US 2004O161524A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2004/0161524A1 Sakai et al. (43) Pub. Date: Aug. 19, 2004 (54) PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A PLANT (52) U.S. Cl. .............................................................. 426/655 EXTRACT CONTAINING PLANT POWDER (76) Inventors: Yasushi Sakai, Tsukuba-shi (JP); (57) ABSTRACT Yoshiharu Yokoo, Sagamihara-shi (JP) The present invention relates to a method for producing a Correspondence Address: liquid plant extract containing plant powder, which com FITZPATRICK CELLAHARPER & SCINTO prises concentrating a liquid extract containing an active 30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA ingredient in the presence of the plant powder, the liquid NEW YORK, NY 10112 (US) extract being obtained from a plant containing the active ingredient; a proceSS for producing a plant extract containing (21) Appl. No.: 10/481,519 plant powder, which is characterized by comprises concen trating and drying a liquid extract containing an active (22) PCT Filed: Jun. 21, 2002 ingredient in the presence of the plant powder, the liquid extract being obtained from a plant containing the active (86) PCT No.: PCT/JP02/06226 ingredient; a liquid plant extract or plant extract containing (30) Foreign Application Priority Data plant powder which comprises a liquid extract or plant extract containing the active ingredient obtained from a Jun. 21, 2001 (JP)...................................... 2001-18848O plant containing the active ingredient and comprises plant powder, and in which the content of the active ingredient in Publication Classification the liquid extract or plant extract is higher than that in the plant; and a food and drink or feed to which the liquid plant (51) Int. Cl." ....................................................... A23L 1/28 extract or plant extract containing plant powder is added. US 2004/O161524 A1 Aug. 19, 2004 PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A PLANT EXTRACT containing the active ingredient, a liquid extract or plant CONTAINING PLANT POWDER extract containing the active ingredient, and a food and drink or feed comprising the liquid extract or plant extract. TECHNICAL FIELD 0011. The invention of the present application relates to 0001. The present invention relates to a method for the following items (1) to (38). extracting and condensing an active ingredient from a plant containing the active ingredient, a liquid extract or plant 0012 (1) A process for producing a liquid plant extract extract containing the active ingredient, and a food and drink containing plant powder, which comprises: concentrating a or feed which comprises the liquid extract or plant extract. liquid extract containing an active ingredient in the presence of the plant powder, the extract being obtained from the BACKGROUND ART plant containing the active ingredient. 0002 Extraction of a plant containing an active ingredi 0013 (2) A process for producing a liquid plant extract ent, for example, Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium, which can be containing plant powder, which comprises a step of prepar prepared by collecting and fermenting the leaves and ing a liquid extract containing an active ingredient from a branches of Hydrangea macrophylla SERINGE var. Thun plant containing the active ingredient, and a Step of concen bergii Makino followed by drying, with various solvents trating the liquid extract in the presence of plant powder. Such as a mixture of a fat-Soluble organic Solvent and water affords a liquid extract containing an active ingredient Such 0014 (3) A process for producing a plant extract con as phyllodulcin. The concentrated liquid extract, however, taining plant powder, which comprises concentrating and yields highly viscoustaffy-like precipitate. drying a liquid extract containing an active ingredient in the presence of plant powder and Said liquid extract being 0003. The taffy-like precipitate tends to stick to the obtained from the plant containing the active ingredient. bottom of a vessel or block a pipeline, and it is difficult to transfer to another vessel. 0015 (4) A process for producing a plant extract con taining plant powder, which comprises a Step of preparing a 0004. On the other hand, the liquid extract containing an liquid extract containing an active ingredient from a plant active ingredient obtained by extraction with a Solvent Such containing the active ingredient, a step of concentrating the as ethanol, when dried by direct drying with a spray-drier or liquid extract in the presence of plant powder to give a liquid with drum drier through no procedure for concentration, plant extract containing the plant powder, and a Step of affords a very low recovery because the content of the solid drying the liquid plant extract containing the plant powder. component in the liquid extract is low. In addition, this operation is not a practical way because it requires Special 0016 (5) A process as described in any of the items (1) equipment Such as explosion protector. to (4), wherein the liquid extract containing an active ingredient is prepared by extracting the plant containing the 0005 Therefore, it is difficult to produce powder highly active ingredient with aqueous ethanol and removing the containing an active ingredient on an industrial Scale using resultant plant residue. a spray-drier or freeze drier. 0017 (6) A process as described in any of the items (1) 0006. On the other hand, the taffy-like precipitate is not to (5), wherein the plant powder is present in an amount of Suitable for use in foods and drinkS or feeds or as raw 19 to 1/19 parts by dry weight based on 1 part of the liquid material thereof because the directly dried precipitate is very extract containing the active ingredient by dry weight. hard. 0007. The extract of Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium with 0018 (7) A process as described in any of the items (1) Supercritical carbon dioxide or liquidized carbon dioxide is to (6), wherein the plant containing an active ingredient is a rich in phyllodulcin as an ethanol-Soluble Sweetening com plant belonging to the genus Hydrangea. ponent, which is however not easy to handle because it is in 0019 (8) A process as described in any of the items (1) a form of paste (Japanese Published Unexamined Patent to (6), wherein the plant containing an active ingredient is Application No.262772/89). Hydrangea macrophylla SERINGE var. Thunbergii Makino. 0008 AS plant powder, Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium pow 0020 (9) A process as described in any of the items (1) der is exemplified, but the content of phyllodulcin in the to (8), wherein the active ingredient is an ethanol-soluble powder is as low as 1 to 2% by weight because it is prepared OC. by pulverizing Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium as Such. Though the commercially available powder of Hydrangeae Dulcis 0021 (10) A process as described in any of the items (1) Folium extract for use in foods and drinkS is prepared by to (8), wherein the active ingredient is phyllodulcin. extraction of Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium with a water 0022 (11) A process as described in any of the items (1) soluble solvent, the content of phyllodulcin is as low as 2% to (10), wherein the plant powder is in the form of particles by weight or leSS. of 0.1 um to 1 mm in average particle Size in dry State. 0009 Thus, it is not possible to increase the content of an active ingredient in the plant powder by merely pulverizing 0023 (12) A process as described in any of the items (1) to (11), wherein the plant powder is a plant belonging to the the plant. genus Hydrangea. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 0024 (13) A process as described in any of the items (1) 0010. An object of the present invention is to provide a to (11), wherein the plant powder is Hydrangeae Dulcis proceSS for extracting an active ingredient from a plant Folium powder, green tea powder or turmeric powder. US 2004/O161524 A1 Aug. 19, 2004 0025 (14) A process as described in any of the items (1) powder in an amount of 19 to 1/19 parts by dry weight based to (13), wherein the concentration is conducted by heating on 1 part of the extract containing the active ingredient by under reduced pressure. dry weight. 0026 (15) A process as described in any of the items (3) 0040 (29) A plant extract containing plant powder as to (14), wherein the method of drying is freeze-drying or described in any of the items (26) to (28), wherein the plant heating under reduced pressure. containing an active ingredient is a plant belonging to the 0027 (16) A liquid plant extract containing plant powder genus Hydrangea. which comprises a liquid extract containing an active ingre 0041 (30) A plant extract containing plant powder as dient obtained from a plant containing the active ingredient described in any of the items (26) to (28), wherein the plant and comprises a plant powder, wherein the content of the containing an active ingredient is Hydrangea macrophylla active ingredient in the liquid extract is higher than that in SERINGE var. Thunbergii Makino. the plant. 0042 (31) A plant extract containing plant powder as 0028 (17) A liquid plant extract containing plant powder described in any of the items (26) to (30), wherein the active as described in the item (16), wherein the liquid extract ingredient is an ethanol-Soluble one. containing the active ingredient is prepared by extraction 0043 (32) A plant extract containing plant powder as with aqueous ethanol. described in any of the items (26) to (30), wherein the active 0029 (18) A liquid plant extract containing plant powder ingredient is phyllodulcin. as described in the item (16) or (17), which comprises the 0044 (33) A plant extract containing plant powder as plant powder in an amount of 19 to 1/19 parts by dry weight described in any of the items (26) to (31), wherein the plant based on 1 part of the liquid extract containing the active powder is in the form of particles of 0.1 um to 1 mm in ingredient by dry weight.