JP2007159541A - High-concentration solution containing catechins and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a high-concentration solution containing catechins in which catechins in an amount expected to have a bioactive effect are easily added to various foods and beverages and taken and which contains catechins in a high concentration, does not precipitate during preservation and has a slight bitterness and to provide a method for producing the same. <P>SOLUTION: The high-concentration solution containing 6-300mg of catechins per g of the solution is obtained by drying an extracted solution of tea leaves prepared by extracting catechins from tea leaves to give powder containing 30-98 mass% of catechins and dissolving the powder in a solvent. Preferably, the high-concentration solution containing catechins contains 1.5-180mg of epigallocatechin gallate of catechins per g of the solution and does not precipitate when preserved at 4-10°C. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a high-concentration catechins-containing liquid that can be easily ingested in an amount of catechins that can be expected to have a physiologically active effect when added to various foods and drinks, and a method for producing the same.

  Today, tea is drunk on a daily basis, but as research on the physiological functions of tea progresses, attention has been focused on various physiologically active substances contained in tea.

  For example, catechins which are astringent components of green tea are about 80% of polyphenols (accounting for about 13% of tea leaves) contained in green tea leaves, catechin, epicatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, catechin gallate, epi There are 8 types of catechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate, active oxygen removal, blood glucose level suppression, blood pressure increase suppression, anti-cancer, liver function protection, antioxidant, antibacterial, beautiful skin, deodorant, anti-allergy, cold It is known to have various physiological activities such as prevention, prevention of dental caries, suppression of cholesterol elevation, the effect of efficiently burning body fat, and the function of increasing the amount of energy consumption.

  In order to obtain the physiologically active effects of catechins as described above, it is said that it is necessary to ingest more than 10 cups of tea per day for adults (Non-Patent Document 1). In addition, it was difficult to consume a large amount of tea on a daily basis.

  Therefore, various techniques related to green tea concentrated extract and concentrated tea have been proposed so that tea can be consumed more easily. For example, Patent Document 1 below removes an amount of tannin effective for improving the efficiency of freeze concentration. A green tea concentrated extract obtained by freeze-concentrating a green tea extract is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 below prepares an extract of tea leaves containing an insoluble tea solid and at least 5% soluble tea solid, and the extract is heated at room temperature to 100 ° C. for 1 to 120 minutes. The cell wall material derived from plant material is mixed with the extract before or after the treatment with air or oxygen, and the solubilized extract is filtered and centrifuged. A method for producing a tea concentrate comprising a step of producing a tea concentrate is disclosed.

  In addition, in Patent Document 3 below, 2 to 3 times the amount of water is added to the material tea and moistened for several minutes, and then 2 to 5 times the amount of tea at 80 to 95 ° C. is poured into the tea. , The drinking ingredients in tea are eluted in this hot water to make an eluent with a concentration of 5-10 Bx%, and this eluate is filtered and cooled to 30 ° C. or lower as an extract to make a concentrated drinkable tea liquid A method for producing a concentrated drinking tea liquid is disclosed.

  Patent Document 4 below discloses a concentrated tea beverage in a container, which is obtained by sealing and filling a wet suspension and a concentrated suspension into a portion container.

  Patent Document 5 below contains a concentrated green tea extract and a polysaccharide thickener, and is prepared so that the solid content concentration is 5 to 20% by mass and the viscosity at 15 to 20 ° C. is 80 to 250 cp. A concentrated green tea beverage characterized by filling a portion cup with a concentrated green tea liquid in a volume of 3 to 10 ml per one is disclosed.

  On the other hand, for example, Patent Document 6 listed below discloses an abdominal fat accumulation-reducing drink and a body fat-burning drink containing non-polymer catechins so that catechins in an amount that can be expected to have a physiologically active effect can be consumed more easily. Has been.

  Further, in Patent Document 7 below, a concentrate of tea extract is dissolved in a medium selected from water, carbonated water and tea extracts, and is a non-polymeric component dissolved in water (A ) Non-epimeric catechins and components (B) The weight of the epicatechins per 500 mL of beverage packed in a container is (A) (A) + (B) = 460-2500 mg (B) (A) = 160 The manufacturing method of the container-packed drink adjusted so that it may become -2250mg (iii) (A) / (B) = 0.54-9.0 is disclosed.

Patent Document 8 listed below is a beverage containing a concentrate or purified product of tea extract, and the following components (A) and (B): (A) non-polymer catechins 0.092 to 0 A beverage containing 0.5% by weight of (B) quinic acid and having a content weight ratio [(B) / (A)] of components (A) and (B) of 0.01 to 1.0 is disclosed. Yes.
JP 2002-238458 A JP 2000-287623 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-178651 JP 2000-78946 A JP 2004-337086 A JP 2002-326932 A Japanese Patent No. 3338705 Japanese Patent No. 3378777 "Iwanami Shinsho Health Food Note", written by Seiro Segawa, Iwanami Shoten Co., Ltd., February 20, 2002

  Concentrated green tea extract and concentrated tea as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 5 above can be easily consumed by simply diluting with water or hot water, but the amount of catechins that can be expected to have a physiological activity. It was still necessary to ingest a large amount in order to consume. In addition, there are problems such as strong astringency and bitterness due to the influence of other ingredients such as tannin, poor solubility in water and hot water, easy precipitation, and poor throat penetration. It was difficult to say that it was suitable for long-term drinking required for expression.

  On the other hand, beverages such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 6 to 8 can easily ingest a relatively large amount of catechins, but most of the content is moisture, so the weight is heavy and the product is bulky. Therefore, there is a problem that it is inconvenient for storage, transportation, and carrying.

  Furthermore, in recent years, with the diversification of consumer preferences, it has been required to impart physiologically active effects of catechins to various foods and drinks. However, the physiological activity is due to problems such as taste, flavor, and quality stability. It has been difficult to add catechins in an amount that can be expected to have an effect to foods and drinks.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to contain catechins at a high concentration so that a physiologically effective amount of catechins can be easily added to various foods and drinks, and precipitates during storage. It is another object of the present invention to provide a high-concentration catechins-containing liquid with little bitterness and the like, and a method for producing the same.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventor prepared a powder containing a predetermined amount of catechins from a tea leaf extract obtained by extracting catechins from tea leaves, and this powder was used as a solvent. It is found that by preparing a solution containing a predetermined amount of catechins by dissolving in a solution, a high-concentration catechins-containing solution with little bitterness and the like can be obtained without precipitation even when stored at low temperatures. The present invention has been completed.

  That is, the high concentration catechins-containing liquid of the present invention is characterized by containing 6 to 300 mg of catechins per 1 g of liquid.

  The high-concentration catechins-containing liquid of the present invention preferably contains 1.5 to 180 mg of catechin epigallocatechin gallate per gram of liquid, and preferably does not cause precipitation when stored at 4 to 10 ° C.

  Further, the method for producing a high-concentration catechins-containing liquid of the present invention comprises drying a tea leaf extract obtained by extracting catechins from tea leaves to obtain a powder containing 30 to 98% by mass of catechins, and the powder Is dissolved in a solvent to contain 6 to 300 mg of catechins per gram of liquid.

  In the production method of the present invention, it is preferable to use a powder containing 30 to 90% by mass of catechin epigallocatechin gallate as the powder.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a high-concentration catechin-containing solution that contains catechins at a high concentration, is stable for a long period of time, does not cause precipitation, and has little bitterness.

  The high-concentration catechins-containing liquid of the present invention can be easily diluted with a favorite beverage, and several catechins of green tea can be easily ingested, so that catechins can be ingested on a daily basis.

  In the present invention, catechins are a kind of plant polyphenols, and are mainly generic names such as epigallocatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, catechin gallate, epicatechin, gallocatechin, (+) catechin and the like.

  The high-concentration catechins-containing liquid of the present invention contains 6 to 300 mg of catechins per gram of liquid, preferably 10 to 200 mg of catechins per gram of liquid, more preferably 20 catechins per gram of liquid. Contains ~ 100 mg.

  If the content of catechins is less than the above range, it is not preferable because it is necessary to increase the amount of catechins added to foods and beverages in order to obtain the physiologically active effects of catechins. In addition to becoming strong, precipitation tends to occur, which is not preferable.

  In the present invention, it is preferable to contain 1.5 to 180 mg of catechin epigallocatechin gallate per gram of liquid, more preferably 2.5 to 120 mg of epigallocatechin gallate per gram of liquid, It is particularly preferable to contain 5 to 60 mg of gallocatechin gallate per gram of liquid. Epigallocatechin gallate has the strongest antioxidant power among catechins and can be expected to have a high bioactivity effect.

  Green tea has been ingested on a daily basis since ancient times, and it is known that catechins, which are components of green tea, are very safe. For example, in an acute toxicity test in which catechins were orally administered to DDY mice, LD50 was reported to be 5 g / kg body weight or more for males and 3.1 g / kg for females (“Green Tea Polyphenol”, Food Distribution Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) Consignment business, functional material effective use series for food and beverage products No. 10, pp19, 1991).

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the high concentration catechins-containing liquid of the present invention does not cause precipitation when stored at 4 to 10 ° C. Thereby, when it adds to various food / beverage products, the external appearance etc. of the said food / beverage products are not spoiled.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the high concentration catechins containing liquid of this invention is demonstrated.
First, a tea leaf extract obtained by extracting catechins from tea leaves is dried to prepare a powder containing 30 to 98% by mass of catechins.

  The above powder can be obtained from green tea leaves by a known method (see JP 59-219384, JP 60-13780, JP 61130285, etc.), for example The extract obtained by extracting tea leaves with hot water is fractionated with an organic solvent such as ethyl acetate and dried to produce epigallocatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, catechin gallate, epigallocatechin , Gallocatechin, epicatechin, powder containing 30 to 98% by mass of catechins such as (+) catechin can be obtained. In the present invention, those containing 70% by mass or more of catechins from the viewpoint of solubility and flavor are preferred, and those containing 30 to 90% by mass of epigallocatechin gallate of catechins are particularly preferred. As such powders, for example, commercially available products such as trade name “PF-TP90” and trade name “Pharma Foods delicious catechin PF-TP80” (both manufactured by Pharma Foods Co., Ltd.) can be used. In addition, content of catechin can be quantified by methods, such as HPLC, according to a conventional method.

  Next, by dissolving the above powder in a solvent so as to contain 6 to 300 mg (preferably 10 to 200 mg, more preferably 20 to 100 mg) of catechins per 1 g of the liquid, the high concentration catechins containing liquid of the present invention is obtained. Obtainable.

  The said solvent is not specifically limited, For example, water, carbonated water, water-soluble organic solvents, such as alcohol, etc. can be used, However, Water is used from the point of the ease of utilization to other food-drinks. preferable.

  The high-concentration catechins-containing liquid obtained as described above has high storage stability and does not cause precipitation even when stored at 4 to 10 ° C. In addition, since bitterness is also reduced, for example, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, taste beverages, fruit / vegetable beverages, milk / dairy beverages, soy milk, vinegar beverages, shakes and other beverages, water, soup, yogurt, When added to various foods and drinks such as various confectionery, the appearance and flavor of the food and drink are not impaired.

  The high-concentration catechins-containing liquid of the present invention contains, as other components, antioxidants, fragrances, various esters, organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic acids, inorganic acid salts, inorganic salts, pigments, emulsifiers, preservatives. Additives such as seasonings, sweeteners, acidulants, gums, emulsifiers, oils, vitamins, amino acids, fruit juice extracts, vegetable extracts, nectar extracts, pH adjusters, quality stabilizers, etc. .

  The high-concentration catechins-containing liquid of the present invention is, for example, a portion pack (portion cup) made of a synthetic resin container such as polystyrene and a sealing material, or a disposable as described in JP-A-6-21279. A notch for opening is provided in the container and the seal, and the container is teared from the notch so that the contents can be discharged and taken out, filled into a metal can, paper container combined with metal foil or plastic film, bottle, etc. It is preferable to commercialize the At that time, it is preferable to fill the high-concentration catechins-containing liquid in a volume of 2 to 30 g so that an amount of catechins that can be expected to have a physiological activity effect can be easily ingested. This not only improves portability, but also allows consumers to easily add instant catechin-enriched beverages by themselves to their favorite beverages such as alcoholic beverages and carbonated beverages, Easily ingest catechins in an amount that can be expected to be effective.

  Each raw material is uniformly mixed and dissolved in the ratio shown in Table 1 to prepare a high-concentration catechins-containing liquid containing 31 mg of catechins per gram of liquid, and this is filled in a portion cup (19 g), 70 ° C., Sterilized by heating for 20 minutes and cooled to 30 ° C. or lower. In addition, in the table below, “Pharma Foods delicious catechin PF-TP80” (trade name, manufactured by Pharma Foods Co., Ltd.) is a powder containing catechins containing 70% by mass or more of catechins, “Polyphenone CG” (Products) Name, Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd.) is a green tea extract containing catechins in an amount of 25% by mass or more.

  Sample 1 was a reddish brown / clear liquid (pH 3.5, Brix 24), and when stored at 4 ° C. for 1 month, no precipitation or turbidity was observed. On the other hand, in Sample 2, “Polyphenone CG” (trade name, manufactured by Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd.) was difficult to dissolve, and the obtained liquid was turbid and had viscosity and was difficult to use.

  Each raw material is uniformly mixed and dissolved at the ratio shown in Table 2 to prepare a high-concentration catechin-containing liquid containing 75 mg of catechins per gram of liquid, and this is filled in a portion cup (8 g), Sterilized by heating for 20 minutes and cooled to 30 ° C. or lower.

  Sample 3 was a reddish-brown clear solution (pH 2.8, Brix 56.8), and when stored at 4 ° C. for 1 month, no precipitation or turbidity was observed. On the other hand, in Sample 4, “Polyphenone CG” (trade name, manufactured by Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd.) was not completely dissolved, and the obtained liquid was turbid and had viscosity and was difficult to use.

The high-concentration catechins-containing liquid of the present invention has high storage stability despite containing catechins at a high concentration, so that precipitation does not occur and bitterness is reduced. It can be easily added to various foods and drinks without impairing the appearance or flavor of the product.

Claims (5)

  A high-concentration catechin-containing liquid containing 6 to 300 mg of catechin per 1 g of liquid.   The high-concentration catechins-containing liquid according to claim 1, which contains 1.5 to 180 mg of catechin epigallocatechin gallate per gram of liquid.   The high-concentration catechins-containing liquid according to claim 1 or 2, which does not cause precipitation when stored at 4 to 10 ° C.   The tea leaf extract obtained by extracting catechins from tea leaves is dried to obtain a powder containing 30 to 98% by mass of catechins, the powder is dissolved in a solvent, and 6 to 300 mg of catechins per gram of liquid is obtained. A method for producing a high-concentration catechins-containing liquid, characterized by comprising: The manufacturing method of the high concentration catechins containing liquid of Claim 4 using the powder which contains 30-90 mass% of epigallocatechin gallate of catechin as said powder.