Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Having -c- – wherein x is chalcogen – bonded directly to...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-13
2003-04-22
Fay, Zohreh (Department: 1614)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Having -c-, wherein x is chalcogen, bonded directly to...
C514S168000, C514S561000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06552074
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for eliminating the stringent taste and alleviating stringent feeling in the stomach of L-arginine (hereinafter referred to as arginine) by mixing L-ascorbic acid (hereinafter referred to as ascorbic acid) and for alleviating the toxicity of arginine-derived NO radical by arginine-ascorbic acid-combined treatment.
2. Description of the Related Art
From late 1970's to 1980's, a research group of Illinois University reevaluated that dietary arginine is indispensable for optimal health of adult and especially aged humans. (see E. Kimoto, “Nutritional Chemistry of L-Arginine”, Kaisei Publishing Co. Ltd., Tokyo, 1999 (Literature 2), page 93).
In 1987, it was reported that NO radical participating in a wide variety of physiological functions such as blood pressure control and prevention of infections is derived from arginine as a source. This led to increased attention paid to arginine in the field of amino acid nutrition science (see Literature 2, page 57).
Arginine participates in assorted physiological functions. For example, it stimulates detoxication of ammonia via urea cycle, serves as material for the synthesis of creatine phosphate (bioenergy storing form), polyamine (bioactive substance) and proline (an amino acid constituent of collagen), stimulates secretion of endocrine hormones, serves as a source for the production of NO radicals (inter/intra cellular signal transducer) and so forth.
Concerning the nutritional and metabolic aspects of basic amino acids, overabundance of lysine (one of the essential amino acids) and insufficiency of arginine, that is, imbalance of lysine/arginine ratio inhibits antagonistically many of metabolic pathways of arginine, thus can be harmful to health (see Literature 2, page 76).
Furthermore, arginine has been increasingly appreciated not only as a nutrient for average people as collective but also as a “conditionally indispensable” nutrient in order to maintain better health conditions of individuals suffering from some complaint or diseases.
In particular, arginine is an indispensable nutrient for the therapy of post-operative stress or invasion (see Literature 2, page 93).
As described above, alimentation or supplement of arginine is a very useful method for maintaining health. However, arginine and its salt of inorganic acid, such as hydrochloric acid, nitric acid or sulfuric acid have a very stringent taste (harsh, acrid taste, irritating the throat), so that it is very difficult for people to take arginine or the salt. Furthermore, after the intake of arginine or the salt, it often causes stringent feeling in the stomach (heartburn, nausea or vomiting) so that it makes the intake of arginine unpleasant.
Long-term intake of arginine results in increased production of NO gas which changes easily into nitrous acid. A portion of the nitrous acid reacts with dietary-intaken secondary amines to produce carcinogenic nitrosamine compounds. It is well known that ascorbic acid as an antimutagenic vitamin inhibits such a harmful reaction (see, the lower part in the page 10 of Literature 1).
Active oxygen species such as superoxide radical anion (O
2
•
−
) are often produced in diseased cells. NO radical readily reacts with O
2
•
−
and produces deleterious peroxynitrite (O═NOO
−
) (see, the middle part in the page 64 of Literature 2).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under the circumstances, the present inventors have made extensive research with a view to solving the problems of difficult intake and unpleasant intake of arginine. As a result, they have found out that mixing arginine powder with ascorbic acid powder and arginine powder in a weight ratio (ascorbic acid/arginine) of ⅕ to ¼ can eliminate the stringent taste of arginine and alleviate the stringent feeling in the stomach (heartburn, nausea, or vomiting). The present invention is based on this discovery.
As far as the present inventors know, a method of mixing arginine powder with ascorbic acid powder in a weight ratio of arginine/ascorbic acid=1:⅕ or more in order to eliminate the stringent taste of arginine is novel. Also, the mixture obtained by this method as well as a supplement containing the mixture is novel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The weight ratio of ascorbic acid used for mixing to arginine is an ascorbic acid/arginine ratio=⅕ to ¼ in the case where a sufficient amount of ascorbic acid to eliminate stringent taste of arginine is to be provided. As the above-mentioned weight ratio is getting smaller than ⅕, the more stringent taste occurs. When the weight ratio is greater than ¼, the acidity of a mixture increases as the above-mentioned weight ratio increases. For example, in the case where the weight ratio is ½, the acidity is considerably strong.
The mixture with the above-mentioned weight ratio of ⅕ to ¼ has also the effects of alleviating the stringent feeling in the stomach after the intake of arginine.
Generally, in the gastric juice of young healthy persons, ascorbic acid is secreted in high concentrations. However, the concentration of ascorbic acid is lowered in the case of chronic gastritis or in the low acid state observed in aged persons (see Literature 1). Also, nitrous acid tends to be generated due to nitrate reduction by bacteria. In this case, too, addition of ascorbic acid is expected to give rise to great effects.
In the therapy of post-operative stress or invasion, both arginine and ascorbic acid are essential nutrient. This is because supply of proline derived from arginine and of hydroxyproline produced by ascorbate-aided oxygenation of proline is essential in the formation of collagen, which is essential for wound healing (see Literature 2, pages 37 to 38). Thus, the mixture of the present invention that contains the both components, i.e., arginine and ascorbic acid is expected to be useful in accelerating the therapy of post-operative stress or invasion.
It is essential that upon and after mixing and ascorbic acid, both components are solid such as powder. The present inventors have studied on mixing aqueous solutions of both components. It is revealed that the obtained mixture undergoes Maillard reaction to turn brow-colored solution disadvantageously with lapse of time. In contrast, it has been found that powder mixture obtained by mixing arginine and ascorbic acid solid undergoes no browning or substantially no browning after standing at room temperature under low humidity for as long as 1 year. The mixture and the supplement according to the present invention are completed based on this discovery.
Each purity of arginine and ascorbic acid solid used in the present invention may be any optional purity ordinarily used in supplements such as nutrient preparations and health-care foods. Usually, used arginine and ascorbic acid solid have purities of 97% or more, respectively.
Arginine and ascorbic acid used for mixing are solid suitable for mixing. And the solid may be powder, fine powder, crystals, micro crystals, or lumps able to be readily ground into fine powders or micro crystals.
Addition of powders of polyol such as xylitol or sorbitol to the above-mentioned mixture is expected to aid preventing the browning from progressing any further.
The mixing is performed usually by mixing arginine and ascorbic acid solid with sufficient grinding so that an uniform powder mixture can be obtained. Usually, mixing is accompanied by pulverization.
Mixing is practiced under low humidity (lower than 40%) in order to avoid as much as possible oxidation of ascorbic acid in humid air.
It is preferred that the material for the inner surface of the grinding device is inert to the components to be mixed and hard, for example, ceramics or earthenware. Examples of the grinding device include highly durable mortar, mill or cylinder (circular cylinder or polygonal cylinder) made of ceramic, for example, earthenware having a smooth or rough inner
Kimoto Eiji
Morishige Fukumi
Fay Zohreh
Kwon Brian Yong S.
Morishige Fukumi
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