Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Process disinfecting – preserving – deodorizing – or sterilizing – Using microwave energy
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-25
2001-10-23
McKane, Elizabeth (Department: 1744)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Process disinfecting, preserving, deodorizing, or sterilizing
Using microwave energy
C422S001000, C424S750000, C424S774000, C562S554000, C562S574000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06306344
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for retaining or increasing the content of &ggr;-aminobutyric acid having an antihypertensive function in the green leaves of grass plants.
2. Description of the Related Art
Green leaves of grass plants, such as the young leaves of barley, wheat, rye, oats, adlay, Italian ryegrass, rice, and the like, are rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and so on. They have therefore received attention for their usability as materials for health food products that provide the effects of adsorbing harmful substances, improving the intestinal environment, suppressing absorption of cholesterol, preventing the postprandial sudden rise in blood sugar, activating superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the like. When such young leaves, for example, are used as a material for health foods, they are presented in various forms. For instance, the young leaves of barley are directly dried and powdered to obtain leaf powder (Japanese Patent No. 2544302), or processed into the forms of juice, extract, and powder of such juice and extract (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-75791). In either case, products having useful ingredients such as dietary fiber and vitamins retained therein in a larger amount are more preferable.
Green grass leaves contain enzymes such as chlorophyllase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase that cause degeneration such as the fading of the vivid green color of green leaves. In order to prevent such degeneration, green leaves are generally subjected to hydrothermal treatment (i.e., blanching). During this treatment, ingredients naturally contained in green leaves, such as vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll, tend to be lost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present inventors have investigated unknown active ingredients contained in green grass leaves and found that green grass leaves contain &ggr;-aminobutyric acid (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as GABA) that is known as an antihypertensive substance. It has also been found that GABA is conventionally lost during the steps of processing green grass leaves, for example, at various stages for producing food materials using green grass leaves.
The method for retaining or enriching &ggr;-aminobutyric acid in green grass leaves of the present invention comprises the step of subjecting green grass leaves or processed products thereof to at least one treatment selected from the group consisting of incubation treatment, anaerobic treatment, and microwave treatment.
In a preferred embodiment, the green grass leaves or processed products thereof are subjected to at least one treatment selected from the group of incubation treatment and anaerobic treatment.
In a preferred embodiment, the grass is at least one selected from the group consisting of barley, wheat, rye, oats, adlay, Italian ryegrass, and rice.
In a preferred embodiment, the green grass leaves containing retained or enriched &ggr;-aminobutyric acid is in a form of green leaves, green leaf dried products, powder of green leaf dried products, green leaf fragments, dried green leaf fragments, green leaf juice, powder obtained from green leaf juice, green leaf extract, or powder obtained from green leaf extract.
In a preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned method further comprises the step of treating the green grass leaves containing retained or enriched &ggr;-aminobutyric acid by the microwave treatment.
Thus, the present invention makes possible the objects of: providing a method for retaining the content of &ggr;-aminobutyric acid, known as an antihypertensive substance, in green grass leaves for a prolonged period of time or enriching the &ggr;-aminobutyric acid; providing a method for retaining the content of &ggr;-aminobutyric acid in green grass leaves for a prolonged period of time or enriching the &ggr;-aminobutyric acid, wherein not only the &ggr;-aminobutyric acid but also other ingredients naturally contained in the green grass leaves remain in large amounts; and a method as described above wherein the treated green grass leaves have a vivid green color and are excellent in preservation stability and palatability.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present inventors have intensively examined ingredients naturally contained in green grass leaves and found that the green leaves contain &ggr;-aminobutyric acid (GABA), known as an antihypertensive substance. It has also been found that GABA is conventionally lost during the steps of processing green grass leaves, for example, at various stages for producing food materials using green grass leaves. Further examination by the present inventors has revealed that if green grass leaves or processed products thereof are subjected to at least one of incubation treatment, anaerobic treatment, and microwave treatment, the &ggr;-aminobutyric acid content in the resultant green grass leaves or processed products thereof can be retained or increased. Furthermore, the resultant green grass leaves or processed products thereof contain active ingredients such as vitamins (in particular, water-soluble vitamins), minerals, and chlorophyll in larger amounts and are free from fading of the vivid green color of the green leaves and from changing in flavor. The present invention is based on these results of this examination.
As used herein, the term “grass” refers to all the plants belonging to the Gramineae family in the botanical classification. Concrete examples of grass plants include, but are not limited to, barley, wheat, rye, oats, adlay, Italian ryegrass, Italian ace, rice, foxtail millet, bamboo grass, Japanese millet, millet, corn, sorghum, and sugar cane. Among these, barley, wheat, rye, oats, adlay, Italian ryegrass, rice, and the like are especially preferable.
As used herein, the term “green grass leaves” refers to the leaves and/or stems of a harvested grass plant. The green leaves are preferably young leaves prematurely harvested. The term “processed products” of green leaves refers to processed products of the above-defined leaves and/or stems of a harvested grass plant in various forms.
Young leaves of at least one of barley, wheat, rye, oats, adlay, Italian ryegrass, and rice are preferably used. Such young leaves are preferably harvested during the period from the start of branching until the early days of earring (when the stem length is about 20 to 40 cm). Young barley leaves are more preferable.
According to the present invention, green grass leaves or processed products thereof are subjected to at least one treatment selected from the group consisting of incubation treatment, anaerobic treatment, and microwave treatment.
Green grass leaves are preferably subjected to the treatment immediately after harvest. If time is required before treatment, the leaves may be stored by a storage means known to those skilled in the art, such as cold storage, for preventing degeneration.
Harvested green leaves may be directly subjected to any of the treatments described above (details to follow). As required, green leaves are washed with water, preferably 25° C. or lower cold water, to remove dirt attached thereto. After being drained, the green leaves are cut into an appropriate length (e.g., 10 cm for young leaves of grass plants such as wheat, rye, oats, adlay, Italian ryegrass, and rice) as required.
Examples of processed products of green leaves include green leaf fragments and green leaf juice. The green leaf fragments include cut products having a size easy to treat and green leaf slurry.
The cut products are obtained by a method for cutting a plant into pieces generally used by those skilled in the art, such as slicing and shredding. The slurry is obtained by crushing green leaves with a crusher such as a juicer, a mixer, or a blender. By this processing, the green leaves are changed to a thick suspension including liquid and solids having certain fluidity. The green leaf juice is obtained by squeezing green leaves directly or after they have been fragmented. Alternatively, the green leaf juice is obtained by centri
McKane Elizabeth
Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
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