TW202421177A - Composition for ameliorating fatigue, sleep disturbance or eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms - Google Patents

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to provide a composition used to ameliorate fatigue, sleep disturbance or eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms. To achieve the objective, a composition containing Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 is proposed.

Description

Composition for improving fatigue, sleep disorders or eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms

The present invention relates to a composition for improving fatigue, sleep disorders or eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms.

Menopausal symptoms are symptoms that occur during menopause due to decreased ovarian and hormonal function caused by aging. Examples include: vasomotor nerve disorder-like symptoms such as hot flashes, headaches, muscle pains, decreased mental and sleep quality, and general fatigue. They are mostly seen in women, but can also be seen in men. In addition, regardless of whether they are menopausal or not, most modern people are troubled by fatigue, sleep disorders, and eye fatigue caused by psychological or physical stress. It is known that germinated fermented bean extract can improve these symptoms (patent document 1).

However, it is completely unknown whether Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 can treat, prevent or improve fatigue, sleep disorders or eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms.

[Prior Art Literature]

[Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-526019

The inventors of the present invention sought materials that can treat, prevent or improve fatigue, sleep disorders, eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms, and studied a great number of materials. As a result, they unexpectedly found that the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 strain (Lactobacillus plantarum L-137. Hereinafter, also referred to as "L-137 strain") has the desired above-mentioned effects. This is a surprising discovery of the inventors. The inventors of the present invention completed the present invention after further in-depth research.

That is, the present invention is as described below.

[1] A composition for treating, preventing or improving at least one symptom selected from the group consisting of fatigue, sleep disorders and eye fatigue, comprising Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 or a processed product thereof.

[2] A composition for treating, preventing or improving menopausal symptoms, comprising Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 or a processed product thereof.

[3] The composition as described in [2], which is used to treat, prevent or improve one or more symptoms selected from the group consisting of (i) to (xii) below;

(i) vasomotor neuropathy-like symptoms; (ii) perceptual dysregulation-like symptoms; (iii) insomnia; (iv) neurosis; (v) depression; (vi) dizziness; (vii) general malaise; (viii) joint and/or muscle pain; (ix) headache; (x) palpitations; (xi) formication; and (xii) eye fatigue.

[4] The composition as described in any one of [1] to [3], which is a food product.

[5] The composition as described in [4], wherein the food is a food additive or supplement.

[6] A use of plant lactobacillus L-137 or a processed product thereof for the manufacture of a medicine for the treatment, prevention or improvement of at least one symptom selected from the group consisting of fatigue, sleep disorders and eye fatigue.

[7] A use of plant lactobacillus L-137 or its processed product for manufacturing a medicine for treating, preventing or improving menopausal symptoms.

[8] A method for treating, preventing or improving at least one symptom selected from the group consisting of fatigue, sleep disorders and eye fatigue, which comprises administering Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 or a processed product thereof to a subject to treat, prevent or improve the aforementioned symptom.

[9] A method for treating, preventing or improving menopausal symptoms, which comprises administering Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 or a processed product thereof to a subject to treat, prevent or improve the aforementioned symptoms.

According to the present disclosure, a composition for treating, preventing or improving fatigue, sleep disorders or eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms can be provided. In addition, the composition of the present invention is useful for treating, preventing or improving various menopausal symptoms such as vasomotor nerve disorder-like symptoms, perceptual disorder-like symptoms, insomnia, nervousness, depression, dizziness, general fatigue, joint pain and/or muscle pain, headache, palpitations, ants and eye fatigue. Moreover, according to the present disclosure, a method for preparing such a composition can also be provided.

[Composition for treating, preventing or improving symptoms of fatigue, sleep disorders and/or eye fatigue]

The present invention is preferably used for the treatment, prevention or improvement of fatigue, sleep disorders and/or eye fatigue. Generally speaking, fatigue is a state of reduced activity ability or efficiency caused by physical or mental overload, and fatigue is the feeling of being aware of the existence of fatigue. Physical fatigue can be listed, for example, in the physical fatigue caused by intense exercise, muscle training, work, etc., but it is not limited to these. In addition, mental fatigue can be listed, for example, interpersonal relationships, work troubles, environmental changes caused by moving or job transfers, life changes caused by marriage or childbirth, etc., stress, impact events, etc., but it is not limited to these.

Sleep disorders include, but are not limited to, insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, shallow sleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking up too early, nightmares, sleepwalking, somnolence, abnormal sleep behavior, hypersomnia, narcolepsy, breathing-related sleep disorders, sleep apnea, and circadian rhythm sleep disorders. In the present invention, it is preferred to treat, prevent or improve insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, and shallow sleep, and it is more preferred to treat, prevent or improve insomnia, but is not limited to these.

Eye fatigue is, for example, visual fatigue, objective or subjective eye fatigue, dry eyes, itchy eyes, but is not limited to these. In addition, eye fatigue is preferably caused by light (so-called blue light) stimulation caused by OA machines such as smart phones or personal computers, but is not limited to these. In the present invention, it is preferred that the eye fatigue to be treated, prevented or improved is objective or subjective eye fatigue, visual fatigue, but is not limited to these.

Furthermore, the subjects of the composition of the present invention are not limited to the individuals or groups in menopause and before and after menopause described below, but can be subjects of individuals or groups of all ages.

[Composition for treating, preventing or improving menopausal symptoms]

The present invention is preferably used for the treatment, prevention or improvement of menopausal symptoms. In this specification, the so-called menopause, for women, is usually the period of about 5 years before and after menopause (e.g., no menstruation for more than 12 months) due to decreased ovarian function. Women who have had their ovaries removed will also see menopausal symptoms. In a broad sense, it refers to the period when the secretion of female hormone estrogen decreases rapidly, but it varies depending on the individual or group (e.g., race, era, etc.), so it is not limited to this period. In addition, for men, unlike women, there is no menopause. Although there is usually no tendency for male hormones to decrease rapidly, the secretion of male hormone testosterone decreases due to aging, environmental changes, and stress. Male menopause refers to the period of physical and mental disorders similar to female menopause, but it is not limited to this period because it varies among individuals or groups.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the menopausal symptoms to be treated, prevented or improved are preferably, for example, one or more selected from the group consisting of (i) to (xii) below, but are not limited to these symptoms.

(i) Vasomotor neurological disorder-like symptoms [such as hot flashes (facial flushing, hot flashes, sweating, etc.), chills, tachycardia, bradycardia, etc., but not limited to these], (ii) sensory disorder-like symptoms [such as numbness, hypersensitivity, numbness, etc., numbness and dullness of sensation in the arms, hands or lower limbs (leg roots, thighs, knees, calves, shins, ankles, feet, etc.), but not limited to these], (iii) insomnia, ( iv) neurosis, (v) depression, (vi) dizziness, (vii) general malaise, (viii) joint pain and/or muscle pain (e.g. pain in one or more of the neck, shoulders, back, waist, hips, feet, arms, hands, etc., but not limited to these), (ix) headache (e.g. tension headache, migraine, etc., but not limited to these), (x) palpitations, (xi) ants' feeling and (xii) eye fatigue.

Among the above symptoms, the present invention preferably treats, prevents or improves insomnia and/or general fatigue, but is not limited to these.

Furthermore, the present invention is preferably used for the treatment, prevention or improvement of menopausal symptoms in women and men, and more preferably for the treatment, prevention or improvement of menopausal symptoms in women.

[Lactobacillus plantarum L-137]

The composition of the present invention contains the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 strain (Lactobacillus plantarum L-137, entrusted number: FERM BP-08607) or its processed product.

The lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 strain used in the present invention is deposited at the Patent Organism Deposit Center of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Technology (currently: Patent Organism Deposit Center of the Institute of Technology Evaluation; address: Room 120, 2-5-8, Kazusa Kamata, Kisarazu-shi, Chiba Prefecture, 292-0818, Japan) under the trust number: FERM BP-08607 (transferred from FERM P-15317 deposited on November 30, 1998). Furthermore, even if it is a mutant strain of Lactobacillus plantarum L-137, if it has the characteristics of Lactobacillus plantarum L-137, it belongs to the category of Lactobacillus plantarum L-137. Furthermore, Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 strain can be included in the composition of the present invention together with other lactic acid bacteria.

In the composition of the present invention, relative to the total amount of the composition, the amount of Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 or its processed material contained is preferably about 0.0001 to 10% by weight, more preferably about 0.001 to 8% by weight, and even more preferably about 0.002 to 4% by weight. However, it is not limited to these ranges.

In addition, when the Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 strain or its processed product of the present invention is administered orally or by injection, the intake amount can be determined according to the age and weight of the person taking the Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 strain, symptoms, administration time, dosage form, administration method, combination of drugs, etc. For example, for an adult (about 60 kg) per day, when the Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 strain is made into a dried dead cell body, the intake amount is preferably about 0.5 to 200 mg, more preferably about 1 to 100 mg, and more preferably about 2 to 50 mg, but it is not limited to these ranges. Furthermore, for an adult (about 60 kg) per day, if Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 is converted to live bacteria, the optimal intake is about 5×10 ⁸ to 2×10 ¹¹ cfu (colony-forming unit), and more preferably about 1×10 ⁹ to 1×10 ¹¹ cfu. However, it is not limited to this range. The intake frequency can be divided into once a day or multiple times. The aforementioned dosage can be divided into once a day to several times for administration or application.

[Cultivation of lactic acid bacteria]

In the present invention, Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 and other lactic acid bacteria can be cultured in any medium such as natural medium, synthetic medium and semi-synthetic medium. In the present invention, the culture of lactic acid bacteria can be carried out according to a known method, a method that is known per se or a method based on the above.

The aforementioned culture medium is not particularly limited, and preferably contains a nitrogen source and/or a carbon source. The aforementioned nitrogen source is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include meat extract, peptone, gluten, casein, yeast extract, or amino acids. The aforementioned carbon source is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include glucose, xylose, fructose, inositol, maltose, syrup, koji juice, starch, bagasse, bran, molasses, or glycerol. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. In addition to the aforementioned nitrogen source and/or carbon source, inorganic substances may also be added to the aforementioned culture medium. The aforementioned inorganic substances are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include ammonium sulfate, potassium phosphate, magnesium chloride, salt, iron, manganese, molybdenum, or various vitamins, etc. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The culture temperature and culture time of Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 and other lactic acid bacteria are not particularly limited as long as the culture can be carried out efficiently. In one aspect of the present invention, the culture temperature is, for example, usually about 25 to 40 degrees (℃), preferably about 27 to 35 degrees, and the culture time is, for example, about 12 to 48 hours. Moreover, in one aspect of the present invention, the culture of lactic acid bacteria can be carried out by ventilation and shaking. In addition, the pH of the culture medium is not particularly limited, but in one aspect of the present invention, it is usually about pH 3 to 6, preferably about pH 4 to 6.

[Processed products of lactic acid bacteria]

As for the "processed material" of the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum L-137, it is preferably the product obtained by processing the L-137 strain, which may include its culture solution or culture supernatant, the residue separated by filtration or centrifugation, the ultrasonic disruption solution of the bacteria, etc., but it is not limited to these. In addition, the processed material of the present invention also includes the processed liquid after the cell wall is removed by enzyme or physical treatment, the protein or peptide complex obtained by drug or salinization treatment, the concentrate, dried or diluted products of these, but it is not limited to these.

In addition, the L-137 strain can be live bacteria, dried bacteria, centrifuged bacteria, broken bacteria, etc., or dead bacteria. However, from the perspective of stability and ease of operation, dead bacteria are preferred.

In the present invention, the above-mentioned processed materials can be used in their original state, or can be freeze-dried, low-temperature dried, spray-dried or L-dried, or a combination of these to make them into powders for use. In addition, these processed materials can be diluted with appropriate solvents (water, ethanol, organic solvents, etc.) and used, or can be added with appropriate additives to make them into gels or solids for use.

The following is a detailed description of the method for preparing dead cells of Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 and other lactic acid bacteria.

In the present invention, the method for preparing the dead cells is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are not lost, and for example, the dead cells may be prepared by any method such as "(I) after the culture is completed, the live cells of lactic acid bacteria are separated from the culture solution and then the live cells are sterilized or sterilized to be in a dead cell state", "(II) the live cells of lactic acid bacteria are sterilized in the culture solution to be in a dead cell state and then the dead cells are separated from the culture solution". Sterilization can be performed, for example, by filtering with a filter, or by known methods such as gas sterilization using ethylene oxide or hydrogen peroxide, or heat sterilization using gamma rays, electron beams, or high frequency.

The method for separating the bacterial cells from the culture solution can be various methods commonly used in this field, and is not particularly limited. In one aspect of the present invention, specifically, a method can be adopted in which the supernatant is removed from the culture solution by means of centrifugation, etc., and the culture solution and the bacterial cells are separated. In addition, in this aspect, after adding distilled water to the culture solution and performing centrifugation to remove the supernatant, the operation of "adding distilled water to the residue after the supernatant is removed and performing centrifugation" can be repeated several times as desired. In one aspect of the present invention, the separation operation can include a filtering step. As for the above-mentioned bacteria, dried bacteria can be obtained by subjecting them to a drying operation using a spray drying device. A preferred device is, for example, a spray drying device equipped with a micronizing device that can form spray droplets of about 1 to 10 μm, but it is not limited to this.

The aforementioned sterilization treatment method is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include: heating, ultraviolet irradiation, formalin treatment, etc. In addition, the aforementioned sterilization treatment can be performed on the collected live bacteria, or on the culture medium containing the live bacteria.

When performing the aforementioned heat treatment, the heating temperature is not particularly limited, for example, it is usually about 60 to 100 degrees (℃), preferably about 70 to 90 degrees. The heating means can use a known method, without particular limitation, such as a heater. The heating time is not particularly limited as long as it can fully complete the sterilization treatment. For example, when the heating time reaches the desired temperature, it is usually about 5 to 40 minutes, preferably about 10 to 30 minutes.

The dead bacteria treated material can be obtained by further grinding, crushing, spray drying, low temperature drying or freeze drying the dead bacteria obtained by the above-mentioned operation, or mixing with other raw materials (such as vitamins, amino acids, oligopeptides, etc.). In the present invention, the dead bacteria treated material is suitable for use as the dead bacteria.

The preferred examples of the composition of the present invention are for food and/or medicine (including animal medicine). As for other preferred examples, the composition of the present invention can be used as an additive for food. The composition for food, food additive or medicine can be prepared by further mixing the culture supernatant or its processed product, L-137 strain or its processed product with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, additives, etc. as appropriate. Since the formulation method or formulation technology used for the formulation has been fully established in the past, it can be carried out according to what has been established in the past. For example, when used as medicine, it can be made into oral preparations such as tablets, coated tablets, pills, powders, granules, capsules, liquids, suspensions, emulsions, and non-oral preparations such as injections, infusions, suppositories, ointments, and patches. The proportion of carriers or additives can be appropriately set based on the range commonly used in the fields of food, medicine, or veterinary medicine.

There is no particular limitation on pharmaceutically acceptable carriers or additives. Examples of carriers include various carriers such as aqueous or oily bases. Aqueous carriers include, for example, water, physiological saline, ethanol, glycerol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylic acid, polysaccharide gums (natural polymers), etc. Oily carriers include, for example, petrolatum, squalene, wax, and other appropriate oils or waxes, but are not limited thereto.

Examples of additives include: enzymes, pH adjusters, preservatives, bactericides, antioxidants, mold inhibitors, shelf life extenders, bleaching agents, glossing agents, spices, sweeteners, acidulants, seasonings, bittering agents, emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilizers, gelling agents, pastes, shaping agents, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, colorants, flavoring agents, etc., but are not limited to these. Since these related technologies have been fully established in the past, the present invention can be carried out according to those established in the past.

Furthermore, when the composition of the present invention is used as a food, the food includes health food, food with functional labeling, food for specific health care, and food for patients. The form of the food is not particularly limited, and specific examples include: tablets, granules, powders, drinks, etc. as so-called nutritional supplements or supplements. In addition, beverages such as tea, soft drinks, carbonated drinks, nutritional drinks, fruit drinks, lactic acid drinks, etc., noodles such as buckwheat noodles, udon noodles, Chinese noodles, instant noodles, etc., candy, gum, chocolate, snacks, biscuits, jelly, jam, fresh cream, baked snacks, bread, etc., snacks and breads, ham, sausage, half slice, bamboo rolls, etc., seafood/livestock processed foods, processed milk, fermented milk, etc., dairy products, salad oil, tempura oil, margarine, mayonnaise, shortening, whipped cream, etc. Cream), dressings and other fats and fat processed foods, sauces, soups and other condiments, curry, stews, donburi, porridge, mixed dishes and other prepared foods, ice cream, sorbet, shaved ice and other frozen desserts, but not limited to these. Since these related technologies have been fully established in the past, the present invention can be carried out based on those established in the past.

Furthermore, the composition of the present invention may contain any ingredients known in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, livestock or food, as long as the effects of the present invention are not lost.

[Improvement effects on fatigue, sleep disorders, eye fatigue, and menopausal symptoms and how to confirm them]

The method for confirming the effect of the composition of the present invention is, for example, to compare a composition containing Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 or its processed product with a composition not containing L-137 or its processed product to confirm the superiority in improving fatigue, sleep disorders or eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms.

Specifically, the methods for confirming the improvement effect of fatigue, sleep disorders, eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms include, for example, VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) for measuring perceived fatigue; methods for measuring oxidative-stress markers in the blood, the time required to fall asleep (sleep latency) and the total sleep duration (total sleep time); forced swim tests (FST) using rats or mice; in addition, methods for evaluating the effect based on the questionnaire and Kupperman index described later can be listed, but are not limited to these.

The effects of the composition of the present invention are not limited to the treatment, prevention or improvement of menopausal symptoms. For the evaluation of menopausal symptoms, known menopausal models including ovariectomized animals (preferably rats, mice, etc.) can also be used. In addition, when evaluating eye fatigue, methods such as measuring the cell survival rate of retinal pigment epithelial cells in humans or animals (such as rabbits, etc.) when irradiated with blue light can be used.

For example, when a subject ingests (administers) the composition of the present invention, compared with a control group that does not ingest (or administer) the composition of the present invention, if the measured values of VAS or blood oxidative stress markers are particularly or significantly reduced, or the sleep latency and/or total sleep time are particularly or significantly prolonged, etc., it can be judged that the composition of the present invention has the desired effect.

In addition, the evaluation can also be performed according to the known methods other than those mentioned above, or methods that have been fully established in the field. An example of such methods can be found in the following embodiments.

When the composition of the present invention is formulated into a food, medicine (including animal medicine) or quasi-drug, it can be labeled "having the effect of improving fatigue, sleep disorders or eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms" on the food, medicine or quasi-drug, its attached instructions or its packaging box in view of the effect of the composition of the present invention.

[Manufacturing method of the composition]

The present invention preferably includes a method for preparing a composition for treating, preventing or improving fatigue, sleep disorders or eye fatigue and menopausal symptoms, the method comprising the step of mixing plant lactobacillus L-137 or its processed product with a carrier and/or a formulator.

Since the preferred carriers used in the above steps have been fully established in the food or pharmaceutical fields in the past, the present invention can also be based on those established in the past, and various carriers such as aqueous or oily bases can be listed. Aqueous carriers can be listed, for example, water, physiological saline, ethanol, glycerol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylic acid, polysaccharide gum-based natural polymers, etc.; oily carriers can be listed, for example, vaseline, squalene, wax, etc. Appropriate oils or waxes, etc., but are not limited to these.

Furthermore, since the preferred formulations used in the above steps have been fully established in the food or pharmaceutical fields in the past, the present invention can also be based on those established in the past, preferably using lactose, white sugar, mannitol, corn starch, powdered cellulose, calcium hydrogen phosphate, calcium carbonate, etc., but is not limited to these.

The composition of the present invention can be appropriately processed and manufactured according to a general method for manufacturing a composition, in addition to adding Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 or its processed product to the composition. That is, the present invention includes a method for manufacturing a composition, and the method for manufacturing the composition includes the step of mixing Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 or its processed product with other ingredients as desired.

As long as the effects of the present invention can be exerted, the various combinations of the above-mentioned structures are included within the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, if it is within the technical scope of the present invention, it can be appropriately modified.

[Implementation example]

The following lists embodiments and test examples to more specifically illustrate the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[Test example] Human clinical trial using a composition containing lactic acid bacteria L-137 strain (evaluation of menopausal symptoms and eye fatigue)

<1. Ingredients used>

高

乳酸菌L-137

)。於錠劑中亦包含L-137株以外之成分(乳糖、澱粉、蔗糖脂肪酸酯等)，惟此等成分對於以下之實驗並無特別之影響。 As the composition of the present invention, a commercially available tablet (Japanese trade name:

high

Lactic acid bacteria L-137

The tablets also contain ingredients other than L-137 (lactose, starch, sucrose fatty acid esters, etc.), but these ingredients have no special effect on the following experiments.

<2. Conduct assessment based on the intake of ingredients and the menopausal symptom questionnaire>

22 males and females aged 41 to 73 were divided into 2 groups [6 non-ingesting group (1 male, 5 females) and 16 dead bacteria L-137 strain ingesting group (5 males, 11 females)]. The dead bacteria L-137 strain ingesting group was made to ingest the above composition at a dosage of 1 tablet per day for 12 months.

The subjects were evaluated using the Cooperman Menopausal Symptom Questionnaire before the start of the study and at 3, 6, and 12 months after taking the composition. In addition, the change in the questionnaire score from before the start of the study was evaluated. The symptoms in the menopausal symptom questionnaire were the following 11 items: (1) vasomotor neuropathy-like symptoms, (2) perceptual disorder-like symptoms, (3) insomnia, (4) nervousness, (5) depression, (6) dizziness, (7) general fatigue, (8) joint/muscle pain, (9) headache, (10) palpitations, and (11) feeling of ants.

The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[Table 1]

Investigation: Regarding the "total score of 11 items" (i.e., in the above items (1) to (11)) and the items of "insomnia" and "general fatigue", the index of menopausal symptoms in the L-137 non-consuming group showed a gradual increase over time, while in contrast, the L-137 consuming group showed a particularly suppressed increase or a tendency to suppress the increase [two-way ANOVA analysis].

<3. Evaluation by composition intake and questionnaire on eye fatigue>

22 males and females aged 41 to 73 were divided into 2 groups [6 non-ingesting group (1 male, 5 females) and 16 dead bacteria L-137 strain ingesting group (5 males, 11 females)]. The dead bacteria L-137 strain ingesting group was made to ingest the above composition at a dosage of 1 tablet per day for 12 months.

The evaluation was conducted using a questionnaire on eye fatigue before the start of the trial and at 3, 6, and 12 months after taking the composition. In addition, the change in the questionnaire score from before the start of the trial was evaluated. In addition to recording "eye fatigue", the questionnaire on eye fatigue also recorded content related to "dry eyes" and "itchy eyes".

The results are shown in Table 2 below.

[Table 2]

Investigation: Compared with the L-137 non-intake group, the index of eye fatigue increased over time, while the L-137 intake group specifically suppressed the increase (2-way ANOVA analysis).

The results of the above test examples show that the composition containing the lactic acid bacteria L-137 strain of the present invention shows the effect of improving menopausal symptoms and eye fatigue.

[Industrial availability]

As described above, the composition of the present invention has various useful effects. Therefore, for example, it is useful for the treatment, prevention or improvement of (i) vasomotor nerve disorder-like symptoms; (ii) perceptual disorder-like symptoms; (iii) insomnia; (iv) neurosis; (v) depression; (vi) dizziness; (vii) general fatigue; (viii) joint pain and/or muscle pain; (ix) headache; (x) palpitations; (xi) ants walking sensation; and (xii) eye fatigue, and the composition is useful as a food, medicine or quasi-drug, etc.

Claims (9)

A composition for treating, preventing or improving at least one symptom selected from the group consisting of fatigue, sleep disorders and eye fatigue, wherein the composition contains plant lactobacillus L-137 or a processed product thereof. A composition for treating, preventing or improving menopausal symptoms, which contains plant lactobacillus L-137 or a processed product thereof. The composition as described in claim 2 is used to treat, prevent or improve one or more symptoms selected from the group consisting of (i) to (xii) below; (i) vasomotor neuropathy-like symptoms; (ii) perceptual dysregulation-like symptoms; (iii) insomnia; (iv) nervousness; (v) depression; (vi) dizziness; (vii) general malaise; (viii) joint and/or muscle pain; (ix) headache; (x) palpitations; (xi) antsy feeling; and (xii) eye fatigue. A composition as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the composition is a food. The composition as described in claim 4, wherein the food is a food additive or supplement. A use of plant lactobacillus L-137 or its processed product, which is used to manufacture a medicine for treating, preventing or improving at least one symptom selected from the group consisting of fatigue, sleep disorders and eye fatigue. A use of plant lactobacillus L-137 or its processed product, which is used to manufacture medicines for treating, preventing or improving menopausal symptoms. A method for treating, preventing or improving at least one symptom selected from the group consisting of fatigue, sleep disorders and eye fatigue, wherein the method treats, prevents or improves the aforementioned symptom by administering plant lactobacillus L-137 or a processed product thereof to a subject. A method for treating, preventing or improving menopausal symptoms, which is to treat, prevent or improve the aforementioned symptoms by administering plant lactobacillus L-137 or its processed product to a subject.