Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.

Miyuki Tanaka

Eriko Misawa

Muneo Yamada

Hirotoshi Hayasawa

Ryuuichi Higuchi

Masanori Inagaki

Noriko Wakimoto

Yousuke Itou

Noriko Habara

Kouji Nomaguchi

Tatsuya Ehara

The present invention provides: anextract that can be safely ingested, can be used as a material of food for preventing lifestyle diseases, contains an extremely low level of an anthraquinone (anthraquinone-based compound), and can be added to foods; and a method of producing theextract. A supercritical fluid extraction method can produce anextract containing a mixture that consists of a cyclolanostane compound and a lophenol compound in an amount of 1.0% by mass or more and having the following properties (1) and/or (2):

Method of producing aloe vera extract

Anextract is provided that can be safely ingested and, can be used as a food material for treating lifestyle diseases such as hyperglycemia. Theextract contains an extremely low level of an anthraquinone (anthraquinone-based compound), and can be added to foods. Theextract is produced by a supercritical fluid extraction method and contains a mixture of a cyclolanostane compound and a lophenol compound in an amount of 1.0% by mass or more. The mass mixing ratio of cyclolanostane compound:lophenol compound is 5.1:4.9 to 6.3:2.7 and/or the content of an anthraquinone-based compound is 0.001% by mass or less.

Method for treating hyperglycemia

To inhibit production of adipocytokines, in particular, adipocytokines that elicit insulin resistance and to prevent onset of pathosis caused by the insulin resistance or ameliorate the pathosis, the present invention provides an agent or a food or drink which contains a compound having a lophenol skeleton, or an organic solvent extract or a hot water extract of a Liliaceae plant or, a fraction thereof containing the compound as an active ingredient.

Agent for improving insulin resistance

To reduce amounts of fat accumulated in abdominal cavity and to prevent or ameliorate visceral fat type obesity, considered to be a main factor of metabolic syndrome, the present invention provides an agent or a food or drink which contains a compound having a lophenol skeleton, or an organic solvent extract or a hot water extract of a Liliaceae plant, or a fraction thereof containing the compound as an active ingredient.

Agent for inhibiting visceral fat accumulation

To provide an antioxidant which is highly safe, inhibits oxidation of a biological component, in particular, a lipid, and is used as a drug, food or drink, a food additive, an external preparation for skin, or the like. The antioxidant contains 3-O-&#x3b2;-D-glucopyranosyl-4-methylergost-7-en-3-ol as an active ingredient.

Antioxidant

3-O-&#x3b2;-D-Glucopyranosyl-4-methylergost-7-en-3-ol or a composition containing 0.001% by mass or more of the aforementioned compound, which is an extract of a plant of the family Liliaceae containing the compound or a fraction thereof, is used as an active ingredient of a hyperglycemia improving agent.

Glycoside having 4-methylergost-7-en-3-ol skeleton and hyperglycemia improving agent

Provided is an antioxidant which is highly safe, inhibits oxidation of a biological component, in particular, a lipid, and may be used as a drug, food or drink, a food additive, an external preparation for skin, or the like. The antioxidant contains a compound selected from a cyclolanostane compound and a lophenol compound as an active ingredient.

Compounds having a cyclolanostane skeleton such as 9,19-cyclolanostan-3-ol and 24-methylene-9,19-cyclolanostan-3-ol are used as an active ingredient of a drug and food or drink for improving pancreatic functions.

Drug and food or drink for improving pancreatic functions

A compound having a hyperglycemia improving effect and a hemoglobin A1c lowering action such as 4-methylcholest-7-en-3-ol, 4-methylergost-7-en-3-ol and 4-methylstigmast-7-en-3-ol is used as an active ingredient of a drug or food or drink for improving hyperglycemia.

Drug for improving hyperglycemia

To inhibit production of adipocytokines, in particular, adipocytokines that elicit insulin resistance and to prevent onset of pathosis caused by the insulin resistance, or improve the pathosis, the present invention provides an agent or a food or drink which contains 3-O-&#x3b2;-D-glucopyranosyl-4-methylergost-7-en-3-ol, or an organic solvent extract, a hot water extract or a squeezed liquid of a plant of the family Liliaceae or a fraction thereof which contains the compound as an active ingredient.

Compounds such as 4-methylcholest-7-en-3-ol, 4-methylergost-7-en-3-ol and 4-methylstigmast-7-en-3-ol which have an activity for improving pancreatic function are used as an active ingredient of a pancreas function improving drug and food or drink.

Method for improving pancreatic functions

To reduce amounts of fat accumulated in abdominal cavity and to prevent or ameliorate visceral fat type obesity, considered to be a main factor of metabolic syndrome, the present invention provides an agent or a food or drink which contains a compound having a lophenol skeleton, or an organic solvent extract or a hot water extract of a Liliaceae plant, or a fraction thereof containing the compound is used as an active ingredient.

To inhibit production of adipocytokines, in particular, adipocytokines that elicit insulin resistance and to prevent onset of pathosis caused by the insulin resistance, or improve the pathosis, the present invention provides an agent or a food or drink which contains a compound having a cyclolanostane skeleton, or an organic solvent extract, a hot water extract of a plant of the family Liliaceae or Gramineae, or a fraction thereof which contains the compound as an active ingredient.

To reduce amounts of fat accumulated in abdominal cavity and to prevent or ameliorate visceral fat type obesity considered to be a main factor of metabolic syndrome, there is provided an agent or a food or drink, including as an active ingredient 3-O-&#x3b2;-D-glucopyranosyl-4-methylergost-7-en-3-ol, an organic solvent extract, a hot water extract, a squeezed liquid of a Liliaceae plant or a fraction thereof which contains the compound.

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Zama, Japan

Miyuki Tanaka