JP7719594B2 - Coenzyme Q10-containing composition, method for producing coenzyme Q10-containing composition, and reducing agent - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a coenzyme Q10-containing composition, a method for producing a coenzyme Q10-containing composition, a reducing agent used to reduce oxidized coenzyme Q10, and a reducing agent used to preserve reduced coenzyme Q10.

Coenzyme Q10 acts as a coenzyme that improves ATP synthesis and acts as an antioxidant together with vitamin E. The Q10 that acts as an antioxidant component is in reduced form, and acts on reactive oxygen species to reduce the vitamin E radicals produced, becoming oxidized Q10 (ubiquinone). Oxidized Q10 (ubiquinone) is reduced in the liver and acts as reduced Q10 (ubiquinol).
Q10, which has these effects, is synthesized in the body and is taken up mainly through food intake. However, it is known that the amount of Q10 in the body decreases with age due to a decrease in the amount of synthesis in the body and a decrease in food intake.
For this reason, Q10 is taken up into the body by consuming health foods containing Q10.
It is also known that the proportion of reduced Q10 decreases with aging and disease.
Therefore, reduced Q10 is produced by fermentation and chemical reduction methods and is supplied.
However, it is known that reduced Q10 is easily oxidized in the atmosphere to form oxidized Q10, and therefore various methods have been proposed to improve the oxidation stability of reduced Q10.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a stabilization method using reduced Q10, ascorbic acid, and an alcohol such as ethanol. Patent Document 2 describes a composition that is solid at 25° C. and contains reduced Q10, an organic acid such as ascorbic acid, and a carbonate salt containing sodium cations and/or calcium cations. Patent Document 3 describes a method for stabilizing reduced Q10 by coexisting it with citric acid.
Ascorbic acid is used as a reducing agent for oxidized Q10 in a method for producing reduced Q10. For example, Patent Document 4 describes a method for reducing oxidized Q10 with ascorbic acid using an organic solvent containing ethanol or the like. Patent Documents 5 and 6 describe methods for reducing oxidized Q10 in terpenes with ascorbic acid in the presence of water or the like.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-336194 International Publication No. 2015/122531 WO 2003/32967 WO 2009/57611 International Publication No. 2011/132718 JP 2011-225485 A

It is desirable that reduced coenzyme Q10 be stably stored while being inhibited from oxidation even in air. Furthermore, in the production methods using fermentation and chemical reduction, depending on the production method, reduced coenzyme Q10 may need to be purified and separated.
For this reason, there is a demand for a method for producing reduced coenzyme Q10 that does not require a purification step for reduced coenzyme Q10 or that involves simple purification and separation steps.

The object of the present invention is to provide a coenzyme Q10-containing composition in which the storage stability of reduced coenzyme Q10 is improved, and a method for producing the same.

As a result of intensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors discovered that reduced coenzyme Q10 can be obtained with high efficiency by reducing oxidized coenzyme Q10 in the presence of silicon dioxide and water, and thus completed the present invention.
That is, the present invention provides the following [1] to [12].

[1]
A coenzyme Q10-containing composition characterized by containing the following (A) to (D):
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C1) Oxidized coenzyme Q10
(C2) Reduced coenzyme Q10
(D) Water [2]
The coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to [1], characterized in that the content of (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10 relative to the total amount of (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10 and (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10 is 30% by mass or more.
[3]
The coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to [1] or [2], characterized in that, relative to a total of 100 parts by mass of the (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10 and the (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10, the content of the (A) reducing agent is 1 part by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less, the content of the (B) silicon dioxide is 10 parts by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less, and the content of the (D) water is 1 part by mass or more and 100 parts by mass or less.
[4]
A coenzyme Q10-containing composition comprising the following (A) to (C2), characterized in that the content of the (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10 relative to the total amount of the (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10 and the (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10 is 30 mass% or more.
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C1) Oxidized coenzyme Q10
(C2) Reduced coenzyme Q10
[5]
The coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to any one of [1] to [4], characterized in that the (B) silicon dioxide is fine-grained silicon dioxide and the (A) reducing agent is supported on the fine-grained silicon dioxide.
[6]
The coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the reducing agent (A) is vitamin C.
[7]
The coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to any one of [1] to [6], characterized in that it is in a solid form.
[8]
The coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to any one of [1] to [7], characterized in that the dosage form is a tablet, a soft capsule, a hard capsule, or a granule.
[9]
A method for producing a coenzyme Q10-containing composition, comprising a mixing step of mixing the following (A) to (D) to obtain a mixture:
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C1) Oxidized coenzyme Q10
(D) Water [10]
A method for producing a coenzyme Q10-containing composition, comprising mixing (A) particulate silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent and (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10.
[11]
A reducing agent used to reduce oxidized coenzyme Q10, characterized in that the reducing agent is supported on fine silicon dioxide.
[12]
A reducing agent used for preserving reduced coenzyme Q10, characterized in that the reducing agent is supported on fine silicon dioxide.

The present invention provides a coenzyme Q10-containing composition in which the storage stability of reduced coenzyme Q10 is improved, and a method for producing the same.

In this specification, oxidized coenzyme Q10 is also referred to as "oxidized Q10" and reduced coenzyme Q10 is also referred to as "reduced Q10."

[Coenzyme Q10-containing composition]
The Coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention is characterized by containing the following (A) to (D):
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C1) Oxidized coenzyme Q10
(C2) Reduced coenzyme Q10
(D) Water

The coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention can be obtained by mixing (A) a reducing agent, (B) silicon dioxide, (C1) oxidized Q10, and (D) water, heating the mixture, and converting (C1) oxidized Q10 into (C2) reduced Q10. The coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention contains a high content of reduced Q10 even when stored for long periods of time, making it possible to provide a coenzyme Q10-containing composition with excellent storage stability.

In the coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention, the content of reduced Q10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 50% by mass or more, even more preferably 60% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 70% by mass or more. The content of reduced Q10 is the ratio of the content of (C2) reduced Q10 to the total amount of (C1) oxidized Q10 and (C2) reduced Q10.

Furthermore, after converting oxidized Q10 into reduced Q10, the coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention can be dried to remove water (D).
That is, the coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention contains the following (A) to (C2), and is characterized in that the content of (C2) reduced Q10 relative to the total amount of (C1) oxidized Q10 and (C2) reduced Q10 is 30 mass% or more.
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C1) Oxidized coenzyme Q10
(C2) Reduced coenzyme Q10

The material state of the Coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention may be solid or a mixture of liquid and solid. Furthermore, the mixture of liquid and solid may be solid in appearance. The term "solid in appearance" as used herein refers to a case where the composition contains a predetermined amount of liquid, but the entire composition appears solid in appearance.
The coenzyme Q10-containing composition is preferably in a solid form, since a solid composition increases the content of reduced Q10.

When formulating a coenzyme Q10-containing composition, the dosage form may be, for example, a powder, granules, tablets, pills, or capsules (soft or hard capsules), etc.

Each component is described in detail below. [(A) Reducing Agent]
The reducing agent of the present invention reduces oxidized Q10 to reduced Q10 and may be either an oil-soluble or water-soluble reducing agent. Water-soluble reducing agents are preferred from the viewpoint of acting on oxidized Q10 together with water (D) contained in the coenzyme Q10-containing composition.
Examples of water-soluble reducing agents include vitamin C such as L-ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, L-ascorbyl palmitate, L-ascorbyl stearate, sodium ascorbate, and calcium ascorbate; catechins such as epicatechin, epigallocatechin, and epigallocatechin gallate; reducing agents made from natural extracts such as tea extract, acerola extract, pine bark extract, yellow oak leaf extract, gardenia pigment, and fragrant vinegar; and reducing agents made from inorganic compounds such as sodium borohydride and sodium hyposulfite. Vitamin C is preferred.
Examples of the oil-soluble reducing agent include vitamin A such as retinal; vitamin E such as α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and α-tocotrienol; and the like.

The content of the reducing agent in the coenzyme Q10-containing composition is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 part by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the total content of oxidized Q10 and reduced Q10. The lower limit of the reducing agent content is preferably 10 parts by mass or more, more preferably 15 parts by mass or more, and even more preferably 20 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the total content of oxidized Q10 and reduced Q10. The upper limit of the reducing agent content is preferably 50 parts by mass or less, more preferably 45 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the total content of oxidized Q10 and reduced Q10. Increasing the content of the reducing agent improves the content of reduced Q10. On the other hand, decreasing the content of the reducing agent can increase the content of coenzyme Q10.

[(B) Silicon dioxide]
The silicon dioxide of the present invention has the effect of promoting the reduction reaction from oxidized Q10 to reduced Q10. Furthermore, (B) silicon dioxide is preferably finely divided silicon dioxide. By using finely divided silicon dioxide, (D) water can be impregnated, maintaining the coenzyme Q10-containing composition in a solid state, particularly in a powder state, and increasing the content of reduced Q10.

Furthermore, the fine silicon dioxide is preferably (A) fine silicon dioxide supported with a reducing agent. By supporting a reducing agent on the fine silicon dioxide, the content of reduced Q10 can be increased. Furthermore, even if (D) moisture is not contained, the content of reduced Q10 can be increased.

The total pore volume of (B) silicon dioxide is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1.0 mL/g or more and 2.0 mL/g or less. If the total pore volume of (B) silicon dioxide is 1.0 mL/g or more, the specific surface area increases, thereby promoting the reduction reaction from oxidized Q10 to reduced Q10. The total pore volume of the particulate silicon dioxide is a value measured by gas adsorption.

The content of silicon dioxide in the coenzyme Q10-containing composition is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 10 to 200 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the total content of oxidized Q10 and reduced Q10. The lower limit of the silicon dioxide content is preferably 20 parts by mass or more, more preferably 40 parts by mass or more, and even more preferably 100 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the total content of oxidized Q10 and reduced Q10. The upper limit of the silicon dioxide content is preferably 180 parts by mass or less, more preferably 150 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the total content of oxidized Q10 and reduced Q10. Increasing the silicon dioxide content improves the content of reduced Q10. On the other hand, decreasing the content of reducing agent can increase the content of coenzyme Q10.

(Fine particle silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent)
In the present invention, the term "particulate silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent" refers to particulate silicon dioxide having a reducing agent attached to its surface. Particulate silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent has a strong effect of reducing oxidized Q10 to reduced Q10, and can increase the content of reduced Q10 without adding moisture. Furthermore, the addition of moisture can further increase the content of reduced Q10.

The amount of water added in combination with the particulate silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent is not particularly limited, but is, for example, a silicon dioxide to water mass ratio of 1 to 100. The lower limit of the silicon dioxide to water mass ratio is preferably 2 or more, and more preferably 3 or more. The upper limit of the silicon dioxide to water mass ratio is preferably 50 or less, more preferably 40 or less, and even more preferably 35 or less. Adding water within this range can further increase the content of reduced Q10.

The method for supporting the reducing agent on the particulate silicon dioxide is not particularly limited, but for example, the reducing agent can be supported by dissolving or dispersing it in water or an organic solvent, impregnating the particulate silicon dioxide with the solution, and then volatilizing the water or organic solvent. Water and an organic solvent may be used in combination as the solvent.
The water or organic solvent used is preferably one in which oxygen has been replaced with an inert gas, since this can prevent or suppress oxidation of the reducing agent.
Freeze-drying is preferably used to volatilize water or an organic solvent, which is carried out at a low temperature under vacuum conditions, thereby preventing oxidation of the reducing agent.

Fine-grained silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent can be used in methods for reducing oxidized Q10 and storing reduced Q10.

[(C1) Oxidized Coenzyme Q10]
In the present invention, (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10 (oxidized Q10) is reduced to (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10 (reduced Q10).
The method for producing oxidized Q10, which is a component of the coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention, is not particularly limited. Oxidized Q10 produced by either fermentation or chemical synthesis can be used.
When used as a food or food ingredient, oxidized Q10 produced by a fermentation method, including the trans form, is preferred.

There are no particular restrictions on the form of oxidized Q10, as long as it is solid. For example, oxidized Q10 can be used in chunk or powder form. Powder form is preferred because it is easier to mix with other ingredients.

[(C2) Reduced Coenzyme Q10]
The (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10 (reduced Q10) in the present invention may be either (C1) oxidized Q10 in the coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention that has been reduced and converted, or reduced Q10 produced by other methods, or a mixture of both.

The form of reduced Q10 is not particularly limited as long as it is solid. Reduced Q10 can be used in block or powder form, for example. Powder form is preferred because it is easier to mix with other ingredients.

The content of reduced Q10 in the coenzyme Q10-containing composition is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 to 50% by mass. The lower limit is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, even more preferably 15% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 20% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less.

[(D) Water]
In the coenzyme Q10 oil-containing composition of the present invention, the action of the reducing agent can be improved by adding water.From the viewpoint of further improving the action of the reducing agent, it is preferable that the water has a reduced oxygen concentration or does not contain oxygen.In addition, when using particulate silicon dioxide supported with a reducing agent, it is not necessary to add water.

The water content in the coenzyme Q10-containing composition is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 part by mass or more and 100 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the total content of oxidized Q10 and reduced Q10. The lower limit of the water content is preferably 3 parts by mass or more, more preferably 5 parts by mass or more, and even more preferably 10 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the total content of oxidized Q10 and reduced Q10. The upper limit of the water content is preferably 50 parts by mass or less, more preferably 40 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 35 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the total content of oxidized Q10 and reduced Q10. By adding water within this range, the content of reduced Q10 can be further increased.

In addition, water may be removed by drying after oxidized Q10 has been reduced to reduced Q10. There are no particular restrictions on the drying method, but freeze-drying is preferred. Freeze-drying involves drying at low temperature and under vacuum conditions, which prevents oxidation of reduced Q10.

[Other ingredients]
The composition of the present invention may contain any optional components as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.
Examples of other ingredients include vitamins (excluding (A) reducing agents), polysaccharides, polyhydric alcohols, minerals, excipients, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, suspending agents, dispersants, emulsifiers, diluents, reducing agents, flavorings (sweeteners, acidulants, bittering agents, etc.), preservatives, thickening stabilizers, colorants, color formers, bleaching agents, antibacterial agents, antibacterial and antifungal agents, gum bases, enzymes, glazing agents, strengthening agents, flavors, spice extracts, and flavonoids (ampelopsin, quercetin, etc.).

Examples of vitamins include B vitamins, D vitamins, and K vitamins.
Examples of polysaccharides include agar, agarose, agaropectin, starch, amylose, amylopectin, isolichenan, laminaran, lichenan, glucan, inulin, levan, fructan, galactan, mannan, xylan, arabinan, pentosan, alginic acid, pectic acid, fucoidan, ascophyllan, carrageenan, pectin, locust bean gum, guar gum, tara gum, and gum arabic.
Examples of polyhydric alcohols include glycerin and sorbitol.
Examples of minerals include calcium, iron, sodium, zinc, copper, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iodine, manganese, and selenium.
Examples of acidulants include citric acid, sodium citrate, acetic acid, adipic acid, fumaric acid, and malic acid.
Examples of sweeteners include sucrose, maltitol, and aspartame.
Other flavoring agents include, for example, sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate, glycine, succinic acid, and sodium lactate.

[Method for producing a coenzyme Q10-containing composition]
The method for producing the Coenzyme Q10-containing composition is described below. Note that the technical matters described above for the Coenzyme Q10-containing composition also apply to the method for producing the Coenzyme Q10-containing composition.

The method for producing a Coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention is characterized by comprising a mixing step of mixing the following (A) to (D) to obtain a mixture:
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C1) Oxidized coenzyme Q10
(D) Water

According to the first method for producing a coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention, reduced coenzyme Q10 can be obtained with high efficiency by reducing (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10 with (A) a reducing agent in the presence of (B) silicon dioxide and (D) water. The order in which components (A) through (D) are mixed is not particularly limited.

Furthermore, (B) silicon dioxide may be finely divided silicon dioxide, and a supporting step of supporting (A) the reducing agent on the finely divided silicon dioxide may be performed before the mixing step. The finely divided silicon dioxide on which the reducing agent is supported has a strong effect of reducing oxidized Q10 to reduced Q10, and the content of reduced Q10 can be increased without adding water. The method for supporting the reducing agent on the finely divided silicon dioxide is as explained in the section [(B) Silicon Dioxide].

The method may also include a drying step in which the mixture obtained by mixing (A) to (D) is dried. The drying method is not particularly limited, but freeze-drying is preferably used. Freeze-drying involves drying at low temperature under vacuum conditions, which prevents oxidation of the reduced Q10 obtained by reducing the oxidized Q10.

The second method for producing a Coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention is characterized by mixing (A) particulate silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent and (C1) oxidized Coenzyme Q10.
The particulate silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent has the ability to reduce oxidized Q10 to reduced Q10 even without containing (D) water, so reduced Q10 can be obtained by mixing silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent with oxidized Q10.

In addition, in the second method for producing a coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention, (D) water may be further mixed. Adding water can further increase the content of reduced Q10. Furthermore, after reduced Q10 is produced, (D) water may be removed by drying.

In the method for producing a coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention, the amount of (A) reducing agent is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 part by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of oxidized Q10 at the time of blending. The lower limit of the reducing agent amount is preferably 10 parts by mass or more, more preferably 15 parts by mass or more, and even more preferably 20 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of oxidized Q10. The upper limit of the reducing agent amount is preferably 50 parts by mass or less, more preferably 45 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of oxidized Q10. Increasing the amount of reducing agent increases the content of reduced Q10. On the other hand, decreasing the amount of reducing agent can increase the coenzyme Q10 content.

In the method for producing a coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention, the amount of silicon dioxide (B) blended is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 10 to 200 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of oxidized Q10 blended at the time of blending. The lower limit of the amount of silicon dioxide blended is preferably 20 parts by weight or more, more preferably 40 parts by weight or more, and even more preferably 100 parts by weight or more per 100 parts by weight of oxidized Q10 blended. The upper limit of the amount of silicon dioxide blended is preferably 180 parts by weight or less, more preferably 150 parts by weight or less per 100 parts by weight of oxidized Q10 blended. Increasing the amount of silicon dioxide blended increases the content of reduced Q10. On the other hand, reducing the amount of reducing agent blended can increase the content of coenzyme Q10.

In the method for producing a coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention, the amount of (D) water is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 part by mass or more and 100 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of oxidized Q10 at the time of formulation. The lower limit of the amount of water is preferably 3 parts by mass or more, more preferably 5 parts by mass or more, and even more preferably 10 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of oxidized Q10. The upper limit of the amount of water is preferably 50 parts by mass or less, more preferably 40 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 35 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of oxidized Q10. By adding water within this range, the content of reduced Q10 can be further increased.

In the method for producing a coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention, when oxidized coenzyme Q10 (C1) is reduced with a reducing agent (A) in the presence of silicon dioxide (B) and water (D), the mixture is preferably heated. The heating temperature is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 30 to 100°C. The lower limit of the heating temperature is preferably 40°C or higher, more preferably 50°C or higher. The upper limit of the heating temperature is preferably 80°C or lower, more preferably 70°C or lower. The heating time is also not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 to 120 minutes. The lower limit of the heating time is preferably 3 minutes or longer. The upper limit of the heating time is preferably 60 minutes or less, more preferably 30 minutes or less, and even more preferably 20 minutes or less. By maintaining heating conditions within the above ranges, the chemical reaction that converts oxidized Q10 to reduced Q10 can be promoted.

The composition of the present invention only needs to be heated once, and the reduction reaction will proceed even if the composition is left at room temperature. This has the effect of providing excellent storage stability for reduced Q10.

[Method for reducing oxidized coenzyme Q10]
The method for reducing oxidized coenzyme Q10 is described below. Note that the technical matters described above regarding the coenzyme Q10-containing composition and the method for producing the same also apply to the method for reducing oxidized coenzyme Q10.

The first method of the present invention for reducing oxidized coenzyme Q10 is characterized by mixing the following (A) to (D):
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C1) Oxidized coenzyme Q10
(D) Water

According to the first method of reducing oxidized coenzyme Q10 of the present invention, reduced coenzyme Q10 can be obtained with high efficiency by reducing (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10 with (A) a reducing agent in the presence of (B) silicon dioxide and (D) water.

The second method of the present invention for reducing oxidized coenzyme Q10 is characterized by mixing (A) particulate silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent with (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10.

According to the second method for reducing oxidized coenzyme Q10 of the present invention, reduced Q10 can be obtained without adding water by mixing (A) particulate silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent with (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10.

[Method for storing reduced coenzyme Q10]
The method for storing reduced coenzyme Q10 is described below. Note that the technical matters described above regarding the coenzyme Q10-containing composition and its manufacturing method also apply to the method for storing reduced coenzyme Q10.

The first method of the present invention for preserving reduced coenzyme Q10 is characterized by mixing the following (A) to (D):
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C2) Reduced coenzyme Q10
(D) Water

According to the first method for storing reduced coenzyme Q10 of the present invention, (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10 is stored in the presence of (B) silicon dioxide and (D) water, creating an atmosphere in which oxidized Q10 is reduced to reduced Q10, resulting in excellent storage stability of reduced Q10.

A second method for preserving reduced coenzyme Q10 according to the present invention is characterized by mixing (A) particulate silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent with (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10.

According to the second method of storing reduced coenzyme Q10 of the present invention, (A) fine silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent has the effect of reducing oxidized Q10 to reduced Q10, and therefore, by mixing (A) fine silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent with (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10, the storage stability of reduced Q10 is improved.

The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.
The methods for measuring the contents of reduced Q10 and oxidized Q10, and the content rate of reduced Q10, are as follows.
Reduced Q10 content (mass%)
Reduced Q10 and oxidized Q10 were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the content of reduced Q10 was calculated using the following formula 1.
[Formula 1]
{reduced Q10 content/(reduced Q10 content+oxidized Q10 content)}×100
<HPLC measurement conditions>
Column: ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 Column, 1.7 μm, 2.1 × 100 mm
Mobile phase: a mixture of 65 parts by volume of methanol and 45 parts by volume of ethanol. Detector: UV detector (oxidized Q10: 275 nm, reduced Q10: 290 nm).
Flow rate: 0.6mL/min
Column temperature: 40°C

- Total pore volume (nitrogen gas adsorption method)
Using a quadruple specific surface area/pore distribution measuring device NOVA-TOUCH type (manufactured by Quantachrome), the total pore volume was calculated by the one-point method at a relative pressure of 5×10 ⁻³ <P/P0 <0.99.

[Example 1]
[Production of fine silicon dioxide loaded with vitamin C]
To a mixture of 1200 mg of fine silicon dioxide (manufactured by Fuji Silysia Chemical Ltd., product name: Silopage 720, total pore volume 1.6 mL/g) and 200 mg of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, manufactured by Sigma, product name: L-ascorbic acid, powder form), 10 mL of water was added and stirred at room temperature. The mixture was then freeze-dried to obtain 1400 mg of fine silicon dioxide loaded with vitamin C.
The fine silicon dioxide particles loaded with vitamin C in the following examples, and the calcium carbonate particles loaded with vitamin C and calcium silicate particles loaded with vitamin C in the comparative examples were prepared in the same manner according to the formulations shown in Tables 1 to 4.

[Production of Coenzyme Q10-Containing Composition]
700 mg of fine silicon dioxide loaded with vitamin C, 490 mg of oxidized Q10 (manufactured by Kaneka Corporation, product name: Kaneka Coenzyme Q10), and 40 mg of water were mixed, and then heated at 60°C for 1 minute and 30 seconds to obtain a Q10-containing composition.
Table 1 shows the content of reduced Q10 after the coenzyme Q10-containing composition was left at room temperature (25° C.) for 14 days.

[Examples 2 to 14, Comparative Examples 1 to 5]
Coenzyme Q10-containing compositions were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 using the formulations shown in Tables 1 to 4.

As shown in Table 1, the coenzyme Q10-containing composition containing fine silicon dioxide had a high content of reduced Q10, whereas the coenzyme Q10-containing composition containing calcium carbonate and the coenzyme Q10-containing composition containing calcium silicate had a low content of reduced Q10. These results indicate that silicon dioxide specifically acts on the reduction reaction that converts oxidized Q10 to reduced Q10.
Furthermore, when comparing Example 1 and Example 2, it can be seen that Example 2, in which vitamin C and fine silicon dioxide are blended separately, can achieve the same content of reduced Q10 as Example 1, in which fine silicon dioxide loaded with vitamin C is used.

In Table 2, the water content was examined at 0 to 160 mg when using finely divided silicon dioxide loaded with vitamin C. Table 2 shows that the content of reduced Q10 increases as the amount of water added increases.

In Table 3, the water content was varied from 0 to 160 mg when vitamin C was added separately without being supported on fine silicon dioxide. Table 3 shows that the content of reduced Q10 increased as the amount of water added increased.
Furthermore, when Example 8 is compared with Example 1 (Table 1 or Table 2), it is clear that the content of reduced Q10 is increased when vitamin C is supported on fine silicon dioxide.

In the table, ◯, △ and × have the following meanings.
◯: No agglomerates were found before and after heating.
△: A small amount of small aggregates was found when comparing before and after heating.
×: A large amount of aggregates was found when comparing before and after heating.

From Table 4, it can be seen that the content of vitamin C in the coenzyme Q10-containing composition and the content of reduced Q10 converted from oxidized Q10 depend on the amount of vitamin C, and that above a certain amount of vitamin C, the content of reduced Q10 saturates.
Furthermore, it can be seen that the content of reduced Q10 converted from oxidized Q10 increases when the composition is in a powder state.

The coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention contains silicon dioxide, which improves the action of the reducing agent and reduces oxidized Q10 to reduced Q10. Furthermore, the oxidation of reduced Q10 can be suppressed, thereby maintaining the content of reduced Q10.
Furthermore, the present invention can provide a method for reducing oxidized Q10 or a method for storing reduced Q10.
In addition, since each component constituting the coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention can be a component approved as a food additive, the coenzyme Q10-containing composition of the present invention can be used directly as a supplement or food additive.

Claims (9)

Contains the following (A) to (D):
A solid coenzyme Q10-containing composition, characterized in that the amount of oxidized coenzyme Q10 (C1) blended at the time of blending satisfies any one of the following (1) to (3):
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C1) Oxidized coenzyme Q10
(C2) Reduced coenzyme Q10
(D) Water (1) 50 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of (A) reducing agent (2) 50 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of (B) silicon dioxide (3) 100 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of (D) water The solid coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the content of (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10 relative to the total amount of (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10 and (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10 is 30% by mass or more. The solid coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, relative to 100 parts by mass of the total content of the (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10 and the (C2) reduced coenzyme Q10, the content of the (A) reducing agent is from 1 part by mass to 200 parts by mass, the content of the (B) silicon dioxide is from 10 parts by mass to 200 parts by mass, and the content of the (D) water is from 1 part by mass to 100 parts by mass. The solid coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the (B) silicon dioxide is finely divided silicon dioxide, and the (A) reducing agent is supported on the finely divided silicon dioxide. The composition contains the following components (A) to (C2), and the content of the reduced coenzyme Q10 (C2) relative to the total amount of the oxidized coenzyme Q10 (C1) and the reduced coenzyme Q10 (C2) is 30% by mass or more,
(B) silicon dioxide is finely divided silicon dioxide, and (A) is finely divided silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent;
A solid coenzyme Q10-containing composition, characterized in that the amount of oxidized coenzyme Q10 (C1) blended at the time of blending satisfies the following (1) or (2):
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C1) Oxidized coenzyme Q10
(C2) Reduced coenzyme Q10
(1) (A) 50 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the reducing agent; (2) (B) 50 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the silicon dioxide; The solid coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reducing agent (A) is vitamin C. The solid coenzyme Q10-containing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the dosage form is a tablet, soft capsule, hard capsule, or granule. A mixing step of mixing the following (A) to (D) to obtain a mixture,
A method for producing a solid coenzyme Q10-containing composition, characterized in that the amount of oxidized coenzyme Q10 (C1) blended during blending satisfies any one of the following (1) to (3):
(A) Reducing agent (B) Silicon dioxide (C1) Oxidized coenzyme Q10
(D) Water (1) 50 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of (A) reducing agent (2) 50 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of (B) silicon dioxide (3) 100 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of (D) water A method for producing a solid coenzyme Q10-containing composition, characterized in that the amount of (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10 to be blended satisfies the following (1) or (2), and (A) particulate silicon dioxide carrying a reducing agent is mixed with (C1) oxidized coenzyme Q10.
(1) (A) 50 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the reducing agent; (2) 50 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the particulate silicon dioxide.