JPWO2008035757A1 - Jelly-like food containing ubiquinol - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a jelly-like food containing ubiquinol. The present inventors have found that ubiquinol can be dispersed stably and uniformly by using a gelling agent in place of fats and oils, and the present invention has been completed. According to the present invention, ubiquinol, which is indispensable for a living body and tends to be reduced or deficient, can be easily and efficiently applied to a healthy person as well as a person with reduced swallowing ability such as an elderly person or a sick person. It becomes possible to replenish. Further, the jelly-like food of the present invention is a preferred food for modern people who have a low fat content and tend to be excessive in energy intake.

Description

  The present invention relates to a jelly-like food containing ubiquinol that can be easily replenished with ubiquinol essential for a living body by ingesting it in the same manner as a normal food in daily life, and its use.

  Ubiquinol is a two-electron reduced form of ubiquinone which is a benzoquinone derivative widely distributed in the living world. Ubiquinol and ubiquinone are localized in mitochondria, lysosomes, Golgi bodies, microsomes, peroxisomes, or cell membranes, and are involved in ATP production activation, in vivo antioxidant action, and membrane stabilization as components of electron transport systems. It is an indispensable substance for maintaining the functions of living organisms. Ubiquinone is also called vitamin Q because of its vitamin-like function, and is a component that rejuvenates the body as a nutrient source that restores weak cellular activity to a healthy state.

  It is known that ubiquinol and ubiquinone have a certain equilibrium relationship in the living body, and ubiquinol / ubiquinone absorbed in the living body is mutually oxidized / reduced. Normally, it is said that 60 to 90% of ubiquinol and ubiquinone are present as ubiquinol in vivo.

  Ubiquinone is supplemented by meals, but it is biosynthesized in vivo, so it seems that the necessary amount of ubiquinone and ubiquinol is satisfied under normal conditions. It is known that it is significantly reduced by various stresses applied to the living body.

  For example, the ubiquinone content in the human heart is reported to be halved to 47.2 μg / g in the age of 77 to 81 while it is 110.0 μg / g in the age of 19 to 21 (non-patented). Reference 1). In addition, the ubiquinone content in plasma of uremia and chronic hemodialysis patients and various allergic patients is reduced compared to healthy individuals (Non-patent Documents 2 and 3). In hyperlipidemia patients, the ubiquinone content of the LDL cholesterol fraction is decreased (Non-patent Document 4). Furthermore, it has been pointed out that administration of a cholesterol synthesis inhibitor, which has been widely used as a therapeutic agent for high cholesterol plasma, has recently inhibited biosynthesis of ubiquinone, resulting in a decrease in ubiquinone concentration in tissues (non-patented). Reference 5). Furthermore, it is estimated that the concentration in the tissue decreases even under conditions where peroxides are likely to be generated in vivo, such as during intense exercise or overwork.

  A decrease in the ubiquinol and ubiquinone contents in the living body is unfavorable for health because of its characteristics, resulting in decreased ATP productivity, decreased cardiac function, decreased resistance to oxidative stress, and instability of the biological membrane. Supplementing deficient ubiquinol and ubiquinone is beneficial for promoting energy production in mitochondria and improving the antioxidant capacity of the body and maintaining homeostasis.

  Ubiquinone is expected to improve and prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's disease, periodontal disease, neurological diseases, allergies, fertility, exercise capacity, immune function, fatigue, etc. Yes.

  For example, enhancement of cardiac function by ubiquinone administration has been reported (Non-Patent Document 6), and the effect of ubiquinone to improve cardiac diseases such as congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, and myocardial infarction (Non-Patent Document 7 and Non-Patent Document 8). ), Arteriosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, periodontal disease, allergy prevention and improvement effect (Non-patent document 9, Non-patent document 10, Non-patent document 11, Non-patent document 12), Reproductive performance improvement effect, LDL Antioxidation of cholesterol, an effect of decreasing the number of dialysis in renal dialysis patients, an effect of enhancing nonspecific immunity, and the like are known (Non-patent Documents 13 and 14). Ubiquinone is already used as a treatment for palpitations, shortness of breath, and swelling due to congestive heart failure or mild heart disease.

  In order to compensate for the in vivo ubiquinol and ubiquinone contents that decrease in daily life, it is necessary to appropriately supplement ubiquinol and ubiquinone. Even if you are a middle-aged or younger person, especially in the case of oxidative stress disorder as pointed out during excessive exercise, the content of ubiquinol decreases, so it is important to supplement the body with ubiquinol to increase the antioxidant capacity of the body. is there. In order to improve the ubiquinol content in the living body, a method of replenishing ubiquinone exogenously has been used conventionally.

  As mentioned above, as a method of supplementing ubiquinone, which is indispensable for maintaining the functions of the living body and tends to decrease or lack in daily life, a method of supplementing as a medicine or supplement in the form of tablets or capsules has already been implemented. However, it is easier for a healthy person or a semi-healthy person who has a mild deficiency and is not a medical target to take it in the same way as a normal food, rather than taking it as a tablet or capsule.

  Thus, it has been considered that if a food containing ubiquinone is used, ubiquinone and ubiquinol are in an equilibrium relationship in the living body, so that not only ubiquinone itself but also ubiquinol which tends to be deficient can be easily supplied. However, in recent years, it has been reported that ingesting ubiquinol is more effective than ingesting ubiquinone in various applications. For example, ubiquinol is superior to ubiquinone in oral absorption (Patent Document 1), and is effective in improving and preventing hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia and arteriosclerosis (Patent Document 2). It has been reported. In addition, there is a report that the ability to reduce ubiquinone to ubiquinol is weak in elderly people and sick people (Non-patent Document 15).

  Ingesting ubiquinol in this way is expected to be useful, but in addition to having the property that ubiquinol is very easily oxidized, ubiquinol itself has low absorbency and increases absorbability. For this purpose, it is generally dissolved in fats and oils, and in some cases, a surfactant or the like is also added and taken as a capsule to prevent oxidation. However, in the case of capsules, there is a problem that it is difficult to take for people with low swallowing ability such as elderly people and sick people.

  Moreover, as a food containing ubiquinol, an oil-and-fat-containing food enriched with ubiquinol (Patent Document 3) has been reported. Here, in order to contain ubiquinol, which is a fat-soluble substance, in food, ubiquinol is converted into oil and fat. Dissolved or used together.

As described above, in order to ingest ubiquinol, conventionally, a method of ingesting simultaneously with fats and oils, surfactants, and the like is common. Fats and oils (fats) are one of the three macronutrients, and are important as an energy source, and at the same time have functions such as imparting a smooth texture to food, imparting richness, and imparting a rich feeling. However, recently, due to increasing interest in obesity and lifestyle-related diseases, it is required to reduce the intake of fat, which is a high-calorie substance in food.
JP-A-10-109933 JP 10-330251 A WO03 / 061395 Lipids, 24, 579-584 (1989) Nephron, 66, 153-156 (1994) BioFactors, 1, 303-306 (1988) Atherosclerosis, 129, 119-126 (1997) Clinical Investigator, 71, S97-S102 (1993) Clinical Investigator, 71, S71-S75 (1993) Inter. J. Cardiology, 68, 23-29 (1999) Cardiovasc. Drugs Ther., 12, 347-353 (1998) Atherosclerosis, 148, 275-282 (1999) Curr. Therap. Res., 51, 668-672 (1992) Journal of Oral Hygiene, 43, 667-672 (1993) Clinical and research, 58,1349-1352 (1981) Mol. Aspects Med., 18, S85-S103 (1997) Mol. Aspects Med., 15, S213-S219 (1994)) Acta Diabetol., 42, 179-181 (2005)

  The purpose of the present invention is to take ubiquinol, which is apt to be reduced or deficient by ingesting it in the same way as normal foods in daily life, but not only for healthy people but also for elderly people and sick people, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide a jelly-like food that can be easily and efficiently replenished even by a person with reduced swallowing ability, and that is preferable for excessive energy, which is a problem in the eating habits of modern people.

  The present inventors have found for the first time that by using a gelling agent instead of fats and oils, a jelly-like food can be obtained that can stably and uniformly disperse ubiquinol and has excellent absorbability. It was. Such jelly-like foods are also useful for people with reduced swallowing ability such as the elderly and sick. That is, the present invention is as follows.

[1] A jelly-like food containing ubiquinol.
[2] The jelly-like food according to [1], wherein a gelling agent for making a jelly is used.
[3] As a gelling agent, one or more gelling agents selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatin, konjac flour, pectin, starch starch, katsu starch, bran starch, tapioca starch and carrageenan are used. The jelly-like food according to [1] or [2], wherein
[4] The jelly-like food according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the viscosity is 5.0 × 10 ^{2 to} 1.0 × 10 ⁵ mPa · s and / or the hardness is 5 × 10 ⁴ N / m ² or less.
[5] The jelly-like food according to any one of [1] to [4], further containing an organic acid.
[6] The jelly-like food according to any one of [1] to [5], further comprising an antioxidant.
[7] The jelly-like food according to any one of [1] to [6], further containing vitamins.
[8] The jelly-like food according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the fat content is less than 0.5% by weight.

  The jelly-like food of the present invention is ubiquitol that tends to be decreased or deficient by ingesting it in the same way as normal food in daily life. It is a low-calorie food that is not only easily and efficiently replenished by people with reduced swallowing ability, such as sick people, but is also preferred for excess energy, which is a problem in modern diets.

  The jelly-like food of the present invention is characterized by containing ubiquinol. In the jelly-like food of the present invention, the ubiquinol contained may be substantially ubiquinol alone or a mixture of ubiquinone and ubiquinol. In the present invention, when a mixture of ubiquinol and ubiquinone is used, the ratio is not particularly limited. However, since the ubiquinol content is preferably high, the weight ratio of ubiquinol / ubiquinone is preferably 40/60 or more. / 40 or more is more preferable, 80/20 is more preferable, 95/5 is still more preferable, and 99/1 is most preferable.

  The ubiquinol used in the present invention may be produced by any known method such as a synthesis method or a fermentation method, but if it is carefully taken into consideration for safety to living organisms, it is included in foods such as meat and fish. The same (all-E) -isomers are preferred, in which case the production method is derived from the fermentation process. Here, “derived from the fermentation method” means that the preferred stereoisomerism is obtained based on the fermentation method, for example, (all-E) -isomer ubiquinone obtained by the fermentation method and It does not prevent the conversion of ubiquinol into a desired ratio of ubiquinol by treatment such as oxidation or reduction while maintaining its solid form. Stereoisomers are analyzed by HPLC by a conventional method.

  Further, ubiquinol used in the present invention is produced by ubiquinone produced by a conventional method, preferably ubiquinone produced by fermentation, sodium borohydride, sodium dithionite (hydrosulfite sodium), zinc, etc. It can carry out by reducing by a conventional method using the general reducing agent of. After the reduction, concentration by crystallization or chromatography may be performed. Ubiquinol can be used whether it is solid, liquid, crystalline or amorphous.

  The ratio of ubiquinone and ubiquinol is usually determined by a method that quantifies ubiquinone and ubiquinol in a sample by an HPLC system using a UV detector, and calculates the quantitative ratio thereof, or a system that incorporates an electrochemical detector in HPLC Thus, the ratio of ubiquinone and ubiquinol can be obtained from the peak area. Since a system incorporating an electrochemical detector can specifically measure redox substances and has high sensitivity, it is highly useful when measuring the proportion of ubiquinol present in a minute amount in a living body or sample. Specifically, an electrochemical detector manufactured by Shiseido Co., Ltd. is incorporated into an Shimadzu HPLC analyzer, and measurement can be performed under the following HPLC conditions.

  Column: YMC-Pack (ODS-A303), detection wavelength: 275 nm, mobile phase: methanol (88%), hexane (12%), flow rate: 1 ml / min.

  The jelly-like food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a food having a so-called gel-like form. Specifically, the jelly-like food with gelling agents such as gelatin, agar, konjac, tapioca, warabimochi , Scrap, jam, boiled rice. Moreover, you may have a solid substance in these gel-like compositions.

  The material used for the jelly-like food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as an appropriate viscosity is added to a gel-like food material or a liquid food material. For example, by using a gelling agent that is acceptable as a food, if necessary, heat treatment or addition of water is performed to make a gel, so-called jelly, to produce the jelly-like food of the present invention. Can do.

  The gelling agent used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and corn starch, potato starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, katsu starch, straw starch, tapioca starch, and other starches, agar, gelatin, konjac Flour (glucomannan, galactomannan), pectin, carrageenan, alginic acid and its salts, psyllium, gum arabic, locust bean gum, guar gum, tamarind gum, quince seed gum, caraya gum, tragacanth gum, gutty gum, xanthan gum, gellan gum (native gellan gum, Cellulose such as deacylated gellan gum), tara gum, arabinogalactan, fur celerane, quince, curdlan, pullulan, dextran, sodium carboxymethylcellulose Derivatives, and the like. Starches, agar, gelatin, konjac flour and pectin are preferred. More preferred are agar, gelatin, konjac flour, pectin, starch starch, katsu starch, bran starch, tapioca starch. Two or more of these gelling agents may be combined.

The jelly-like food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has a shape and physical properties similar to those of so-called jelly and jelly-like beverages, which are elastic semi-solids. It preferably has a viscosity of 5.0 × 10 ² mPa · s or more under temperature conditions, and the upper limit thereof is preferably 1.0 × 10 ⁵ mPa · s or less. The hardness is preferably 6 × 10 ⁴ N / m ² or less, and more preferably 5 × 10 ⁴ N / m ² or less.

  The viscosity here is “a material constant indicating the difficulty of liquid flow or the degree of viscosity”, which is referred to as viscosity or viscosity. Viscosity refers to the property of resisting the force of squeezing when friction is applied to the inside when it is applied.

  The term “hardness” as used herein refers to “resistance when compressed at a constant speed”. A local force (concentrated load) is applied to a substance from the outside in a short period of time, and the degree of deformation of the substance indicated at that time is used for deformation. Judging the magnitude of resistance, this is regarded as hardness.

  The viscosity and hardness of food can be measured using a commercially available viscometer (rheometer, creep meter, etc.).

  Furthermore, the jelly-like food in the present invention can also be used as a food for dysphagic persons and a dietary supplement. In an aging society, the number of elderly people with movement disorders such as bedridden, severe dementia, and sequelae of stroke is increasing. When the swallowing function is impaired, there is also a risk of death from asphyxia or aspiration pneumonia due to aspiration that cannot be swallowed normally by food or drink, but accidentally withdrawn into the trachea. It is known that low viscosity liquids such as water are most easily swallowed by healthy subjects, but those who have difficulty swallowing are less likely to cause aspiration. Food is used. Naturally, the hardness of the food is also important. Unless it is soft to a certain extent, it becomes difficult to chew or mix.

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has standards for foods for people with difficulty in chewing or swallowing that have a viscosity of 1.5 × 10 ³ mPa · s or more and a hardness of 1 × 10 ⁴ N / m ² or less (hard enough to be crushed by the tongue). Therefore, the jelly-like food of the present invention can be used as a food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing by adjusting to satisfy these criteria. Moreover, such a jelly-like food can be preferably used for food applications for infants and the elderly.

  In the jelly-like food of the present invention, the method for adjusting to the target viscosity and hardness is not particularly limited, and it is known that the type and amount of the gelling agent are adjusted, and other thickeners are appropriately used. The method can be used. In addition, in order to obtain a jelly-like food having a viscosity and hardness suitable for food use for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing, for example, gelatin is used in combination with agar or carrageenan as a gelling agent, or carrageenan and xanthan gum or native The method of using gellan gum together is mentioned.

  Antioxidants, organic acids, and vitamins may be added to the jelly-like food of the present invention.

  Antioxidants include lycopene, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, glutathione, selenium, sodium thiosulfate, alpha lipoic acid and its derivatives, pycnogenol, flavangenol, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase, glutathione- Examples thereof include S-transferase, glutathione reductase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and mixtures thereof. These antioxidants are used as particularly preferred additives from the viewpoint of enhancing the stability of ubiquinol against oxidation and obtaining a more stable and high effect.

  The organic acid is not particularly limited, for example, citric acid, citric acid derivatives, acetic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, aspartic acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, malonic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, propionic acid, Examples include butyric acid, valeric acid, isocitric acid, and mixtures thereof. The organic acid is not only a component useful for the body itself, but also preferred in that it can add an appropriate flavor to the jelly-like food of the present invention.

  The vitamins are not particularly limited. For example, vitamin A, vitamin B (vitamin B1, vitamin B1 derivative, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, etc.), vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, biotin, pantothene Examples include acids, nicotinic acid, and mixtures thereof. Here, the vitamin B1 derivative includes thiamine or a salt thereof, thiamine disulfide, fursultiamine or a salt thereof, dicetiamine, bisbuthiamine, bisbenchamine, benfotiamine, thiamine monophosphate disulfide, chicotiamine, octothiamine, pro Any of the compounds having physiological activity as vitamin B1, such as sultiamine, can be included.

  These antioxidants, organic acids, and vitamins may be used in combination of two or more.

  The other components contained in the jelly-like food of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are components that can be used in foods. If necessary, sugars, sweeteners, fruit juices, flavor powders, fragrances, preservatives, and coloring agents. And preservatives can be used.

  The sugar is not particularly limited, and for example, water-soluble sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, isomerized sugar, coupling sugar, palatinose, neosugar, reduced starch saccharified starch, xylose, sorbose, lactulose, polydextrose, etc. Examples thereof include saccharides and mixtures thereof.

  The sweetener is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include saccharin sodium, aspartame, stevioside, stevia extract, paramethoxycinnamic aldehyde, neohesperidyl dihydrochalcone, perilartin, and mixtures thereof.

  The fruit juice is not particularly limited, and for example, apple juice, orange juice, grape juice, melon juice, lemon juice and the like are used.

  The flavor powder is not particularly limited, and for example, coffee powder, matcha powder, sencha powder, cocoa powder and the like are used.

  The fragrance is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include menthol, carvone, anethole, cineol, methyl salicylate, cinnamic aldehyde, eugenol, 3- (1-menthoxy) propane-1,2-diol, thymol, linalool, linalyl acetate, Limonene, menthone, menthyl acetate, N-substituted-paramentane-3-carboxamide, pinene, octyl aldehyde, citral, pregon, carbyl acetate, anisaldehyde, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, allylcyclohexane propionate, methyl anthranilate , Ethyl methyl ethynyl glycidate, vanillin, undecalactone, hexanal, ethyl alcohol, propyl alcohol, butanol, isoamyl alcohol, hexenol, di Single flavors such as tilsulfide, cycloten, furfural, trimethylpyrazone, ethyl lactate, ethylthioacetate, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, anise oil, eucalyptus oil, wintergreen oil, cassia oil, clove oil, thyme oil, sage Oil, lemon oil, orange oil, peppermint oil, cardamom oil, coriander oil, mandarin oil, lime oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil, laurel oil, chamomile oil, caraway oil, marjoram oil, bay oil, lemongrass oil, Natural flavors such as origanum oil, pine needle oil, neroli oil, rose oil, jasmine oil, Iris concrete, absolute peppermint, absolute rose, orange flower, strawberry flavor, apple flavor, banana flavor , Pineapple flavor, grape flavor, mango flavor, butter flavor, milk flavor, fruit mix flavors, blended fragrance, such as tropical fruit flavors, and mixtures thereof, and the like.

  The preservative is not particularly limited, for example, aminoethyl sulfonic acid, benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, ethanol, sodium edetate, agar, dl-camphor, citric acid, sodium citrate, salicylic acid, sodium salicylate, phenyl salicylate, Dibutylhydroxytoluene, sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, nitrogen, dehydroacetic acid, sodium dehydroacetate, 2-naphthol, sucrose, honey, isobutyl paraoxybenzoate, isopropyl paraoxybenzoate, ethyl paraoxybenzoate, butyl paraoxybenzoate, paraoxybenzoate Examples include propyl acid, methyl paraoxybenzoate, l-menthol, eucalyptus oil, and mixtures thereof.

  The colorant is not particularly limited, and those permitted to be added to foods can be used. For example, blue No. 1, yellow No. 4, green No. 3, red No. 5, lake dye, dioxide Examples thereof include titanium, red cabbage pigment, sockeye pigment, purple potato pigment, gardenia pigment, cochineal pigment, caramel pigment, chlorophyll, and mixtures thereof.

  The preservative is not particularly limited. For example, benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, ethanol, sodium edetate, dry sodium sulfite, citric acid, glycerin, salicylic acid, sodium salicylate, dibutylhydroxytoluene, D-sorbitol, sorbic acid, sorbine Examples include potassium acid, sodium dehydroacetate, isobutyl paraoxybenzoate, isopropyl paraoxybenzoate, ethyl paraoxybenzoate, butyl paraoxybenzoate, propyl paraoxybenzoate, methyl paraoxybenzoate, propylene glycol, phosphoric acid, and mixtures thereof. It is done.

  In addition, the jelly-like food of the present invention may contain a small amount of fat and oil components, but for the purpose of keeping calories low, the amount used is preferably as small as possible. Is preferably 10% by weight or less, more preferably 5% by weight or less, still more preferably 1% by weight or less, and particularly preferably less than 0.5% by weight based on the total amount of food. preferable. Usually, in general foods and supplements, a large excess of oil and fat is used than ubiquinol in order to solubilize or disperse ubiquinol in preparations and foods, but in the jelly-like food of the present invention, it is jelly-like. Therefore, it is possible to suitably disperse ubiquinol in foods, so that the content of fats and oils relative to ubiquinol in foods can be, for example, equal or less, and even less than half, and substantially or not contain fats and oils. It is also possible.

  The jelly-like food of the present invention is ingested as a low-calorie food that can be supplemented with ubiquinol not only for healthy people but also for elderly people and sick people who have some disease, as general foods, as dietary supplements, and health foods. it can. Furthermore, it is also useful as a supplement for elderly and sick people with dysphagia. Furthermore, it can be applied to animals such as pets, which have been difficult to ingest in conventional capsules. As its form, for example, it is provided as a jelly loaded in a cup or the like, or as a jelly-like beverage filled in a pouch or the like, and by performing cooking such as hydration and / or heating on the user side, It is provided as a powder / solid form.

  The intake amount of the jelly-like food of the present invention is not particularly limited, but it is 1 mg to 1000 mg, preferably 10 mg to 500 mg, more preferably 30 mg to 300 mg as the amount of ubiquinol per day for an adult.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples. The purity and the ubiquinol / ubiquinone ratio (weight ratio) were determined by the HPLC analysis.

Production Example 1 Production of Ubiquinol 100 g of ubiquinone (purity 99.4%) and 60 g of L-ascorbic acid were added to 1000 g of ethanol, and the mixture was stirred at 78 ° C. to carry out a reduction reaction. After 30 hours, the mixture was cooled to 50 ° C., and 330 g of ethanol and 70 g of water were added while maintaining the same temperature. While stirring this ethanol solution (containing 100 g of ubiquinol), it was cooled to 2 ° C. at a cooling rate of 10 ° C./hour to obtain a white slurry. The obtained slurry was filtered under reduced pressure, and the wet crystals were washed with cold ethanol, cold water and cold ethanol in this order (the temperature of the cold solvent used for washing was 2 ° C.), and the wet crystals were further dried under reduced pressure (20 to 40 ° C., 1 to 30 mmHg) to obtain 97 g of white dry crystals. All operations except drying under reduced pressure were performed under a nitrogen atmosphere.

Production Example 2 Production of Ubiquinol 100 g of ubiquinone (purity 99.4%) was dissolved in 1000 g of heptane solution at 25 ° C. While stirring, an aqueous solution prepared by adding 1000 ml of water to 100 g of sodium hyposulfite (purity of 75% or more) as a reducing agent was gradually added, and a reduction reaction was performed at 25 ° C. and pH 4-6. After 2 hours, the aqueous phase was removed from the reaction solution, and the heptane phase was washed 6 times with 1000 g of degassed saturated brine. As described above, all operations were performed in a nitrogen atmosphere. The heptane phase was subjected to solvent replacement under reduced pressure to prepare a 7% (w / w) ethanol solution of ubiquinol at 50 ° C. (containing 100 g of ubiquinol). 50 g of water was added to this ethanol solution, and the mixture was cooled to 2 ° C. at a cooling rate of 10 ° C./hour with stirring to precipitate crystals. All operations were performed under a nitrogen atmosphere. The obtained slurry was filtered under reduced pressure, and the wet crystals were washed with cold ethanol, cold water and cold ethanol in this order (the temperature of the cold solvent used for washing was 2 ° C.), and the wet crystals were further dried under reduced pressure (20 to 40 ° C. 1 to 30 mmHg) to obtain 97 g of white dry crystals.

(Example 1) Production of jelly-like food 20 g of gelatin (Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd .; type R) was added to 400 g of water, and gelatin was dissolved at 70 ° C. While maintaining the same temperature, 5 g of ubiquinol obtained in Production Example 1 was added, and ubiquinol was completely melted, and then emulsified for 5 minutes (10000 rpm) using TK homomixer Mark II2.5 (manufactured by Primix Co., Ltd.). I let you. The emulsion was cooled to room temperature, and further cooled in a refrigerator (4 ° C.) for 2 hours to prepare a jelly containing ubiquinol. The obtained jelly was uniform and was well dispersed without precipitation of ubiquinol in the jelly.

Example 2 Absorbability Evaluation <Sample Preparation>
For animal testing, a model sample obtained by drying a jelly-like food containing ubiquinol was prepared as follows.

  In 160 g of distilled water, 40 g of gelatin (manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd .; APH-250) was dissolved at 60 ° C. to prepare an aqueous gelatin solution. After heating this aqueous solution to 60 ° C., 6.2 g of the ubiquinol powder obtained in Production Example 1 above was added and melted, and then emulsified with TK homomixer Mark II (manufactured by Primics Co., Ltd.) for 10,000 rotations × 5 minutes. An oil-in-water emulsion composition was obtained. 145 g of MCT (manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd .; Actor M-2) and surfactant (polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester: Sakamoto Yakuhin Co., Ltd.) heated in advance to 90 ° C., 75 g of the oil-in-water emulsion composition obtained here. Kogyo Co., Ltd .; SY Glister CRS-75) was added to an oily component consisting of 5 g, and the water was evaporated by adjusting the temperature of the stirring and suspension to 105 ° C. Thereafter, according to a conventional method, oily components are separated by solid-liquid separation, and the oily components adhering to the particles are washed and removed with about 500 g of ethanol, dried at 50 ° C., and particles in which ubiquinol is dispersed in gelatin. -Like composition (model sample of jelly-like food) was obtained. The composition and the ubiquinol crystals of Production Example 1 (powder as they were) were packed in rat capsules to give evaluation samples.

<Experimental system>
8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats (bleeder or source: Nippon SLC Co., Ltd.) were orally administered using a capsule sonde at a dose of 10 mg / kg as the test substance described above as ubiquinol (each sample). N = 5). Blood was collected from each rat 1, 2, 4, 8, and 24 hours after administration of the test substance. The collected blood was centrifuged to obtain plasma. Thereafter, oxidation treatment of ubiquinol in plasma and extraction treatment of ubiquinone were performed, and the concentration of ubiquinone was measured using HPLC.

  The following changes in plasma ubiquinone peak blood concentration (Cmax) after oral administration of a ubiquinol bulk or a composition (test substance) containing ubiquinol and gelatin, and changes in plasma ubiquinone concentration over time up to 24 hours after administration of the test substance The area under the curve (AUC) value is shown.

  Comparing the ubiquinol crystals and the composition of ubiquinol dispersed in gelatin after oral administration, the plasma concentration of ubiquinol dispersed in gelatin showed higher plasma concentration and higher AUC. It was shown that. That is, it has been clarified that the absorption is improved when ubiquinol is allowed to coexist in gelatin.

(Preparation Example 1) Jelly-like food gelatin was dissolved by heating and heating, and then ubiquinol obtained in Production Example 1 was added and homogenized to obtain a ubiquinol-soluble product (emulsion). Next, heat while adding casein and dextrin to the previous emulsion, and add fructose-glucose liquid sugar, lactic acid Ca, citric acid, fragrance, sodium citrate, vitamins, and stir well into a cup-shaped container. By filling, a jelly-like food containing ubiquinol was obtained. The taste of the obtained jelly-like food was good.

(Preparation Example 2) The gelatinous food gelatin was dissolved by heating and heating, and then ubiquinol obtained in Production Example 1 was added and homogenized to obtain a ubiquinol-soluble material (emulsion). Next, heat while adding casein and dextrin to the previous emulsion, and add fructose-glucose liquid sugar, lactic acid Ca, citric acid, fragrance, sodium citrate, vitamins, and from the aluminum composite sheet with sufficient stirring A jelly-like food containing ubiquinol was obtained by filling and sealing the formed pouch. The taste of the obtained jelly-like food was good.

Claims (8)

  Jelly-like food containing ubiquinol.   2. The jelly-like food according to claim 1, wherein a gelling agent for making the jelly is used.   Using at least one gelling agent selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatin, konjac flour, pectin, starch starch, katsu starch, bran starch, tapioca starch and carrageenan The jelly-like food according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The jelly-like food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has a viscosity of 5.0 x 10 ^{2 to} 1.0 x 10 ⁵ mPa · s and / or a hardness of 5 x 10 ⁴ N / m ² or less.   Furthermore, the jelly-form foodstuff of any one of Claims 1-4 containing an organic acid.   Furthermore, the jelly-form foodstuff of any one of Claims 1-5 containing an antioxidant.   Furthermore, the jelly-form foodstuff of any one of Claims 1-6 containing vitamins.   The jelly-like food according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fat content is less than 0.5% by weight.