Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Preparations characterized by special physical form – Food or edible as carrier for pharmaceutical
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-29
2002-01-22
Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Preparations characterized by special physical form
Food or edible as carrier for pharmaceutical
C424S400000, C424S401000, C424S441000, C424S195110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06340470
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a soluble isoflavone composition, a method for the preparation of the same and foods comprising the same.
It has been elucidated, by recent studies, that isoflavone included in beans such as soybean is a substance exhibiting various physiological activities such as an estrogenic activity, an antioxidant effect, an antibacterial activity, an antitumorigenic or anticarcinogenic activity and an effect of inhibiting bone density-reduction and thus, the usefulness thereof has been reappreciated from the viewpoint of prevention of, for instance, various cancers or tumors such as breast cancer and prostate cancer and osteoporosis and from the viewpoint of improving or promoting health.
The Japanese people has conventionally been in the habit of eating a large quantity of processed bean foodstuffs such as soybean curd, soybean milk, dried bean curd, fermented soybeans, cooked beans, miso and soy sauce and therefore, the Japanese people has conventionally ingested a large quantity of isoflavone without the intention of taking the same. However, the quantity of isoflavone taken by the Japanese people has gradually been reduced because of the westernization of the eating habits of the Japanese people. This accordingly results in the reduction of the amount or frequency of eating such processed bean foods, or an increase in the number of such processed foods whose isoflavone content has been reduced because of, for instance, the palate of the Japanese people. This would in turn be considered to be a cause of, for instance, increased number of patients suffering from osteoporosis, which is often observed for women at the turn of life.
Isoflavone has been commercialized in the form of powder prepared by extracting it from raw materials such as soybeans. However, these powdery products are hardly soluble in water, have strong bitterness, a rough taste and astringency as well as gritty feeling. For this reason, these powdery products are considerably limited in the application to foods or the like and accordingly, there has been a demand for the improvement thereof.
As a method for such improvement, there has been proposed a method, which comprises encapsulating isoflavone into cyclodextrin to thus solubilize the same in water. For instance, Japanese Un-Examined Patent Publication (hereunder referred to as “J.P. KOKAI”) No. Hei 9-309902 discloses isoflavone derivatives prepared by encapsulating isoflavone derivatives contained in soybeans or fermented soybeans into at least one of &bgr;-cyclodextrin and &ggr;-cyclodextrin; and J.P. KOKAI No. Hei 10-298175 discloses a method for preparing easily water-soluble soybean isoflavone by bringing an extract obtained from raw soybeans into contact with cyclodextrin in an aqueous solution to thus remove impurities. Each beverage such as a fruit drink or juice comprise unique flavoring components, flavors are added to these beverages to distinguish one from another and/or fancy flavors are imparted thereto. If cyclodextrin is used, however, such flavoring components and fragrance-emitting components are also encapsulated into the same and this accordingly impairs the emission of the perfume peculiar to each particular drink. In addition, the isoflavone encapsulated into cyclodextrin suffers from problems in that it is not always sufficient in the solubility in water, even beverages, which must be transparent become turbid due to the addition of such encapsulated isoflavone and this accordingly results in the reduction of the commercial value of the beverages.
As has been described above in detail, the isoflavone, which is made soluble in water by the conventional method, suffers from such problems that it is still insufficient in solubility in water and that it is greatly limited in its application depending on the kinds of foods. For this reason, there has been a strong demand for the development of a soluble isoflavone composition free of such problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a soluble isoflavone composition, which has high solubility in water, is easily dissolved in water, stable over a long time period and can be incorporated into various kinds of foods without changing characteristic properties peculiar thereto.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for preparing the soluble isoflavone composition.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a food comprising the foregoing soluble isoflavone composition.
The inventors of this invention have conducted various studies to solve the foregoing problems associated with the conventional techniques, have found that the foregoing objects can effectively be accomplished through the use of propylene glycol and/or octenyl succinate-treated starch as solubilizing agents and have thus completed the present invention on the basis of the foregoing finding.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a soluble isoflavone composition, which comprises isoflavone and anhydrous or water-containing propylene glycol and/or octenyl succinate-treated starch as a solubilizing agent.
When the solubilizing agent is anhydrous or water-containing propylene glycol, the weight ratio of isoflavone to propylene glycol preferably ranges from 1:100 to 10:100 and more preferably 1:100 to 7:100.
On the other hand, if octenyl succinate-treated starch is used as the solubilizing agent, the weight ratio of isoflavone to octenyl succinate-treated starch preferably ranges from 2:100 to 25:100 and more preferably 2:100 to 20:100.
Moreover, if the solubilizing agent used comprises a mixture of anhydrous or water-containing propylene glycol with octenyl succinate-treated starch, the weight ratio of isoflavone to propylene glycol preferably ranges from 1:100 to 10:100 and more preferably 1:100 to 7:100 and the weight ratio of isoflavone to octenyl succinate-treated starch preferably ranges from 2:100 to 25:100 and more preferably 2:100 to 20:100.
The soluble isoflavone composition of the present invention is preferably in the form of a stock solution or powder.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a food comprising the foregoing soluble isoflavone composition. Specific examples of such foods include fruit juices, juices, sport drinks, soups, jellies, coffee and black tea.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for preparing a soluble isoflavone composition, which comprises the step of heating isoflavone and a solubilizing agent comprising anhydrous or water-containing propylene glycol and/or octenyl succinate-treated starch in the presence of water to thus solubilize isoflavone in water.
The heating temperature is not restricted to any specific range inasmuch as it is sufficient to dissolve isoflavone in water, but preferably ranges from 70 to 100° C., more preferably 80 to 95° C. and most preferably 85 to 95° C.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method for preparing a soluble isoflavone composition in the form of powder, which comprises the steps of heating isoflavone and a solubilizing agent consisting of octenyl succinate-treated starch in the presence of water to thus solubilize isoflavone in water and then drying the solution.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The term “isoflavone” is a general term for isoflavone derivatives such as daidzein, glycitin and genistein present in beans such as soybeans. It is quite difficult to isolate these isoflavone derivatives, in their pure conditions, from soybeans or the like and in many cases, they are put on the market in the form of mixtures containing, for instance, soybean saponin and/or soybean proteins. In the present invention, the term “isoflavone” is used to embrace mixtures containing, for instance, soybean saponin and/or soybean proteins, preferably those containing not less than 30% by weight of isoflavone, in addition to pure isoflavone.
Such isoflavone is
Evans Charesse L.
Matsutani Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.
Page Thurman K.
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