Megmilk Snow Brand Co., Ltd.

Noriko Ueda

Hiroshi Ueno

Ken Katoh

Ken Kato

Toshimitsu Yoshioka

Susumu Miura

Yuko Ono

Yuko Haruta

Yoshikazu Morita

Takahiro Moriya

Toshiya Kobayashi

Leo Tanaka

Hiroaki Matsuyama

Hiroshi Urazono

Aiko Ono

Tatsuya Watanabe

Norimichi Nakahata

Daisaku Kobayashi

Yutaro Obara

Keiko Murakami

Kazuhiko Hiramatsu

Shigeyuki Kubo

Miyako Tanaka

An object of the present invention is to provide a safety sensation-improving agent that can improve dulled peripheral sensations through daily ingestion or application to the skin. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sensation-improving food, beverage, feed, or cosmetics that can improve dulled peripheral sensations through oral ingestion or application to the skin. A sensation-improving agent containing a milk-derived protein and/or a hydrolysate therefrom as an active ingredient is provided. The milk-derived protein and/or the hydrolysate therefrom can be orally ingested or applied direct to the skin to improve dulled sensations, particularly peripheral sensations, and be formed into a sensation-improving food, beverage, feed, or cosmetics.

Sensation-improving agent

A skin sensitivity improving agent which is safe and, when routinely taken or applied to the skin, exerts an effect of improving deterioration in peripheral sensation is provided. The present invention also provides a food, a drink, a feed or a cosmetic for improving sensation which exerts an effect of improving deterioration in peripheral sensation when orally taken or applied to the skin. The skin sensitivity improving agent includes, as the active ingredient, a basic protein fraction derived from milk or a degraded basic protein fraction derived from milk. By orally taking the basic protein fraction derived from milk or the degraded basic protein fraction derived from milk or applying the same directly to the skin, deterioration in sensation, in particular, peripheral sensation can be improved. Thus, a food, a drink, a feed or a cosmetic for improving sensation can be obtained.

Milk-derived basic protein fraction as skin sensitivity improving agent

The present invention provides a protein composition comprising a milk basic protein fraction; and at least one stabilizer selected from the group consisting of soybean polysaccharides, xanthan gum, pectin, gum arabic, gum ghatti, carrageenan, locust bean gum, sodium caseinate, lecithin, and carboxymethylcellulose. The protein composition significantly improves the heat resistance of the milk basic protein fraction. The present invention achieves heat treatment of a protein composition and food, beverage, feed, and pharmaceutical comprising such a protein composition at a temperature exceeding 90&#xb0; C. without deactivation of the milk basic protein fraction.

Milk basic protein composition and production process therefor

A problem of the present invention is to provide a skin collagen production-promoting agent without safety problems. Another problem of the present invention is to provide a skin collagen production-promoting food or drink product and a skin collagen production-promoting cosmetic product containing such a substance. TGF-&#x3b2; and/or a TGF-&#x3b2; degradation product, which is acquired by degrading TGF-&#x3b2; with a protease such as pepsin, pancreatin, etc., are used as a skin collagen production-promoting agent or the active ingredient of a skin collagen production-promoting food or drink product and a skin collagen production-promoting cosmetic product. The aforementioned TGF-&#x3b2; and/or TGF-&#x3b2; degradation product have an effect of increasing the collagen content of the skin.

Skin collagen production-promoting agent

The invention addresses the problem of providing a skin-beautifying agent with beautifying effects such as skin moisturizing, skin beautification, prevention of rough skin, wrinkle prevention, prevention of reduced elasticity, etc., and a skin-beautifying product such as a cosmetic, food or drink, feed, medicine, etc. that contains said skin-beautifying agent. The skin-beautifying agent is characterized in containing a hydrolyzate of whey protein as an active ingredient. Using a whey protein hydrolyzate having the characteristics of a molecular weight distribution of 10 kDa or less, a main peak of 200 Da-3 kDa, APL (average peptide length) of 2-8, free amino acid content of 20% or less, and a &#x3b2;-lactoglobulin antigenicity of 1/10,000 or less, in particular, provides a skin-beautifying agent of low allergenicity and low bitterness.

Skin-beautifying agent

It is intended to find novel pharmaceutical use of sphingomyelin and to provide preventive or therapeutic agents for various diseases as well as a food and drink product and feed comprising any of these agents. The present invention provides a pharmaceutical agent which contains sphingomyelin as an active ingredient and is any of the following agents: 1) a sialomucin secretion promoter, 2) an agent for preventing drunken sickness (hangover), 3) an antiallergic agent, 4) an antioxidant, 5) an agent for defending against infection, 6) a hair growth agent, 7) a therapeutic agent for demyelinating disease, 8) an anti-pigmentation agent, 9) an anti-inflammatory agent, and 10) an agent for improving learning ability. The present invention also provides a food and drink product or feed, characterized by comprising the agent. It is preferred that the sphingomyelin should be derived from milk.

Medicine, food and drink or feed containing sphingomyelin

A skin-whitening agent offering an excellent whitening effect and being effective in preventing and treating age spots, freckles, etc., where such skin-whitening agent contains as its effective ingredient a whey protein hydrolyzate characterized by a molecular weight distribution of 10 kDa or less, main peak of 200 Da to 3 kDa, APL (average peptide-chain length) of 2 to 8, free amino acid content of 20% or less, and antigenicity of one-ten thousandth of &#x3b2;-lactoglobulin or less, as well as a cosmetic, drink or food, feed, pharmaceutical preparation or other skin-whitening product containing such skin-whitening agent.

Skin-whitening agent

A skin beautifier contains sphingomyelin, which is a phospholipid, as an effective ingredient. In addition, skin-beautifying food or feed contains sphingomyelin as an effective ingredient. The present invention provides a skin beautifier and skin-beautifying food or feed supplying effects on beauty, such as skin-moisturizing and protecting effects, skin-roughness-preventing and improving effects, and a wrinkle-preventing effect, by oral ingestion thereof.

Skin beautifier

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Hokkaido, Japan

Noriko Ueda