HK1078741B - Plant sterol-containing food, and method for preparing the same - Google Patents

Description

Food containing phytosterol and preparation method thereof

Technical Field

The present invention relates to food comprising phytosterols and a process for the preparation thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to foods comprising plant sterol micelles having a particle size of at most several hundred nanometers to inhibit the absorption of cholesterol into the body, and a preparation method thereof.

Background

Cholesterol, which is a hormone present in high concentrations in the brain, nervous tissue, organs, and plasma of higher animals, is a main precursor for the synthesis of vitamin D and a variety of steroid hormones, including sex hormones (testosterone, progesterone, etc.), adrenocortical hormone, bile acid, and the like. The presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hyperlipidemia, arteriosclerosis, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and the like. As a result of excessive intake of cholesterol, cholesterol-related diseases are gradually becoming a big social problem.

It is well known that endogenous cholesterol and dietary cholesterol migrate into the small intestine and about 50% are absorbed into the intestine (Bosner, m.s., Ostlund r.e., jr., osofosdisan, o., Grosklos, j., Fritschle, c., Lange, l.g. 1993). In light of these facts, mechanisms that prevent the absorption of cholesterol by the intestine are of particular interest to those attempting to find control of cholesterol-related diseases.

Phytosterols or phytostanols (stanols) naturally occurring in many plants such as beans, grains, wood, tallow, etc. are non-toxic. Phytosterols include sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol, while phytostanols include sitostanol, campestanol. For convenience, they are all referred to herein as phytosterols.

Since the structure of phytosterols is very similar to that of cholesterol, absorption of intestinal and bile cholesterol is inhibited when phytosterols are ingested in large quantities, as disclosed in us patent 5,578,334, thereby lowering plasma cholesterol levels. Since phytosterols have the effect of inhibiting cholesterol absorption, clinical trials have been conducted in which phytosterols as therapeutic agents are used to treat cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease and hyperlipidemia (Atherosclerosis 28: 325-338).

Although phytosterols have these useful functions, they are difficult to apply to food due to their poor physical properties, i.e., solubility in both water and oil. Therefore, foods with only limited content of phytosterols have been developed.

In order to increase the solubility of phytosterols, several researchers have synthesized a variety of derivatives of phytosterols. For example, a form of phytosterol ester has been developed which has excellent solubility in the oil phase (Mattson f.h., r.a.volpenhein and b.a.erickson, 1997). In U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,045, sitostanol fatty acid esters are disclosed, which are prepared by transesterification of sitostanol with fatty acid esters. According to this patent, sitostanol fatty acid esters can reduce LDL-C levels by as much as 16% when used in an application form in the oil phase (margarine).

PCT WO 99/15546 and WO 99/15547 describe water-soluble and oil-soluble phytosterol derivatives, which are synthesized: water-soluble and oil-soluble molecules are linked to phytosterols or phytostanols via ester linkages.

However, one study result showed that synthetic phytosterol derivatives with improved solubility had a lower inhibitory effect on intestinal cholesterol absorption than natural phytosterols (Mattson et al, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 35: 4.1982, page 697-700).

In addition to increasing the solubility of phytosterols by synthesizing derivatives, intensive research into improving the bioavailability of phytosterols has been conducted and continues.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,562 discloses an aqueous homogeneous micellar mixture of phytosterols, lecithin and lysolecithin, which is dried to a fine particle, water-soluble powder. This is obtained by mixing a fixed molar ratio of phytosterol, lecithin and lysolecithin in chloroform and removing the chloroform therefrom. In this patent, however, there are some inherent problems. The total amount of emulsifier used in this patent is greater than the total amount of phytosterols. The emulsifier lysolecithin is very expensive. Worse still, the organic solvent used to form micelles makes water-soluble powders unsuitable for ingestion.

Other water soluble phytosterols may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,054,144 and 6,110,502. According to these patents, water dispersible phytosterols are produced by mixing oryzanol or phytosterol, monofunctional surfactant and multifunctional surfactant in a fixed ratio in water and drying the mixture. The production process is characterized by the absence of homogenization and degassing steps which employ polyoxyethylene sorbitan monopalmitate and sorbitan monopalmitate as the monofunctional surfactant and the polyfunctional surfactant, respectively.

In EP 289,636, a process for producing emulsified or dissolved sterols in a stable form by mixing a fixed ratio of plant sterols with a liquid polyol containing sucrose fatty acid esters and/or polyglycerin fatty acid esters and diluting the mixture is described.

U.S. patent 6,190,720 discloses food ingredients useful as cholesterol-lowering substances that can be prepared by mixing one or more molten phytosterols with one or more fats and one or more emulsifiers to form a homogeneous phase and cooling the homogeneous mixture to about 60℃ with agitation to obtain a paste. The food ingredient can be used in oil-based foods such as salad dressings, margarine, etc.

EP 0897671 a1 relates to aqueous dispersions of phytosterols for use in spreads, dressings, milks, cheeses, and the like, and a process for their preparation, which comprises mixing together under shear forces molten high melting fat, a non-sterol emulsifier and water, with the proviso that the high melting fat has an average particle size of at most 15 microns. The advantage of this technique is that the use of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in the preparation process is minimized or eliminated altogether.

Edible products that lower cholesterol are found in PCT WO 00/33669. According to the prior art method, phytosterols are dissolved or mixed in edible emulsifiers, mixed with protein-containing food such as milk or yogurt, homogenized, and added to food products. The dispersion stability of the cholesterol-lowering edible product is maintained only in the presence of the protein-containing material, but not in the absence of the protein-containing material. Therefore, it is difficult to apply the cholesterol-lowering edible product to a protein-free food.

Us patent 6,267,963 relates to a phytosterol-emulsifier complex having a melting temperature at least 30 ℃ lower than that of phytosterols, characterized in that the phytosterol-emulsifier is less likely to crystallize during or after the production of the food product due to its reduced melting temperature and can be added to the food product in an amount effective to reduce the plasma cholesterol level, said phytosterol-emulsifier not having an unpleasant effect on the texture of the food product when consumed by a human.

However, the food containing phytosterol prepared according to the above conventional method has disadvantages in that the produced micellar particles of phytosterol have a particle size of several tens of micrometers, make the mouthfeel rough, and cause poor long-term stability due to phase separation or water separation.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present inventors have intensively and thoroughly studied a soluble form of phytosterol in view of the above-mentioned problems, and as a result, have found that the particle size of dispersed particles of phytosterol determines the dispersion stability and bioavailability of phytosterol, and that reducing the particle size to the nanometer scale is a technical solution to the above-mentioned problems in the prior art. It has also been found that in foods, dispersed particles of phytosterol having a particle size of at most several hundred nanometers are excellent in bioavailability, have no influence on the characteristic taste and flavor of foods, and have an effect of extending the expected life of foods, ensuring long-term stability of products, in addition to being usable in almost all foods without being affected by the food base and pH. The clue leading to the present invention comes from that when phytosterol and at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters and polyglycerin fatty acid esters are heated together in the absence of other additional ingredients, they are uniformly contacted with each other while being melted, and form fine micelles in the nanometer scale during the subsequent high-speed stirring or homogenization process.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for preparing a food containing phytosterol, wherein the phytosterol is dispersed at a nano-scale level, so that the bioavailability of the phytosterol is improved and it can be applied to various foods without being affected by food base and pH, and without affecting characteristic taste and flavor of the applied foods and without generating a rough mouthfeel.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food containing phytosterol, which can inhibit the absorption of intestinal cholesterol and bile cholesterol even when a relatively small amount of food is ingested, due to the high bioavailability of phytosterol contained in the food, and which does not produce a rough mouthfeel.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a process for the preparation of a food comprising phytosterols, which comprises the steps of:

thermally melting a mixture of phytosterols and at least one emulsifier selected from sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters and polyglycerol fatty acid esters at 60-200 ℃;

combining the molten mixture with water or an emulsifier-containing water;

stirring the resulting combination at high speed to obtain a dispersion of phytosterols in micellar form in water; and

the dispersion is applied to a food base in which the phytosterols are dispersed as particles having a size of at most several hundred nanometers.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a process for the preparation of a food comprising phytosterols, which comprises the steps of:

thermally melting a mixture of phytosterols and at least one emulsifier selected from sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters and polyglycerol fatty acid esters at 60-200 ℃;

combining the molten mixture with water or an emulsifier-containing water;

stirring the resulting combination at high speed, and then homogenizing to obtain a dispersion of phytosterols in micellar form in water; and

the dispersion is applied to a food base in which the phytosterols are dispersed as particles having a size of at most several hundred nanometers.

According to a third embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for preparing a food comprising phytosterols, comprising the steps of:

thermally melting a mixture of phytosterols and at least one emulsifier selected from sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters and polyglycerol fatty acid esters at 60-200 ℃;

cooling and solidifying the melted mixture, pulverizing the solidified mixture into powder, and combining the powder with water or water containing an emulsifier;

stirring the resulting combination at high speed to obtain a dispersion of phytosterols in micellar form in water; and

the dispersion is applied to a food base in which the phytosterols are dispersed as particles having a size of at most several hundred nanometers.

According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for preparing a food comprising phytosterols, which comprises the steps of:

thermally melting a mixture of phytosterols and at least one emulsifier selected from sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters and polyglycerol fatty acid esters at 60-200 ℃;

cooling and solidifying the melted mixture, pulverizing the solidified mixture into powder, and combining the powder with water or water containing an emulsifier;

stirring the resulting combination at high speed, and then homogenizing to obtain a dispersion of phytosterols in micellar form in water; and

the dispersion is applied to a food base in which the phytosterols are dispersed as particles having a size of at most several hundred nanometers.

According to a fifth embodiment, the present invention provides a phytosterol dispersed food prepared by one of the above-described methods.

Description of the preferred embodiments

Phytosterols are naturally occurring substances with a structure similar to that of cholesterol. In nature, a number of phytosterols have been found, with sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol and sitostanol being much more abundant than other sterols. In the present invention, the term "phytosterol" refers to all sterols and stanols found in plants, including sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, sitostanol, campestanol, and the like.

Various attempts have been made to apply phytosterols to food. International patent application PCT/KR01/01640 filed by the present inventors discloses dispersing phytosterols into micelles with a nanoscale particle size, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

According to the present invention, as a first step in preparing a food containing phytosterol, phytosterol is mixed with at least one specific emulsifier in an appropriate ratio, and then the mixture is heated to melt it.

In this connection, useful emulsifiers are those capable of dispersing phytosterols in the form of micelles having a particle size of up to several hundred nanometers, and examples thereof include sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and polyglycerol fatty acid esters. It was found that emulsifiers other than sucrose fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, and polyglycerin fatty acid ester gave a large amount of particles having a particle size of at least 1 μm as determined by various tests. In practice, other emulsifiers exhibit such low dispersion stability as to cause precipitation or water separation within three days after dispersing these dispersed phytosterols using other emulsifiers. Therefore, it is not desirable to apply emulsifiers other than sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and polyglycerin fatty acid esters to the preparation of foods. Among sucrose fatty acid esters, those having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of at least 7 are preferred. More preferably they have an HLB value of from 10 to 16. Preferably, the sorbitan fatty acid ester has an HLB value of 5 to 11, more preferably 7 to 10. For the polyglycerin fatty acid esters, they preferably have an HLB value of 10 to 20, more preferably 12 to 15. The sucrose fatty acid ester produces smaller particles and a more uniform particle size distribution than other emulsifiers, i.e., sorbitan fatty acid ester and polyglycerin fatty acid ester. In addition, when sorbitan fatty acid esters and polyglycerin fatty acid esters are used in large amounts, they give off a slight odor. Therefore, sucrose fatty acid esters are most preferred.

In the present invention, the weight ratio of the phytosterol to the total emulsifier (including the emulsifier introduced by mixing the emulsifier-containing water) is from 1: 0.01 to 1: 20(w/w), preferably from 1: 0.2 to 1: 2.0 (w/w). Thus, if the weight ratio of emulsifier to phytosterol is below 0.01, sufficient emulsification cannot be achieved, so that precipitation occurs and, if possible, emulsified particles are formed, the particle size of which can reach tens of microns. On the other hand, if the weight ratio exceeds 20, the resulting food acquires the taste of an emulsifier, making the mouthfeel poor.

In the case of using emulsifier-containing water, the emulsifier-containing water is used in which the weight ratio of the emulsifier contained therein to the emulsifier mixed with the phytosterol is at most 0.8 (i.e., at most 80% by weight based on the weight of the emulsifier mixed with the phytosterol), and preferably at most 0.5 (i.e., at most 50% by weight). A weight ratio of more than 0.8(w/w) (80 wt%) makes it difficult to form nano-sized particles because the amount of emulsifier mixed with phytosterol is relatively low.

According to the invention, the phytosterols and emulsifiers are mixed at 60-200 ℃. The heating temperature of the mixture is preferably in the range of 120-150 ℃. When mixed at a temperature lower than 60 ℃, the particle size of the micelle particles varies from several tens to several hundreds of micrometers, thereby deteriorating taste and bioavailability. On the other hand, while phytosterols are stable at 250 ℃, mixing temperatures above 200 ℃ denature the emulsifier.

Generally, when phytosterol, a substance which is dissolved in a small amount in water, is emulsified in water in the presence of an emulsifier, the emulsification is poor, resulting in the precipitation of phytosterol into particles having a particle size ranging from several tens to several hundreds of micrometers. Meanwhile, in the present invention, emulsification of phytosterol is maximized, so that the particle size of micelles is at most several hundreds of nanometers. For this purpose, the emulsification should be performed under the condition that the phytosterol is uniformly mixed with the emulsifier. To uniformly mix the phytosterols with the emulsifier, the phytosterols were heated to a temperature near their melting point (sitosterol: about 140 ℃; campesterol: about 157 ℃; stigmasterol: about 170 ℃) to bring the two components into the liquid phase prior to mixing.

According to the invention, the molten mixture is mixed with water alone or with water containing an emulsifier. Preferably these emulsifiers are the same as those mixed with phytosterols. However, different emulsifiers can also be used if they are compatible with one another. The weight ratio of phytosterol to water is 1: 10 to 1: 10,000(w/w), preferably 1: 10 to 1: 100 (w/w).

The mixture consisting of the molten mixture and water or water containing an emulsifier is stirred at high speed and optionally homogenized to produce a dispersion in which nanosized particles are formed. High speed stirring (or high speed stirring and homogenization) is of industrial importance in view of product quality consistency, since a uniform particle size distribution can be produced.

In this regard, stirring is carried out at 5,000-10,000rpm, preferably at 6,500-7,500rpm for about 10 minutes. This gives at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, micelles having a particle size of at most 300 nm.

After agitation, if aggregated micelles are present, homogenization is optionally required to break up some of the aggregated micelles. This homogenization step can be carried out by means of a high-pressure homogenizer, a colloid mill or an ultrasonic generator, preferably using a high-pressure homogenizer. At this time, the micelle is homogenized in the homogenizer at a pressure of 2,000-25,000psi, preferably at a pressure of 7,000-10,000 psi. This gives micelles with a particle size of at most 300 nm of at least 95%, preferably at least 99%.

Alternative embodiments of the invention are described below.

The phytosterol may be mixed with the emulsifier and heated at about its melting point, and the molten mixture cooled to solidify and then pulverized into a powder. By stirring the powder at high speed in water or water containing an emulsifier, an aqueous dispersion of phytosterol can be prepared. In this case, as previously described, a homogenization step may optionally be performed after the agitation step to remove aggregated micelles.

According to the present invention, a clear dispersion of phytosterols is formed when subjected to high speed stirring (particularly when subjected to high speed stirring and homogenization steps). For comparison, when the phytosterol was used at an amount of 1%, conventional emulsification could not ensure dispersion stability of the resulting solution, causing increased precipitation of the phytosterol. Although the transmittance (700nm) of the dispersion produced by the conventional emulsification procedure is as low as 0.16%, the process of the present invention ensures a minimum transmittance (700nm) of 80.0%.

In particular, the above mixture of phytosterols and emulsifier in powder form has the advantages over the liquid form in that: convenient treatment, no damage caused by microbial pollution in the transportation process, and easy transportation with low logistics cost.

According to the present invention, when the mixture of phytosterol and emulsifier is combined with water or water containing emulsifier, the mixture of phytosterol and emulsifier may be in the form of a hot liquid phase or a cooled solid phase. In this case, it is preferable to heat the water or the water containing the emulsifier to about 60 to 140 ℃. Although it is preferable to adjust the heating temperature of the water or the water containing the emulsifier to be close to the mixing temperature of the phytosterol and the emulsifier to produce small micelle particles and enhance the emulsification efficiency, the temperature range of the water heated or the water containing the emulsifier may be in the range of about 70-90 ℃ to facilitate the production. In case the temperature of the water or water containing emulsifier is raised above 100 c, pressurization is required. For example, heating water or water containing an emulsifier to 140 ℃ requires about 5 atm.

In contrast, the size of the resulting micelles measured under the same conditions ranges from several tens to several hundreds of micrometers, except that the mixture of phytosterol and emulsifier is not heated. These comparative measurements therefore demonstrate that the melt blending step of the fabric sterol and emulsifier plays a very important role in the formation of nano-sized particles. In addition, as described later, high-speed stirring (or high-speed stirring and homogenization) is important for producing particles of uniform particle size.

When heated in the absence of other ingredients, the phytosterol and emulsifier may be in uniform contact with each other upon melting, such that micelles with a particle size of several hundred nanometers are obtained after emulsification. Therefore, the present invention enables the production of nano-sized particles suitable for use in foods without using any organic solvent that can dissolve phytosterol considerably, as compared with the conventional art.

The dispersion obtained after dispersing the mixture of phytosterol and emulsifier in water is evaporated and freeze-dried or spray-dried to produce a water-soluble phytosterol powder. These powders can be redispersed in water and applied to food.

The resulting dispersion of the present invention is applied to a food base to provide the desired food comprising phytosterols. In these foods, micelles having a small particle size of several hundred nanometers have a large surface area and particle curvature, and thus have excellent bioavailability without affecting the characteristic taste and flavor of the foods. In addition, the food of the present invention does not separate into layers or separate out water even after being stored in a refrigerator because the dispersion stability of the phytosterol micelles is improved. In addition, in foods on the market stored at warm temperatures, the phytosterol micelles maintain excellent dispersion stability, thus ensuring long-term stability of the product.

Examples of non-beverage food bases to which the phytosterol dispersion may be applied include yogurt, porridge, soup, ice cream, mayonnaise, ketchup, cheese, salad oil, dressings, and margarine.

Having generally described this invention, a further understanding can be obtained by reference to certain specific examples provided herein which are provided for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting unless otherwise specified. In the following examples, the particle size distribution was analyzed using a Mastersizer (MALVERNInstrument ltd., UK).

Comparative example 1

To a1 liter vessel was added 500g of water, which was then heated to about 80 ℃. To the hot water were added 5g of phytosterols (sitosterol 75%, campesterol 10%, and stigmasterol and sitostanol 15%) and 4.25g of sucrose stearate (HLB 11), and the mixture was stirred at 6,800 and 7,000rpm for 10 minutes. The particle size of the particles thus obtained was analyzed, and the results are shown in table 1 below.

TABLE 1

Particle size (. mu.m)	Cumulative percentage of
		0.985	0.07
1.89	12.41
		2.50	32.52
3.31	53.23
		4.38	66.82
5.27	77.28
		6.35	85.32
11.11	95.69
		21.32	98.96
78.56	100.00

Comparative example 2

The dispersion prepared in comparative example 1 was treated at 7,000psi in one pass through a high pressure homogenizer, such as that manufactured by Microfluidics, known as "microfluidizer ml 10 EHI". The particle size of the particles thus obtained was analyzed, and the results are shown in table 2 below. The transmittance of the resulting dispersion at 700nm was measured to be 0.16%.

TABLE 2

Particle size (. mu.m)	Cumulative percentage of
		0.985	0.03
1.89	11.25
		2.50	30.43
3.31	54.47
		4.38	66.55
5.27	79.74
		6.35	88.45
11.11	96.21
		21.32	99.46
94.65	100.00

Examples 1 to 8

In a1 liter vessel, the phytosterols (sitosterol 75%, campesterol 10%, and stigmasterol and sitostanol 15%), sucrose stearate (HLB 11), and sorbitan laurate (HLB 8.6) shown in table 3 below were mixed and melted at 140 ℃ with stirring. After completion of the melting, the solution was stirred for another 1 minute and added to water heated to about 80 ℃ and then stirred at 6,800-. In the case of examples 2, 4, 6 and 8, the resulting solution was further processed at 7,000psi in one pass through a high pressure homogenizer (Microfluidizer M110EHI, Microfluidics).

The solution of example 1 was analyzed for particle size distribution and the results are shown in table 4 below. The analysis results of the particles of examples 3, 5 and 7 were similar to those shown in table 4. The particle size distribution of example 2 was analyzed and the results are shown in table 5 below. The analysis results of the particles of examples 4, 6 and 8 were similar to those shown in table 5. The transmittance at 700nm of the phytosterol dispersions prepared in examples 2, 4, 6 and 8 was measured to be 80.0 to 80.5%.

TABLE 3

Examples	Plant sterol	Sucrose stearate	Sorbitan laurate	Water (W)	High pressure homogenization
						1	5g	4.25g	-	500g	Is not carried out
2	5g	4.25g	-	500g	To carry out
						3	5g	3.036g	1.214g	500g	Is not carried out
4	5g	3.036g	1.214g	500g	To carry out
						5	25g	2.5g	1.75g	500g	Is not carried out
6	25g	2.5g	1.75g	500g	To carry out
						7	25g	2.126g	2.124g	500g	Is not carried out
8	25g	2.126g	2.124g	500g	To carry out

TABLE 4

Particle size (. mu.m)	Cumulative percentage of
		0.096	20.35
0.127	52.19
		0.153	68.49
0.184	75.29
		0.222	85.33
0.294	91.52
		0.985	99.21
5.27	100.0

TABLE 5

Particle size (. mu.m)	Cumulative percentage of
		0.096	13.67
0.127	49.40
		0.153	69.39
0.184	77.61
		0.222	89.07
0.294	95.22
		0.985	99.89
2.08	100.0

Examples 9 to 16

In a1 liter vessel, the phytosterols (sitosterol 75%, campesterol 10%, and stigmasterol and sitostanol 15%), sucrose stearate (HLB 11), and sorbitan laurate (HLB 8.6) shown in table 6 below were mixed and melted at 140 ℃ with stirring. After completion of the melting, the solution was stirred for another 1 minute and added to a solution of 1g of sucrose stearate in water (80 ℃ C.), followed by stirring at 6,800-7,000rpm for about 10 minutes. In the case of examples 10, 12, 14 and 16, the resulting solution was further processed at 7,000psi in one pass through a high pressure homogenizer (Microfluidizer M110EHI, Microfluidics).

The solution of example 9 was analyzed for particle size distribution and the results are shown in table 7 below. The analysis results of the particles of examples 11, 13 and 15 were similar to those shown in table 7. The particle size distribution of example 10 was analyzed and the results are shown in table 8 below. The analysis results of the particles of examples 12, 14 and 16 were similar to those shown in table 8. The transmittance at 700nm of the phytosterol dispersions prepared in examples 10, 12, 14 and 16 was measured to be 80.5 to 82.5%.

TABLE 6

Examples	Plant sterol	Sucrose stearate	SorboseAlcohol anhydride laurate	Water (W)	High pressure homogenization
						9	5g	4.25g	-	500g	Is not carried out
10	5g	4.25g	-	500g	To carry out
						11	5g	3.036g	1.214g	500g	Is not carried out
12	5g	3.036g	1.214g	500g	To carry out
						13	25g	2.5g	1.75g	500g	Is not carried out
14	25g	2.5g	1.75g	500g	To carry out
						15	25g	2.126g	2.124g	500g	Is not carried out
16	25g	2.126g	2.124g	500g	To carry out

TABLE 7

Particle size (. mu.m)	Cumulative percentage of
		0.096	19.21
0.127	52.30
		0.153	68.72
0.184	76.41
		0.222	85.95
0.294	92.05
		0.985	99.35
4.80	100.0

TABLE 8

Particle size (. mu.m)	Cumulative percentage of
		0.096	14.50
0.127	48.24
		0.153	70.68
0.184	77.92
		0.222	90.61
0.294	96.74
		0.985	99.85
2.08	100.0

Example 17

In a1 liter vessel, 5g of phytosterols (sitosterol 75%, campesterol 10%, and stigmasterol and sitostanol 15%) and 4.25g of polyglycerol monostearate (HLB 12) were melted with stirring at 140 ℃. After completion of the melting, the melt was stirred for another 1 minute and added to 490.75g of water heated to about 80 ℃ and then stirred at 6,800-. The resulting solution was further processed through a high pressure homogenizer (Microfluidizer M110EHI, Microfluidics) at 7,000psi in one pass.

Within the allowable experimental error (2%), the results of the particle size analysis before high pressure homogenization were the same as those shown in table 4. The results of the particle size analysis after high pressure homogenization were the same as shown in table 5, within the allowed experimental error. The transmittance of the phytosterol dispersion at 700nm after high pressure homogenization is 80.0 to 80.5%.

Example 18

In a1 liter vessel, 5g of phytosterols (sitosterol 75%, campesterol 10%, and stigmasterol and sitostanol 15%) and 3.25g of polyglycerol monostearate (HLB 12) were melted with stirring at 140 ℃. After completion of the melting, the melt was stirred for another 1 minute and added to 491.25g of water heated to about 80 ℃ and then stirred at 6,800-. The resulting solution was further processed through a high pressure homogenizer (Microfluidizer M110EHI, Microfluidics) at 7,000psi in one pass.

Within the allowable experimental error (2%), the results of the particle size analysis before high pressure homogenization were the same as those shown in table 7. Within the allowed experimental error, the results of the particle size analysis after high pressure homogenization were the same as those shown in table 8. The transmittance of the phytosterol dispersion at 700nm after high pressure homogenization is 80.2 to 82.5%.

Example 19

In a1 liter vessel, 5g of phytosterols (sitosterol 75%, campesterol 10%, stigmasterol and sitostanol 15%) and 4.25g of sucrose stearate (HLB 11) were melted at 140 ℃ with stirring. After completion of the melting, the melt was stirred for another 1 minute and added to 500g of water heated to about 80 ℃ and then stirred at 6,800-. The obtained dispersion was spray-dried to obtain a water-soluble phytosterol powder.

Example 20

In a1 liter vessel, 5g of phytosterol (melting point 143 ℃ C.) and 4.25g of sucrose stearate (HLB 11) were melted at 140 ℃ with stirring. After the melting was completed, the melt was stirred for an additional 1 minute, cooled to room temperature to give a solid, which was then pulverized into a powder. 9.25g of the powder was dispersed in 90.75g of water heated to about 90 ℃ and then stirred at 6,800-. The resulting solution was further processed through a high pressure homogenizer (Microfluidizer M110EHI, Microfluidics) at 7,000psi in one pass.

Example 21

Preparation of yogurt containing phytosterol

60% of heat-sterilized raw milk, 10% of each dispersion given in table 9 below, 5% of skim milk powder, 7% of oligosaccharide, 2% of stabilizer, and 16% of water (by weight) were uniformly mixed at 65 ℃. The mixture thus obtained was found to be at 210kg/cm²Conditioned through a homogenizer to form small, uniform particles. The mixture was then sterilized by heating at 95 ℃ for 10 minutes and cooled to 42 ℃. After inoculating lactic acid starter in an amount of 0.01% to the mixture, the culture was performed at 42 ℃. When the pH of the culture was lowered to 4.6, the culture was cooled to 10 ℃ to stop the growth of the bacteria, and aged at the same temperature for 6 hours. The culture was mixed with the previously heat-sterilized fruit juice at a ratio of 75: 25, and immediately thereafter the mixture was packaged in an oxygen-insulated container and stored in a refrigerator. After storage at 4 ℃ for 30 days, the yogurt was observed for water separation, phase separation and flavor change, and the results of the observation are shown in the following table 9.

TABLE 9

Numbering	Dispersion product	Separation of water	Phase separation	Taste change
					1	Prepared in example 1	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
2	Prepared in example 2	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
					3	Prepared in example 3	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
4	Prepared in example 4	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
					5	Prepared in example 9	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
6	Prepared in example 10	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
					7	Prepared in example 18	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
8	Prepared in example 19	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
					9	Prepared in example 20	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.

N.O.: no observation was made

Example 22

Preparation of congee comprising phytosterols

After washing 7.5g of rice and 10.0g of glutinous rice with water, they were immersed in cold water for 4 hours. After dehydration, the rice mixture was ground and heated in 73.5g of water in a double bath. To the rice gruel 3g of starch was added and then heated for an additional 10 minutes to reach the appropriate viscosity. 5.8g of each dispersion shown in Table 10 below and 0.2g of salt were mixed with rice porridge, and packaged in a predetermined amount in an insulated package and sterilized in a retort at 130 ℃ for 30 minutes. After storage at room temperature for 3 months and then at 55 ℃ for 5 days, the rice gruel in the package was observed for water separation, phase separation and taste, and the results are shown in table 10 below.

Watch 10

Numbering	Dispersion product	Separation of water	Phase separation	Taste change
					1	Prepared in example 1	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
2	Prepared in example 2	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
					3	Prepared in example 3	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
4	Prepared in example 4	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
					5	Prepared in example 9	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
6	Prepared in example 10	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
					7	Prepared in example 18	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
8	Prepared in example 19	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.
					9	Prepared in example 20	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.

N.O.: no observation was made

Industrial applicability

As mentioned above, the particle size of the phytosterol particles dispersed in the food greatly improves their bioavailability, reducing plasma cholesterol levels even when little is ingested. In addition, the nano-sized particles of phytosterol had a non-rough mouthfeel and had no effect on the characteristic taste and flavor of the food. In addition, the phytosterol nanoparticles can be used in almost all foods regardless of beverage base and pH. Also, the phytosterol particles do not show water separation and phase separation, ensuring long-term stability of the product.

Claims (14)

1. A process for the preparation of a food comprising phytosterols, which comprises the steps of:

thermally melting a mixture of phytosterols and at least one emulsifier selected from sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters and polyglycerol fatty acid esters at 60-200 ℃;

combining the molten mixture with water or an emulsifier-containing water;

stirring the resulting combination at 5000 to 10000rpm to obtain a dispersion of phytosterols in micellar form in water; and

applying the dispersion to a food base in which the phytosterols are dispersed as particles having a particle size of at most 300 nanometers;

wherein the weight ratio of the phytosterol to the total emulsifier is in the range of 1: 0.01 to 1: 20(w/w), and the emulsifier contained in the emulsifier-containing water is used in a ratio of at most 0.8 to the weight ratio of the emulsifier mixed with the phytosterol.

2. A process for the preparation of a food comprising phytosterols, which comprises the steps of:

melting a mixture of phytosterol and an emulsifier selected from sucrose fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester and polyglycerin fatty acid ester at 60-200 deg.C by hot melting;

combining the molten mixture with water or an emulsifier-containing water;

stirring the resulting combination at 5000 to 10000rpm and then homogenizing to obtain a dispersion of phytosterols in micellar form in water; and

applying the dispersion to a food base in which the phytosterols are dispersed as particles having a particle size of at most 300 nanometers;

wherein the weight ratio of the phytosterol to the total emulsifier is in the range of 1: 0.01 to 1: 20(w/w), and the emulsifier contained in the emulsifier-containing water is used in a ratio of at most 0.8 to the weight ratio of the emulsifier mixed with the phytosterol.

3. A process for the preparation of a food comprising phytosterols, which comprises the steps of:

thermally melting a mixture of phytosterols and at least one emulsifier selected from sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters and polyglycerol fatty acid esters at 60-200 ℃;

cooling and solidifying the melted mixture, pulverizing the solidified mixture into powder, and combining the powder with water or water containing an emulsifier;

stirring the resulting combination at 5000 to 10000rpm to obtain a dispersion of phytosterols in micellar form in water; and

applying the dispersion to a food base in which the phytosterols are dispersed as particles having a particle size of at most 300 nanometers;

wherein the weight ratio of the phytosterol to the total emulsifier is in the range of 1: 0.01 to 1: 20(w/w), and the emulsifier contained in the emulsifier-containing water is used in a ratio of at most 0.8 to the weight ratio of the emulsifier mixed with the phytosterol.

4. A process for the preparation of a food comprising phytosterols, which comprises the steps of:

thermally melting a mixture of phytosterols and at least one emulsifier selected from sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters and polyglycerol fatty acid esters at 60-200 ℃;

cooling and solidifying the melted mixture, pulverizing the solidified mixture into powder, and combining the powder with water or water containing an emulsifier;

stirring the resulting combination at 5000 to 10000rpm and then homogenizing to obtain a dispersion of phytosterols in micellar form in water; and

applying the dispersion to a food base in which the phytosterols are dispersed as particles having a particle size of at most 300 nanometers;

wherein the weight ratio of the phytosterol to the total emulsifier is in the range of 1: 0.01 to 1: 20(w/w), and the emulsifier contained in the emulsifier-containing water is used in a ratio of at most 0.8 to the weight ratio of the emulsifier mixed with the phytosterol.

5. The process of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least 95.0% of the dispersed phytosterol particles have a particle size of at most 300 nanometers.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein at least 99.0% of the dispersed phytosterol particles have a particle size of at most 300 nanometers.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the emulsifier is a sucrose fatty acid ester.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sucrose fatty acid ester has a hydrophilic lipophilic balance of at least 7.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the sucrose fatty acid ester has a hydrophilic lipophilic balance of from 10 to 16.

10. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the emulsifier is a polyglyceryl fatty acid ester.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the polyglycerin fatty acid ester has a hydrophilic lipophilic balance value of 10 to 20.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the polyglycerin fatty acid ester has a hydrophilic lipophilic balance value of 12 to 15.

13. A food comprising phytosterols prepared by the process of any one of claims 1 to 4.

14. The food of claim 13, wherein the food is yogurt, porridge, soup, ice cream, mayonnaise, ketchup, salad oil, dressing, or margarine.