TW202236976A - Composition for improving muscle flexibility - Google Patents

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a composition for improving muscle flexibility. The present invention relates to a composition for improving muscle flexibility that contains quercetin and/or a glycoside thereof.

Description

Composition for improving muscle flexibility

The present invention relates to a composition for improving muscle flexibility. In addition, the present invention relates to the use of quercetin and/or its glycosides, etc., which are used to improve muscle flexibility.

In Japan, a super-aging society, the proportion of the late-stage elderly population is increasing due to the advancement of medical care, but on the other hand, the extension of healthy life span and the improvement of quality of life (QOL) are becoming problems. One of the reasons for the shortened healthy lifespan can be listed as a movement disorder syndrome that requires nursing care and becomes a high-risk state due to impairment of motor organs. As the age increases, motor function declines such as pain, decreased muscle strength, decreased stamina, and decreased exercise speed due to motor organ diseases. These problems interact with each other, forming a vicious circle. As a result, activities of daily life become impossible, and it is considered that it will become a state requiring nursing care, and its prevention is becoming increasingly important.

It is known that motor function is not simply proportional to muscle mass, but muscle flexibility is also related to motor function. Therefore, not only increasing muscle mass, but also improving muscle flexibility is considered to be important for suppressing or improving the decline in motor function.

Quercetin is a kind of flavonoid, which is contained directly or in the form of glycosides in many plants such as onions. It has been reported that the physiological activity of quercetin or its glycosides is PPARγ activation and the like (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Document]

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-8117

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

For example, if the flexibility of the muscle decreases, the muscle becomes less stretchable. Components that can improve muscle flexibility are effective, for example, in suppressing or improving a decrease in motor function.

The object of the present invention is to provide a composition for improving muscle flexibility. [Means used to solve the problem]

The inventors of the present invention have found that quercetin and/or its glycosides, one of the flavonols, are effective in improving muscle flexibility.

That is, the present invention includes but is not limited to the following composition for improving flexibility of muscles and the like. [1] A composition for improving muscle flexibility, which contains quercetin and/or its glycoside. [2] The composition of the above [1], which is used for at least one of reducing muscle hardness, inhibiting increase in muscle hardness, improving muscle flexibility, and improving muscle elasticity. [3] The composition of [1] or [2] above, which is used in combination with exercise. [4] The composition according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein the muscle is a thigh muscle. [5] The composition according to any one of the above-mentioned [1] to [4], which is a food or drink, a cosmetic, or a quasi-drug. [6] A use of quercetin and/or its glycosides for improving muscle flexibility. [Effect of Invention]

According to the present invention, a composition for improving muscle flexibility can be provided.

The composition for improving muscle flexibility of the present invention contains quercetin and/or its glycoside. Hereinafter, the composition for improving muscle flexibility of the present invention is also simply referred to as the composition of the present invention. The composition of the present invention usually contains quercetin and/or its glycoside as an active ingredient.

In this specification, "quercetin" means quercetin which is a flavonol compound which is a kind of polyphenol. In the present invention, "quercetin glycoside" means the glycoside of quercetin described above, specifically, a series of compounds in which one or more sugars are bonded to the hydroxyl glycoside at the 3-position of quercetin the general term for. The quercetin glycoside is a compound represented by the following general formula. (X)n in the general formula below represents a sugar chain. X represents sugar (monosaccharide), and n is an integer of 1 or more. The quercetin glycoside can be one compound or two or more compounds.

The sugar constituting the sugar chain represented by X that is glycosidically bonded to quercetin is, for example, glucose, rhamnose, galactose, glucuronic acid, etc., preferably glucose or rhamnose. In addition, n is not particularly limited as long as it is 1 or more, and is preferably 1-16, more preferably 1-8. When n is 2 or more, moiety X may be composed of one type of sugar or a plurality of types of sugar. In other words, when n is 2 or more, (X)n may be a sugar chain formed of one type of sugar, or a sugar chain formed of multiple types of sugars. The quercetin glycosides in the present invention also include compounds obtained by treating existing quercetin glycosides with enzymes or the like to transfer sugars. The quercetin glycosides mentioned in the present invention specifically include rutin, enzyme-treated rutin (enzyme-treated product of rutin), quercetin, isoquercitrin, and the like. In the present invention, it is particularly preferable to use enzyme-treated rutin as the quercetin glycoside. Suitable examples of enzyme-treated rutin include isoquercitrin obtained by fermenting rutin to remove the rhamnose sugar chain moiety, and isoquercitrin obtained by treating isoquercitrin with glycotransferase, in which isoquercitin is bonded with A compound consisting of 1 to 7 sugar chains of glucose, and a mixture thereof as the main component. In one of the aspects, the quercetin glycoside is a compound in which 1 to 8 glucose are bonded to the hydroxyl glycoside at the 3-position of quercetin (such as isoquercitrin, isoquercitrin is bonded to 1 to 7 glucose glycosides) etc. are preferred. The ingested quercetin glycoside is cut off from the sugar in the intestine and becomes an aglycone (quercetin), which is then absorbed into the body.

In the present invention, the sources and production methods used to obtain quercetin and/or its glycosides are not particularly limited. For example, plants rich in quercetin and/or its glycosides are known to include buckwheat, locust tree, capers, apples, tea, onions, grapes, broccoli, long-capsulated jute, raspberries, lingonberries , cranberry, cactus, leafy vegetables, citrus, etc., quercetin and/or its glycosides can be obtained from these plants. As long as the quercetin and/or its glycosides used in the present invention can exert the effect of the present invention, extracts from natural products such as the above-mentioned plants can be used to increase quercetin and/or or its glycoside content, such as the concentrate or purified extract containing quercetin and/or its glycoside. As the concentration method or purification method, known methods can be used. In the present invention, purified or isolated quercetin and/or its glycosides can also be used. Quercetin and/or its glycosides can also be chemically synthesized.

Quercetin and/or its glycosides are contained in natural products or dietary products, and are compounds with a history of consumption. Therefore, from the viewpoint of safety, quercetin and/or its glycosides are considered to have little problem with, for example, daily intake. According to the present invention, a composition for improving muscle flexibility containing a highly safe substance as an active ingredient can be provided.

In the present invention, the flexibility of a muscle refers to the ease of stretching and contracting a muscle. It has been reported in the literature that muscle flexibility decreases with age (eg Muscle Nerve. 2017Mar55(3) 305-315.). Improving the flexibility of muscles may also be referred to as improving the firmness of muscles (muscle stiffness). In the present invention, improving muscle flexibility includes inhibiting the decrease in muscle flexibility, maintaining muscle flexibility, improving muscle flexibility (increasing flexibility), and the like. Improve muscle hardness (muscle hardness), including inhibiting the increase of muscle hardness, maintaining muscle hardness, reducing muscle hardness, etc. Muscle flexibility can be measured by shear wave elastography, which can be evaluated using the shear wave velocity of the muscle as an index. The shear wave elastic imaging method is one of the ultrasonic elastic imaging methods, which generate vibrations in the living body by sound radiation pulses, thereby measuring the propagation velocity distribution of the generated shear waves and evaluating the tissue hardness (Makoto Yamakawa, Bio Journal of Mechanism Society, Vol. 40, No. 2(2016), 73-78, especially lines 10-12 of the right column on page 74). The smaller the above-mentioned shear wave velocity, it can be said that the flexibility of the muscle is higher (softer the muscle), and the higher the shear wave velocity, it can be said that the flexibility of the muscle is lower (the muscle is harder). For example, in the case of ingesting the test substance, if the shear wave velocity of the muscle is reduced or the increase of the velocity is suppressed compared with the case of not taking the test substance, it can be estimated that the muscle flexibility of the test substance is improved or Decreased muscle flexibility is suppressed. Therefore, a substance that can reduce the shear wave velocity of the above-mentioned muscles or suppress the increase of the velocity can be said to have an effect of improving muscle flexibility. In the present invention, the flexibility of the muscle can be confirmed by the shear wave velocity of the muscle, preferably by the shear wave velocity of the muscle under stress.

For example, the shear wave velocity of the thigh muscles in a state of fully bending the knees (the state of kneeling (knee sitting)) increases with age. As shown in Examples described below, when quercetin glycosides were ingested and not ingested, the increase in the shear wave velocity of the thigh muscles in a fully flexed state was suppressed. Therefore, quercetin and/or its glycosides have the effect of improving muscle flexibility. Quercetin and/or its glycosides can be used to improve muscle flexibility. In one aspect, quercetin and/or its glycosides can be used to inhibit the increase or decrease of the shear wave velocity of the muscle.

By improving the flexibility of the muscles, the flexibility and elasticity of the muscles can be improved. In one aspect, the composition of the present invention can be used for at least one of reducing muscle hardness, inhibiting increase in muscle hardness, improving muscle flexibility and improving muscle elasticity. By improving the flexibility of the muscles, the effects of increased muscle strength, increased walking ability, improved balance, and improved agility can be obtained (such as Ultrasound Med Biol. 2020 Nov 46(11):2891-2907.). In addition, by improving the flexibility of muscles, the flexibility of skin muscles (such as facial muscles, etc.) can be improved. As a result, the skin elasticity improvement effect can be expected.

In one aspect, the compositions of the present invention are advantageously used in combination with exercise. The composition of the present invention is suitable for use in combination with exercise to improve muscle flexibility. When using the composition of the present invention in combination with exercise, the composition of the present invention may be ingested or administered together with exercise within a certain period of time, and the amount of exercise, timing of ingestion or administration of the composition of the present invention, etc. are not particularly restricted. If quercetin and/or its glycosides are ingested or administered in combination with exercise, the effect of improving muscle flexibility can be more obtained. When the composition of the present invention is used in combination with exercise, the effect of improving muscle flexibility can be more exhibited. The type of exercise is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include daily exercise, aerobic exercise, muscle strength training (such as resistance exercise, etc.), soft exercise (stretching), and the like. Exercise can be performed one or a combination of two or more. In one of the aspects, the above-mentioned exercise is preferably a combination of strength training and flexibility exercise, or strength training, preferably a combination of resistance exercise and flexibility exercise, or resistance exercise, more preferably a combination of resistance exercise and flexibility exercise combination. In this case, the flexibility exercise may be performed either before or after the resistance exercise, or both. The aforementioned resistance exercise refers to exercise performed by applying a certain load to muscles. The method of applying the load is not particularly limited, and for example, barbells, exercise machines, appropriate weights, water, chest expanders, rubber tubes, and the like can be used. Examples of resistance exercises include leg extensions, thigh presses, leg curls, chest presses, squats, barbell bench presses, dumbbell lateral presses, rowing, calf raises, sit-ups, and the like. One type of resistance exercise, or a combination of two or more. Examples of the aforementioned aerobic exercise include jogging, walking, gymnastics, and aerobic dance. Quercetin and/or its glycosides can be used to promote or enhance the improvement of muscle flexibility caused by exercise. In one aspect, the composition of the present invention can be used to promote or enhance the improvement of muscle flexibility produced by exercise.

The frequency and exercise time of the above-mentioned exercise can be set as more than 1 day a week, more than 5 minutes a day (preferably more than 30 minutes), preferably more than 2 days a week, more than 5 minutes a day (preferably 30 minutes) above), preferably more than 3 days a week, once a day for more than 5 minutes (preferably more than 30 minutes). In addition, the frequency and/or exercise time of the exercise may also be determined according to the subject, the type of exercise, and/or the combination of exercise. For example, in the case of aerobic exercise, it can be 2 to 5 days a week, about 10 to 60 minutes once a day. In addition, in the case of resistance exercise, it can be 1 to 3 days a week, once a day for about 10 to 60 minutes; in the case of soft exercise, it can be 1 to 7 days a week (for example, 1 to 3 days), once a day About 5 to 30 minutes each time.

The intensity of exercise that can be combined with the composition of the present invention is preferably above 2.0 METs (e.g. Walking/Very Slow/Code 17151), preferably above 2.3 METs (e.g. Stretching/Comfort/Code 02101), and above 3.5 METs (e.g. Resistance Weight Training/Code 02054) and above is better. In addition, the intensity of resistance exercise should be less than 80% (preferably more than 30%) of the maximum lifting weight (1RM), and it is better to be less than 60% (preferably more than 30%). The load of exercise should be determined according to the subject. (The intensity of exercise refers to "Revised version of the metabolic equivalent table for physical activity ((Germany) National Institute of Health and Nutrition 2012)" and MedSci Sports Exerc. 2009 Mar; 41(3):687-708. The above "number" is The serial number recorded in the "Revised version of the table of metabolic equivalents of physical activity ((German) National Institute of Health and Nutrition 2012)").

In the present invention, the muscle to be improved in muscle flexibility includes skeletal muscle and skin muscle, preferably skeletal muscle. In the present invention, the site to be improved in muscle flexibility is not particularly limited, but the thigh muscles are preferred. In one aspect, the composition of the present invention is suitable for improving the flexibility of thigh muscles.

The compositions of the present invention may be suitable for either therapeutic or non-therapeutic use. Non-therapeutic refers to concepts that do not include medical practices, ie, surgery, treatment or diagnosis of people. The composition of the present invention can be in the form of food and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, feed, and the like. The composition itself of the present invention may be food or beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, feeds, etc. for improving muscle flexibility, or may be materials or preparations to be blended therein. One example of the composition for improving muscle flexibility of the present invention can be provided in the form of a dose, but it is not limited to this form. The agent can be provided as a composition as it is, or as a composition containing the agent. In one aspect, the composition for improving muscle flexibility of the present invention may also be called a muscle flexibility improving agent. The composition of the present invention may be either an oral composition or a non-oral composition. Muscle flexibility of the subject can be improved by orally ingesting or administering the composition of the present invention to the subject, or by parenteral administration. The composition for oral use includes food and drink, pharmaceuticals for oral use, quasi-drugs for oral use, and feed, and are preferably food and drink or quasi-drugs for oral use. Examples of compositions for parenteral use include cosmetics, pharmaceuticals for parenteral use, and quasi-drugs for parenteral use. It is suitable for cosmetics or quasi-drugs for parenteral use.

The composition of the present invention may contain optional additives and optional components other than quercetin and/or its glycoside, as long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired. These additives and components can be selected according to the form of the composition, etc., and those that can be used in general food and drink, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, and feed can be used. When the composition of the present invention is used as food and drink, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, feed, etc., the production method is not particularly limited, and it can be produced by a general method.

For example, when the composition of the present invention is made into a food or drink, quercetin and/or its glycoside can be mixed with ingredients that can be used in food and drink (such as food materials, food additives used as necessary, etc.) , made into various foods. Food and beverages are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include general food and beverages, health foods, health drinks, functionally labeled foods, foods for specific health uses, health supplements, and food and beverages for patients. The above-mentioned health food, food with functional label, food for specific health use, health supplement food, etc. It can be used in various preparation forms such as medicaments, beverages, and liquid foods.

When the composition of the present invention is used as a cosmetic, quercetin and/or its glycoside may be blended with a cosmetically acceptable carrier, additive, and the like. The product form of the cosmetic is not particularly limited.

When the composition of the present invention is made into a pharmaceutical or a quasi-drug, for example, quercetin and/or its glycosides are blended with a pharmacologically acceptable carrier, additives added as necessary, etc., to form Pharmaceuticals or quasi-drugs in various dosage forms. Such carriers, additives, etc. may be used as long as they can be used in pharmaceuticals or quasi-drugs and are pharmacologically acceptable. For example, one of excipients, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, antioxidants, colorants, etc. or two or more. The administration (ingestion) form of pharmaceuticals or quasi-drugs includes oral or parenteral (transdermal, transmucosal, enteral, injection, etc.) administration forms. When the composition of the present invention is used as a drug or a quasi-drug, it is preferably used as a drug or a quasi-drug for oral administration (for oral administration). Dosage forms for oral administration include liquids, lozenges, medicinal powders, fine granules, granules, sugar-coated tablets, capsules, suspensions, emulsions, chewables, and the like. Dosage forms used for parenteral administration include injections, infusions, and external preparations for skin (patches, emulsions, ointments, etc.) and the like. The pharmaceutical product may be a non-human animal drug.

What is necessary is just to mix quercetin and/or its glycoside into a feed when using the composition of this invention as a feed. The feed also contains feed additives. Examples of the feed include feed for livestock such as cattle, pigs, chickens, sheep, and horses; feed for small animals such as rabbits, rats, and mice; and pet food for dogs, cats, and birds.

The content of quercetin and/or its glycoside contained in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and can be set according to its form or the like. The content of quercetin and/or its glycoside in the composition of the present invention is preferably 0.01% by weight or more in the composition, more preferably 0.1% by weight or more, in terms of values converted to quercetin, for example. , In addition, preferably below 80% by weight, more preferably below 50% by weight. In one of the aspects, the content of quercetin and/or its glycosides is preferably 0.01 to 80% by weight, 0.1 to 50% by weight in the composition of the present invention in terms of quercetin conversion values. is better. The content of quercetin and/or its glycoside can be measured according to a known method, for example, HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) method etc. can be used.

The composition of the present invention is usually ingested or administered to a subject. The administration route of the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and it can be ingested or administered by an appropriate method according to its form. In one aspect, the composition of the present invention is preferably orally ingested (orally administered). The dosage (also referred to as intake) of the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, as long as it is an amount capable of improving muscle flexibility (also referred to as an effective amount), and as long as it is in accordance with the dosage form , the method of administration, and the like may be appropriately set.

In one aspect, when a human (adult) is made to ingest or administer the composition of the present invention to a human, the dose of quercetin and/or its glycoside is calculated as a quercetin-converted value per day. Per 60 kg of body weight, it is preferably 0.3 mg or more, preferably 1.0 mg or more, more preferably 10 mg or more, and preferably 4000 mg or less, preferably 2000 mg or less, more preferably 1000 mg or less. In one of the aspects, the administration amount of quercetin and/or its glycosides is preferably 0.3-4000 mg per 60 kg of body weight per day in the case of a human (adult) in terms of quercetin conversion value, Preferably it is 1.0-2000 mg, more preferably 1.0-1000 mg, particularly preferably 10-1000 mg. It is preferable to ingest or administer the above-mentioned amount divided into one or more times a day, for example, one to several times (for example, 2 to 3 times) a day. In one of the aspects, it is preferable to orally ingest or administer quercetin and/or its glycosides to humans in the amount described above. In one aspect of the present invention, the composition of the present invention can be used to ingest or administer the above-mentioned amount of quercetin and/or its glycosides per 60 kg of body weight per day.

The composition of the present invention is preferably continuously ingested or administered. A high muscle flexibility improvement effect can be expected by continuous intake or administration of quercetin and/or its glycoside. In one aspect, it is preferable to continuously ingest or administer the composition of the present invention for at least 1 week, preferably at least 4 weeks, more preferably at least 8 weeks.

The composition of the present invention can be used to prevent or improve the condition or disease that can be expected to be prevented or improved by improving muscle flexibility. Examples of such a state or disease include a state or disease caused by decreased muscle flexibility, a state or disease caused by decreased muscle flexibility, and the like. Examples of such states or diseases include sarcopenia, myogenic diseases including muscular dystrophy, neurological disorders including cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, stroke, etc. (Ultrasound Med Biol. 2020 Nov; 46 (11): 2891-2907.). In one aspect, the composition of the present invention can be used to prevent or improve sarcopenia, myogenic diseases including muscular dystrophy, neurological disorders including cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, stroke Muscle abnormalities (such as hardening of muscles) caused by other conditions or diseases. In this specification, the prevention of a state or disease includes preventing the onset of the state or disease, delaying the onset, reducing the incidence rate, reducing the risk of onset, and the like. Improvement of a state or disease includes allowing a subject to recover from the state or disease, alleviating the symptoms of the state or disease, improving the symptoms of the state or disease, delaying, preventing the progress of the state or disease, and the like.

Subjects who ingest or administer the composition of the present invention (may also be referred to as administration subjects) are not particularly limited. Suitably it is a human or a non-human mammal, preferably a human. In one aspect, the subject of administration includes a subject who needs or wants to improve muscle flexibility, a subject who needs or wants to prevent or improve a state or disease caused by decreased muscle flexibility, and the like. The decrease in muscle flexibility may be a decrease in muscle flexibility due to aging, or may be a decrease in muscle flexibility due to aging in middle-aged and elderly people. In one aspect, the subjects of administration in the present invention include middle-aged and elderly people. Middle-aged and elderly people include the elderly. Among the middle-aged and elderly people, the target is the elderly. In the present invention, middle-aged and elderly people can be, for example, people over 40 years old. An elderly person can be, for example, a person over the age of 60 or over the age of 65. In one aspect, the composition of the present invention is suitable for use as a composition for improving muscle flexibility for middle-aged and elderly people. The subject of administration of the composition of the present invention may be healthy people, such as healthy middle-aged and elderly people. The composition of the present invention can also be used, for example, in healthy people for the purpose of preventing conditions or diseases that can be expected to be prevented or improved by improving muscle flexibility.

The composition of the present invention may also be labeled with functions exerted by improving muscle flexibility. The composition for improving muscle flexibility of the present invention may also be added with one or more functions such as "softening the muscles", "making the muscles elastic", "improving the elasticity of the muscles", and "making the body soft". marked. In addition, in another aspect, the composition of the present invention can also add one of "muscle elasticity", "muscle firmness", "elasticity", "softness", "Q elasticity", etc. Or two or more functions of the label. In the description of the above-mentioned function, it may be described that the above-mentioned function is a function obtained by improving the flexibility of muscles. In one aspect, the composition of the present invention is preferably a food and drink with the above-mentioned labels. In addition, the above-mentioned symbols may be symbols used to obtain the above-mentioned functions. The labeling may be affixed to the composition itself, or may be affixed to the container or packaging of the composition.

The present invention also includes the following methods and uses. A method for improving muscle flexibility, comprising administering quercetin and/or its glycosides. A use of quercetin and/or its glycosides for improving muscle flexibility. The methods and uses described above may be therapeutic methods or uses, or may be non-therapeutic methods or uses. When quercetin and/or its glycosides are administered (ingested), muscle flexibility can be improved. Quercetin and/or its glycosides can improve muscle flexibility and/or muscle elasticity by improving muscle flexibility. In one of the aspects, quercetin and/or its glycosides can be used to be selected from the group consisting of reducing muscle hardness, inhibiting the increase of muscle hardness, improving muscle flexibility and improving muscle elasticity more than one of them. Quercetin and/or its glycosides can be used to prevent or improve conditions or diseases that can be expected to be prevented or improved by, for example, improving muscle flexibility.

Quercetin and/or its glycosides are preferably used in combination with exercise to improve muscle flexibility. In the present invention, it is preferable to ingest or administer quercetin and/or its glycoside in combination with exercise. The muscles are the same as above, preferably the thigh muscles. Appropriate aspects of the exercise are the same as described above.

In the above method and use, quercetin and/or its glycosides are administered (made to be ingested) to the subject at least once a day, for example, once a day to several times (for example, 2 to 3 times). good. Quercetin and/or its glycosides are as described above.

In the above-mentioned method and use, quercetin and/or its glycoside may be used in an amount (effective amount) capable of improving muscle flexibility. The suitable administration amount, administration object, administration method, etc. of quercetin and/or its glycoside are the same as the above-mentioned composition for improving muscle flexibility of the present invention. The above-mentioned uses are suitably in humans or non-human mammals, preferably humans. Quercetin and/or its glycosides can be administered directly or in the form of a composition containing them. For example, the composition of the present invention described above can be used. Oral administration (ingestion) of quercetin and/or its glycoside is preferable.

Quercetin and/or its glycosides can be used in the manufacture of food and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, and feeds for improving muscle flexibility. In one aspect, the present invention also includes the use of quercetin and/or its glycosides, which are used to manufacture a composition for improving muscle flexibility. The composition for improving muscle flexibility, its preferred aspects, and the like are the same as those of the composition of the present invention described above. In addition, all the academic documents and patent documents described in this specification are incorporated in this specification by reference. [Example]

The following examples further describe the present invention in detail, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby.

(Example 1, Example 2 and Comparative Example 1) ＜Preparation of test food＞ Using quercetin glycosides (SAN EMIQ P30, Sanyoung F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) and excipients, hard capsules (size of 1 capsule: long diameter 19.54mm x short diameter 6.94mm) were produced, and each 6 grains of food containing quercetin glycoside containing 200 mg or 500 mg of quercetin glycoside (food containing 200 mg of quercetin glycoside and food containing 500 mg of quercetin glycoside). SAN EMIQ P30 is a mixture of two or more quercetin glycosides in which 1 to 7 glucose units are added to quercetin. Hard capsules containing only excipients were produced as control food for clinical testing. In order to prevent deterioration such as oxidation, the quercetin glycoside-containing food and the control food were packaged in aluminum bags with 6 capsules each, and the amount necessary for clinical testing was prepared.

＜Clinical Test＞ Taking the healthy middle-aged and elderly people (without exercise habits) aged 50 to 74 who have passed the test participation consent instructions and obtained consent as subjects, a placebo-controlled single-blind parallel group comparison test was implemented. The subjects were assigned to a group that exercised and ingested a control food (comparative example 1: control food group), and a group that exercised and ingested a food containing 200 mg of quercetin glycoside (Example 1: 200 mg of quercetin ingested Glycoside group), and a group that exercised and ingested food containing 500 mg of quercetin glycoside (Example 2: 500 mg of quercetin glycoside group). Each group implemented the intervention of exercise and test food intake for 24 weeks. The exercise is to implement four kinds of resistance exercises centered on the lower limbs (leg extension, thigh push, leg curl, chest push) under the management of the coach, and do them respectively under the load of 40% of the maximum lifting weight (1RM). 14 times, as 1 group, 3 groups a day), 3 days a week. For any kind of exercise, warm-up and cool-down soft exercises (stretching) are implemented before and after the main exercise. In addition, the measurement of 1RM was performed once every 4 weeks, and the load weight was adjusted for each subject. The test food (control food or food containing quercetin glycoside) was ingested with 6 capsules a day with a sufficient amount of water or lukewarm water. Muscle flexibility was assessed using Aixplorer (Konica The shear wave elastography mode (manufactured by Minolta) was used to measure and quantify the shear wave velocity. The smaller the shear wave velocity, the higher the flexibility (softness) of the muscle, and the higher the shear wave velocity, the lower the flexibility (hardness) of the muscle. The lateral wide muscle of the right thigh under the state of fully flexing the knees (the state of kneeling sitting (bending knees)) is taken as the analysis site. In this fully bent knee state, the state of the wide lateral muscle of the right thigh is in a stressed state (a state in which the muscle is stretched).

＜Analysis result＞ The subjects analyzed after the intervention were the control food group: 16 people, the 200 mg quercetin glycoside group: 16 people, and the 500 mg quercetin glycoside group: 16 people. In the 500 mg quercetin glycoside group, the data of 1 person was destroyed, so the analysis object of the shear wave velocity in the 12th week was 15 people. Table 1 shows the results of the average values (standard deviations in parentheses) of the shear wave velocity (m/s). In Table 1, * represents a significant difference compared with the control food group (*p<0.05, Dunnett's test). The results shown in Table 1 are values rounded to the third decimal place. There was no significant difference in the shear wave velocity before intervention among the three groups. Regarding the changes before and after the intervention, when compared with the control food group, the shear wave change at the 24th week of the intervention was significantly lower in the 200mg quercetin glycoside group and the 500mg quercetin glycoside group . FIG. 1 is a graph showing the change in shear wave velocity at the 24th week of the intervention, compared with before the intervention of exercise and test food intake.

The shear wave velocity of muscles in fully flexed state increases with age, i.e. the muscles become less flexible. The decrease in the shear wave velocity in the fully flexed state was observed only in the group that ingested quercetin glycosides, thus confirming the usefulness of the intake of quercetin and/or its glycosides for muscle flexibility.

[ Fig. 1 ] It is a graph showing the amount of change in the shear wave velocity of the muscle at the 24th week of intervention, compared with before the intervention of exercise and test food intake.

Claims (6)

A composition for improving muscle flexibility, which contains quercetin and/or its glycoside. The composition of claim 1 is used for at least one of reducing muscle hardness, inhibiting muscle hardness increase, improving muscle flexibility and improving muscle elasticity. The composition of claim 1 or 2, which is used in combination with exercise. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the muscle is the muscle of the thigh. The composition according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, which is a food or drink, a cosmetic or a quasi-drug. A use of quercetin and/or its glycosides for improving muscle flexibility.

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