JP7537812B2 - Dyslipidemia improving agent containing proanthocyanidin, and functional foods, quasi-drugs and medicines containing said dyslipidemia improving agent - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dyslipidemia improving agent containing proanthocyanidin, as well as functional foods, quasi-drugs and pharmaceuticals containing the same dyslipidemia improving agent.

Traditionally, proanthocyanidins have been used as food ingredients to improve a condition in which the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides dissolved in the blood are abnormally high compared to the standard values (hereinafter referred to as dyslipidemia).

Proanthocyanidins are a type of polyphenol consisting of multiple linked flavan-3-ols, and are found in the leaves, fruits, bark, etc. of various plants. While proanthocyanidins are avoided as astringent components, they are used in foods and quasi-drugs as they are effective against dyslipidemia because they function as lipase inhibitors and antioxidants (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-16367 A

Proanthocyanidins have the advantage that once absorbed into the body, they can exert their lipase inhibition and antioxidant effects within a short period of time.

However, these effects do not last for long, and the drug needs to be re-taken every few hours to achieve sufficient efficacy in improving dyslipidemia.

In addition, formulated proanthocyanidins may already be oxidized before ingestion, in which case the above-mentioned effects are lost, resulting in poor storage stability and a strong astringent taste when taken orally, making them unpalatable.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a dyslipidemia improving agent that can exert the same dyslipidemia improving effect as that obtained by taking proanthocyanidins a certain number of times, but with fewer intakes, and that has an improved usability due to improved storage stability and improved astringency when taken.

The present invention also provides functional foods, quasi-drugs, and pharmaceuticals that contain the dyslipidemia improving agent.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the dyslipidemia improving agent of the present invention is (1) a dyslipidemia improving agent composed of proanthocyanidin and a usability improving agent, wherein the proanthocyanidin is a mixture of proanthocyanidins derived from at least two or more plant materials selected from acacia bark, cinnamon, and hemp seeds, and the usability improving agent is a blend of free catechin and cyclic oligosaccharide .

The dyslipidemia improving agent according to the present invention is also characterized in the following respects.
( 2 ) The dosage form will be powder, fine granules, granules, hard capsules or tablets.

In addition, the functional food according to the present invention contains ( 3 ) the above-mentioned dyslipidemia improving agent.

In addition, the quasi-drug according to the present invention contains ( 4 ) the above-mentioned dyslipidemia improving agent.

In addition, the pharmaceutical product according to the present invention contains ( 5 ) the above-mentioned dyslipidemia improving agent.

The dyslipidemia improving agent according to the present invention is a dyslipidemia improving agent composed of proanthocyanidins and a usability improver, and the usability improver is a blend of free catechins and cyclic oligosaccharides. This makes it possible to provide a dyslipidemia improving agent that can achieve the same dyslipidemia improving effect as that obtained by taking proanthocyanidins a certain number of times, but with fewer intakes, and that has improved storage stability and usability.

Furthermore, if the proanthocyanidin is a mixture of proanthocyanidins derived from at least two or more plant materials selected from acacia bark, cinnamon, and hemp seeds, the dyslipidemia-improving effect derived from proanthocyanidins can be enjoyed more reliably.

Furthermore, if the proanthocyanidin contains a polymer structure of 2 to 8 flavan-3-ols and has a molecular weight of 500 to 2500, the dyslipidemia-improving effect derived from proanthocyanidin can be enjoyed more reliably.

In addition, if the dosage form is a powder, fine granules, granules, hard capsules or tablets, the dyslipidemia improving agent can be taken in a dosage form suitable for the age group of the user, from young people to the elderly, and the environment in which the user will use the drug, such as whether or not the drug can be carried around.

In addition, since the functional food of the present invention contains the above-mentioned dyslipidemia improving agent, it is possible to provide a dyslipidemia improving agent that can be handled as a functional food.

In addition, since the quasi-drug of the present invention contains the above-mentioned dyslipidemia improving agent, it is possible to provide a dyslipidemia improving agent that can be handled as a quasi-drug.

In addition, since the pharmaceutical product of the present invention contains the above-mentioned dyslipidemia improving agent, it is possible to provide a dyslipidemia improving agent that can be handled as a pharmaceutical product.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of a stability evaluation test. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of a durability confirmation test. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of an oral cavity irritation confirmation test. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing test results regarding the presence or absence of components of a usability improver. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of a test investigating the differences in the origins of proanthocyanidins. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing test results regarding free catechin, which is a usability improving agent. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing test results regarding differences in tea leaves as a source of free catechins.

The present invention relates to a dyslipidemia improving agent, and in particular to a dyslipidemia improving agent composed of proanthocyanidin and a usability improving agent, characterized in that the usability improving agent is a combination of free catechin and cyclic oligosaccharide.

Traditionally, proanthocyanidins have been incorporated into foods and quasi-drugs for the purpose of improving and preventing dyslipidemia, as they function as lipase inhibitors and antioxidants.

However, the use of proanthocyanidins alone was not sufficient to improve dyslipidemia.

The inventors believe that the reason for this is that proanthocyanidins react with digestive enzymes during absorption into the body and are metabolized, causing them to lose their effect within a short period of time. They also believe that one of the reasons is that even if they are formulated, their effect is lost due to oxidation before they are ingested.

The inventors then hypothesized that by using proanthocyanidins in combination with a specific composition, the lipase inhibitory and antioxidant effects of the proanthocyanidins ingested into the body would be exerted for a longer period of time than when used alone, making it possible to improve dyslipidemia more easily.

The present invention was completed based on this idea and findings from many years of biochemical research, and is a dyslipidemia improving agent composed of proanthocyanidins and a usability improver, characterized in that the usability improver is a combination of free catechin and cyclic oligosaccharides. Note that the explanation of the above idea has been written to aid in understanding the present invention, and is the mechanism assumed by the inventors at this time. Therefore, please note that it does not necessarily guarantee that it is the correct mechanism, and does not affect the patentability of the present invention in any way.

Here, the effect of improving dyslipidemia refers to preventing or improving the condition in which LDL cholesterol in the blood is 140 mg/dL or higher, HDL cholesterol is less than 40 mg/dL, or triglycerides are 150 mg/dL or higher when fasting (for example, when not eating for 10 hours or more).

By improving dyslipidemia, for example, it is possible to remove plaque formed on the inner walls of blood vessels and prevent the occurrence of plaque. Since plaque clogs blood vessels and causes myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction, improving dyslipidemia can prevent the onset of these conditions.

Proanthocyanidins, which have the effect of improving dyslipidemia, are compounds whose basic structure is a structure in which multiple flavan-3-ols are linked together by carbon bonds formed between the C-4 position of the flavan skeleton of one flavan-3-ol and the C-8 position of the flavan skeleton of another flavan-3-ol. Proanthocyanidins are a type of polyphenol and are found in the leaves, fruits, bark, etc. of various plants. Flavan-3-ols are a group of flavonoids that have a 2-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-3-ol skeleton, such as (±)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin.

In plants, proanthocyanidins exist in various structures due to modifications such as galloyl groups and sugars. The structure of the proanthocyanidin according to the present embodiment is not particularly limited, but preferably contains a polymer structure of 2 to 8 flavan-3-ols, and has a molecular weight of 500 to 2500. If the molecular weight is less than 500, the dyslipidemia improving effect derived from the proanthocyanidin cannot be fully enjoyed. On the other hand, if it is composed of 9 or more flavan-3-ols or has a molecular weight greater than 2500, the dyslipidemia improving effect can be fully enjoyed, but it is not suitable because it is not possible to sufficiently prevent oxidation or reliably reduce astringency even when a usability improver is used in combination.

The origin of proanthocyanidins is not particularly limited, but proanthocyanidins derived from plant materials such as acacia bark, cinnamon, and hemp seeds are particularly suitable because they contain a large amount of proanthocyanidins with a polymer structure of 2 to 8 flavan-3-ols and a molecular weight of 500 to 2500.

In addition, according to experiments conducted by the inventors, it has been found that a mixture of proanthocyanidins obtained from any two of acacia bark, cinnamon, and hemp seeds exhibits a stronger dyslipidemia improving effect than a mixture of proanthocyanidins obtained from one of the plant materials. Furthermore, it has been found that a mixture of proanthocyanidins obtained from three types exhibits a stronger dyslipidemia improving effect than a mixture of two types.

A usability enhancer is an agent for improving the usability felt when ingesting proanthocyanidins, and is an agent for improving and enhancing various factors that deteriorate the usability, such as the deterioration of the usability resulting from the complexity of handling required to prevent deterioration over time, such as storage in a dark place, a cool place, or under low humidity (hereinafter referred to as "difficulty in handling"), the deterioration of the usability resulting from the complexity of the need to take conventional proanthocyanidin preparations multiple times per day (hereinafter referred to as "non-sustainable improvement effect"), and the deterioration of the usability due to difficulty in swallowing due to the astringency of proanthocyanidins when taken orally (hereinafter referred to as "oral irritation").

The usability enhancer is composed of at least free catechin and cyclic oligosaccharides.

Free catechins are unpolymerized monomeric catechins, and are a general term for (-)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-gallocatechin, and (-)-epigallocatechin. In particular, it is preferable for the free catechin to contain either (-)-epicatechin or (-)-epigallocatechin.

(-)-Epicatechin and (-)-epigallocatechin have a bitter taste, but a slight sweet aftertaste. By adding these to the usability enhancer, it is possible to reduce the astringency of proanthocyanidins and more effectively suppress the astringency when taken orally.

According to experiments conducted by the inventors, it has been clarified that when at least either (-)-epicatechin or (-)-epigallocatechin is blended with a usability enhancer as a free catechin, the usability of the dyslipidemia improving agent is improved compared to blending only other monomeric catechins. In other words, it is possible to reliably improve various elements that reduce the usability, such as difficulty in handling, non-sustainability of the improving effect, and irritation in the oral cavity.

It is preferable to use as a raw material a mixture of free catechins obtained from at least two types of tea leaves selected from green tea leaves, roasted tea leaves, and black tea leaves.

According to experiments conducted by the inventors, it has been clarified that a mixture of free catechins obtained from any two types of tea leaves among green tea leaves, roasted tea leaves, and black tea leaves exhibits a higher dyslipidemia improving effect than a mixture of free catechins obtained from one type of tea leaves among green tea leaves, roasted tea leaves, and black tea leaves. It has also been clarified that a mixture of free catechins obtained from three types of tea leaves exhibits approximately the same dyslipidemia improving effect as a mixture of two types of tea leaves.

Cyclic oligosaccharides are a general term for oligosaccharides with a cyclic structure, and are polysaccharides in which multiple glucose units are linked in a ring. More specifically, they include α-cyclodextrin consisting of six glucose units, β-cyclodextrin consisting of seven glucose units, and γ-cyclodextrin consisting of eight glucose units. The cyclic oligosaccharides according to this embodiment may be any of the above cyclodextrins.

Cyclic oligosaccharides have a ring structure in which the inside is hydrophobic and the outside is hydrophilic. This structure allows cyclic oligosaccharides to incorporate poorly water-soluble molecules into the ring structure, and the hydrophilicity of the outside makes them soluble in water.

The above-mentioned free catechins and cyclic oligosaccharides can improve the shelf life of proanthocyanidins and reduce their astringency when used alone, but these effects can be further enhanced when used in combination.

On the other hand, in order to achieve the same dyslipidemia-improving effect as that obtained by taking proanthocyanidins a certain number of times, with fewer intakes, it is necessary to use free catechins in combination with cyclic oligosaccharides.

The dosage form of the dyslipidemia improving agent according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, and any dosage form can be selected, for example, powder, fine granules, granules, soft capsules, hard capsules, jelly, gummy candy, liquid, or tablet. In particular, if the agent is in the form of powder, fine granules, granules, hard capsules, or tablets, contact between the inside of the dyslipidemia improving agent and air can be avoided, thereby preventing deterioration due to oxidation and further improving shelf life.

In addition, the dyslipidemia improving agent of this embodiment may contain, in addition to proanthocyanidins and usability enhancers, excipients, additives, auxiliary ingredients, etc. according to the product design.

For example, in the case of a solid preparation, excipients can be lactose, crystalline cellulose, starch, etc. Furthermore, additives can be, for example, stabilizers, sweeteners, antioxidants, flavorings, colorants, and preservatives. Furthermore, auxiliary components can be components that impart additional functions to the dyslipidemia improving agent or enhance the improvement of dyslipidemia, such as dietary fiber, soy protein, and carotenoids.

The above-mentioned hypertension improving agents can be incorporated into functional foods, quasi-drugs, and pharmaceuticals.

Here, functional foods in this invention are a concept that encompasses all foods that do not contain pharmaceutical ingredients and are believed to contribute to maintaining and promoting health, and include, for example, nutritional supplements, health supplements, and nutritionally adjusted foods, as well as general foods such as so-called supplements, and health functional foods such as foods for specified health uses, foods with nutritional functions, and foods with functional claims.

Quasi-drugs are those that have a mild effect on the human body and are designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. Examples of such products include designated quasi-drugs that are sold commercially at pharmacies or drugstores.

Pharmaceuticals are intended to be used for the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease, and examples of such products include medical drugs prescribed by a doctor at a hospital, and over-the-counter drugs sold at pharmacies or drugstores.

In this way, the above-mentioned dyslipidemia improving agent can provide an effect of improving dyslipidemia equivalent to that obtained by taking proanthocyanidins a certain number of times with a smaller number of intakes, and can provide a dyslipidemia improving agent with improved storage stability and usability. Note that the above-mentioned explanations of each of the components are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these.

Hereinafter, the dyslipidemia improving agent according to this embodiment will be further described with reference to actual production examples and the results of effect confirmation tests.

[1] Confirmation test of dyslipidemia improving agent (1-1) Preparation of dyslipidemia improving agent Proanthocyanidin, free catechin and cyclic oligosaccharide as usability improvers, and starch as excipient were mixed to prepare a test preparation (food). The test preparation (food) was in the form of granules with a total weight of 1.5 g. Hereinafter, the test preparation containing the usability improver is referred to as the sample preparation.

For comparison, a comparative formulation (food) consisting of proanthocyanidins and excipients was prepared. The formulations of the sample formulation and the comparative formulation are shown in Table 1 below. In the table, the origin or substance name of each component is shown in parentheses. Proanthocyanidins indicate the amount contained as an acacia bark extract. Acacia bark extract contains 600 mg/g or more of proanthocyanidins. In the table, the amounts of green tea leaves and roasted tea leaves are shown as being mainly sources of free catechins. Green tea leaves generally contain about 50-55 mg/g of free catechins, and roasted tea leaves generally contain about 12-15 mg/g of free catechins.

(1-2) Stability evaluation test of dyslipidemia improving agent In the stability evaluation test, in order to evaluate the stability of the prepared formulation and the handling difficulty focusing on the change in the color tone of the formulation over time, the sample formulation and the comparative formulation were exposed to fluorescent light (40,000 lux) at room temperature of 25°C for 3 months and subjected to the test. For the evaluation, 10 men and women (20-60 years old) who have been involved in product prototyping and sensory evaluation for many years at a business that manufactures OEM products such as health foods were selected as panelists and visually evaluated the color tone. The color tone was divided into four stages (1: almost no color change, 2: slight color change, 3: color change, 4: considerable change), and the evaluation points for each were tallied and the average value was calculated. The results are shown in Figure 1.

In addition, each of the 10 panelists was trained in a preliminary test conducted prior to the actual test by referring to color samples of the same color family to ensure that their visual color evaluations were roughly consistent.

As shown in Figure 1, the comparison tablet showed a greater color change than the sample formulation containing the usability enhancer. This shows that the usability enhancer improved the stability of the sample formulation, in other words, improved handling difficulties.

(1-3) Test to confirm the dyslipidemia improving effect of the dyslipidemia improving agent Next, the sample preparation shown in Table 1 was taken by 10 male and female subjects (20-60 years old, blood LDL cholesterol level less than 140 mg/dL) once a day (30 minutes before dinner) for 4 weeks, and the blood LDL cholesterol level was evaluated by blood sampling. In addition, the comparative preparation shown in Table 1 was taken three times a day (30 minutes before each meal) or once a day (30 minutes before dinner) for 4 weeks, and the blood LDL cholesterol level was evaluated by blood sampling. The results are shown in Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 2, the sample formulation containing the usability enhancer was taken once a day (30 minutes before dinner) continuously, resulting in the greatest reduction in blood LDL cholesterol levels. In other words, it was shown that the usability enhancer can provide the same or greater effect as taking the comparative formulation three times a day (30 minutes before each meal) even with a small number of doses. In other words, it was shown to improve the non-sustainability of the improvement effect on dyslipidemia.

(1-4) Oral irritation confirmation test (sensory evaluation test of astringency)
Proanthocyanidins contained in the sample preparation are components with strong astringent and astringent tastes, and are known to cause unpleasant tastes when added to foods, etc. For the sensory evaluation test of astringency, 10 men and women (ages 20-60) who have been involved in product prototyping and sensory evaluation for many years at a company that manufactures OEM products such as health foods, were selected as panelists to evaluate the smell and taste.

As no objective evaluation method, strength unit or scale, or standard substance has been established for the evaluation of astringency, panelists rated the astringency on a 5-point scale (0 points: not noticeable astringency, 1 point: slightly noticeable astringency, 2 points: noticeable astringency but drinkable without difficulty, 3 points: very noticeable astringency and difficult to drink, 4 points: extremely noticeable astringency and undrinkable). The evaluation values were tallied and averaged. If it was necessary to confirm the astringency standard, each panelist was allowed to take a comparison preparation as appropriate.

In addition, in a preliminary sensory test conducted prior to the sensory test, each of the 10 panelists was trained to taste aqueous solutions containing proanthocyanidins as an astringent component, diluted in various ratios, so that the degree of astringency evaluation would be roughly consistent. The results of the astringency evaluation are shown in Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 3, the comparison tablets were found to have a stronger astringent taste than the sample formulation containing the usability enhancer. In other words, the usability enhancer reduced the astringent taste of the proanthocyanidins in the sample formulation, improving the ease of swallowing the formulation.

[2] Study on the relationship between the difference in components and the dyslipidemia improving effect (2-1) Effect confirmation test when the components of the usability improver are missing Next, the effect was confirmed when either the free catechin (derived from green tea leaves, derived from roasted tea leaves) or the cyclic oligosaccharide (β-cyclodextrin) that constitutes the usability improver was missing. In this test, for comparison, a formulation of the basic formula and a formulation that does not contain a usability improver were also tested. The formulas of the four samples used in the test are shown in Table 2. In the table, the origin or substance name of each component is shown in parentheses. In the table, proanthocyanidin indicates the amount of acacia bark extract. In addition, green tea leaves and roasted tea leaves in the table indicate the amount of each tea leaf powder mainly as a source of free catechin.

In addition, an efficacy confirmation test (human test) was conducted on 10 male and female subjects (aged 20-60 years, blood LDL cholesterol level less than 140 mg/dL) who were given the formulation prepared according to the composition in Table 2 once a day (30 minutes before dinner) for 12 consecutive weeks. To confirm efficacy, blood samples were taken before intake, and 4, 8, and 12 weeks after intake, and blood LDL cholesterol levels were measured. The results are shown in Figure 4.

The subjects were randomly assigned from among men and women who met the condition of having a blood LDL cholesterol level of less than 140 mg/dL, with 10 subjects (5 men and 5 women) in the group taking the basic prescription A1 of the dyslipidemia improving agent of this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the test group), 10 subjects (5 men and 5 women) in the group taking the comparative sample X1 (hereinafter referred to as the X1 group), 10 subjects (5 men and 5 women) in the group taking the comparative sample X2 (hereinafter referred to as the X2 group), and 10 subjects (5 men and 5 women) in the group taking the comparative sample X3 (hereinafter referred to as the X3 group). In the following explanation, the X1 to X3 groups are collectively referred to as the comparative group.

As shown in Figure 4, a decrease in blood LDL cholesterol levels was observed in the test group, but in the comparison group, the decrease in blood LDL cholesterol levels was about 1/4 to 1/3 of that in the test group. In other words, it was shown that a usability enhancer for a dyslipidemia improving agent that contains both free catechins and cyclic oligosaccharides has a greater effect on improving dyslipidemia.

(2-2) Study on the effect of different origins of proanthocyanidins Next, it was confirmed whether the difference in the origin of proanthocyanidins would cause a difference in the dyslipidemia improving effect. In addition, in this test, a basic formulation and a formulation not containing a usability enhancer were also tested for comparison. The formulations of the four samples used in the test are shown in Table 3. Note that P1 shown in Table 3 is the same basic formulation as A1 in Table 2 described above. Note that in the table, the origin or substance name of each component is shown in parentheses. In addition, the proanthocyanidins in the table show the respective amounts of acacia bark extract for acacia, cinnamon powder for cinnamon, and hemp seed extract for hemp seeds. Furthermore, the green tea leaves and roasted tea leaves in the table show the respective amounts of tea leaf powder mainly as a source of free catechin.

Human trials were also conducted in accordance with the methods described above. Group P1, which ingested basic formula P1, was used as the test group, and groups P2 to P7, which ingested comparative samples P2 to P7, were used as comparison groups. The results are shown in Figure 5.

As shown in Figure 5, the P2 group, which took comparative sample P2 containing only cinnamon-derived proanthocyanidins, and the P3 group, which took comparative sample P3 containing only hemp seed-derived proanthocyanidins, showed similar changes in blood LDL cholesterol levels compared to the P1 group, which took basic formula P1 containing acacia-derived proanthocyanidins. In addition, the total amount of proanthocyanidins was the same as in basic formula P1, but the P4 to P6 groups, which took comparative samples P4, P5, and P6, which contained two types of proanthocyanidins selected from acacia-derived proanthocyanidins, cinnamon-derived proanthocyanidins, and hemp seed-derived proanthocyanidins, respectively, showed a greater reduction in blood LDL cholesterol levels than the P1 group. Furthermore, the total amount of proanthocyanidins was the same as that of the basic formula P1, but the P7 group, which was given comparative sample P7 containing acacia-derived proanthocyanidins, cinnamon-derived proanthocyanidins, and hemp-derived proanthocyanidins, showed a greater reduction in blood LDL cholesterol levels than the P4 to P6 groups. In other words, it was shown that the effect of improving dyslipidemia can be improved by combining multiple proanthocyanidins of different origins.

(2-2) Study of Effects of Different Catechins As shown in Table 1-3, in the basic formulation, green tea leaves and roasted tea leaves were selected as the source of free catechins, which are components of the usability enhancer. Tea leaves contain (-)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-gallocatechin, and (-)-epigallocatechin as free catechins, and a study was conducted to determine which of the free catechins shows the greatest improvement effect on dyslipidemia. The formulations of the four samples used in the test are shown in Table 4. In the table, the origin or substance name of each component is shown in parentheses. For proanthocyanidins, the amount blended as acacia bark extract is shown.

Human tests were also conducted according to the above-mentioned method. As shown in Table 4, a comparison was made between group C1, which ingested sample C1 containing epicatechin as the free catechin, group C2, which ingested sample C2 containing epigallocatechin as the free catechin, and groups C3 and C4, which ingested samples C3 and C4 containing other catechins instead of free catechin. The other catechins A and B are any catechin that is not free catechin. The results are shown in Figure 6.

As shown in Figure 6, in groups C1 and C2, which took either epicatechin or epigallocatechin as free catechins, the blood LDL cholesterol levels were shown to decrease favorably over the intake period. The changes in blood LDL cholesterol levels in groups C1 and C2 in Figure 6 were equivalent to those in group A1, which took basic formula A1 described with reference to Figure 4. On the other hand, the decrease in blood LDL cholesterol levels in groups C3 and C4 was slight, and no favorable effect on improving dyslipidemia could be confirmed. From the above, it was confirmed that epicatechin and epigallocatechin, which are free catechins, function as usability enhancers that improve the usability of the dyslipidemia improving agent.

(2-2) Study of the effect of different tea leaves As shown in Table 1-3, in the basic recipe, green tea leaves and roasted green tea leaves were selected as the source of free catechins, which are components of the usability enhancer. Since the catechins contained in tea leaves are easily affected by fermentation, we studied how the difference in tea leaves affects the effect of improving dyslipidemia. The recipes of the seven samples used in the test are shown in Table 5. In addition, in the table, the origin or substance name of each component is shown in parentheses. In addition, proanthocyanidin in the table indicates the amount of acacia bark extract. Furthermore, green tea leaves, roasted green tea leaves, and black tea leaves in the table indicate the amount of each tea leaf powder mainly as a source of free catechins. Black tea leaves generally contain about 9 to 11 mg/g of free catechins.

Human tests were also conducted according to the above-mentioned method. As shown in Table 5, the D1 group was given sample D1, which selected green tea as the free catechin source, the D2 group was given sample D2, which selected roasted green tea as the free catechin source, the D3 group was given sample D3, which selected green tea as the free catechin source, the D4 to D6 groups were given samples D4 to D6, which had the same total amount of free catechin as samples D1 and D2, but selected two of green tea, roasted green tea, and black tea as the free catechin source, and the D7 group was given sample D7, which had the same total amount of free catechin as samples D1 and D2, but selected three of green tea, roasted green tea, and black tea as the free catechin source. Sample D4 was the same as the basic formula A1 in Table 2. The results are shown in Figure 7.

As shown in Figure 7, the D1 group, which took sample D1, which contained only green tea leaves as a free catechin source, the D2 group, which took sample D2, which contained only roasted green tea leaves as a free catechin source, and the D3 group, which took sample D3, which contained only black tea leaves as a free catechin source, showed a smaller reduction in blood LDL cholesterol levels than the D4 group, which took sample D4, which contained the same two free catechin sources as basic prescription A1, green tea leaves and roasted green tea leaves. Also, the D5 group and the D6 group, which took sample D5, which contained green tea leaves and black tea leaves as free catechin sources, and sample D6, which contained roasted green tea leaves and black tea leaves as free catechin sources, respectively, showed a reduction in blood LDL cholesterol levels equivalent to that of the D4 group. Furthermore, it was shown that the D7 group, which was administered sample D7, which contained three types of free catechin sources, namely green tea leaves, roasted green tea leaves, and black tea leaves, had a greater reduction in blood LDL cholesterol levels than the D4 to D6 groups. In other words, it was shown that by combining multiple different tea leaves as free catechin sources as a usability enhancer, the usability in improving dyslipidemia was improved, that is, the dyslipidemia improving effect was improved without increasing the amount of proanthocyanidins.

As described above, the dyslipidemia improving agent of this embodiment is composed of proanthocyanidins and a usability improver, and free catechins and cyclic oligosaccharides are blended as usability improvers. This allows the dyslipidemia improving effect to be expressed with a smaller amount of proanthocyanidins, and also provides a dyslipidemia improving agent that is easy to drink and has reduced bitterness.

Finally, the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, even if the embodiments are different from those described above, various modifications can be made depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present invention.

Claims (5)

A lipid disorder improving agent comprising proanthocyanidin and a usability improving agent,
The proanthocyanidin is a mixture of proanthocyanidins derived from at least two or more plant materials selected from acacia bark, cinnamon, and hemp seeds,
The agent for improving dyslipidemia, wherein the agent for improving usability comprises a combination of free catechin and cyclic oligosaccharide. 2. The dyslipidemia improving agent according to claim 1 , characterized in that it is in the dosage form of powder, fine granules, granules, hard capsules or tablets. A functional food comprising the dyslipidemia improving agent according to claim 1 . A quasi-drug comprising the dyslipidemia improving agent according to claim 1 . A pharmaceutical comprising the dyslipidemia improving agent according to claim 1 .

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