JP7598613B2 - ATP production promoter - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ATP production promoter.

ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) plays an important role as an energy substance in the body. It is believed that increasing the amount of ATP produced in the body will lead to the activation of functions such as cell proliferation, metabolism, and repair.

When the ability to produce ATP, which plays an important role as an energy substance in the body, decreases, cell function decreases, leading to accelerated aging and cell death. In order to promote the decreased function of cells, it is important to supply the cells with the energy necessary for cell division. It is believed that if ATP production in cells can be promoted, the cells can be activated to promote cell division and restore the cell's function. Promoting ATP production not only leads to the activation of functions such as cell proliferation, metabolism, and repair, but is also expected to have an anti-aging effect. Barley leaves (Patent Document 1), platinum group metal colloids (Patent Document 2), glycogen (Patent Document 3), etc. are known to have the effect of promoting ATP production.

JP 2019-073476 A JP 2008-156314 A JP 2003-321373 A

The present invention aims to find safe natural products that have an ATP production promoting effect and to provide an ATP production promoter that contains the product as an active ingredient.

To achieve this objective, the present invention provides an ATP production promoter containing, as an active ingredient, one or more selected from Angelica keiskei extract, star fruit extract, plum extract, peach extract, and licorice extract.

The present invention makes it possible to find safe natural products that have an ATP production promoting effect, and to provide an ATP production promoting agent that contains such products as active ingredients.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The ATP production promoter according to this embodiment contains, as an active ingredient, one or more selected from an extract of Angelica keiskei, an extract of star fruit, an extract of plum, an extract of peach, and an extract of licorice.

The extraction raw materials used in this embodiment are angelica tree (scientific name: Angelica keiskei), star fruit (scientific name: Averrhoa carambola), plum (scientific name: Prunus mume Siebold et Zuccarini), peach (scientific name: Prunus persica Batsch), and licorice.

Angelica keiskei is a perennial plant of the Apiaceae family that grows naturally in the Boso Peninsula, Izu Peninsula, and other areas, and can be easily obtained from these areas. Components of Angelica keiskei that can be used as the raw material for extraction include, for example, leaves, stems, flowers, buds, fruits, peels, pits, roots, or mixtures thereof, with leaves and/or stems being preferred.

Star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) belongs to the genus Averrhoa in the family Oxalidaceae, and its fresh fruit is edible. Star fruit is cultivated in Okinawa, southeastern China, Yunnan, and other tropical regions, and can be easily obtained from these regions. Components of star fruit that can be used as the raw material for extraction include, for example, leaves, trunks, flowers, buds, fruits, seeds, roots, or mixtures of these, with leaves being preferred.

Prunus mume Siebold et Zuccarini is a deciduous tree belonging to the Rosaceae family that has been cultivated since ancient times in China and Japan and can be easily obtained from these regions. Examples of parts of the plum tree that can be used as the raw material for extraction include leaves, branches, bark, trunks, stems, flowers, buds, fruits, pulp, peel, roots, and mixtures thereof, with the fruits and pulp being preferred.

Peach (Prunus persica Batsch) is a deciduous tree of the genus Prunus in the family Rosaceae. It has been cultivated since ancient times in China and Japan and can be easily obtained from these regions. The constituent parts of peach that can be used as the extraction raw material include, for example, leaves, trunks, branches, flowers, buds, fruit, peel, pulp, seeds, above-ground parts, and mixtures of these, with leaves being preferred.

Licorice is a perennial herb belonging to the genus Glycyrrhiza of the family Fabaceae. There are various kinds of licorice , such as Glycyrrhiza glabra , Glycyrrhiza inflata, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and it is preferable to use these as the extraction raw material. The constituent parts of licorice that can be used as the extraction raw material include, for example, leaves, branches, bark, trunks, stems, fruits, seeds, flowers, roots, or mixtures thereof, and the like, and the leaves are preferred.

Although the details of the substances having an ATP production promoting effect contained in the extract from the above-mentioned extraction raw material are unknown, an extract having an ATP production promoting effect can be obtained from the above-mentioned extraction raw material by an extraction method generally used for plant extraction, etc. The extract includes the extract obtained from the extraction raw material by extraction processing, a diluted or concentrated extract, a dried product obtained by drying the extract, or any of these crude or purified products.

The above extract can be obtained by drying the extraction raw material, either as is or after crushing using a crusher, and then subjecting it to extraction using an extraction solvent. Drying can be performed in the sun or using a commonly used dryer. The raw material can also be used after pretreatment such as degreasing with a non-polar solvent such as hexane. Pretreatment such as degreasing allows the plant to be extracted efficiently using a polar solvent.

Solvents used for extraction include water, hydrophilic organic solvents, or mixtures of these, and are preferably used at room temperature or at a temperature below the boiling point of the solvent. Components that have the effect of promoting ATP production contained in each extraction raw material can be easily extracted by an extraction process using a polar solvent as the extraction solvent.

Examples of water that can be used as an extraction solvent include pure water, tap water, well water, mineral water, hot spring water, spring water, fresh water, and the like, as well as water that has been subjected to various treatments. Treatments that can be applied to water include, for example, purification, heating, sterilization, filtration, ion exchange, adjustment of osmotic pressure, buffering, and the like. Thus, water that can be used as an extraction solvent in the present invention also includes purified water, hot water, ion-exchanged water, saline, phosphate buffer, phosphate buffered saline, and the like.

Examples of hydrophilic organic solvents that can be used as extraction solvents include lower aliphatic alcohols with 1 to 5 carbon atoms, such as methanol, ethanol, propyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol; lower aliphatic ketones, such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone; and polyhydric alcohols with 2 to 5 carbon atoms, such as 1,3-butylene glycol, propylene glycol, and glycerin.

When a mixture of two or more polar solvents is used as the extraction solvent, the mixing ratio can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, when using a mixture of water and a lower aliphatic alcohol, it is preferable to mix 1 to 90 parts by volume of the lower aliphatic alcohol with 10 parts by volume of water. When using a mixture of water and an aliphatic ketone, it is preferable to mix 1 to 40 parts by volume of the lower aliphatic ketone with 10 parts by volume of water. When using a mixture of water and a polyhydric alcohol, it is preferable to mix 1 to 90 parts by volume of the polyhydric alcohol with 10 parts by volume of water.

As long as the soluble components contained in the raw materials can be dissolved in the extraction solvent, there is no need to use a special extraction method, and extraction can be performed at room temperature or under reflux heating. For example, each raw material is placed in a treatment tank filled with the extraction solvent, and the soluble components are dissolved by leaving it to stand for 30 minutes to 4 hours while stirring as necessary, and then the solid matter is removed by filtration to obtain an extract. The extraction solvent is distilled off from the obtained extract to obtain a paste-like concentrate, and this concentrate is further dried to obtain a dried product. The extraction conditions are 50 to 95°C for about 1 to 4 hours when water is used as the extraction solvent. Also, when a mixture of water and ethanol is used as the extraction solvent, the extraction conditions are 40 to 80°C for about 30 minutes to 4 hours.

The extract obtained in the above manner may be subjected to treatments such as dilution, concentration, drying, purification, etc. according to conventional methods to obtain a diluted or concentrated solution of the extract, a dried product of the extract, or a crude or purified product thereof.

The resulting extract can be used as an ATP production promoter as is, but a concentrated liquid or dried product is preferable. When obtaining a dried product, a carrier such as dextrin or cyclodextrin may be added to improve hygroscopicity.

In addition, since each of the extracted raw materials has a unique odor and taste, it is possible to purify them for the purpose of decolorization, deodorization, etc., to the extent that this does not result in a decrease in their physiological activity. However, since they are not used in large quantities when added to cosmetics, there is no practical problem in using them unrefined. Purification can be carried out, for example, by treatment with activated carbon, adsorption resin, ion exchange resin, etc.

The Angelica extract, star fruit extract, plum extract, peach extract, and licorice extract obtained in the manner described above have an ATP production promoting effect, and therefore can be used as an active ingredient of an ATP production promoter by utilizing this effect.

In the ATP production promoter according to this embodiment, any one of Angelica keiskei extract, star fruit extract, plum extract, peach extract, and licorice extract may be used as the active ingredient, or two or more of them may be mixed and used as the active ingredient. When two or more of Angelica keiskei extract, star fruit extract, plum extract, peach extract, and licorice extract are mixed and used as the active ingredient, the mixing ratio may be appropriately determined according to the degree of their action.

The ATP production promoter according to this embodiment may be a formulation of one or more selected from Angelica keiskei extract, star fruit extract, plum extract, peach extract, and licorice extract.

The above extract can be formulated into any dosage form, such as powder, granules, liquid, etc., in accordance with conventional methods using pharma- ceutically acceptable carriers such as dextrin, cyclodextrin, and other optional auxiliary agents. In this case, examples of auxiliary agents that can be used include excipients, stabilizers, and odorants. Examples of the form of the ATP production promoter prepared by formulating the above extract include ointments, external liquids, etc.

The ATP production promoter according to this embodiment can promote ATP production in hair papilla cells, for example, through the ATP production promoting action of extracts of Angelica keiskei, star fruit, plum, peach, and licorice, and can be used for various applications (for example, applications for preventing and improving alopecia, etc.). However, the ATP production promoter according to this embodiment can be used for all applications in which it is meaningful to exert an ATP production promoting action in addition to this application.

In addition, the ATP production promoter according to this embodiment, or one or more selected from Angelica keiskei extract, star fruit extract, plum extract, peach extract, and licorice extract, have excellent ATP production promoting effects, and are therefore suitable for incorporation into cosmetics such as skin cosmetics, scalp cosmetics, and hair cosmetics, as well as into foods, beverages, and the like.

Cosmetics that can be blended with one or more selected from Angelica keiskei extract, star fruit extract, plum extract, peach extract, and licorice extract, or the above-mentioned ATP production promoter, include, for example, ointments, creams, milky lotions, lotions, packs, foundations, hair tonics, hair lotions, shampoos, rinses, soaps, etc. When blending the above-mentioned extracts or ATP production promoters into cosmetics, the blending amount can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of cosmetic, but a suitable blending ratio is about 0.0001 to 10% by mass converted into a standard extract, and a particularly suitable blending ratio is about 0.001 to 1% by mass converted into a standard extract. As long as the ATP production promoting effect of the extract is not hindered, the cosmetic preparation may be used in combination with the main ingredient, auxiliary agent, or other ingredient used in the manufacture of ordinary cosmetic preparations, such as astringents, germicides/antibacterial agents, whitening agents, UV absorbers, moisturizers, cell activators, anti-inflammatory/anti-allergic agents, antioxidants/active oxygen removers, oils and fats, waxes, hydrocarbons, fatty acids, alcohols, esters, surfactants, fragrances, etc. Using the extract in combination in this way can result in a more general product, and the synergistic effect with the other active ingredients used in combination can bring about a superior effect than would normally be expected.

Food and drink refers to food and drink that is unlikely to be harmful to human health and is taken orally or by administration through the digestive tract in normal social life, and is not limited to administrative classifications such as food, medicine, and quasi-drug. Therefore, the "food and drink" according to this embodiment includes a wide range of compositions that constitute general foods, health foods (functional food and drink), health functional foods (foods for specified health uses, foods with nutrient functions, foods with functional claims), quasi-drugs, medicines, etc., that are taken orally. The food and drink according to this embodiment may be one that displays the ATP production promoting effect of the extract on the food and drink, its container or packaging, its promotional materials, etc., or may be a health functional food (foods for specified health uses, foods with functional claims, foods with nutrient functions), quasi-drugs, or medicines.

When the above extract or the ATP production promoter formulated from the above extract is added to a food or drink, the amount of active ingredient can be changed as appropriate taking into consideration the purpose of use, symptoms, sex, etc., but it is preferable to have an adult daily intake of about 1 to 1000 mg of the extract, taking into consideration the general intake of the food or drink to which it is added. Note that when the food or drink to which it is added is in the form of granules, tablets, or capsules, the amount of the above extract or the ATP production promoter formulated from the above extract added is usually 0.1 to 100% by mass, and preferably 5 to 100% by mass, of the food or drink to which it is added.

The ATP production promoter according to this embodiment is preferably applied to humans, but it can also be applied to animals other than humans as long as it has an ATP production promoting effect.

The present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to the following manufacturing examples and test examples, but the present invention is not limited in any way by the following manufacturing examples and test examples.

[Production Example 1] Production of Angelica keiskei extract 1500 mL of 70% by volume butylene glycol was added to 100 g of dried leaves and stems of Angelica keiskei, and extraction was carried out by heating at 80 to 90° C. for 2 hours and hot filtration was performed. The obtained extract was dried to obtain Angelica keiskei extract (15 g).

[Production Example 2] Production of starfruit extract 1500 mL of 80% by volume ethanol was added to 100 g of dried starfruit leaves, and reflux extraction was carried out at 80 to 90°C for 2 hours using a reflux extractor, followed by hot filtration. The resulting extract was dried to obtain a starfruit leaf extract (10 g).

[Production Example 3] Production of plum extract 50% by volume of butylene glycol was added to 100 g of the flesh obtained from plum fruit, mixed and filtered. The obtained extract was dried to obtain plum extract (4 g).

[Production Example 4] Production of peach extract 1500 mL of 30% by volume butylene glycol was added to 100 g of dried peach leaves, and extraction was carried out by heating at 80 to 90°C for 2 hours, followed by hot filtration. The obtained extract was dried to obtain a peach leaf extract (24 g).

[Production Example 5] Production of licorice extract 1500 mL of 70% by volume ethanol was added to 100 g of dried licorice leaves, and reflux extraction was carried out at 80 to 90°C for 2 hours using a reflux extractor, followed by hot filtration. The resulting extract was dried to obtain licorice leaf extract (5 g).

[Test Example] Test for ATP production promoting effect The Angelica keiskei extract, star fruit extract, plum extract, peach extract and licorice extract obtained in Production Examples 1 to 5 above were tested for ATP production inhibiting effect by the following method.

Normal human hair dermal papilla cells were cultured in a dermal papilla cell growth medium (manufactured by Takara Bio Inc.) containing a growth additive, and then the cells were harvested by trypsin treatment. The harvested cells were diluted with Dulbecco's MEM containing 10% FBS to a cell density of 1.0 x ¹⁰⁴ cells/mL, and then seeded in a collagen-coated 96-well plate at 200 μL per well and cultured for 3 days. After the culture was completed, the medium was removed, and 100 μL of the test sample dissolved in serum-free Dulbecco's MEM was added to each well and cultured for 2 hours.

The ATP production promotion effect was evaluated by measuring the amount of ATP in the cells using the firefly luciferase luminescence method. Specifically, after the end of the culture, 100 μL of "Cellular ATP Measurement Reagent" (manufactured by Toyo B-Net Co., Ltd.) was added to each well, and the amount of chemiluminescence after the reaction was measured. From the measurement results, the ATP production promotion rate (%) was calculated using the following formula.

ATP production promotion rate (%) = (A/B) x 100
In the formula, "A" represents the amount of chemiluminescence in cells to which a test sample was added, and "B" represents the amount of chemiluminescence in cells to which no test sample was added.

The results of the above tests are shown in Tables 1 to 5. In the above formula, the ATP production promotion rate without the addition of the test sample is 100%.

As shown in Tables 1 to 5, the extracts of Angelica keiskei, star fruit, plum, peach, and licorice all showed high rates of promoting ATP production. These results confirmed that these extracts have excellent ATP production promoting effects.

The ATP production promoter of the present invention has an excellent ATP production promoting effect, so it can be incorporated into cosmetics, food and beverages, etc., and can also be suitably used as a research reagent.

Claims (1)

An ATP production promoter used for preventing and/or improving alopecia, comprising an extract of Angelica keiskei koidzia and/or an extract of star fruit as an active ingredient.