JPH09169661A - Steroid hormone increasing agent - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the subject agent containing onion or its processed product, capable of increasing the steroid hormone, especially testosterone in blood plasma and effective for the promotion of gonad function of male and the prevention and treatment of mammary cancer, etc. SOLUTION: This agent contains onion or its processed product, preferably onion juice or onion vinegar. The onion juice can be produced e.g. by squeezing raw onion with a juicer, etc., boiling the juice for a short time and filtering the product having decreased viscosity. The onion vinegar can be produced e.g. by subjecting the onion juice to alcoholic fermentation and then to acetic acid fermentation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a food or the like containing onion or a processed product thereof. By taking this, steroid hormones in plasma, especially testosterone which is a male hormone It is expected to be effective for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, thyroid cancer, etc., in which gonad function enhancement and male hormones are effective.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Onion has the pharmacological effects of preventing bactericidal infections such as cuts and burns by bactericidal action; preventive treatment of stone diseases, urinary retention, proteinuria, gout, rheumatism, etc. by diuretic action; and intestine. It is said to be effective for insomnia, arteriosclerosis, and hypertension caused by stimulating and cleaning.

[0003] The present inventor has conducted research to expand the use of inexpensive onions, especially non-standard products and surplus onions that have been subject to disposal, and first continuously produces onion vinegar from onions by a bioreactor, He suggested the possibility of commercialization as a food (a research presentation at the 94 'International Food Industry Exhibition sponsored by the Japan Food Machinery Manufacturers Association).

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to develop a food with higher added value and the like, which uses onion as a raw material, by earnestly researching unknown functionalities that affect onion health.

[0005]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been found to be a steroid hormone increasing agent containing an onion or a processed product thereof, wherein continuous administration of this increases testosterone in plasma. Therefore, it enhances male gonadal function and is effective for preventing and treating breast cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, thyroid cancer, etc., in which male hormones are effective, as well as male gonadal dysfunction, latent testes, and female function. It is expected as a high-value-added food etc. that is effective against sexual bleeding and menopausal disorders.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Processed products of onion include onion powder, granules, tablets, onion extract, onion juice, onion vinegar, onion wine and the like. Further, onion extract, onion vinegar or onion juice further processed into powder, granules, tablets and the like can be used.

The onion juice is produced by squeezing a raw material onion using a juicer or the like, filtering and clarifying it, and sterilizing it by heating. It is more efficient to boil the porridge with a juicer for a short period of time and then filter the one with weakened viscosity.

For the onion vinegar raw material onion, "Kurenai""OkhotskH86" having a particularly high sugar concentration is suitable, and onion vinegar is produced by alcoholic fermentation of the above onion juice, followed by acetic acid fermentation. be able to. Strains used, alcohol fermentation, alcohol fermentation yeast used in normal alcohol fermentation, for example Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used, acetic acid fermentation, acetic acid fermentation bacteria used in normal acetic acid fermentation, for example Acetobactor aceti. Is used. As the fermentation device, a continuous operation bioreactor is preferable, for example, alcohol-fermenting bacteria are immobilized on the porous ceramic beads and / or the ring filled in the fermenter,
Pour the sterilized onion juice into this, 15-35
Incubate anaerobically at ℃ for about 48 hours. Similarly, the above alcohol fermentation product (ethanol concentration of 30 to 40 g / l) is poured into an acetic acid fermenter filled with porous ceramic beads and / or the same ring on which the acetic acid fermenting bacteria are immobilized, and
By aerobically culturing at ˜35 ° C. for about 60 to 96 hours, onion vinegar with an acetic acid concentration of 30 to 50 g / l can be obtained. These fermenters can be operated continuously for a long period of time, and the physical destruction and alteration of the carrier do not occur, so that there is little change in the bacterial cell concentration in the fermenter and the fermentation process can be industrially continued. As the immobilization carrier, calcium alginate gel, κ-carrageenan gel, porous chitosan beads and the like can be used. The onion vinegar thus obtained can be used as vinegar and can also be used as a seasoning.

[0009] By using red purple red onion "Kurenai" as a raw material, the juice and vinegar of wine red color are obtained, and the commercial value is increased.

The onion juice and onion vinegar can be used as they are, but if necessary, other vegetables, fruit juice, seasonings and the like may be added to prepare food.

[0011]

【Example】

Example 1 After removing the outer skin of an onion, it was shredded and mashed with a juicer. This was heated with stirring and boiled for 1 to 2 minutes. When the viscosity became weak, it was filtered while squeezing with gauze, and the filtrate was sterilized by heating for 1 to 2 minutes to obtain onion juice.

Example 2 Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Acetobactor aceti were immobilized on porous ceramic beads, and the beads were filled in an alcohol fermenter and an acetic acid fermenter of a two-stage continuous fermentation apparatus. In the alcohol fermentation, onion juice was supplied from the lower portion of the alcohol fermentation tank, circulated from the upper portion of the fermentation tank to the lower portion, and fermented at 30 ° C. for 48 hours in a CO ₂ atmosphere. In the acetic acid fermentation, the alcoholic fermented liquid produced in the previous step is supplied from the lower part of the acetic acid fermenter, air is blown from the bottom to circulate under aerobic conditions, fermented at 30 ° C. for 60 hours, and produced from the upper part of the fermenter. The acetic acid solution was taken out. This acetic acid solution was sterilized to produce onion vinegar. Since this onion vinegar contains various amino acids and organic acids more than other vinegars on the market, it was a food with high kokumi and umami.

Test Example 1 Measurement of Plasma Testosterone Level The physiological activity of the onion juice and onion vinegar obtained in Examples 1 and 2 was examined as follows. 5 each
A human male was ingested 25 ml twice a day for 10 days, and blood was collected before ingestion, 4 days, and 10 days later, and the testosterone level in plasma was measured. Table 1 shows the results.

[0014]

[Table 1]

As can be seen from the test results, the blood testosterone concentration in men who took onion juice or onion vinegar increased in all cases. The measured values of other blood components remained unchanged even after drinking.

Test Example 2 Effect of onion juice on mating behavior of aged male mice (1) Test animals and breeding conditions Male rats were 60-week-old and female rats were 11-week-old. Raise rats at room temperature (20-2
6 ° C.), humidity 40 to 70%, light and dark 12 hours each. One animal was individually housed in a stainless steel cage in the animal room. As the feed, solid feed CRF-1 was ingested. The test was conducted with 10 animals per group. (2) Administration sample and administration method Onion juice as it is, twice a day, 5 ml / μkg
Was orally administered for 14 days during the breeding period, and then orally during the subsequent mating behavior observation period. Water for injection was given to the control group. (3) Observation of mating behavior Male mice, which had been subjected to the sample administration for 14 days, were placed one by one in a plastic cage containing bedding and acclimated.
Next, one female rat, which was recognized to be in estrus at the vaginal smear specimen, was made to live together, and the mating behavior from the start of living together until 5 hours was observed with a video camera. Mating behavior was quantitatively measured using the following indices. Number of rides: Number of rides only without insertion Insertion number: Number of rides with insertion Ejaculation: Number of rides with ejaculation (4) Test results Table 2 shows the average number of 10 animals per group.

[0017]

[Table 2]

The male mice in the test group exhibited more active mating behavior and were approximately doubled as compared with the male mice in the control group.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A steroid hormone increasing agent containing an onion or a processed product thereof. 2. The steroid hormone increasing agent according to claim 1, wherein the processed product is onion juice or onion vinegar. 3. The steroid hormone increasing agent according to claim 1, wherein the steroid hormone is testosterone. 4. The steroid hormone increasing agent according to claim 3, which has a male gonadal function enhancing action.