AU630738B2 - Chlorella-containing fatty oil foodstuff and process for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Form PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: S....Lapsed: Published: Priority: Related Art: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: YOSHIO TANAKA Address of Applicant: Yamaguchi-cho 22, Gifu City, Gifu prefecture, Japan Actual Inventors: Yoshio Tanaka Address for Service: CALLINAN LAWRIE, 278 High Street, Kew, 3101, Victoria, Australia Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "CHLORELLA-CONTAINING FATTY OIL FOODSTUFF AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- To: The Commissioner of Patents.

-2- The present invention relates to a Chlorella-containing fatty oil foodstuff with effective ingredients of Chlorella algae, fungi and tonic medicinal vegetables stably contained therein, and to a process for producing the same.

It is well known that Chlorella is one of single cell algae which grow in fresh water. It contains protein in a large amount and has an effect of promoting the growth of animals or microorganisms; an effect of flavouring foods; and, an effect of removing foreign odour from foods. In particular, hot waterextracts of chlorella algae have a wide range of applications, because it has such growth promoting and flavouring effects and because it is a liquid.

Various products utilizing Chlorella algae have been conventionally developed in view of the usefulness of such Chlorella algae. Typical of them are products made by blending a dry powder of Chlorella algae with a garlic powder and molding the blend into a tablet; noodles and processed marine products containing a hot w:ater-extract of Chlorella algae as a flavouring component and, a quality improving agent, during production thereof; and, health food products made by incorporating a dry powder or hot water-extracts of Chlorella algae into vegetable edible fatty oils and encapsulating the resulting material into a gelatin capsule. Thus, such products utilizing Chlorella algae find applications covering a wide range.

As described above, various Chlorella products have been conventionally developed in view of effective ingredients of Chlorella algae. In many cases, however, the prior art Chlorella products have considerations in processing operations in the course of production thereof and suffer from a disadvantage that the effective ingredients of Chlorella algae are not necessarily retained in a stable manner. More specifically, in spite of the usefulness of Chlorella algae having been ascertained at the stage of tests and researches, there is a problem that when the effective ingredients are utilized to provide a product, it is difficult to retain the effective ingredients in a stable manner. Especially, in making a health food product using Chlorella algae in combination with other medicinal starting materials, it is important to stably and effectively retain medicinal ingredients of individual starting materials. However, the prior art products suffer from a problem that the medicinal ingredients may not be stably and effectively retained in many cases.

Thereupon, the present inventors have made zealous studies to develop a health product using Chlorella algae in which effective ingredients of Chlorella algae and other medicinal starting matei. .s are stably retained as they 3 -3are, and consequently, have found that intended objects can be achieved by using a dry powder of a clathrate blend resulting from the addition of a concentrated exudate of a hot water-extract of Chlorella algae and particularly a concentrated exudate of a hot water-extract of fungi to a clathration material, followed by blending and drying, and further by addition of the dry powder to an edible fatty oil or oils, followed by homogeneously dispersing or mixing and encapsulation into a soft capsule. Thus, the present invention has been accomplished.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a process for producing a Chlorella-containing fatty oil foodstuff with effective ingredients of Chlorella algae, fungi and tonic medicinal vegetables stably retained therein.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a Chlorellacontaining fatty oil foodstuff which contains edible fatty oil in a large amount and even effective ingredients of Chlorella algae, fungi and tonic medicinal vegetables in a stable manner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a Chlorellacontaining fatty oil foodstuff capable of also being used a cooking product.

i, To achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided: A process for producing a Chlorella-containingfoodstuff, comprising the steps of homogeneously mixing a dry powder of a clathrate blend resulting from addition of a concentrated exudate of a hot water-extract of Chlorella ala and a concentrated exudate of a hot water-extract of fungi to a clathrati,)n material, followed by blending and drying of them and an exudate or dry powder of tonic medicinal vegetable, with an edible fatty oil which may contain a lecithin, or vitamin E and the like optionally added thereto, and encapsulating the resulting oil-suspension into a soft capsule.

The present invention also provides a process for producing a Chlorella-containing foodstuff according to the above paragraph wherein the clathration material used in a cyclodextrin.

Also, the invention provides that the fungus used may be at least one of kawaratake, polypor, and shiitake, and, that the tonic medicinal vegetable used may be at least one of garlic, ginseng, aloe, ume (Japanese spicot), prickly shrub of the family Aradiaceae, and adlay.

The process of the invention includes a process wherein the blending is 'rried out under a humidified and depressurized condition.

SFurther, the invention provides that the edible fatty oil used may be .1 i' -4at least one of peanut oil, sesame oil, wheat germ oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, and beeswax.

The invention also provides a Chlorella-containingfoodstuff which is produced by homogeneously mixing a dry powder of a clathrate blend resulting from addition of a concentrated exudate of a hot water-extract of Chlorella algae and an concentrated exudate of a hot water-extract of fungi to a clathration material, followed by blending and drying of them and an exudate or dry powder of tonic medicinal vegetable, with an edible fatty oil which may contain a lecithin, oC vitamin E and the .like optionally added thereto, and encapsulating the resulting oil-suspension into a soft capsule.

In the present invention, the edible fatty oil is used in a relatively large amount with respect to the amount of the concentrated exudate of a hot waterextract of Chlorella algae, the concentrated exudate of a hot water-extract of fungi, or, the exudate or dry powder of tonic medicinal vegetables, in order that the soft capsule is prevented from being subjected to any change such as swelling and 0 0 S dissolution thereof by moisture present in effective ingredients containing 0 materials, such as the Chlorella algae, fungi and tonic medicinal vegetables. The o 0o product can be used for cooking and particularly for frying. In addition, the o °o0 homogeneous mixing of the effective ingredient containing materials into the 0 00 edible fatty oil is to prevent the soft capsule from being swollen and broken.

In the present invention, the hot water-extract of the Chlorella algae may be an extract produced by subjecting a aqueous suspension of fresh Chlorella S algae from an open-air ma., cultivation by an optical synthesis to a heating o0 treatment at a temperature of about 80 to 100 C for 20 minutes, followed by fractionation of the algae. Typical of the fresh Chlorella algae are single cell algae o- growing in fresh water such as Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Chlorella vulgalis, Chlorella ellipsoidea, scenedesmus. The hot water-extract of Chlorella algae contains effective polysaccharides such as N 13-1,3 glucan and acidic rhamnan.

Alternatively, the hot water-extract of Chlorella algae may be an extract produced by adding and mixing water to an optically synthesized Chlorella algae powder in an amount of about four times as such as such powder and subjecting the mixture to a heating treatment at a temperature of 50 to 120 C for about one hour or more and then to a slow extracting treatment, and, suitable hot water-extracts can be also used.

The hot water-extract of fungi may be a hot water extract of fungus body, dry fungi and fungus body powder. For example, use may be made of a

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5-7 suitable hot water-extract such as produced by adding and mixing water to fungus body powder in an amount of our times as much as such powder and subjecting the mixture to a heating treatment at a temperature of 45 to 120'C for a long period of time, preferably, for 5 to 7 hours. The word "fungi or fungus" refers to polypore, kawaratake, shiitake and other edible mushrooms.

The tonic medicinal vegetable used may be any of the medicinal vegetables which have a nutritive tonic effect, but especially preferred are garlic, ginseng, aloe, ume (Japanese spicot), prickly shrub of the family Aradiaceas, and adlay. The tonic medicinal vegetable may iCe used in the form of an exudate or dry powder. The word "exudate" refers to leached liquids resulting from leaching of the tonic medicinal vegetables by a usual method and slurry-like exudates resulting from grinding in a colloid mill, and the word "dry powder" refers to those resulting from a proper pretreatment of vegetables, followed by a hot air drying, freeze drying or spray drying, or, those resulting from drying of exudates in a usual method.

Each of the hot water-extracts of the Chlorella algae and fungi is 1 independently concentrated into a slurry-like concentrated exudate in a I concentrator, and the exudates are then blended in a blender together with a clathration material to from a clathrate blend. It is preferred that the clathrate i 20 blend is used in a pulverized form obtained by drying in a dryer to the extent of a defined moisture content, followed by pulverization.

f It is aiJo preferred that the tonic medicinal vegetable is used 'n the i form of a slurry-like exudate resulting from grinding of each vegetable or its exudate in the presence or absence of vitamin E oil, in a colloid mill.

The edible oils which may be used include peanut oil, sesame oil, wheat germ oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, beeswax, and other edible fatty oils. These oils may be used alone or in combinations. When the edible oils are used in combinations, it is preferred that they are used in the L form of an oil emulsified material produced by heating the mixed starting edible oils; further adding heated and dissolved soybean lecithin thereto, if necessary; and stirring and mixing the mixture to a homogeneous liquid and cooling it to room temperature.

To homogeneously mix the effective ingredient containing materials of Chlorella algae, fungi and tonic medicinal vegetables with the edible fatty oil, and dry powder of the above-described clathrate blend, the exudate or dry powder of the tonic medicinal vegetable and the edible fatty oil, may be homogeneously -6stirred and mixed in a mixer. The sequence of individual starting components mixed is not essential, but when the effective ingredient containing material of the tonic medicinal vegetable is an exudate, it is preferred that the exudate is homogeneously mixed to the edible fatty oil and then, the dry powder of the clathrate blend is homogeneously mixed to the resulting suspension in the oil.

On fthe other hand, when the effective ingredient containing material of the tonic medicinal vegetable is a dry powder, it is preferred that the dry powder is mixed with the dry powder of the clathrate blend and then, the resulting mixture is homogeneously mixed to the edible fatty oil.

The thus-obtained starting mixture is then passed through a proper mesh strainer and degassed in a deaerator, following which the resulting mixture is encapsulated into a soft capsule such as a soft gelatin capsule.

When the exudate of the tonic medicinal vegetable is a leached liquid, it can be also used as a spray-dried material, but this is expensive, because water is present dried in too large an amount in the leached liquid. Therefore, it is g preferred that with or without dry powders of Chlorella algae and/or tonic medicinal vegetable added, the leached liquid is adsorbed to an edible powder such as lactose, starch or the like and the resulting material is powdered. The edible powder such as lactose, starch or the like is properly used in order to absorb water in the leached liquid to provide no adverse influence to the soft capsule, rather than to serve merely as a bulking filler and an excipient, as in the prior art.

It should be noted that the proportion of each effective ingredient

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containing material of Chlorella algae, fungi and tonic medicinal vegetable n 25 incorporated relative to the edible fatty oil is not critical to the invention.

The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of Examples.

Example 1 300 litres of water was mixed with an optical synthesized Chlorella powder 30 kg, and the mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. Then, the resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

On the other hand, 400 1 of water was mixed with 25 kg of dried kawaratake, and the resulting mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

r_ 7I -7- A clathration material, cyclodextrin 9.5 kg, was added to these concentrated exudates, and the resulting mixture was subjected to a clathration blending in a blender. Then, the blend was dried in a drier and pulverized in a pulverizer to provide a starting mixed exudate material.

A mixture of 8.5 kg of a dry powder of ginseng and 8.5 kg of an exudate powder of odourless garlic was ground together with 15 kg of a natural vitamin E oil in a colloid mill to provide 32 kg of a slurry-like starting material.

The individual starting materials produced in the above manner were added to 210 kg of peanut oil containing 15 kg of soybean lecithin added thereto, and the resulting mixture was stirred and mixed to provide a material to be encapsulated. The resulting oil-suspension was encapsulated into a soft gelatin capsule to provide an encapsulated product.

Example 2 300 1 of water was mixed with an optical synthesized Chlorella powder 30 kg, and the mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in o a hot water extractor. Then, the resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like-concentrated exudate.

coo On the other hand, 400 1 of water was mixed with 25 kg of dried GO 0 0 o° shiitake, and the resulting mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective o o ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

A clathration material, cyclodextrin 9.5 kg was added to these 9oo concentrated exudates, and the resulting mixture was subjected to a clathration 000: blending in a blender. Then, the blend was dried in a drier and pulverized in a pulverizer to provide a starting mixed exudate material.

A mixture of 3.5 kg of an exudate of garlic and 8.5 kg of an exudate powder of adlay was ground together with 20 kg of a natural vitamin E oil in a colloid mill to provide 39 kg of a slurry-like starting exudate material.

°o The individual starting materials produced in the above manner were mixed with an oil-emulsified material resulting from addition of soybean lecithin added to a heated mixture of sesame oil and peanut oil to provide a homogeneous mixture which was then degassed in a deaerator. The resulting oilsuspension was encapsulated into a soft gelatin capsule to provide an encapsulated product.

The process for producing a Chlorella-containing fatty oil foodstuff according to the present invention has as an advantage, that it is capable of r- -8producing a product containing effective ingredients of Chlorella algae, fungi and tonic medicinal vegetables stably retained therein and having an excellent preservability of each effective ingredient. Further, the product of the present invention has an unexpected characteristic, in that the soft capsule does not swell, even if it contains an exudate of a tonic medicinal vegetable having a relatively large content of moisture. This appears to be because it contains a large amount of an edible fatty oil having a cholesterol reducing effect and. each of the ingpedients is homogeneously dispersed.

The Chlorella-containing fatty oil foodstuff of the present invention can be eaten by itself not only as a health food, but also utilized as a cooking material for oily foods such as vegetable fries. Further, it can be utilized for camping and the like, because of its portability.

Moreover, the Chlorella-containing fatty oil foodstuff of the present invention has the advantage of an unexpected effect which is not possessed by the prior art product, in that the effective ingredients of Chlorella algae and fungi can be stably and effectively preserved over a long period.

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