JP5399864B2 - Purified tea extract - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a purified tea extract and a packaged beverage with a reduced amount of caffeine.

  As a technique for blending catechins in a beverage at a high concentration, a method of adding a catechin to a beverage in a dissolved state using a tea extract (Patent Documents 1 to 3) such as a concentrate of a green tea extract is known. Yes. However, depending on the type of beverage (for example, tea-based beverages and non-tea-based beverages such as carbonated beverages) to be mixed with catechins at a high concentration, the bitter and astringent taste derived from caffeine and green tea remains, Product value may be greatly reduced.

  As a method for improving the bitter and astringent taste, for example, a method for controlling the mass ratio of catechins and quinic acid to be constant (Patent Document 4), a cyclodextrin having a bitterness-inhibiting effect is blended in a certain amount with respect to catechins. A method (Patent Document 5), a method of extracting a tea leaf extract obtained by extracting catechins from tea leaves by further solvent extraction into a highly concentrated catechins-containing extract with little bitterness (Patent Document 6), etc. Proposed.

  By the way, although catechins are classified into flavonoids, it has been reported that other flavonoids also have various effects when blended with food and drink. For example, isoquercitrin, which is a kind of flavonol glycoside, is an antioxidant for suppressing the generation of peptide odor in peptide-containing beverages (Patent Document 7), and for preventing vitamin degradation in vitamin-containing beverages. It has been reported that it can function as a vitamin stabilizer (Patent Document 8) or a vascular endothelial cell function improving agent (Patent Document 9, Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2002-142777 A JP-A-8-298930 JP-A-8-109178 JP 2003-169603 A JP 2006-180711 A JP 2007-159541 A JP 2006-67874 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-125018 JP 2008-255075 A

Medicine and Treatment, Vol.36 No.10 2008, p.919-930 Medicine and Treatment, Vol.36 No.10 2008, p.931-939

  The above Patent Documents 4 to 6 aim to reduce the bitter and astringent taste of catechins themselves, but according to the study by the present inventors, in a packaged beverage containing a high concentration of catechins, It has been found that not only the taste but also the refreshing aftertaste after drinking is insufficient. In particular, in a non-tea beverage such as a sports beverage containing a purified green tea extract with a reduced caffeine content, the refreshing aftertaste required for a non-tea beverage was not felt. However, an effective means for improving the aftertaste sharpness has not been known yet.

  The inventors of the present invention have studied to find out a factor that makes the aftertaste crisp in a packaged beverage containing a purified green tea extract with a reduced caffeine content. It was found that the sharpness of the was weakened. Moreover, when a fixed amount of caffeine was blended with a purified green tea extract with a reduced caffeine content to prepare a packaged beverage, the aftertaste was improved. From these results, it was confirmed that the reduction in the amount of caffeine in the purified tea extract has an effect on the sharpness of the aftertaste. Then, the present inventor can obtain a purified tea extract having a good aftertaste and a good flavor by blending a purified tea extract with a reduced caffeine content with a flavonol glycoside having a specific structure. I found out. Furthermore, the present inventors have found that this flavonol glycoside is effective in improving the flavor of foods and drinks containing a tea extract.

That is, the present invention includes the following components (A), (B) and (C):
(A) non-polymer catechins,
Contains (B) caffeine, and (C) at least one flavonol glycoside represented by the following general formula (1), and contains (A) non-polymer catechins and (B) caffeine The present invention provides a purified tea extract having a mass ratio [(B) / (A)] of 0.02 or less.

  The present invention also provides a food or drink comprising the purified tea extract.

The present invention further comprises the following components (A), (B) and (C);
(A) Non-polymer catechins: 0.05 to 3% by mass
(B) Caffeine and (C) At least one flavonol glycoside represented by the following general formula (1): 0.001 to 0.2% by mass
And a contained mass ratio [(B) / (A)] of the component (A) and the component (B) is 0.02 or less.

  Furthermore, this invention provides the flavor improving agent of a tea extract which uses the flavonol glycoside represented by following General formula (1) as an active ingredient.

(In the formula, R ^{1 to} R ⁷ each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or a methoxy group, R ^a represents a β-glucosyl group or β-rhamnosyl group, and R ^b represents an α-rhamnosyl group or a hydrogen atom. , R ^c represents an α-glucosyl group, and n represents an integer of 0 to 10.)

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the high concentration non-polymer catechin containing refined tea extract with a good aftertaste sharpness. Moreover, according to this invention, even if it contains non-polymer catechins in high concentration, it can be set as a container-packed drink with a good aftertaste. Therefore, since the container-packed drink of this invention can be ingested continuously over a long period of time, the physiological effect by non-polymer catechins can fully be expected.

First, terms used in this specification will be described.
“Aftertaste” refers to “feel remaining in the mouth” described in JIS Z 8144: 2004.
"(A) Non-polymer catechins" refers to non-epimeric catechins such as catechin, gallocatechin, catechin gallate, and gallocatechin gallate, and epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate. The catechins are a collective term for the catechins, and the concentration of the non-polymer catechins is defined based on the total amount of the above eight types.
The “gallate form of non-polymer catechins” is a general term that includes catechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate. The “gallate body ratio in non-polymer catechins” is a value representing the total mass of the gallate bodies of these four types of non-polymer catechins as a percentage of the total mass of the eight non-polymer catechins. It is.

(Flavor improver)
The flavor improving agent of the present invention suppresses the off-taste after ingesting the tea extract and provides a sharp aftertaste. The active ingredient of the flavor improving agent of the present invention is a compound represented by the following general formula (1), and is a glycoside whose aglycone is flavonol. In the present invention, flavonol glycosides can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Especially, it can be set as a tea extract with still better sharpness by using 2 or more types of flavonol glycosides together.

(In the formula, R ^{1 to} R ⁷ each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or a methoxy group, R ^a represents a β-glucosyl group or β-rhamnosyl group, and R ^b represents an α-rhamnosyl group or a hydrogen atom. , R ^c represents an α-glucosyl group, and n represents an integer of 0 to 10.)

Such flavonol glycosides can be obtained, for example, by extracting from beans such as Enju and red beans, citrus fruits such as bayberry and mandarin orange, buckwheat and dokudami, but if necessary, the extract can be hydrolyzed. May be.
In addition, isoquercitrin (in the above formula (1), R ¹ , R ² , R ⁴ and R ⁶ are hydroxyl groups, R ³ , R ⁵ and R ⁷ are hydrogen atoms, R ^a is a β-glucosyl group, and R ^b is A flavonol compound such as a hydrogen atom or a compound in which R ^c is a hydrogen atom) is glycosylated by acting a glycosyltransferase in the presence of starch, or rutin (in the above formula (1), R ¹ , R ² , Compounds in which R ⁴ and R ⁶ are hydroxyl groups, R ³ , R ⁵ and R ⁷ are hydrogen atoms, R ^a is a β-glucosyl group, R ^b is an α-rhamnosyl group, and R ^c is a hydrogen atom) After removing the rhamnosyl group contained in the sugar chain part by acting a partial hydrolase, it can be obtained by glycosylation by acting a glycosyltransferase in the presence of starch. These enzyme-treated products are compounds in which 1 to 10 glucoses are α-1,4-linked as R ^{c to} R ^a in the general formula (1), or a mixture thereof. For example, enzyme-treated isoquercitrin, enzyme It can also be obtained commercially as treated rutin. Among these, the enzyme-treated product is preferably used from the viewpoint of improving solubility in water and sharpness of aftertaste.

In the present invention, the following compounds are preferably used as the flavonol glycoside represented by the general formula (1).
R ^a represents a β-glucosyl group or a β-rhamnosyl group, and R ^a is preferably ^a β-glucosyl group.
R ^b represents an α-rhamnosyl group or a hydrogen atom. When R ^b is an α-rhamnosyl group, n is preferably 1 to 4, and a mixture thereof is particularly preferable. In addition, when R ^b is a hydrogen atom, n is preferably 0 to 7, and particularly preferably a mixture thereof.
Here, the “β-glucosyl group” in R ^a is a residue obtained by removing the hydrogen atoms of the 1-position and 6-position, or the 1-position, 4-position and 6-position hydroxyl group of β-glucose, and “β-rhamnosyl” The “group” refers to a residue obtained by removing the hydrogen atoms of the 1-position and 4-position hydroxyl group of β-rhamnose. The “α-rhamnosyl group” in R ^b refers to a residue obtained by removing the hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group at the 1-position of α-rhamnose, and the “α-glucosyl group” in R ^c refers to the 1-position of α-glucose and It means a residue obtained by removing the hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group at the 4-position or the hydroxyl group at the 1-position.
R ^{1 to} R ⁷ each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or a methoxy group, and among R ^{1 to} R ⁷ , at least one of R ^{1 to} R ³ , R ⁴ and R ⁶ are hydroxyl groups, and the remaining The group is preferably a hydrogen atom, and R ¹ , R ² , R ⁴ and R ⁶ are hydroxyl groups, or R ^{1 to} R ³ , R ⁴ and R ⁶ are hydroxyl groups, and the residue is a hydrogen atom. It is particularly preferred that

  The flavor improving agent of the present invention is effective in improving the flavor of a tea extract with a reduced caffeine content, particularly the sharpness of the aftertaste.

(Purified tea extract)
The purified tea extract of the present invention is characterized in that the amount of caffeine is significantly reduced. Specifically, the content of (B) caffeine is 0.02 or less in mass ratio [(B) / (A)] to (A) non-polymer catechins, preferably 0.015 or less. More preferably, it is 0.01 or less, More preferably, it is 0.008 or less, Most preferably, it is 0.005 or less, Most preferably, it is 0.003 or less. In addition, the refined green tea extract of the present invention may not substantially contain caffeine, and the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] may be 0. Here, in the present invention, “substantially does not contain” means that the amount of caffeine is below the detection limit in “Measurement of caffeine” in the examples described later.

The purified tea extract of the present invention has a concentration of (A) non-polymer catechins in the solid content of 60 to 90% by mass, more preferably 70 to 85% by mass, from the viewpoint of expression of physiological effects by non-polymer catechins. It is especially preferable that it is 75-80 mass%. Here, the “solid content” in this specification refers to a dry residue obtained by drying a sample with an electric constant temperature dryer at 105 ° C. for 3 hours.
The purified tea extract of the present invention preferably has a gallate content in the non-polymer catechins of 0.001 to 70% by mass, from the viewpoint of the physiological effect expression and bitterness reduction by the non-polymer catechins. The lower limit is preferably 10% by weight, in particular 20% by weight, while the upper limit is preferably 60% by weight, more preferably 50% by weight, further 45% by weight, in particular 40% by weight, in particular 30% by weight. .

In order to obtain a purified tea extract having a mass ratio [(B) / (A)] within the above range, it is necessary to purify the tea extract to reduce the amount of (B) caffeine in the tea extract. . Examples of the purification method include any of the following methods (i) to (iv), or a combination of two or more.
(I) The tea extract is dispersed in water or a mixture of water and a water-soluble organic solvent (for example, ethanol) (hereinafter referred to as “organic solvent aqueous solution”), the resulting precipitate is removed, and then the solvent is distilled off. how to.
(Ii) A method in which a tea extract is treated with tannase and further contacted with at least one adsorbent selected from activated carbon, acid clay, and activated clay (for example, JP-A-2007-282568)
(Iii) A method in which a tea extract is adsorbed on a synthetic adsorbent and then an organic solvent aqueous solution is brought into contact with the synthetic adsorbent to desorb non-polymer catechins (for example, JP-A-2006-160656).
(Iv) After adsorbing the tea extract to the synthetic adsorbent, the synthetic adsorbent is contacted with an organic solvent aqueous solution or a basic aqueous solution (for example, sodium hydroxide aqueous solution) to desorb non-polymer catechins, Next, a method of bringing the obtained desorbing liquid into contact with activated carbon (for example, JP 2008-079609).

  In the above methods (i), (iii) and (iv), it is possible to use a tea extract that has been tannase-treated, and it can also be tannase-treated after purification. Here, “tannase treatment” refers to bringing a green tea extract into contact with an enzyme having tannase activity. In addition, a well-known method can be employ | adopted for the specific operation method in a tannase process, For example, the method as described in Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2004-321105 is illustrated. In the present invention, two or more kinds of purified tea extracts prepared by different purification methods may be mixed and used.

Examples of the tea extract used for purification include an extract obtained from tea leaves. Other caffeine-containing plant extracts, for example, caffeine-containing extracts such as coffee, mixtures thereof with tea extracts, and the like can also be used. Here, the tea extract refers to a tea extract extracted from tea leaves that has not been concentrated or purified.
Examples of tea leaves used for extraction include tea leaves made from tea leaves obtained from the genus Camellia, for example, C. sinensis and C. assamica, Yabuki species, or hybrids thereof. The tea leaves produced include green teas such as sencha, bancha, gyokuro, tencha, roasted tea, semi-fermented tea typified by oolong tea, and fermented tea typified by black tea. Moreover, you may use the tea leaf which gave the carbon dioxide contact process of the supercritical state.
The tea extract used in the present invention is preferably a green tea extract from the viewpoint of the content of non-polymer catechins.

  As the extraction method, conventional methods such as stirring extraction and drip extraction can be employed. The obtained tea extract can be dried or concentrated as it is and used in the above purification method.

  In the present invention, the tea extract concentrate is blended with the tea extract even if the tea extract concentrate is dissolved or diluted in water or an organic solvent instead of the tea extract. May be used. Here, the concentrate of tea extract refers to a product obtained by partially removing the solvent from the tea extract to increase the concentration of non-polymer catechins. For example, JP-A-59-219384 and JP-A-4 -20589, JP-A-5-260907, JP-A-5-306279, and the like. Commercially available products may be used as the concentrate of the tea extract, such as “Polyphenone” manufactured by Mitsui Norinsha, “Theafuran” manufactured by ITO EN, and “Sunphenon” manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku. A concentrate is mentioned.

The purified tea extract of the present invention contains (C) a flavonol glycoside represented by the general formula (1), which is an active ingredient of the above-described flavor improving agent, in order to enhance the aftertaste sharpness. The content of (C) flavonol glycoside in the purified tea extract of the present invention is (A) the mass ratio of non-polymer catechins [(C) / (A)], the lower limit is 0.001, Further, it is preferably 0.0015, further 0.002, further 0.003, further 0.005, especially 0.008, especially 0.01, while the upper limit is 0.8, further 0.5, and further preferably 0.00. 4, more preferably 0.1, especially 0.06, especially 0.04. Thereby, it can be set as the refined tea extract with much more sharpness.
In addition, the content of the (C) flavonol glycoside in the solid content of the purified tea extract of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of further improving the aftertaste sharpness, the lower limit is 0.3, and further 0 0.4% by weight, in particular 0.5% by weight, in particular 0.6% by weight, while the upper limit is 7% by weight, in addition 6% by weight, in addition 5% by weight, in particular 4.5% by weight. Is preferred.

  In order to obtain a purified tea extract having a mass ratio [(B) / (A)] and [(C) / (A)] within the above range, the tea extract obtained by the above purification method or its (C) Flavonol glycoside is added to the purified product of the concentrate so that the mass ratio [(C) / (A)] is within the above range, or the mass ratio [(C) / (A)]. (C) The tea extract which mix | blended the flavonol glycoside so that it may become in the said range, or its concentrate is refine | purified by the means of said (i)-(iv).

(Packed beverages, food and drink)
The purified tea extract of the present invention is refreshing over the throat, has a good aftertaste, and has a good flavor, so it can be used as it is in food and drink. In that case, the solvent may be removed by a method such as vacuum concentration or thin film concentration. Moreover, when powder is desirable as a product form of the purified green tea extract, it can be pulverized by a method such as spray drying or freeze drying.

  The content of the purified tea extract of the present invention in foods and drinks can be appropriately selected depending on the type, but is generally 0.1 to 20% by mass, particularly 0.1 to 10% by mass. It is preferable.

Examples of the beverage of the present invention include tea beverages and non-tea beverages. Examples of tea beverages include green tea beverages, oolong tea beverages, and black tea beverages. Non-tea beverages include soft drinks (eg fruit juice, vegetable juice, sports drinks, isotonic drinks), non-alcoholic drinks such as coffee drinks, nutrition drinks, beauty drinks, beer, wine, sake, plum wine. , Alcoholic beverages such as sparkling liquor, whiskey, brandy, shochu, rum, gin, liqueur and the like.
Examples of food include confectionery (for example, baked confectionery such as bread, cake, cookies, biscuits, chewing gum, chocolate, candy), dessert (for example, jelly, yogurt, ice cream), retort food, seasoning (For example, sauce, soup, dressing, mayonnaise, cream). In addition, the form of food / beverage products is not specifically limited, As long as it is a form which is easy to ingest, any of solid, powder, liquid, gel form, slurry form, etc. may be sufficient. Especially, as a food-drinks of this invention, a drink, especially a container-packed drink are preferable.

  Moreover, the container-packed drink of this invention mix | blends the said refined green tea extract, adjusts each density | concentration of (A) non-polymer catechins and (B) caffeine, or the tea extraction obtained by the said purification method Or (C) flavonol glycoside and (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) flavonol glycosides are adjusted within the above ranges. it can.

  The content of (A) non-polymer catechins in the packaged beverage of the present invention is 0.05 to 3% by mass, but from the viewpoint of flavor and physiological effect, the lower limit is 0.08% by mass, and further 0 .12% by weight, more preferably 0.2% by weight, still more preferably 0.3% by weight, especially 0.4% by weight, while the upper limit is 2.5% by weight, further 2% by weight, and further 1.5%. It is preferable that it is 1.1 mass%, still more preferably 0.8 mass%.

  Further, in the packaged beverage of the present invention, the lower limit of the gallate body ratio in the non-polymer catechins is preferably 10% by mass, particularly 20% by mass, and the other upper limit is 60% by mass from the viewpoint of suppressing bitterness and astringency. More preferably, it is 50% by mass, further 45% by mass, especially 40% by mass, especially 30% by mass.

  The (B) caffeine content in the packaged beverage of the present invention is 0.02 or less as a mass ratio [(B) / (A)] to (A) non-polymer catechins, It is 015 or less, more preferably 0.01 or less, still more preferably 0.008 or less, particularly preferably 0.005 or less, and still more preferably 0.003 or less. In addition, the container-packed drink of this invention does not need to contain caffeine substantially, and the said mass ratio [(B) / (A)] may be 0.

Moreover, although content of (C) flavonol glycoside in the container-packed drink of this invention is 0.001-0.2 mass%, the lower limit is 0.00 from a viewpoint of the sharp improvement of the further aftertaste. It is preferably 0011% by weight, more preferably 0.0012% by weight, in particular 0.0013% by weight, while the upper limit is 0.1% by weight, further 0.05% by weight, further 0.01% by weight, in particular 0.008%. It is preferable that it is mass%.
In addition, the mass ratio [(C) / (A)] of (C) flavonol glycoside to (A) non-polymer catechins in the packaged beverage of the present invention is from the viewpoint of further improving the aftertaste sharpness. The lower limit is preferably 0.001, more preferably 0.0015, further 0.002, and particularly preferably 0.003, while the upper limit is 0.8, further 0.4, further 0.1, especially 0.04. Preferably there is.

The container-packed drink of this invention can contain a sweetener as a component (D). Thereby, the taste after drinking can be masked more reliably.
Examples of (D) sweeteners include carbohydrates obtained from nature, glycerols, and artificial sweeteners, and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more.
Examples of the carbohydrate include monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, complex polysaccharides, and sugar alcohols, and include at least one selected from glucose, sucrose, fructose, glucose fructose liquid sugar, fructose glucose liquid sugar, and erythritol. preferable. Examples of glycerols include polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol. Examples of the artificial sweetener include high sweetness sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin.
Above all, sucralose has a taste that fast sweetness rises and the sweetness is stable and lasts, so before the bitterness derived from non-polymer catechins rises, the sweetness of sucralose drinks not only the initial taste of drinking It is possible to effectively improve the later throat.

In addition, although content of (D) sweetener can be suitably determined according to the kind of sweetener, it is preferable that it is 0.0001-20 mass% in total in the container-packed drink of this invention. For example, when (S) sucralose is used as a sweetener, the lower limit of the content of sucralose in the container-packed beverage of the present invention is 0.001% by mass, and further 0.003% by mass, from the viewpoint of improving aftertaste sharpness. %, More preferably 0.007% by weight, especially 0.01% by weight, while the upper limit is 1% by weight, further 0.5% by weight, further 0.1% by weight, in particular 0.05% by weight. It is preferable.
In addition, when (D) sucralose is included as a sweetener, (A) the mass ratio of (D) sweetener (sucralose) to non-polymer catechins [(D) / (A)] improves sharpness of aftertaste. From this viewpoint, the lower limit is preferably 0.01, more preferably 0.03, further 0.05, and particularly preferably 0.1, while the upper limit is 1, further 0.8, further 0.5, especially 0.3. It is preferable that

  In the case of the packaged beverage of the present invention, an antioxidant, a fragrance, an organic acid, an organic acid salt, an inorganic acid, an inorganic acid salt, an inorganic salt, a pigment, an emulsifier, a preservative, a seasoning, a sweetener, and an acidity are necessary. Additives such as ingredients, gums, oils, vitamins, amino acids, fruit juice extracts, vegetable extracts, nectar extracts, pH adjusters and quality stabilizers may be used alone or in combination.

  The pH (20 ° C.) of the packaged beverage of the present invention is preferably 2 to 7, more preferably 2.5 to 6.5, and particularly preferably 3 to 6 from the viewpoints of flavor and stability of non-polymer catechins. . In order to adjust the pH, organic acids, inorganic acids, acidulants, pH adjusters and the like can be used.

  The container-packed beverage of the present invention is provided by filling a normal packaging container such as a molded container (so-called PET bottle) mainly composed of polyethylene terephthalate, a metal can, a paper container combined with a metal foil or a plastic film, or a bottle. can do.

  In addition, the container-packed beverage of the present invention can be sterilized as stipulated by laws and regulations (Food Sanitation Law in Japan) if it can be heat-sterilized after filling into a container such as a metal can. Can be manufactured under certain conditions. For PET bottles and paper containers that cannot be sterilized by retort, sterilize under the same conditions as above, for example, after sterilizing at high temperature and short time with a plate heat exchanger, etc. The method can be adopted. Moreover, you may mix | blend another component with the filled container under aseptic conditions. Furthermore, after sterilization by heating under acidic conditions, the pH can be returned to neutrality under aseptic conditions, or after sterilization by heating under neutral conditions, the pH can be returned to acidic conditions under aseptic conditions.

(1) Measurement of non-polymer catechins and caffeine The sample solution is filtered with a filter (0.45 μm) and used for an octadecyl group-introduced liquid chromatograph using a high performance liquid chromatograph (model SCL-10AVP, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation). A packed column L-column TM ODS (4.6 mmφ × 250 mm: manufactured by Chemical Substance Evaluation Research Organization) was attached, and analysis was performed at a column temperature of 35 ° C. by a gradient method. The mobile phase A solution is a distilled aqueous solution containing 0.1 mol / L of acetic acid, the mobile phase B solution is an acetonitrile solution containing 0.1 mol / L of acetic acid, the sample injection volume is 20 μL, and the UV detector wavelength is 280 nm. went.

(2) Measurement of flavonol glycoside The sample solution was filtered with a filter (0.45 μm), and a high-performance liquid chromatograph (model Waters 2695, manufactured by WATERS) was used, and the column was Shimpach VP ODS (150 × 4.6 mm ID). And a gradient method at a column temperature of 40 ° C. The mobile phase C solution was a distilled aqueous solution containing 0.05% phosphoric acid, the mobile phase D solution was a methanol solution, the flow rate was 1 mL / L, the sample injection amount was 10 μL, and the UV detector wavelength was 368 nm. The gradient conditions are as follows.

Time (min) Concentration of liquid C (volume%) Concentration of liquid D (volume%)
0 95% 5%
20 80% 20%
40 30% 70%
4 10% 100%
460% 100%
47 95% 5%
60 95% 5%

(3) Evaluation of aftertaste sharpness 40 mL of the purified tea extract obtained in Examples 1 to 4, Comparative Examples 1 to 2 and Reference Example 1 was placed in a 50 mL pressure-resistant glass container. Thereto was added 0.1% by mass of sodium ascorbate, pH was adjusted to 6.4 with a 5% by mass aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution, nitrogen substitution was performed, and the mixture was sterilized by heating at 121 ° C. for 10 minutes in an autoclave. A sensory test was conducted by four specialist panels on the aftertaste of the container-packed tea beverages prepared in this way, Examples 11-19 and Comparative Examples 11-12, and the container-packed non-tea beverages. . In the sensory test, the aftertaste sharpness immediately after drinking was evaluated according to the following criteria, and the average value of the panel scores was used as the evaluation value.

Score 5: Sharply felt aftertaste.
4: Feels sharp aftertaste.
3: Feels slightly weak aftertaste.
2: Feels weak in aftertaste.
1: There is no sharpness in the aftertaste.

Production Example 1
Add 45 kg of hot water of 88 ° C to 3 kg of green tea leaves (Kenya, large leaf), extract with stirring batch for 60 minutes, then roughly filter with 100 mesh wire mesh, then centrifuge to remove fine powder in the extract To obtain 37.2 kg of “green tea extract” (pH 5.4). The resulting green tea extract had a non-polymer catechin concentration of 0.89% by mass, a gallate content in the non-polymer catechins of 52.3% by mass, and a caffeine concentration of 0.17% by mass. .
This green tea extract is kept at a temperature of 15 ° C., tannase (Tannase KTFH, Industrial Grade, 500 U / g or more, manufactured by Kikkoman) is added at a concentration of 430 ppm with respect to the green tea extract, held for 55 minutes, and gallate When the volume ratio reached 30.5% by mass, the solution was heated to 90 ° C. and held for 2 minutes to inactivate the enzyme, thereby stopping the reaction (pH 5.1). Subsequently, concentration treatment was performed under reduced pressure concentration to a Brix concentration of 20% under conditions of 70 ° C. and 6.7 kPa, and spray drying was performed to obtain 0.9 kg of a powdered “tannase-treated green tea extract”. The obtained green tea extract had a non-polymer catechin concentration of 27.8% by mass, a gallate content in the non-polymer catechins of 30.3% by mass, and a caffeine concentration of 6.74% by mass. . 285 g of “tannase-treated green tea extract” was dissolved in 8550 g of ion-exchanged water with stirring at 25 ° C. for 30 minutes (tannase-treated solution).

Next, 2209 mL of a synthetic adsorbent (Separbeads SP-70, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) was packed in the stainless steel column 1 (inner diameter 110 mm × height 230 mm, volume 2185 mL). Stainless steel column 2 (inner diameter 38 mm × height 770 mm, volume 877.4 mL) was charged with 852 mL of ion exchange resin (Diaion SK1BH, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation). In both columns, SV = 5 (h ⁻¹ ) and 95% (v / v) ethanol through 4 times volume (vs. packed resin), and then 10 times volume (vs. filled resin) of water. Washed. Thereafter, 8835 g of the tannase treatment solution (4 volumes vs. synthetic adsorbent) was passed through the column 1 at SV = 1 (h ⁻¹ ), and the permeate was discarded. It was then washed with 2209 mL (1 volume vs. synthetic adsorbent) of water at SV = 2 (h ⁻¹ ). After washing with water, 13256 mL of 0.1 mass% sodium hydroxide aqueous solution (pH 12.4) was passed through at SV = 5 (h ⁻¹ ) (6 times volume vs. synthetic adsorbent). The eluate was continuously passed through column 2 for deionization to obtain 13080 g (pH 3.3) of green tea extract. This green tea extract had a non-polymer catechin concentration of 0.38% by mass, a gallate content in the non-polymer catechins of 28.6% by mass, and a caffeine concentration of 0% by mass. The concentration of non-polymer catechins in the solid content of the tea extract was 69.0% by mass. Furthermore, it concentrated under reduced pressure on 40 degreeC and 2.6 kPa conditions, and concentrated to the non-polymer catechin density | concentration of 6 mass% (turbidity 208NTU). Subsequently, it passed through a 0.8 μm cellulose acetate membrane (ADVANTEC: C080A090C), and was subjected to solid-liquid separation from the suspension to obtain “resin-treated product 1” (turbidity 1.5 NTU).

Next, 6.5 g of granular activated carbon (Taiko SGP, manufactured by Futamura Chemical Co., Ltd.) was packed in the stainless steel column 3 (inner diameter 22 mm × height 145 mm, volume 55.1 mL). “Resin treatment product 1” was prepared so that the concentration of non-polymer catechins was 4% by mass and the ethanol concentration was 20% by mass, and 267 g thereof was passed through column 3 at SV = 2 (h ⁻¹ ) (activated carbon Is 0.6) relative to the amount of non-polymer catechins. Subsequently, filtration was performed with a 0.2 μm membrane filter. Finally, 50 g of ion-exchanged water was added, ethanol was distilled off under conditions of 40 ° C. and 2.7 kPa, and then the water content was adjusted to obtain a green tea extract (2.1 NTU). The green tea extract after the purification treatment has a non-polymer catechin concentration of 13.7% by mass, a gallate content in the non-polymer catechins of 23.5% by mass, a caffeine concentration of 0% by mass, and a solid content. The concentration of non-polymer catechins in the mixture was 79.6% by mass. The purified product of this green tea extract was designated as “Non-polymer catechins A”.

Production Example 2
As a green tea extract concentrate, 100 g of polyphenone HG (manufactured by Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd.) was dispersed in 900 g of a 95.0 mass% ethanol aqueous solution, aged for 30 minutes, filtered through No. 2 filter paper and 0.2 μm pore size filter paper, 200 mL of ion-exchanged water was added and concentrated under reduced pressure. Of these, 75.0 g was put into a stainless steel container, and the total amount was adjusted to 1,000 g with ion-exchanged water, and adjusted to pH 5.5 by adding 3.0 g of a 5 mass% sodium bicarbonate aqueous solution. Subsequently, under stirring conditions of 22 ° C. and 150 r / min, 0.27 g of tannase (tannase KTFH, Industrial Grade, 500 U / g or more, manufactured by Kikkoman) in 1.07 g of ion-exchanged water (based on non-polymer catechins) 2.4%) was added, and the enzyme reaction was terminated when the pH dropped to 4.24 55 minutes later. Next, the stainless steel container was immersed in a warm bath at 95 ° C. and kept at 90 ° C. for 10 minutes to completely deactivate the enzyme activity. After cooling to 25 ° C., concentration treatment was performed to obtain a green tea extract. The green tea extract after the purification treatment is 15.0% by mass of non-polymer catechins, 0.017 of caffeine / non-polymer catechins, 44% gallate content in non-polymer catechins, solid content The concentration of non-polymer catechins in the mixture was 61.6% by mass. The purified product of this green tea extract was designated as “non-polymer catechins B”.

Example 1
After dilution with ion-exchanged water so that the concentration of the non-polymer catechins of “non-polymer catechins A” is 0.175% by mass, the mass ratio [(C) / (A)] is shown in Table 1. A flavonol glycoside-containing preparation (Sammelin AO-3000, enzyme-treated isoquercitrin 15%, manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.) was added so that the ratio shown in FIG. And the component analysis and the sensory test were done about the obtained refined green tea extract. The results are shown in Table 1.

Example 2
By the same operation as in Example 1, except that the blending amount of the flavonol glycoside-containing preparation (Sammelin AO-3000, enzyme-treated isoquercitrin 15%, Saneigen FFI Co., Ltd.) was changed. A purified green tea extract was prepared. And the component analysis and the sensory test were done about the obtained refined green tea extract. The results are shown in Table 1.

Example 3
The purified green tea extract was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the type of flavonol glycoside-containing preparation (αG rutin, 42% enzyme-treated rutin, manufactured by Toyo Seika Co., Ltd.) and the blending amount thereof were changed. Prepared. And the component analysis and the sensory test were done about the obtained refined green tea extract. The results are shown in Table 1.

Example 4
“Non-polymer catechins B” and “non-polymer catechins A” were mixed so that the concentration of non-polymer catechins was 0.0875 mass%, respectively, and diluted with ion-exchanged water. Next, a flavonol glycoside-containing preparation (Sammelin AO-3000, enzyme-treated isoquercitrin 15%, San-Eigen F so that the mass ratio [(C) / (A)] is in the ratio shown in Table 1) -F eye Co., Ltd.) was added. And the component analysis and the sensory test were done about the obtained refined green tea extract. The results are shown in Table 1.

Comparative Example 1
The non-polymer catechins A were diluted with ion-exchanged water so that the concentration of the non-polymer catechins was 0.175% by mass, and component analysis and sensory tests were performed on the purified green tea extract obtained. The results are shown in Table 1.

Comparative Example 2
The flavonol glycoside-containing preparation was replaced with a hesperidin sugar adduct-containing preparation (Hayashibara Hesperidin S, enzyme-treated hesperidin 75%, manufactured by Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories Co., Ltd.), and the blending amount was 0.01% by mass. A purified green tea extract was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. And the component analysis and the sensory test were done about the obtained refined green tea extract. The results are shown in Table 1.

Reference example 1
A purified green tea extract was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the flavonol glycoside-containing preparation was changed to caffeine. And the component analysis and the sensory test were done about the obtained refined green tea extract. The results are shown in Table 1.

  From Table 1, it was confirmed that the cause that the aftertending sharpness of “non-polymer catechins A” is not felt is due to the reduction of the caffeine content (Comparative Example 1 and Reference Example 1). And even if hesperidin sugar adduct is added to the purified tea extract with a reduced caffeine content, the aftertaste is not improved at all (Comparative Example 2), but by adding the flavor improver of the present invention, the aftertaste is improved. It was found that sharpness was remarkably improved (Examples 1 to 4).

Examples 11-19 and Comparative Examples 11-12
Each component of the ratio shown in Table 2 was mix | blended, then, ultrahigh temperature sterilization for a short time (UHT sterilization, 98 degreeC, 30 second) was filled in the transparent PET bottle, and the container-packed drink was prepared. Subsequently, component analysis and a sensory test were performed about the obtained container-packed drink. The results are shown in Table 2.

  From Table 2, by controlling each concentration of non-polymer catechins and flavonol glycosides to be constant, sharpness of aftertaste can be improved despite containing a high concentration of non-polymer catechins. confirmed. Moreover, it turned out that the sharpness of aftertaste is remarkably improved by containing sucralose as a sweetener.

Claims (5)

The following components (A) , (B) and (C);
(A) Non-polymer catechins: 0.05 to 3% by mass
(B) caffeine, and (C) the following general formula (1);

(In the formula, R ^{1 to} R ⁷ each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or a methoxy group, R ^a represents a β-glucosyl group or β-rhamnosyl group, and R ^b represents an α-rhamnosyl group or a hydrogen atom. , R ^c represents an α-glucosyl group, and n represents an integer of 0 to 10.)
At least one flavonol glycoside represented by the formula: 0.001 to 0.2% by mass
Containing
Container-packed drink whose content mass ratio [(B) / (A)] of a component (A) and a component (B) is 0.02 or less. Component (A) and the content mass ratio of the component (C) [(C) / (A)] is 0.001 to 0.8, according to claim 1 packaged beverage according. The container-packed drink of Claim 1 or 2 containing a sweetener as a component (D). The container-packed drink of Claim 3 whose component (D) is sucralose. The container-packed drink of Claim 4 whose containing mass ratio [(D) / (A)] of a component (A) and a component (D) is 0.01-1.