatic action (JP-A-2-276562). Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-246
No. 227), an antitoxin effect (JP-A-2-304079).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-306915),
Cholesterol elevation inhibitory action (JP-A-60-156614), blood pressure elevation inhibitory action (JP-A-63-214183), and blood glucose elevation inhibitory action (JP-A-4-253918) It is expected to be used in various fields such as foods, pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.

Tea polyphenols are produced by various methods, and generally, they are often extracted from tea leaves with hot water or an organic solvent. In this case, the tea extract contains a large amount of caffeine. It cannot be avoided. Caffeine has physiological activities such as central nervous system excitatory action, cardiotonic action, diuretic action and the like, and is commonly used for pharmaceuticals such as headache and cold.
However, depending on the intake and individual differences, caffeine's strong physiological activity may cause dizziness, insomnia, palpitation, nausea, etc., and the caffeine content in food and drink is important for people with hypersensitivity to caffeine. It becomes a problem. In addition to the above acute poisoning, caffeine is suspected to have an effect of increasing blood cholesterol that causes arteriosclerosis and myocardial infarction, and is currently being studied (Kato, Yoshida (198
1) .Nutr.Rep.Inter., 23: 825.). In addition, it has also been reported that caffeine intake increases calcium excretion outside the body, resulting in calciumuria (Heaney, RP and Recke
r, RR (1982). J. Lab. Clin. Med., 99:46). For these reasons, tea extracts with low caffeine content are also desired.

As a typical method for removing caffeine, which has been conventionally used, a method of extracting and removing with a chlorine-based solvent (Japanese Patent Publication No. 22755/1990, 12474/1990).
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Heisei No. 1-28944).
No. 8), a method of adsorbing and removing with activated carbon or the like (Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-45345), and a method of extracting and removing with an aqueous acid solution (Japanese Patent Application No. 5-344744).

However, among these methods, the method using a chlorine-based solvent has safety and residual problems in using a chlorine-containing solvent, is not preferable in the environment, and is extracted and removed by supercritical carbon dioxide. The method requires large-scale equipment, and thus has a problem of high initial cost and low productivity. The method of adsorptive removal with activated carbon or the like has a drawback that tea polyphenol is also adsorbed together with caffeine to be removed, resulting in a large loss of tea polyphenol. In addition, the method of extracting and removing with an acid aqueous solution is
There is a problem that an organic solvent such as ethyl acetate is required and the recovery rate of tea polyphenol is low.

[0006]

As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found a method for reducing caffeine in tea extract by a simple, efficient, and safe means. The present invention has been completed.

That is, the present invention is characterized by dissolving or suspending a tea extract in water or a water-containing organic solvent and contacting it with a synthetic adsorbent under alkaline conditions to adsorb and remove caffeine. A method for producing in-tea polyphenols.

The tea which is the object of the present invention may be fermented or non-fermented, and may be green tea, black tea, oolong tea, puir tea or the like, regardless of the type. In addition, the tea extract obtained by extracting from it includes, for example, hot water extracts of tea by a conventional method, organic solvent extracts, various organic solvent-treated products of these extracts, membrane-treated products, resins and adsorbents. There are processed products, etc. Caffeine content in these extracts is usually 5 to 1
It is about 5%. Here, hot water extraction of tea is a method of dipping and extracting tea leaves using hot water or boiling water of several times the weight of tea leaves, and organic solvent extraction is several times the amount of tea leaves by weight. Organic solvents such as acetonitrile, methanol,
It is a method of dipping and extracting tea leaves using a tea polyphenol-soluble organic solvent such as ethanol, ethyl acetate, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, or a water-containing solvent or mixed solvent thereof.

The organic solvent-treated product is a product obtained by re-extracting the above hot water extract or organic solvent extract with the above-mentioned organic solvent, or an organic solvent such as chloroform, dichloromethane or hexane other than tea polyphenol. The component treated with is extracted and removed, and the membrane-treated product is obtained by subjecting a hot water extract or an organic solvent extract to membrane filtration or dialysis treatment. The treated product with a resin or an adsorbent is a product obtained by contacting the hot water extract or the organic solvent extract with a synthetic adsorbent or activated carbon to attach or detach the tea polyphenol, or by adsorbing and removing components other than the tea polyphenol. .

In the present invention, the tea extract is dissolved or suspended in water or a tea polyphenol-soluble water-containing organic solvent such as ethanol, methanol, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, or a mixed solvent thereof, and then the mixture is made alkaline and synthetically adsorbed. Contact with the agent. The water-containing organic solvent referred to herein may be of any kind, but is preferably ethanol or methanol, particularly preferably ethanol. The concentration of the organic solvent is preferably 0 to 50% (V / V), and more preferably 0 to 30% (V / V). As a synthetic adsorbent, its base is a styrene type, for example, XAD-16.
(Manufactured by Rohm and Haas Company), styrene divinylbenzene system, for example SEPABEADS HP21 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei Co., Ltd.), acrylic system, for example DIAION W
K20 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei), methacrylic, eg S
EPABEADS HP2MG (manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei Co., Ltd.),
Acrylic ester type such as XAD-7 (made by Rohm and Haas), amide type such as XAD-11
(Manufactured by Rohm and Haas), dextran-based, such as SEPHADEX LH-20 (manufactured by Pharmacia), cellulose-based, such as INDION DS-3.
(Manufactured by Phoenix Chemicals), polyvinyl type, for example, SEPABEADS FP-HG (Mitsubishi Kasei Co., Ltd.)
(Made) and the like can be used, regardless of the type. Regarding alkalinity, pH 7 to 14 is effective, but pH 9 to 11 is optimal. The contact method may be any method such as a batch method or a column method.

By this treatment, a tea polyphenol solution having a low caffeine content is obtained. That is, the content of caffeine in the tea polyphenol solution is 0.1
It is about 1.0%. The tea polyphenol solution having a low caffeine content is used as it is, after neutralization with an acid, or after desalting, concentration and drying by a conventional method. Further, this can be used as a raw material for producing a tea polyphenol having a higher purity.

The low-caffeine-containing tea polyphenol of the present invention contains almost no caffeine, so that the negative effect of caffeine described above is not a concern.
It can be advantageously used as a health-promoting food, a health-maintaining food, a health-restoring food, etc., which has a polyphenol's original action, for example, a cholesterol-elevation-inhibiting action, an in-vivo antioxidant action and other physiologically active functions.

The fields of application of the low-caffeine-containing tea polyphenol of the present invention are enumerated as seasonings, Japanese confectionery, Western confectionery,
Ice confectionery, syrups, processed fruits, processed vegetables, pickles, meat products, fish products, delicacies, canned and bottled foods, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, foods such as instant food and drink, tobacco, toothpaste, Lipsticks, lip balms, oral medications, troches, liver oil drops, mouthwash, mouthwashes, mouthwashes, various solid, paste, and liquid preferences, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and the like.

[0014]

EXAMPLES Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these. Example 1 10 g of green tea extract (caffeine content 7%, catechin content 30%) was dissolved in 20 ml of water, and a glass column (40 m
m I. D. X 300 mm) synthetic adsorbent SP filled
The solution was passed through 300 ml of -207 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei Co., Ltd.).
1500 ml of pH 10 buffer was passed through this (SV =
2) The eluted tea polyphenol fraction was collected. This was desalted, concentrated and dried to obtain 2.9 g of powder.

The sample obtained above was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography to find that the caffeine content was 0.
The content was 2% and the catechin content was 64%. The analysis conditions are shown below. In addition, FIG. 1 shows chromatograms of samples before and after decaffeination.

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis conditions Column: Shiseido Capsule Pack AG-120 S-5
ODS 4.6 mm I.D. D. × 250 mm Eluent: Acetonitrile: Ethyl acetate: 0.05% Phosphoric acid water = 12: 2: 86 Flow rate: 1 ml / min Detector: Ultraviolet detector 280 nm Temperature: 40 ° C

Example 2 20 g of green tea extract (caffeine content 7%, catechin content 30%) was dissolved in 100 ml of water, and a glass column (40
mm I. D. X 300 mm) filled synthetic adsorbent H
The solution was passed through 300 ml of P-20 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei Co., Ltd.).
A buffer solution of pH 11 and ethanol were added to this at a ratio of 4: 1 (V /
1500 ml of the solution prepared to be (V) was passed through (SV
= 2), the eluted tea polyphenol fraction was collected. This was desalted, concentrated and dried to obtain 8.3 g of powder. The sample thus obtained was analyzed by the same method as in Example 1, and as a result, the caffeine content was 0.6% and the catechin content was 56%.
Met. Further, FIG. 2 shows chromatograms of samples before and after decaffeination treatment.

Example 3 15 g of ethyl acetate extract of green tea (caffeine content 11
%, Catechin content 66%) 20% ethanol 30 ml
Dissolved in a glass column (40 mm ID × 300)
mm) and the synthetic adsorbent HP-2MG (manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei Co., Ltd.) 300 ml. This was eluted with the same solvent as in Example 2 to obtain 11.6 g of powder. The sample thus obtained was analyzed in the same manner as in Example 1, and as a result, the caffeine content was 0.7% and the catechin content was 73%.
Met. Further, FIG. 3 shows chromatograms of samples before and after the decaffeination treatment.

[0019]

According to the present invention, tea polyphenol having a low caffeine content can be efficiently produced by a simple and safe method.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows the analysis results of Example 1, in which the upper part shows the chromatogram of the sample before the decaffeination treatment, and the lower part shows the chromatogram of the sample after the treatment.

FIG. 2 shows the analysis results of Example 2, in which the upper part shows the chromatogram of the sample before the decaffeination treatment, and the lower part shows the chromatogram of the sample after the treatment.

FIG. 3 shows the analysis results of Example 3, in which the upper part shows the chromatogram of the sample before the decaffeination treatment, and the lower part shows the chromatogram of the sample after the treatment.

[Explanation of symbols]

Peaks a, b, c, d and e all represent tea catechin.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A low-caffeine tea polyphenol, which comprises dissolving or suspending a tea extract in water or a water-containing organic solvent, and contacting this with a synthetic adsorbent to adsorb and remove caffeine. Manufacturing method. 2. The tea extract is a hot water extract of tea, an organic solvent extract or an organic solvent-treated product of these extracts, a membrane-treated product, or a treated product with a resin or an adsorbent. Method for manufacturing tea polyphenols. 3. The matrix of the synthetic adsorbent is any one of styrene type, styrenedivinylbenzene type, acrylic type, methacrylic type, acrylic ester type, amide type, dextran type, cellulose type and polyvinyl type. Method for manufacturing tea polyphenols. 4. The method for producing tea polyphenol according to claim 1, wherein the alkaline condition is pH 7-14.