JP7659768B2 - Lipid decomposition promoter, food and drink containing the same, and processed food for promoting lipid decomposition - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lipid degradation promoter, a food or drink containing the same, and a processed food for promoting lipid degradation.

In recent years, the number of patients with a condition known as metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of symptoms such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and arteriosclerosis, has been increasing. Obesity is thought to be deeply related to metabolic syndrome. Obesity is a condition in which excess fat accumulates due to an increase in the number of fat cells and the enlargement of the fat cells themselves caused by excessive energy intake due to overeating and a decrease in energy consumption due to lack of exercise. Methods for preventing and improving obesity include, for example, moderate exercise, restricting the intake or absorption of energy sources such as carbohydrates and lipids, and promoting lipid breakdown in the body.

The present applicant previously proposed an anti-obesity agent (see Patent Document 1) containing as an active ingredient a peak component in partition chromatography of an alcohol extract of the seeds of a grass family plant, and a method of ingesting a food that can maximize the effect of the active ingredient (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2013-40108 A JP 2016-132641 A

The anti-obesity agents and ingestion methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 exert their anti-obesity effects by inhibiting adipocyte differentiation and fat accumulation, but these documents do not specifically examine their effect of promoting lipid breakdown in the body.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a lipid degradation promoter, a food or drink containing the same, and a processed food for promoting lipid degradation.

As a result of extensive research into the promotion of lipid breakdown in the body, the inventors have newly discovered that the ingestion of alkylresorcinols can promote the breakdown of lipids in the body. The present invention was completed based on these findings.

That is, the present invention provides a lipid decomposition promoter containing an alkylresorcinol represented by the following general formula (I) as an active ingredient.

The present invention also provides food and beverage products containing the lipid degradation promoter.

The present invention further provides a processed food for promoting lipid decomposition, which contains an alkylresorcinol represented by the following general formula (I) as an active ingredient.

According to the present invention, the decomposition of lipids in the body can be effectively promoted by administering or ingesting a lipid decomposition promoter, a food or drink containing the same, and a processed food for promoting lipid decomposition.

FIG. 1(a) is a bar graph showing the weight gain of mice in the Example and Comparative Example, and FIG. 1(b) is a graph showing the sample distribution of the weight gain of each mouse in the Example and Comparative Example. Figure 2(a) is a bar graph showing the weight increase in peristiform adipose tissue of mice in the examples and comparative examples, and Figure 2(b) is a graph showing the sample distribution of the weight increase in each peristiform adipose tissue in the examples and comparative examples. FIG. 3(a) is a bar graph showing the expression levels of the PPARα gene in the examples and comparative examples, and FIG. 3(b) is a graph showing the sample distribution of the expression levels of the PPARα gene in the examples and comparative examples. FIG. 4(a) is a bar graph showing the expression levels of the ACOX gene in the examples and comparative examples, and FIG. 4(b) is a graph showing the sample distribution of the expression levels of the ACOX gene in the examples and comparative examples.

The present invention will be described below based on its preferred embodiments. The lipid decomposition promoter of the present invention contains an alkylresorcinol represented by the following general formula (I) as an active ingredient. This alkylresorcinol has the effect of promoting the decomposition of lipids accumulated in the body. In the following description, when it is written "X to Y" (X and Y are any numbers), it means "X or more and Y or less" unless otherwise specified.

The saturated or unsaturated alkyl group represented by R ₁ in the general formula (I) is not particularly limited in its chemical structure as long as it has 15 to 25 carbon atoms, and may be linear, branched, or cyclic, substituted or unsubstituted, or a combination thereof. When R ₁ is an unsaturated alkyl group, there is no particular limit to the number and position of unsaturated bonds contained in the unsaturated alkyl group. R ₁ is bonded to R ₂ at the meta or para position. Alkylresorcinols having such functional groups and substitution positions may be used alone or as a mixture of multiple types.

Preferred examples of the alkylresorcinols shown in the general formula (I) include those containing at least one of the alkylresorcinols shown in (a1) to (f1) below. In the following description, the alkylresorcinols shown in (a1) to (f1) below are collectively referred to as "ARs."

(a1) An alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ is an alkyl group having 15 carbon atoms (hereinafter, also referred to as “AR15”).
(b1) An alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ is an alkyl group having 17 carbon atoms (hereinafter, also referred to as “AR17”).
(c1) An alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ is an alkyl group having 19 carbon atoms (hereinafter, also referred to as “AR19”).
(d1) An alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ is an alkyl group having 21 carbon atoms (hereinafter, also referred to as “AR21”).
(e1) An alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ is an alkyl group having 23 carbon atoms (hereinafter, also referred to as “AR23”).
(f1) An alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ is an alkyl group having 25 carbon atoms (hereinafter, also referred to as “AR25”).

Among these, the alkyl group represented by _R1 is preferably at least one of linear, saturated, and unsubstituted, more preferably linear and saturated, and further preferably linear, saturated, and unsubstituted. Examples of linear, saturated, and unsubstituted alkyl groups include n-pentadecyl, n-heptadecyl, n-nonadecyl, n-henicosyl, n-tricosyl, and n-pentacosyl.

In the general formula (I), _R2 is preferably a hydrogen atom, and _R1 is preferably bonded to _R2 at the para position.

From the viewpoint of effectively exerting the lipid decomposition promoting effect, it is more preferable that the combination of _R1 and _R2 is such that _R1 is a linear saturated and unsubstituted alkyl group, _R2 is a hydrogen atom, and _R1 is bonded to _R2 at the para position. Specific examples of such alkylresorcinols include the following compounds (a2) to (f2). These may be used alone or as a mixture of a plurality of types. (a2) to (f2) correspond to the above-mentioned (a1) to (f1), respectively.

(a2) AR15 is 1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-pentadecylbenzene (C15:0).
(b2) AR17 is 1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-heptadecylbenzene (C17:0).
(c2) AR19 is 1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-nonadecylbenzene (C19:0).
(d2) AR21 as 1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-henicosylbenzene (C21:0)
(e2) AR23 is 1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-tricosylbenzene (C23:0).
(f2) AR25 is 1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-pentacosylbenzene (C25:0).

In order to more effectively exert the lipid decomposition promoting effect, when alkylresorcinols are used as a mixture, it is preferable that the content of each of the ARs is within the following range. The content of the ARs can be measured, for example, by the HPLC method described below.

The content of AR15 is preferably 0.1% by mass to 10.0% by mass, more preferably 0.1% by mass to 5.0% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.5% by mass to 1.5% by mass, based on the total mass content of all alkylresorcinols.
The content of AR17 is preferably 1.0 mass % to 20.0 mass %, more preferably 5.0 mass % to 15.0 mass %, and particularly preferably 8.0 mass % to 12.0 mass %, of the total mass content of all alkylresorcinols.
The content of AR19 is preferably 25.0 mass % to 40.0 mass %, more preferably 27.5 mass % to 37.5 mass %, and particularly preferably 30.0 mass % to 35.0 mass %, of the total mass content of all alkylresorcinols.
The content of AR21 is preferably 40.0 mass % to 55.0 mass %, more preferably 42.5 mass % to 52.5 mass %, and particularly preferably 45.0 mass % to 50.0 mass %, of the total mass content of all alkylresorcinols.
The content of AR23 is preferably 1.0 mass % to 15.0 mass %, more preferably 2.5 mass % to 12.5 mass %, and particularly preferably 5.0 mass % to 10.0 mass %, based on the total mass content of all alkylresorcinols.
The content of AR25 is preferably 0% by mass to 5.0% by mass, more preferably 0% by mass to 2.0% by mass, and particularly preferably 0% by mass to 1.5% by mass, based on the total mass of all alkylresorcinols. In other words, AR25 may be substantially absent.

The mixture of alkylresorcinols described above may contain one or more other alkylresorcinols other than the ARs. Examples of other alkylresorcinols include alkylresorcinols in which R ₁ in the general formula (I) is an alkyl group having 27 carbon atoms, and particularly preferred are compounds in which R ₁ is a linear saturated and unsubstituted alkyl group, R ₂ is a hydrogen atom, and R ₁ is bonded to R ₂ at the para position. An example of such a compound is 1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-heptacosylbenzene (C27:0).

The above-mentioned alkylresorcinols can be synthesized by conventional methods and are also available as commercial products. Extracts extracted from plants by conventional methods can also be used. When using extracts from plants, examples of plants containing alkylresorcinols include Anacardiaceae, Ginkgoaceae, Proteaceae, Ardisiaceae, Primulaceae, Myristicae, Iridaceae, Araceae, Artemisia of the Asteraceae family, Fabaceae, and Poaceae. Among these, from the viewpoint of being edible, having a high content of alkylresorcinols, and having excellent extraction efficiency, it is preferable to use a Poaceae plant or an Anacardiaceae plant as the source. In other words, it is preferable that the lipid decomposition promoter contains, as alkylresorcinol, an alkylresorcinol-containing extract extracted from a Poaceae plant or an Anacardiaceae plant. When using extracts from plants, it is particularly advantageous in that they can be obtained more easily as a mixture containing the above-mentioned ARs.

Gramineous plants that can be used as a source of alkylresorcinols are not particularly limited, but examples include wheat, durum wheat, rye, triticale, barley, oats, oats, corn, rice, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, and millet, and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The Gramineous plant used for extraction may be any form of Gramineous plant seed, and for example, the seed may be used as is, or the seed may be cut, crushed, dried, or the like to be crushed, powdered, or dried, or the outer skin alone may be used, or a combination of these may be used. Specific examples including the outer skin include bran, powdered flour, rice husk, and rice bran.

Examples of Anacardiaceae plants that can be used as a source of alkylresorcinol include, but are not limited to, nuts such as cashew nuts. The Anacardiaceae plant used for extraction may be in any of the forms described above. For example, the plant or seeds may be used as is, or they may be cut, crushed, dried, or otherwise processed to be crushed, powdered, or dried, or a combination of these may be used.

Among these, from the viewpoint of efficiently obtaining an extract having a high lipolysis promoting activity, it is preferable that the extract is obtained by extraction from a plant of the genus Triticum, such as wheat or durum wheat, or a plant of the genus Secale, such as rye, as a grass family plant, it is more preferable that the extract is extracted from wheat, and it is even more preferable that the extract is extracted from wheat bran. Also, from the same viewpoint, it is preferable that the extract is obtained by extraction from cashew nuts as a plant of the Anacardiaceae family.

When extracts containing alkylresorcinols are obtained from plants, the extraction method is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of improving the extraction rate and simplicity, it is preferable to obtain them by alcohol extraction. Examples of the alcohol extraction method include a method in which the seeds of the various forms of Gramineae plants or Anacardiaceae plants described above are immersed in alcohol, stirred or refluxed, as well as a supercritical fluid extraction method. In the former method, the extraction temperature is preferably 2°C to 100°C, the extraction time is preferably 30 minutes to 72 hours, and the amount of alcohol used is preferably 50 parts by mass to 2000 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the seeds of the Gramineae plants or Anacardiaceae plants.

The alcohol used for extraction includes alcohol that is liquid at room temperature (25°C), specifically, lower monohydric alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, and n-butanol, and polyhydric alcohols such as 1,3-butylene glycol, propylene glycol, and glycerin, preferably having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. Among these alcohols, ethanol is preferably used from the viewpoint of operability and environmental friendliness. In addition, as the alcohol used for extraction, hydrous ethanol containing aqueous components other than alcohol (water, pure water, distilled water, tap water, acidic water, alkaline water, neutral water, etc.) can also be used. The alcohol content in the hydrous alcohol is usually 70% by volume or more, preferably 80% by volume or more, and more preferably 90% by volume or more.

The extract containing alkylresorcinol may be used as it is, or the extract may be further purified. From the viewpoint of effectively expressing the lipid degradation promoting effect of alkylresorcinol, it is preferable to use a purified product obtained by purifying the extract. There are no particular limitations on the purification method as long as it is a method that can obtain the active ingredient of the lipid degradation promoter of the present invention (alkylresorcinol or a mixture thereof), but it is preferable to use a partition chromatography method from the viewpoint of simplicity. A specific example of the partition chromatography method is a normal phase chromatography method using a non-aqueous solvent as the mobile phase, and a known method such as an open column method, a medium pressure column method, or high performance liquid chromatography can be appropriately selected.

Examples of the mobile phase in partition chromatography include alcohols that are liquid at room temperature (25°C), such as lower monohydric alcohols with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, such as methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, and n-butanol, and polyhydric alcohols with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, such as 1,3-butylene glycol, propylene glycol, and glycerin; ethers, such as diethyl ether and propyl ether; esters, such as butyl acetate and ethyl acetate; ketones, such as acetone and ethyl methyl ketone; hexane; methylene chloride; acetonitrile; and chloroform. These solvents can be used alone or in combination of two or more. When multiple solvents are combined to form the mobile phase, the isocratic mode in which the mixing ratio of multiple solvents is constant during partition chromatography may be used, or the gradient mode in which the mixing ratio is changed may be used.

Any carrier that can support and release the desired active ingredient can be used as the carrier in partition chromatography, but common examples include silica gel, polyacrylamide gel, and dextran gel.

The detection wavelength in partition chromatography should be 170 to 320 nm, preferably 200 to 300 nm.

As an example of partition chromatography suitable for purifying alcohol extracts of Gramineae or Anacardiaceae plant seeds, there is the partition chromatography method described in the Examples below. By using this method, a purified product containing alkylresorcinols having lipid decomposition promoting properties can be efficiently obtained. The purified product obtained can be alkylresorcinols consisting of a single compound or a mixture of alkylresorcinols.

The content of the active ingredient in the lipid decomposition promoter, i.e., the content of alkylresorcinol relative to the total mass of the lipid decomposition promoter, is preferably 70% by mass or more, more preferably 75% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 100% by mass, in terms of the total content mass of alkylresorcinol, and the lipid decomposition promoter may be composed only of alkylresorcinol.

The lipid decomposition promoter can be a composition containing one or more of various pharma- ceutically acceptable carriers, excipients, other additives, and other components, as necessary, in addition to an extract, mixture, or purified product containing alkylresorcinol. The lipid decomposition promoter can be formulated by conventional methods, and the dosage form can preferably be an oral agent such as a tablet, powder, granule, capsule, or liquid, or an injection. Other components include components with medicinal properties, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, various vitamins, herbal medicines, and minerals.

The lipolysis promoter may be administered directly to or ingested by humans or animals for non-medical purposes, or the lipolysis promoter may be contained in food, drink, or animal feed and ingested. Animals include dogs, cats, mice, rats, hamsters, rabbits, cows, horses, monkeys, etc. In other words, the lipolysis promoter can be applied not only to humans, but also to pets (companions), livestock, etc., and can be used for non-medical purposes on mammals in general.

The content of alkylresorcinol in the lipolysis promoter can be changed as appropriate depending on the dosage form of the lipolysis promoter, or the symptoms, age, sex, etc. of the person to be administered or ingested. When intended for humans, the alkylresorcinol content is preferably 0.5 mg to 5000 mg, more preferably 1 mg to 500 mg, of total alkylresorcinol per adult (60 kg) per day. The method of administration or ingestion can be one time or multiple times, and may be a bolus administration or continuous administration.

The lipolysis promoter is advantageous in that the ease of administration or ingestion is increased by making it orally administrable or ingestible, such as by being contained in food or beverages. When the lipolysis promoter is contained in a food or beverage, examples of the food or beverage that can be prepared include, but are not limited to, staple foods such as bread and noodles, jelly-like foods and various snacks, baked goods, cakes, chocolate, gum, candy, tablets, and other confectionery, capsules, sauces, soups, dairy products, frozen foods, instant foods, processed foods such as supplements, beverages such as drinking water, tea beverages, coffee beverages, milk beverages, fruit juice beverages, carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, and nutritional drinks, and edible seasonings. There are also no particular limitations on the manner in which the lipolysis promoter is contained in the food or beverage, and it may be added during the production of the food or beverage or processed food, or it may be added, mixed, coated, or the like to the food or beverage to be contained as a processed food. That is, the food, beverage, and processed food of the present invention contain the alkylresorcinol represented by the general formula (I) as an active ingredient, and are preferably used for promoting lipid decomposition. In this case, it is preferable that the content of the alkylresorcinol is within the above-mentioned range.

The manner in which the lipolysis promoter is mixed into the animal feed is also not particularly limited, and the lipolysis promoter may be added during the production of the feed so that it is contained in the feed, or may be added separately to, mixed with, or coated on the feed after production so that it is contained in the feed, or may be mixed or dispersed in the animal drinking water. In other words, the animal feed contains the alkylresorcinol represented by the general formula (I) as an active ingredient, and is preferably used for the purpose of promoting lipolysis.

When alkylresorcinol is administered or ingested by an animal, it is preferable to administer or ingest the alkylresorcinol in the following amounts as the total content of the alkylresorcinol. Regardless of the animal, the administration or ingestion method may be a single dose or multiple doses, and may be a bolus administration or a continuous administration.
For dogs (based on 10 kg body weight): 200 μg to 500 mg per day
・For cats (based on 3 kg body weight): 200 μg to 500 mg per day
・For mice (based on 30g body weight): 120μg to 200mg per day
For hamsters (based on 30g body weight): 120μg to 200mg per day
For rabbits (based on 2 kg body weight): 200 μg to 500 mg per day

There is no particular restriction on the period during which the above-mentioned lipolysis promoter, food or drink, processed food, or animal feed is taken, but it is preferable to take it continuously for a certain period of time, and from the viewpoint of fully exerting the lipolysis promoting effect, it is preferable to take it continuously for 2 weeks or more, preferably 3 weeks or more, and particularly 7 weeks or more.

The present invention includes a method for promoting lipolysis by administering or ingesting the above-mentioned alkylresorcinol or a mixture thereof. Examples of promoting lipolysis include, but are not limited to, activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (hereinafter also referred to as PPARα), a nuclear receptor that increases gene expression involved in promoting lipolysis, and activation of β-oxidation, a metabolic pathway of fatty acids. The method for promoting lipolysis may be, for example, administration or ingestion of the above-mentioned dosage and dose to humans and animals. From the viewpoint of effectively promoting lipolysis, it is preferable to administer or ingestion in the dosage manner described above within 4 hours after awakening from sleep. In this case, as long as it is within 4 hours after awakening, it may be taken in one dose or in multiple doses.

In the present invention, "sleep" refers to a natural state accompanied by a decreased response to surrounding stimuli, in which the person is unconscious but can be easily awakened. If such a state exists multiple times in a 24-hour day, only the state that continues for the longest period of time among them corresponds to "sleep". In other words, sleep occurs only once in a 24-hour day, and for example, a relatively short nap taken during the day, in addition to the several hours of sleep (bedtime) that people usually take at night, is not considered sleep in this specification. In addition, in the method of promoting lipolysis by administering or ingesting alkylresorcinol or a mixture thereof, the sleep time is not particularly limited, but is preferably 3 hours or more, and more preferably 4 to 10 hours.

The present invention also includes a product such as the above-mentioned lipid decomposition promoter, food and drink, processed food, or animal feed, and a commercial package including an instruction manual. The instruction manual includes at least one of the following information, or at least one of the following indications is attached: that the product contains alkylresorcinol, that the product promotes fat decomposition, that the product enhances fat metabolism, that the product reduces visceral fat, that the product should be taken within 4 hours after awakening from sleep, and how to use the product and how much it should be administered. The form of the commercial package is not particularly limited, and examples of the form include a form in which the instruction manual is affixed to a packaging container that contains the product, a form in which the instruction manual is enclosed in a packaging container together with the product, and a form in which the content of the instruction manual is printed on the packaging container itself (a form in which the packaging container is the instruction manual).

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[Production Example 1]
The following extraction and purification method 1 was carried out to obtain an alkylresorcinol-containing extract from wheat bran as the seed of a grass family plant, and the extract was purified to obtain a purified product as a lipid degradation promoter. The alkylresorcinol contained as an active ingredient in the lipid degradation promoter was a mixture of ARs having the following composition.
1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-pentadecylbenzene (C15:0): 1.2% by mass.
1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-heptadecylbenzene (C17:0): 10.9% by mass.
1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-nonadecylbenzene (C19:0): 33.9% by mass.
1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-henicosylbenzene (C21:0): 46.4% by mass.
1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-tricosylbenzene (C23:0): 7.5% by mass.
1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-pentacosylbenzene (C25:0): 0.1% by mass.

<Extraction and purification method 1>
Wheat bran was added with 5 times the amount of ethanol by mass, and the mixture was stirred and extracted for 16 hours at 600 rpm and room temperature. The extracted dispersion was filtered to remove unnecessary materials and recover the ethanol extract, and the ethanol was then distilled off from the extract to obtain an ethanol extract of wheat bran. Next, 1.5 times the amount (volume equivalent) of hexane was added to the ethanol extract to disperse it, and the dispersion was purified by medium pressure chromatography. The medium pressure chromatography conditions were as follows. The peak components appearing 31 to 36 minutes after the start of elution were recovered, and the solvent was distilled off to obtain the desired alkylresorcinol mixture.

(Medium Pressure Chromatography Conditions)
Column: Silica gel (Inject column 3L, Hi-Flash column 5L, 60 Å, 40 μm, Yamazen Corporation)
Mobile phase: gradient mode, hexane/ethyl acetate mixed solvent (volume ratio) = 90/10 for 9 minutes, 80/20 for 15 minutes, 60/40 for 16 minutes Detection wavelength: 280 nm

<Quantitative Analysis of Alkylresorcinol>
This is a method for quantifying the alkylresorcinol mixture obtained by the above-mentioned <Extraction and purification method 1> by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The details are shown below.
Methanol was added to the alkylresorcinol mixture obtained in <Extraction and purification method 1> to give a concentration of 200 μg/mL to prepare a methanol-added solution. This methanol-added solution was passed through a filter with a pore size of 0.45 μm, and the passed-through portion was subjected to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis under the following conditions.

(HPLC conditions)
Column: Silica gel (ODS-80A, 5 μm, 4.6 × 250 mm, manufactured by GL Sciences Inc.)
Guard column: ODS-80A, 5 μm, 4.6 × 50 mm,
Column temperature: 30°C
Mobile phase: 100% methanol
Detection wavelength: 280 nm

[Examples and Comparative Examples]
13-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were purchased from Charles River Japan, and after 3 weeks of acclimation, 6 mice were divided into the following groups, and each group was fed the test feed shown below for 3 weeks. The daily intake per mouse body weight was 240 mg/kg to 442 mg/kg. After the breeding period, the body weight and testicular fat weight of the examples and comparative examples were measured. In addition, testicular fat tissue was collected and subjected to gene expression analysis. The results of the body weight and fat tissue weight measurements are shown in Figures 1(a) and (b) and Figures 2(a) and (b) as mean ± standard error (Mean ± S.E., N = 6). A t-test was used to test for significant differences, and p < 0.05 was considered significant.

Comparative Example 1 (normal diet group, 6 rats): D12450B solid feed (fat content 4.3% by mass, manufactured by Research Diet Co., Ltd.)
Comparative Example 2 (high-fat diet group, 6 rats): D12492 solid feed (fat content 35% by mass, manufactured by Research Diet Co., Ltd.)
Example 1 (ARs-intake group, 6 rats): Solid feed prepared by blending 0.5% by mass of the mixture of ARs obtained in Production Example 1 in D12492 solid feed.

Gene expression analysis in the examples and comparative examples was carried out according to the following procedure.
<RNA extraction>
100 mg of peritellar adipose tissue was collected from each mouse, and an RNA sample was extracted using RNeasy Lipid Tissue MiniKit (Qiagen, 74804) and RNase-Free DNase set (Qiagen, 79254) according to the protocol.
The obtained RNA was subjected to measurement of absorbance at 230 nm, 260 nm and 280 nm using Nano Drop ND-1000 (manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific), and it was confirmed that the 260 nm/280 nm absorbance ratio was 2.0 or more and the 260 nm/230 nm absorbance ratio was 1.5 or more, and the RNA was subjected to the subsequent steps. For samples with a 260 nm/280 nm absorbance ratio of less than 2.0 or a 260 nm/230 nm absorbance ratio of less than 1.5, the RNA sample was purified using RNeasy MinElute Cleanup Kit (manufactured by Qiagen, 74204) and subjected to the subsequent steps.

<Reverse transcription reaction>
Using each of the obtained RNA samples, a reverse transcription reaction was carried out using a thermal cycler under the conditions shown in Table 1 below to obtain cDNA samples.

<Gene expression analysis>
Using the obtained cDNA (40 ng/μL), gene expression analysis was performed by the SYBR Green method using a real-time PCR device (Applied Biosystems, 7900HT). The analysis conditions and the sequences of the primers used are shown in Tables 2 and 3 below. The target genes were acyl-CoA oxidase (hereinafter also referred to as ACOX) and PPARα. In addition, β-actin was used as a housekeeping gene.

As real-time PCR conditions, the base line was set to 3 to 15, and the threshold line was set to auto, and the Ct value was calculated. Based on the Ct values of β-actin and each target gene, the gene expression level of each sample was calculated from the following formula (1), and the relative expression level was calculated when the expression level in Comparative Example 1 was set to 1. The results are shown in Figures 3(a) and (b) and Figures 4(a) and (b) as mean ± standard error (Mean ± S.E., N = 6). A t-test was performed between Comparative Example 2 and Example 1, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. The threshold line in this step was 0.256.
Gene expression level of each sample = 2^ ([β-actin Ct value] - [target gene Ct value]) ... (1)

As shown in Figures 1(a) and (b) and Figures 2(a) and (b), in Comparative Example 2, where a high-fat diet was administered, both the body weight and fat tissue weight were significantly higher than in Comparative Example 1. However, in Example 1, where ARs were administered along with a high-fat diet, the increase in body weight and fat tissue weight was significantly suppressed compared to Comparative Example 2, and it can be seen that even when a high-fat diet was administered, the body weight and fat tissue weight were comparable to those of Comparative Example 1.

When the mechanism of suppression of increases in body weight and adipose tissue weight in Example 1 is examined in detail, as shown in Figures 3(a) and (b) and Figures 4(a) and (b), it is found that in Example 1, the gene expression level of PPARα, which increases the expression of enzymes involved in β-oxidation, and the gene expression level of ACOX, which promotes β-oxidation and enhances lipid decomposition, are significantly increased compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2. These results show that the active ingredient alkylresorcinol activates PPARα and β-oxidation, which are involved in lipid decomposition. Therefore, according to the lipid decomposition promoter of the present invention, and the food and beverage containing the same, and the processed food for promoting lipid decomposition, the decomposition of lipids in the body can be effectively promoted by ingesting them, and as a result, obesity can be prevented and improved.

Claims (7)

A lipid decomposition promoter comprising an alkylresorcinol represented by the following general formula (I) as an active ingredient:
The lipid decomposition promoter is
The alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ in the general formula (I) is an alkyl group having 15 carbon atoms is contained in an amount of 0.1 mass % to 10.0 mass % based on the total mass of all alkylresorcinols;
The alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ in the general formula (I) is an alkyl group having 17 carbon atoms is contained in an amount of 1.0 mass % to 20.0 mass % based on the total mass of all alkylresorcinols;
The alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ in the general formula (I) is an alkyl group having 19 carbon atoms is contained in an amount of 25.0 mass % to 40.0 mass % based on the total mass of all alkylresorcinols,
The alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ in the general formula (I) is an alkyl group having 21 carbon atoms is contained in an amount of 40.0 mass % to 55.0 mass % based on the total mass of all alkylresorcinols,
The alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ in the general formula (I) is an alkyl group having 23 carbon atoms is contained in an amount of 1.0 mass % to 15.0 mass % based on the total mass of all alkylresorcinols;
And,
A lipid decomposition promoter, which is a β-oxidation promoter, and contains an alkylresorcinol in which R ₁ in the general formula (I) is an alkyl group having 25 carbon atoms in an amount of 0.1 mass % to 5.0 mass % based on the total mass of all alkylresorcinols.
(wherein R ₁ represents a saturated alkyl group having 15 to 25 carbon atoms;
_R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group. The lipolysis promoter according to claim 1 , wherein R ₁ in the general formula (I) is bonded at the para position relative to R ₂ . The lipid decomposition promoter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the alkylresorcinol is an alkylresorcinol-containing extract extracted from a plant of the family Gramineae or the family Anacardiaceae. The lipid decomposition promoter according to claim 3, wherein the alkylresorcinol-containing extract is an extract obtained by extracting a plant of the Gramineae family or a plant of the Anacardiaceae family with alcohol. The lipid decomposition promoter according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the Gramineae plant is wheat or rye, and the Anacardiaceae plant is cashew nuts. The lipid decomposition promoter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein 0.5 to 5000 mg of the alkylresorcinol is administered or ingested per day to an adult (calculated as 60 kg). A food or drink for promoting lipolysis, comprising the lipolysis promoter according to any one of claims 1 to 6.