JP7756410B2 - Health foods and sleep disorder improving foods and sleep disorder improving agents using Jurou extract - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a health food, a food for improving sleep disorders, and an agent for improving sleep disorders that uses the rhizomes of the plant Paris polyphylla, which is a plant of the genus Parviflora in the Liliaceae family.

The inventors have been actively researching and developing health foods and therapeutic agents using natural plants, particularly plants of the genus Paeoniae in the Liliaceae family. Plants of the genus Paeoniae in the Liliaceae family, such as Zhengxiu, Chonglou, and Nanbaiyizhi, are considered natural medicinal herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. Chonglou, particularly Yunnan Chonglou, is known to have hemostatic, detoxifying, immunoregulatory, cardiovascular, sedative, and analgesic effects, and is also taken orally to treat menstrual irregularities, irregular bleeding, infantile convulsions, chronic bronchitis, rheumatism, atopic dermatitis, gastritis, ulcerative colitis, and, more recently, cancer, in the hope of its anti-tumor effects.

Conventionally, preventive and therapeutic agents and health foods using plants of the genus Paeoniae of the Liliaceae family have been proposed, for example, in JP 2003-81858 A (Patent Document 1) as preventive and therapeutic agents for diabetes, and in JP 2004-143126 A (Patent Document 2) the use of plants of the genus Paeoniae of the Liliaceae family as gastric mucosa protective agents has been proposed.

The active ingredient in the aforementioned 'Cephalopodium', a plant of the genus 'Palm Tree' in the Liliaceae family, is the 'Cephalopodium saponin' it contains, but the standard for the total 'Cephalopodium saponin' content in the 'Cephalopodium saponin' powder sold in China is 0.6% or higher. With such a low content of active ingredients, it is difficult to fully utilize the expected medicinal effects and improve the aforementioned diseases unless large amounts are taken.

In addition, to obtain the excellent medicinal benefits of jurou saponin, it is desirable to ingest it in a powder form that contains a high concentration of its active ingredients. However, the extraction rate of jurou saponin varies greatly depending on the solvent, temperature, and time, and previous technology has made it impossible to extract a concentrated extract that contains a high percentage of jurou saponin, the main active ingredient, or to efficiently produce the powder.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-81858 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-143126

The inventors have discovered that using the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla, a plant of the genus Parviflora in the Liliaceae family, ingesting a certain amount of Paris polyphylla extract powder can produce a previously unknown effect on improving sleep disorders. As mentioned above, Paris polyphylla is known to have a variety of medicinal properties, but its effect on improving sleep disorders has not previously been proposed or demonstrated.

In particular, when using the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla, it is important to improve the extraction efficiency of Paris polyphylla saponins. This is a key point, and as a result of further intensive research, the inventors have completed this invention.

The object of the present invention is to improve the extraction efficiency of jurousaponin using high-pressure extraction technology, thereby providing foods or health foods with new functions based on jurousaponin.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a food and agent for improving sleep disorders that are highly effective in improving sleep disorders.

The present invention provides a health food, a food for improving sleep disorders, and a sleep disorder improver, which are made from the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla plants, crushed, eluted with aqueous ethanol, concentrated, and spray-dried to form a powder.

More specifically, the inventors discovered that ingesting a certain amount or more of ginseng extract powder can produce a previously unknown effect in improving sleep disorders, and established a manufacturing method for highly efficient extraction of ginseng saponin, the active ingredient in ginseng extract powder, leading to the completion of the present invention, as described below.

(1) A food product in the form of a single serving unit, containing 0.5 g or more of cereal grain extract powder per serving.

(2) A food product whose main ingredient is cholo extract powder, which is obtained by eluting crushed rhizomes of Yunnan cholo twice with aqueous ethanol at 70°C to 100°C, and then eluting the liquid with hot water at 100°C, and concentrating the liquid at a temperature of 40°C to 80°C under a vacuum pressure of -0.06 MPa to 0.1 MPa.

(3) Foods in which the total content of jurou saponin in jurou extract powder is 2% or more.

(4) The food product according to any one of (1) to (3) above, which is in the form of a powder, tablet, capsule, granule, solution, or jelly.

(5) The food product according to any one of (1) to (4) above, which is packaged in a single serving size.

(6) A food for improving sleep disorders containing a substance that can become jurou saponin in an amount effective for improving sleep disorders.

(7) A food for improving sleep disorders as described in (6) above, in which the effective amount, calculated as powdered cumin extract, is 0.5 g or more per serving.

(8) A sleep disorder improvement agent containing an amount of a substance that can become jurou saponin effective in improving sleep disorders.

The health food of the present invention can improve the extraction efficiency of jurou extract. In particular, the present invention optimizes the extraction efficiency of the active ingredient (jurou saponin) in jurou extract powder by introducing high-pressure extraction technology, providing a product with a higher jurou saponin content than conventional products (jurou saponin content in jurou extract powder of 2% or more), making it possible to obtain maximum medicinal effects with a small intake.

Furthermore, the present invention makes it possible to obtain a sleep disorder improving food and sleep disorder improving agent that are highly effective in improving sleep disorders. In other words, the present invention provides a sleep disorder improving agent containing Jurou extract powder, which can effectively or satisfactorily improve deep sleep disorders such as difficulty falling asleep, a feeling of sleep deprivation, or a lack of satisfaction with the various conditions expected from adequate sleep.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the extraction process steps for highly efficient extraction of jujube saponin in one embodiment of the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
<Health food using Jurou extract>
First, the invention of the health food using the Chou Lou extract of the present invention will be explained as follows.

(1) The essence of this invention is a new use for jurou extract powder and a health food, sleep disorder improvement food, or sleep disorder improvement agent suitable for that use. "Juro saponin" is a general term for saponins composed of jurou saponin I (C44H70O16), jurou saponin II (C51H82O20), jurou saponin VI (C39H62O13), and jurou saponin VII (C51H82O21).

The component composition of the health food, sleep disorder improving food, or sleep disorder improving agent using the Jourou extract of the present invention is exemplified by a health food made from a powder that meets the standard values in Table 1 below.

(2) Foods and the like of the present invention, which are in the form of a single serving of intake unit, contain 0.5 g or more of a substance (powdered extract powder) obtained by extracting the crushed rhizomes of Yunnan prunus pericarp, calculated as powdered prunus pericarp, and the content of prunus pericarp in the powdered prunus pericarp exceeds 2%. Such foods allow for the easy intake of prunus pericarp saponin, making it easy to enjoy the benefits of the novel action described below.

(3) "Food in the form of a unit intake amount per meal" refers to food in a form in which the amount to be ingested per meal is predetermined. In this specification, food is a concept that broadly encompasses anything that can be taken orally (excluding pharmaceuticals), and includes not only so-called "food" but also beverages, health supplements, health functional foods (foods for specified health uses, foods with nutrient functions), supplements, etc. Examples of the form of the unit intake amount per meal include, for example, in the case of foods in the form of granules, powders, capsules, or tablets, a fixed amount can be specified on the packaging, or the amount to be ingested per meal can be displayed on the container, etc.

(4) The form of the substance made from the ginseng extract powder contained in the food product is not particularly limited, and may be in powder or granular form, or may be in the form of tablets, capsules, solutions, or jellies. Among these, granular and powder forms are preferred for reasons of portability and ease of packaging.

(5) For example, if the food is a so-called health food, it may be packaged in a form that contains 0.5 g or more of granular churou extract powder in the dosage unit per meal.

[Example]
In the present invention, the procedure for producing health food using the Chou Lou extract is as follows, which is explained with reference to FIG.
(1) First extraction:
High-pressure extraction is performed using 6 times the volume of 75% aqueous ethanol at a pressure of 50 MPa and a temperature of 70-80°C (30 minutes).
(2) Secondary extraction:
Next, high-pressure extraction is performed using four times the amount of 75% aqueous ethanol at a pressure of 50 MPa and a temperature of 70-80°C (20 minutes).
(3) Tertiary extraction:
Next, extract with four times the amount of hot water at 80°C (1 hour).
(4) Concentration step:
Furthermore, the liquid obtained in steps (1) to (3) above is concentrated under reduced pressure at a temperature of 40 to 60°C under a vacuum pressure of -0.06 to 0.1 MPa.
(5) Spraying/drying process:
Finally, dextrin in an amount 0.5 times the amount of the raw materials is added, and the mixture is sprayed and dried at a temperature of 90°C or higher to obtain a powder.

By following the above procedure, the desired powdered health food product using the ginseng extract of the present invention was obtained.

In the above example, the concentrated extract obtained in the concentration process is powdered. However, the use of the concentrated extract after extraction is not limited to this, and may be used in other ways, such as when the concentrated extract is used in its liquid state or when the liquid concentrated extract is used in a form other than powder.

<Food for improving sleep disorders> and/or <Sleep disorder improvement agent>
Another embodiment of the present invention is to use a food containing a powdered extract of the rhizomes of Yunnan Chonglou as a food for improving sleep disorders.

Furthermore, this does not only apply to so-called foods, but also to so-called "sleep disorder improvement agents," and includes these categories as well.

In these cases, the food for improving sleep disorders and/or the sleep disorder improving agent can be produced according to the procedures (1) to (4) or (1) to (5) described above.

Here, "sleep disorders" refers to difficulty falling asleep, a lack of satisfaction with deep sleep upon awakening, a feeling of sleep deprivation, or a lack of satisfaction with the various states expected from adequate sleep. Examples include difficulty falling asleep, shallow sleep, difficulty transitioning to deep slow-wave sleep after falling asleep, interrupted sleep, not waking up at the expected time, and insufficient sleep. Sleep disorders are also more likely to occur when the sleep environment is inappropriate, there is mental or physical stress, the intake of stimulants such as caffeine before bedtime, excessive alcohol consumption, irregular sleep cycles or disruptions to biological rhythms, or in other time zones. Sleep is generally known not only for physical rest, but also for its more active role in relieving physical and mental fatigue, consolidating memories, and, particularly in deep sleep, the secretion of growth hormones and other hormones, which promote growth and regulate metabolic balance in the body.

Therefore, if sleep disorders cause you to not get enough sleep and your physical and mental state does not improve, you feel fatigued, lose motivation for life, sleep too much the next day, feel sluggish, feel like you haven't slept enough, or even have headaches, then improving these (improving sleep disorders) can be expected to result in, for example, reduced fatigue, improved physical and mental state such as a sense of alertness upon waking, a sense of having had deep sleep, a sense of having had good quality sleep, and improved motivation for life and improved concentration.

In addition, irregular work patterns such as shift work and travel involving time differences can also cause sleep disorders, so improving these can be expected to improve concentration while awake, prevent excessive daytime sleepiness, reduce fatigue, and increase motivation to work.

The sleep disorder improving foods and sleep disorder improving agents of the present invention are foods that are effective not only in improving the sleep disorders described above, but also in improving the quality of sleep, thereby enabling the act of sleep to fulfill its inherent role. Such roles include, for example, feeling refreshed upon waking, reducing fatigue, and preventing excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep disorder improving foods are foods that can improve the sleep disorders described above. Note that the concept of so-called "insomnia" is also included in the concept of "sleep disorders" described above.

The food and sleep disorder improving agent of the present invention as a sleep disorder improving food contain a substance that is obtained by extracting the rhizomes of Yunnan Chou Lou with aqueous ethanol, resulting in Chou Lou extract powder (with a Chou Lou saponin content of more than 2%). The intake amount of the food for this use is preferably 16 mg to 25 mg/kg/day (daily intake per kg of body weight) in terms of Chou Lou extract powder. Amounts equal to or greater than the lower limit of the above range are sufficient to achieve the above-mentioned effects.

These sleep-related effects are expected to improve sleep quality and improve sleep onset in stressful environments. In today's lifestyles, it can be difficult to achieve regular sleep due to shift schedules and shift work. In environments with disrupted lifestyles like this, it is possible to improve quality of life by improving the feeling of deep sleep upon waking and reducing daytime sleepiness.

The effects of Jurou extract powder described above are thought to be related to several mechanisms, but its effects on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are thought to be particularly prominent. It is said that modern life tends to lead to sympathetic dominance due to mental stress, but Jurou extract powder is thought to induce a transition to slow-wave sleep (deep sleep), improve the quality of sleep, appropriately regulate the activity of internal organs during sleep, and promote natural sleep.

When taking jurou extract powder for sleep-related purposes, it is best to take it before going to bed.

Eight adult subjects (weighing 50-65 kg) who regularly had difficulty falling asleep and felt they were not getting enough sleep were given 1.5 g of the present invention's powdered cherries extract before bedtime, and the ease with which they fell asleep and the feeling of deep sleep upon waking the next morning were recorded and compared between those who did not take the powder. The results are shown in Table 2 below.

The results of this experiment showed that all subjects experienced improvements in falling asleep and feeling like they were sleeping well, depending on the number of days they took the supplement.

The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, among the types of rhododendrons, Yunnan rhododendrons harvested in Yunnan Province, China, are particularly preferred in terms of their contained ingredients and medicinal properties.

The present invention can be widely used industrially in health foods, foods for improving sleep disorders, and non-food agents for improving sleep disorders using the Chou Lou extract.
(Additional note)
In addition to the inventions described in the claims, the present invention also includes the following aspects.

Note 1. A food or agent for improving sleep disorders that uses Jourou extract, which is made from the rhizomes of the Jourou (Paris polyphylla) plant, crushed, and extracted under high pressure with aqueous ethanol and hot water, followed by a concentrated liquid.

Supplementary Note 2. A food or agent for improving a sleep disorder according to Supplementary Note 1, which satisfies the following standard values as a component composition:

Appendix 3. A food or agent for improving sleep disorders as described in Appendix 1 or 2 above, which is made by crushing the rhizomes of the Paris polyphylla plant as a raw material, eluting them twice with aqueous ethanol at 70-80°C under a high pressure of 50 MPa, and then eluting them with hot water at 80°C or higher, and concentrating the resulting liquid at a temperature of 40-60°C under a vacuum pressure of -0.06-0.1 MPa.

Appendix 4. A food or agent for improving sleep disorders according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3 above, comprising the concentrated extract spray-dried into a powder.

Appendix 5. The food or agent for improving sleep disorders described in Appendix 4 above, which is obtained by adding an excipient to the powder and forming it into granules or tablets.

Appendix 6. The food or sleep disorder improving agent described in any one of Appendices 1 to 3 above, in which the concentrated extract is formed into a capsule, solution, or jelly form.

Claims (3)

A method for producing a polyphylla extract, comprising the steps of crushing the rhizome of the polyphylla plant as raw material, extracting it with aqueous ethanol at a high pressure of 50 MPa , and then concentrating the liquid extracted with hot water. The method for producing the polyphylla extract of claim 1 includes the steps of using the rhizomes of the polyphylla plant as raw material, crushing them, eluting them twice with aqueous ethanol at 70-80°C under a high pressure of 50 MPa, and then eluting the liquid with hot water at 80°C or higher, and concentrating the resulting liquid under a vacuum pressure of -0.06-0.1 MPa at a temperature of 40-60°C. A method for producing a powdered ginseng extract, comprising the step of spraying and drying the ginseng extract produced using the method of claim 1 or 2 to obtain a powder.