WO2005096840A1

WO2005096840A1 - Kiwifruit extracts and extraction methods

Info

Publication number: WO2005096840A1
Application number: PCT/NZ2005/000071
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yi-Huai Gao; Jin Lan; Guo-Liang Chen; Quan Shu
Original assignee: DRAGON PACIFIC Ltd; New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research Ltd
Current assignee: DRAGON PACIFIC Ltd; New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Ltd
Priority date: 2004-04-08
Filing date: 2005-04-07
Publication date: 2005-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 2006-10-08
Also published as: NZ532254A

Abstract

A method of extracting certain bioactive components of kiwifruit by treating the pericarp, seeds and pulp of kiwifruit and the extract produced by the extraction procedure, the extract retaining to a suitable extent beneficial properties of kiwifruit including antioxidant, anti-free radical and immunological properties.

Description

KIWIFRUIT EXTRACTS AND EXTRACTION METHODS

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to kiwifruit extracts and to a method of producing a kiwifruit extract from a kiwifruit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Kiwifruit (Actinida) have been reported to be the most nutritionally dense of all commonly eaten fresh fruits. Several studies have demonstrated that consuming a certain amount of kiwifruit can be beneficial to humans and animals.

Basic extraction techniques for producing laboratory size samples of some individual components of kiwifruit are available and general extraction techniques applicable to a variety of fruit are also known. However, these known methods do not maximally retain nutritionally beneficial combinations of components which are present in kiwifruit. As a result, these kiwifruit extracts do not have the combination of basic nutritional components that allow a good level of health benefits available from kiwifruit to be achieved.

It would be an advantage to achieve this and/or be able to provide extracts that provide certain desirable benefits of kiwifruit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect the invention provides a kiwifruit extract containing the following components:

(1) water soluble polysaccharides; or

(2) a combination of water-soluble polysaccharides and any one or more of alkaloid, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, arginine, polyphenols, or β-carotene, and other components in kiwifruit.

Preferably the extract contains water-soluble polysaccharides, β-carotene and any one or more of alkaloid, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, arginine, or polyphenols, etc. Preferably the components of the kiwifruit extract are present in the following amounts of the following bioactives, per 100 g of extract:

Components Content

Ascorbic acid 6500—8500 μg

Tocopherol 1.4 — 1.8 mg β-carotene 120— 170 μg

Selenium 4.0—5.0 μg

Folic acid 1400— 1900 μg

Chlorophyll 3000—3500 μg

Arginine 1080— 1600 μg

Polyphenols 4.5 — 7.5 μg

Alkaloid 4.5 — 5.5 μg

W-S Polysaccharide 4.0—80.0 mg

Preferably the extract includes, per 100 g of extract:

Components Content

Ascorbic acid 6750- 8000 μg β-carotene 125 - 165 μg

Tocopherol 1.5 - 1.8 mg

W-S Polysaccharide 15 - 18 mg

Polyphenols 4.5 - 7.5 μg

Folic Acid 1450 - 1900 μg

or

Components Content

Tocopherol 1.5 - 1.8 mg β-carotene 120 - 168 μg

Selenium 4.5 - 4.6 μg

Ascorbic acid 6820- 8300 μg

W-S Polysaccharide 16 - 18.0 mg

Chlorophyll 320 - 340 μg or

Components Content

W-S Polysaccharide 75 - 80 mg

Arginine 1080 - 1320 μg

Chorophyll 3000 - 3500 μg

Folic Acid 1450 - 1810 μg β-carotene 125 - 170 μg

Alkaloid 4.6 - 5.2 μg

Selenium 4 - 4.1 μg

Preferably the extract contains at least about 15 mg polysaccharide per 100 g of extract.

Preferably the extract contains between about 15 mg and 80 mg of polysaccharide per

100 g of extract.

Preferably the kiwifruit extract has beneficial antioxidant, anti free radical, and immunological properties, and other health benefits related to kiwifruit components.

Preferably the kiwifruit extract is in a powder form.

Preferably the kiwifruit extract in powder form is mixed with a suitable carrier to produce a liquid or gel product.

Preferably the kiwifruit extract is mixed with a suitable carrier and forms part of a pill, tablet, or capsule.

Preferably the carrier is selected from any one or more of: polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, starches, sugars, glucans, gelatin, milk powder, liquid milk, proteins, lipids, fermented milk, fruit juice, and other suitable materials which can be used as a carrier, but not limited to these carriers.

In a second aspect the invention provides a process for producing a kiwifruit extract, the process including the following steps: ^■ physical and enzyme treatment,

^■ extraction with water and/or ethanol,

^■ drying the extract at relatively low temperature.

Preferably the temperature for drying the extract will be between 70°C and 80°C.

Preferably the process includes the steps of separation of kiwifruit pericarp and pulp, separation of kiwifruit seed and pulp, physical and enzyme treatments, dehydration, and drying of the extract.

Preferably the separation of the kiwifruit pericarp and pulp is achieved using a stainless steel net.

Preferably the stainless steel net is between 30 and 45 mesh, more preferably 40 mesh.

Preferably the separation of the kiwifruit seed and pulp is achieved using a stainless steel net.

Preferably the stainless steel net is between 250 and 350 mesh, more preferably 300 mesh.

Preferably the enzyme is pectinase and/or pepsin.

In a third aspect, the invention relates to a product produced by the process of the second aspect of the invention, the product having beneficial antioxidant, anti-free radical, and/or immunological properties.

In a fourth aspect the invention provides a composition including a kiwifruit extract together with a suitable carrier, the kiwifruit extract including the following components: 1. water soluble polysaccharides; or

2. a combination of water soluble polysaccharides and alkaloid, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, arginine, polyphenols, or β-carotene, and other components in kiwifruit.

Preferably the extract contains at least about 15 mg polysaccharide per 100 g of extract. Preferably the extract contains between about 15 mg and 80 mg of polysaccharide per 100 g of extract.

Preferably the carrier is a suitable pharmaceutical carrier which can be selected from any one or more of: polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, starches, sugars, glucans, gelatin, milk powder, liquid milk, proteins, lipids, fermented milk, or fruit juice, but not limited to these carriers.

Preferably the kiwifruit extract contains water-soluble polysaccharides, β-carotene and any one or more of alkaloid, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, arginine, polyphenols, and kiwifruit components.

In a fifth aspect, the invention provides a method of producing a kiwifruit extract having beneficial antioxidant, immune, and anti-free radical properties from kiwifruit pericarp, seed and pulp by:

■ physical and enzyme treatment,

■ extraction with water and/or ethanol,

■ drying the extract at relatively low temperature.

In a sixth aspect the invention provides a method for producing a kiwifruit extract, the method including the steps of

(i) separating the pericarp from the pulp and seed; (ii) treating the pericarp to produce a juice and residue; (iii) collecting or drying the pericarp juice; (iv) discarding or treating the pericarp residue to remove chlorophyll and either collecting the treated residue or further treating the residue to extract polysaccharides and collecting the polysaccharides as a juice or powder; (v) treating the seed and pulp by either:

(a) enzyme treatment of both seed and pulp using pectinase, pepsin or pectatelyase;

(b) collecting the juice, or further treating the seed and pulp by removal of solid components from the juice and then further enzyme treatment using pectinase, pepsin or pectatelyase and collecting the juice; or

(c) separating the seed from the pulp and treating the seed to produce a juice and collecting the juice; (d) treating the pulp to produce a juice by crushing and separation or following steps (a) and (b) above; (vi) the juice or powders are then collected and combined.

Preferably the seed, when treated separately to the pulp is converted to a juice using acid and base treatment, followed by crushing and separation.

Preferably the enzyme treatments in steps (v) (a) and (v) (b) use different enzymes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In broad terms the invention is directed to kiwifruit extracts and their use in the manufacture of compositions that have beneficial effects on the health of the consumer, such as antioxidant, anti-free radical, and immunological properties, and other health benefits associated to bioactive components in kiwifruit. Other benefits include lower cholesterol, lower blood lipids, improvement of gut health (digestion, colon cancer) lower blood pressure, as well as wound healing effects, improved sleep and reduction of stress levels.

Health-promoting components of natural foods are of major medical and economic importance, and are the focus of considerable research internationally. The nutriceutical market is developing rapidly to exploit the beneficial properties of components such as anti-oxidants (e.g., superoxide dismutase, vitamin C, vitamin E), polyphenols, polysaccharides, amino acids, fatty acids, and other bioactives.

Kiwifruit contains many different bioactive components/chemicals and studies have shown that different kiwifruit (including Actinidia deliciosa, Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia arguta, etc from different parts of the world (including New Zealand and China)) are rich in ingredients such as water-soluble polysaccharide, β-carotene, tocopherol, ascorbic acid, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, arginine, polyphenols, actinidine, and peptides/proteins, etc.

Vitamin C promotes the biosynthesis of collagen and the growth of bone and teeth, functions in the maintenance of blood capillary walls, and prevents bleeding. It is closely related to the metabolism of tyrosine and tryptophan, accelerates deamination of proteins, and protects hydrophenylalanine oxidase. Vitamin C also cooperates with ATP and Mg to act as a co-activator of lipohydrolase. Vitamin C is an important free radical scavenger and functions with vitamin E and NADPH to prevent the oxidation of lipids and biological membranes. It enhances the absorption of Fe and Ca, activates the folic acid pathway, and promotes the response to "stress" from the environment. Above about 5000 μg of vitamin C per 100 g of extract is preferred.

β-carotene is a precursor of vitamin A, which participates in the constitution of rhodopsin and other light receptor pigments, promotes growth, and strengthens reproductive function. Moreover, β-carotene has roles in anti-oxidation and anti-free radical activity, extinguishing the single line form of oxygen, and functioning along with vitamin C and E to scavenge free radicals. Above about 100 μg of β-carotene per 100 g of extract is preferred.

Vitamin E (tocopherol) can prevent oxidation of lipids, thus reducing the formation of lipoperoxide. It can also protect vitamins A and C, sulphur-containing enzymes, and ATP from oxidation and thus maintains their normal physiological functions. Vitamin E also increases the weight of thymus, stimulates B- and T cells, and modulates the biosynthesis of DNA. Above about 1 mg of vitamin E per 100 g extract is preferred.

Since free radicals have been associated with aging, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, β-carotene and vitamin E as potent anti-oxidants may have a role in the prevention of these diseases.

Folic acid is important in the metabolism of amino acids, biosynthesis of proteins and nucleic acids, formation of porphyrins in red blood cells, production of white blood cells, metabolism of long chain fatty acids in the cerebrum, and synthesis of adrenaline and choline. Both vitamin C and folic acid may help prevent cardio-vascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease and cerebral thrombus, cancer, and deformity of the foetus. Above about 1000 μg of folic acid per 100 g extract is preferred.

Arginine is an essential component in the ornithine cycle, and has an important physiological role in the human body in maintaining the ammonia balance and normal growth. It is also a substrate for the formation of nitric oxide (NO) that is known to be an important physiological mediator. NO can activate macrophages and lymphocytes, and potentiate their ability to kill tumour cells and pathogens. Above about 1000 μg of arginine per 100 g extract is preferred.

Chlorophylls are the material basis of plant photosynthesis. They have anti-mutational effects by combining with carcinogenic substances such as aflatoxin and benzopyridine to form a complex. Chlorophylls inhibit allergic reactions and have anti-complement effects. They also accelerate wound and ulcer healing, and the growth of granulation. Above about 2500 μg of chlorophylls are preferred per 100 g extract.

Polyphenols include tannin and its derivative, catechin, and have properties of astringency, antibiosis, and preventing bleeding. Polyphenols decrease lipoperoxide levels, thus protecting cell membranes. Above about 4 μg of polyphenols are preferred per 100 g extract.

The concentration of polysaccharides in New Zealand kiwifruit is much higher than that in

Ganoderma, a medicinal mushroom (approximately 1.2%) from which polysaccharides are extracted and commercially sold in capsule form. Many polysaccharides arising from fruits and other plants have been shown to stimulate the immune system, activate effector cells such as macrophages and lymphocytes, and induce the production of cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor and interleukins. Above about 4 mg of water soluble polysaccharides per 100 g extract are preferred.

Selenium (Se) is a water-soluble anti-oxidant, acting as an essential part in glutathione oxidase. Se-containing proteins and organic selenium also exist in the human body, with selenium functioning along with vitamin E to scavenge free radicals. Animal studies have shown that selenium assists in the prevention of cancer and cardio-vascular diseases. Above about 4 μg of selenium per 100 g of extract is preferred.

Actinidine exists in an alkaloid form in kiwifruit. It has palliative and sedative effects on the central nervous system and notable influence on the sexual gland. Above about 4 μg of alkaloid per 100 g of extract is preferred.

It has been found that kiwifruit extracts that include ■ water soluble polysaccharides; or « a combination of polysaccharides and alkaloid, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, arginine, polyphenols, or β-carotene, show beneficial effects associated with kiwifruit, including antioxidant, anti-free radical, immunological properties and other health benefits related to the presence of bioactive components in kiwifruit. It is preferred that the extract will include water-soluble polysaccharides and β-carotene together with one or more of the other listed components. As will be readily apparent, the extract will also contain other kiwifruit components not included in this list. Any strains of kiwifruit (Actinida) as would be known to the skilled person can be used to provide the extract.

Extracts which contain these combinations of components in suitable levels therefore have use in the preparation of compositions such as dietary supplements and in pharmaceutical products which are directed to the provision of benefits which are based on these properties. The extracts themselves can be used directly, if desired, to benefit the consumer.

For example, kiwifruit extracts can be used to manufacture a composition for administration to humans or animals (such as a kiwifruit extract capsule, drink, and other forms, or a kiwifruit extract additive in human foods/medicines or animal feed/veterinary medicines). Compositions including extracts can comprise, for example, kiwifruit extracts in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. A variety of carriers are suitable for use in this invention including polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, starches, sugars, glucans, gelatin, milk powder, liquid milk, proteins, lipids, fermented milk, fruit juice and other normal food/pharmaceutical ingredient carriers, etc. The kiwifruit extracts can also be supplied as concentrates in an edible carrier. Another alternative is to incorporate the kiwifruit extracts into a dry composition. Such compositions can be added to appropriate foodstuffs and/or pharmaceuticals.

Kiwifruit extracts can also be encapsulated directly as dietary supplements or made in cream form for use in wound care and cosmetic products as would be known to the skilled person. Cosmetic formulations could be prepared as oil in water emulsions, water in oil emulsions, face lotions, cosmetic milk, gels, hydrogels, cremes, pomades, soaps, pellets, spraying materials, hair lotion and shampoos. The extract may also be added to one or more cosmetic vectors, particularly one or more vectors selected from the group formed by liposomes, macrocapsules, microcapsules, nanocapsules, macro-particles, microparticles and nanoparticles. In wound care, the extract could be added in gel or liquid type form or powder form to dressings or could be included in antiseptic creams, for example. In addition, novel foods/ pharmaceuticals can be made by incorporating the kiwifruit extracts into a variety of food/pharmaceutical carriers including:

• foods/pharmaceuticals in solid form (confectionery, dried chunks, concentrates),

• foods/pharmaceuticals in liquid form (beverages and syrups).

Once in possession of an extract exhibiting suitable levels of bioactivity, the skilled person would be well aware of how such products could be manufactured.

In any subsequent processing step to produce compositions including extracts, care should be taken that subsequent processing of the foodstuffs, supplements, creams and/or pharmaceuticals (etc) does not lead to a loss of the desired bioactivity.

The extraction procedure for producing a kiwifruit extract, including the combination of components necessary to retain the necessary components and thus retain the desired properties, involves physical and chemical treatment including a combination of the general steps of separating kiwifruit pericarp and pulp, separating kiwifruit seed and pulp, physical and enzyme treatments, enzyme degradation prior to extraction of the extract, water and ethanol extraction, followed by drying the extracts. It is important that the extraction method does not inadvertently remove beneficial components. It is also advantageous if beneficial components in the kiwifruit and in the various parts of the kiwifruit can be retained in the extract as much as possible. .

Following preparing the kiwifruit by washing and cleaning, the extraction procedure separates the pericarp from the remainder of the prepared kiwifruit using a stainless steel mesh or a similar type device. This will preferably be about 40 mesh but variations as would be known to the skilled person are possible.

The pericarp is subjected to treatment resulting in both pericarp juice and residue. The press treatment preferably involves high press crushing of the pericarp. The pericarp juice is collected and then dried, preferably by spray drying or freeze drying, to a powder form or can be mixed with other components prior to drying. The residue can be discarded or, more preferably, can be treated to remove the chlorophyll component by acetone extraction or supercritical liquid extraction. The treated pericarp residue and/or the chlorophyll component can be added to the final powder or saccharides contained in the pericarp residue extracted by hot water extraction. This is then dried and added to the powder. The remainder of the kiwifruit (pulp and seed) can then be treated separately to the pericarp. The pulp plus seed is preferably pulped or ground and then optionally treated with enzyme (preferably pepsin, pectatelyase, or pectinase) at a suitable temperature and time for the enzyme to take effect. Preferably the temperature should be between about 20°C and 30°C for a period of about 30 to 60 minutes. This results in a juice that can be dried to a powder product or further treated using solid/liquid separation techniques, such as centrifugation, and further enzyme treatment (eg pepsin, pectatelyase, pectinase). Again the product is dried (spray or freeze dried) to a powder form.

Optionally the seed can be separated from the pulp, dehaired and subjected to treatment by acid (eg 1 N HCI) and base (eg 1 N NaOH) followed by washing, crushing and separation to produce a juice that is then dried to a powder. The seed can also be ground and treated to extract lipids including vitamin E (eg ether extraction) and polysaccharides (hot water extraction), both of which can then be included in the final extract.

The enzymes used will preferably be pectinase, pectatelyase, or pepsin. Alternative enzymes that achieve the same function could also be used if desired but would need to be selected to ensure that they did not otherwise interfere with the retention of the beneficial compounds in the extract. It is preferred that if two enzyme treatments are used, different enzymes are used in the two treatments.

As will be apparent, the levels of the various comonent will vary depending on the fruit juice and other factors. Extraction procedures may need to be varied to take such factors into account. Variation in content can be seen by way of example in Example .

The products of the extraction steps can be the powder or the juice. If juice then these can be mixed and then dried or used directly. If powder, they can simply be mixed together using known techniques.

The extraction process targets the beneficial components of the pericarp, pulp and seed of kiwifruit. It has been found that by doing this, extraction products of kiwifruit can be obtained that have desired beneficial effects. The extracts can be used directly in pill/capsule type form, or added as a supplement to foodstuffs as discussed earlier. The process provides an advantage to the user in that the extract that results from the process has a reduced loss of beneficial components and thus a heightened retention of the beneficial properties of kiwifruit including a heightened antioxidant, anti-free radical and immunological effect and other kiwifruit active related health benefits.

EXAMPLES Example 1

To determine the optimal period of kiwifruit to process, unripe, ripe and stored 2~3 months kiwifruit were analyzed, see Tables 1, 2, 3:

According to the functions desired from the kiwifruit extract, selection of the fruits which contain high component ratios will be preferred. This process is preferably also used to assess the appropriate variation in extraction procedure used.

Table 1 - Components of kiwifruit in different periods (100 g fruit)

Items Unripe Ripe Stored 2~3 months

Water content (%,w/w) 86.33 86.33 87.22

Protein (mg) 1030 1028 976

Amino acid (mg) 748 756 670

N-content (mg) 170 169 132

Lipids (mg) 680 675 316

Starch (mg) 880 860 106

Glucose (mg) 308 315 400

Fructose (mg) 468 510 565

Fibrin (mg) 360 330 320

Ash (mg) 700 690 880

Lost (%) — 1-2 8-12

Table 2 - Some key components of kiwifruit at different periods (100 g fruit)

Unripe Ripe Stored 2~3 months

Ascorbic acid (mg) 130 123 78

Tocopherol (mg) 1.62 1.73 1.51

Carotene (ug) 166 160 132

Thiamine (ug) 48 45 40

Niacin (ug) 330 320 280

Folic acid (ug) 196 195 190

Arginine (mg) 101 99 65

Glutamic acid (mg) 150 156 162

Polyphenols (μg) 11.2 11.0 8.8

Organic acid (by citric acid) (mg) 196 168 147

Total-saccharides (mg) 1113 1183 1268

Mono-saccharides (mg) 900 980 1056

Water-soluble polysaccharides (mg) 213 203 112

Table 3 - Percentage of parts of kiwifruit from different periods (%,w/w, 100 g fruit)

Unripe Ripen Stored 2~3 months pericarp 7.12±2.45 6.3212.12 5.36±1.89 juice 65.79±3.54 70.33±2.56 71.22±2.13 jell* 77.63±2.35 78.02±3.11 78.12±2.55 residue 5.05±1.56 5.00±1.87 4.85±2.67

*Juice plus pectin, etc

According to the results of analyses shown in Tables 1 , 2 and 3, and for the functional requirements of anti-oxidation, anti-free radical and immunological enhancement, the ripe fruit has a better component make up and is preferably selected for use in the extraction procedure. It is, of course, possible to use unripe and stored fruit as well as the makeup is still satisfactory. Example 2: Extraction procedures

The extraction procedures include the following major steps: cleaning and sterilizing kiwifruit, separating kiwifruit pericarp and pulp, separating kiwifruit seed and pulp, physical and enzyme treatments, enzyme degradation prior to extraction, water and ethanol extraction, and drying the extracts.

The following diagram shows a specific method (Process Flow) by which the required (or desired) components, including polysaccharides, β-carotene, tocopherol, ascorbic acid, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, glutamic acid, arginine, polyphenols and actinidine, can be extracted satisfactorily. The individual steps of the extraction flow can be changed to produce different extracts with different or different proportions of bioactive components (each with different health-promoting properties) as desired.

To determine the desired Process Flow to use to obtain the extract, the product produced can be tested to determine if the components fall within the desired ranges. If not, an alternative is selected. Alternatively a sample of the kiwifruit batch can be tested (eg as in Example 1). This is due to the variation that can occur between batches of kiwifruit. Process Flows are shown in Examples 2, 3 and 4.

Kiwifruit

I Selection (get rid of unsuitable kiwifruit) ϊ Clean (brushing and washing with running water)

I Sterilization (80% ethanol)

I Separate the pericarp (using stainless steel net of 40 mesh) i

I 1

Pulp with seed Pericarp

J,<— add the juice from pericarp to here I

Pulping with high speed High press

4 (at room temperature, 10,000 r/m) ϊ Treat with enzyme I i

| (Enzyme: Pectinase) Juice Residue

| Temperature: 23°-27°C (Add it to the juice i from pulp and seed) | Duration: 35-45 min) Extract chlorophyll using supercritical liquid extraction (method: SC C0₂, critical temperature / K 304.3 (31.1°C) critical pressure /MPa : 7.38)

I

Stainless steel net of 300 mesh 1

I ! 1

I Chlorophyll Residue

I 1 1

I Add it to the final Add it to the residue from pulp and seed powder i ϊ 1

Juice Residue

I 1 ^«- add the residue from pericarp here

Centrifuge (10,000 rpm) Extract water soluble polysaccharides with hot water I (at 70°C - 80°C, for 50- 70 min with stirring)

4 1 4 4

Juice Precipitate Extract Residue

| *- add the | 1 supernatant from _ _el ,_{Bnanr i} ,„ the precipitate SS£P^{θπd rt ,n} here

1 4 1 4

Treat with enzyme Centrifugation Concentration Ethanol extract

(Enzyme: pepsin (entrance: 1 0°C, exit

Temperature: 20°C - 75°C, Duration: 20 min)

30°C

Duration: 30 - 50 min)

4 1 1

4 Dried powder (add it 4 to the final powder)

4 4 4 4

Colloid mill 4 4 Extract Dregs

Supernatant Precipitate | (may be used as

J 4 4 I animal feeds)

Spraying dry Add it to the juice from 4 Concentration or Freezing dry pulp and seed

4

I Dehydration

4 4 4

Dried powder Dried powder (Add it to the final (Add it to the inal powder) powder) final powder)

Example 3: Extraction Procedure showing component extraction pathways

Kiwifruit

4 fruit partitioned f pericarp pulp and core seed

4 4 4 grind grind oven dry

extract water- soluble polysaccharides 4 4 4 dilute with dry at low extract extract extract (with ethanol distil led temperature water- chlorophyll tocopherol and fractional precipitation)

centril Fuge quantify extract water- respectively soluble

\ polysaccharides centri fuge

dilute sediment supernatant; with extract water- distilled water soluble polysaccharide (with ethanol fractional precipitation) alkalify

protein sediment

4 (MBP) dry at low temperature

4 quantify protein and arginine

Note: * MBP is bio-polymer derived from a marine organism, and used to precipitate protein Example 4

Processing flows (three ways) of production of kiwifruit extracts: ♦ Processing flow (1) fruit

4 washing i Through the stainless steel net with 40 mesh

4

4 4 pulp + seed pericarp

4 4 treating with high press pectatelyase

4 4 through stainless steel net of 60 mesh juice (3)

1 (discard the dregs)

4 4 4 pulp treating seed (1) or treating seed (2)

4 4 4 press dehairing of seed drying with cold wind

4 4 4 juice (1 ) treat with alkali (1 N NaOH) dehairing by roller

(discard the dregs) 4 4 treat with acid (1N to be ground at low temperature HCI)

4 I washing centrifuging for separating

4 4 crushing to jam at low temperature juice (2) (discard the dregs)

4 centrifuging for separating

4 juice (2) (discard the dregs)

Mix the juice (1), (2) and (3) together, then spray dry to powder. Processing flow (2) fruit

4

\ washing

4 crush to jam

4 through stainless steel net of 40 mesh

4 i 4 pulp with seed pericarp

4 4 high speed pulping (10,000 r/m) press

4 4 colloid mill 4 4

4 juice residue though stainless steel net of 300 mesh 4 4

J concentrating drying

4 4 4 4 juice residue ' spray drying extracting chlorophyll with acetone

4 4 4 4 spray drying extracting saccharides by water powder residue

4 4 4 powder concentrating extracting saccharides with hot water

4 4 dried with low temperature dried with low temperature

4 4 powder (dried) powder (dried)

Processing flow (3) fruit

4 washing

4 grinding to jam

4 Treated with pectinase

4 Through the stainless steel nets with different mesh

4 4 4 pulp seed Pericarp

4 4 4 colloid mill dried (by oven) high press

4 4 4 spraying dryer grinding 4 4

4 4 juice residue powder (dried) extracting the lipids 3 (by ether) 4 4

4 spraying dryer extracting chlorophyll with acetone

4 4 4 4 residue lipids powder (dried) residue

4 (reclaim ether ) 4 extracting extracting polysaccharides polysaccharides by hot water with hot water

4 4 dried at low temperature dried with low temperature

4 4 powder (dried) powder (dried)

All the dried powders (Flow 2 and 3) were blended, optionally mixed with extracted lipids (mainly containing bioactive vitamin E) and stirred to be as well distributed as possible. Table 4: Comparison of the selected components produced using different processing flows (%,w/w, 100 g fruit)

Items Flow (1) Flow (2) Flow (3)

Gaining rate (dried powder) 10.39 1 1.02 10.51 ascorbic acid (mg) 1488.00 1814.00 1477.00 tocopherol (mg) 8.34 8.75 9.2 carotene (mg) 1.13 1.25 1.32

SOD (NU/ml) 15.80 16.20 15.66 organic acid (by citric acid ) (g) 1.48 1.58 1.46 total-saccharides (g) 10.66 1 1.07 10.54 mono-saccharides (g) 8.64 9.00 8.42 water-soluble polysaccharides (g) 2.02 2.07 2.12

N-content (g) 1.44 1.35 1.42 protein (g) 9.0 8.90 8.88 lipids (g) 5.76 5.40 5.70 ashes (g) 6.91 7.03 7.11

♦ The dried powder obtained and the content of ascorbic acid were the highest in Flow 2 and the amount of organic acids and total-saccharides are also high. The other items showed no obvious differences, comparing with Flow (1) and Flow (3). Processing flow (2) was relatively simple and did not require pectinase.

Processing Flow (3) was found to be complicated and had a loss of over 10%

"Gaining weight" is the weight of dry powder obtained divided by kiwifruit weight.

Example 5: Health promoting effects of the kiwifruit extracts

A number of health-promoting properties of kiwifruits have been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. For example, the following experiments show the anti-free radical, immune- enhancing and antioxidant properties of the different kiwifruit components at different dose levels.

Materials and Methods

Kiwifruit extracts

Kiwifruit extracts were prepared using fresh kiwifruit, and were used in three trials using standard animal models. To identify extracts for each experiment the extracts were coded as follows: A1 : antioxidant/gold kiwifruit

A2: antioxidant/green kiwifruit

B1 : anti free radical/gold kiwifruit

B2: anti free radical/green kiwifruit

C1 : immune system/gold kiwifruit

C2: immune system/green kiwifruit

Table 5 - For anti-oxidation (A1, A2) - General component amounts (per 100 g of extract)

Components Content

Ascorbic acid 6750- 8000 μg β-carotene 125 - 165 μg

Tocopherol 1.5 - 1.8 mg

W-S Polysaccharide 15 - 18 mg

Polyphenols 4.5 - 7.5 μg

Folic Acid 1450 - 1900 μg

Table 6 - For anti-free radical (B1, B2) - General component amounts (per 100 g of extract)

Components Content

Tocopherol 1.5 - 1.8 mg β-carotene 120 - 168 μg

Selenium 4.5 - 4.6 μg

Ascorbic acid 6820- 8300 μg

W-S Polysaccharide 16 - 18.0 mg

Chlorophyll 320 - 340 μg Table 7 - For the effect on immune system (C1, C2) - General component amounts (per 100 g of extract)

Components Content

W-S Polysaccharide 75 - 80 mg

Arginine 1080 - 1320 μg

Chorophyll 3000 - 3500 μg

Folic Acid 1450 - 1810 μg β-carotene 125 - 170 μg

Alkaloid 4.6 - 5.2 μg

Selenium 4 - 4.1 μg

The invention, in another aspect, includes kiwifruit extracts including the components and amounts substantially as shown in any one of Tables 5 to 7 above.

More specific component contents of the extracts used in the trials are:

Anti-oxidant Activity

Table 8 - Standardised composition of extracts fed to rats in the anti-oxidant trial (per 100 g of extract)

Anti-free radical activity

Table 9 - Standardised composition of extracts fed to rats in the anti-free radical trial (per 100 g of extract)

Immune System Enhancement

Table 10 - Standardised composition of extracts fed to mice in the immune system enhancement trial (per 100 g extract)

Extract dosage

A human 'intake dose' of kiwifruit extract (8 - 10 g per 70 kg adult female or male per day) was worked out on the basis of the 'Recommended daily dietary allowances' (Food and Nutrition Board, National Academy of Sciences, Research Council of the USA, 1997).

This dosage rate was used to calculate comparable rates for mice and rats based on mean body weight. For each of the three biological activities to be evaluated, different dose levels (low dose rate, 1.5 x low dose rate, 2 x dose rate, 4 x dose rate) were applied based on the 'intake dose' (set as the low dose rate) and 1.5, 2, or 4 multiples of that dose.

Experimental procedures

Animals were sourced from the Qingdao Animal Breeding Unit, Qingdao, China, and were housed within a 12 hour light/dark cycle at a controlled temperature and relative humidity with free access to water and food. After acclimatisation, animals were selected on the basis of live weight and randomised into different treatment groups. Different treatment groups were fed intragastrically on a daily basis with different dose rates of kiwifruit extracts dissolved in water. The control groups were treated with water only. The animals were maintained on the diets for 4 months. At the end of the treatment the rats were humanely killed, and blood and tissue samples were taken for analysis of the relevant parameters. Differences in parameter data were analysed using analysis of variance ANOVA (SPSS software 11.0). One-sided tests were used to compare treatment means with controls. During the experiment, animals were closely observed to monitor their eating, sleeping, and general behaviour. Animal ethics approvals for the experimentation were gained from both the Landcare Research Animal Ethics Committee in New Zealand and the Shan Dong Provincial Animal Protection Committee in China. Treatment groups for each of the three trials are outlined below.

Antioxidant activity: Seventy 20-month-old Wistar rats (35 male, 35 female) were randomly allocated to 7 groups (n = 10) with the following treatments:

Group 1 : control; no kiwifruit extract

Group 2: low dose of extract A1 Group 3: low dose of extract A2

Group 4: 2 x low dose of extract A1 Group 5: 2 x low dose of extract A2

Group 6: 4 x low dose of extract A1

Group 7: 4 x low dose of extract A2

The parameters for measuring antioxidant activity were: superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), lipofasci (LPO) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px).

Free radical scavenging test: Eighty 4-month-old rats (40 male, 40 female) were randomly allocated to 8 groups (n = 10) with the following treatments:

Group 1 : normal control, no kiwifruit extracts, no treatment

Group 2: experimental control, no kiwifruit extracts, Fenton reaction*

Group 3: low dose of extract B1 , Fenton reaction

Group 4: low dose of extract B2, Fenton reaction Group 5: 2 x low dose of extract B1 , Fenton reaction

Group 6: 2 x low dose of extract B2, Fenton reaction

Group 7: 4 x low dose of extract B1 , Fenton reaction

Group 8: 4 x low dose of extract B2, Fenton reaction

The Fenton reaction is used to generate free radicals

The parameters for measuring antioxidant activity were: SOD, MDA, fluorescence polarisation (P) and microviscosity (η) in rat erythrocyte membranes.

Immune function: Ninety 6- to 8-month-old Kunming mice (45 male, 45 female) were randomly divided into 9 groups (n = 10):

Group 1 : control

Group 2: low dose of extract Ci Group 3: low dose of extract C2

Group 4: 1.5 x low dose of extract C1

Group 5: 1.5 x low dose of extract C2

Group 6: 2 x low dose of extract C1

Group 7: 2 x low dose of extract C2 Group 8: 4 x low dose of extract C1

Group 9: 4 x low dose of extract C2 The parameters for measuring antioxidant activity were: phygocytic activity, lymphocytic proliferation/transformation, carbon clearance, and level of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM).

Results

Antioxidant activity

The level of SOD in all animals fed with kiwifruit extracts was higher than that in rats not fed with kiwifruit (P < 0.05) (Table 1). The GSH-Px activity in animals fed with the highest dose of kiwifruit extracts was also higher than in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the GSH-Px activity between the low dose treatment and control groups, while the 2 x low dose level of the golden kiwifruit extract treatment significantly enhanced GSH-Px activity (P < 0.05). The levels of both MDA and LPO in all animals fed with the kiwifruit extracts were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The exception was animals fed with the low dose rate of green kiwifruit extracts (P > 0.05). Significant differences in the parameters used to measure the antioxidant activity of golden and green kiwifruit extracts were not found (P > 0.05).

Table 11 - Effect of golden and green kiwifruit extracts on SOD, GSH-px, MDA and

LPO in rats (mean + SE)

GSH-px (enzyme MDA

Groups SOD (NU/mg) activity) (nmol/mg) LPO (g/100 ml)

Control 267.71 ± 13.72 224.03 ± 3.80 5.64 ± 0.57 8.23 ± 0.34

Golden kiwifruit

Low dose A1 315.19 ± 25.31* 228.83 ± 1.95 3.36 ± 0.28* 7.63 ± 0.10*

2 x low dose A1 319.43 ± 15.87^* 238.61 ± 5.20* 3.17 ± 0.31** 6.66 ± 0.34*

4 x low dose A1 340.83 ± 19.81** 256.87 ± 2.79** 3.11 ± 0.22** 4.21 ± 0.30**

Green kiwifruit

Low dose A2 317.31 ± 15.42* 233.63 ± 4.75 3.24 + 0.31* 7.74 ± 0.17

2 x low dose A2 344.01 ± 21.88** 234.04 ± 2.35 2.99 ± 0.27** 6.73 ± 0.25*

4 x low dose A2 347.19 ± 18.69** 256.78 ± 2.79* 2.97 ± 0.18** 4.28 ± 0.17*

P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01 v. control group. Free radical scavenging test

Compared to the normal control, the MDA, P, and η were significantly increased in the experimental control group (Fenton treatment but no kiwifruit extracts fed) (P < 0.05). However, the animals fed with different doses of kiwifruit extracts maintained the same (P > 0.05) or a significantly lower (P < 0.05) level of MDA, P, η (Table 2). The level of SOD in all animals fed with kiwifruit extracts was also maintained at the same (P > 0.05) or higher (P < 0.05) level than the normal control (Table 2), while it was statistically significantly higher than in the experimental control (P < 0.05). Significant differences in the parameters used to measure the free radical scavenging effects of golden and green kiwifruit extracts were not found (P > 0.05).

Table 12 - Effect of golden and green kiwifruit extracts on SOD, MDA, P and η in rats (mean ± SE)

Groups SOD (NU/mg) MDA (nmol/mg)

Normal control 216.31 ± 25.36 8.82 ± 0.34 0.227 ± 0.027 2.635±0.262

Experimental

176.04 ± 30.41 14.13 ± 1.19 0.316 ± 0.012 6.309±0.427 control

Golden kiwifruit

Low dose B1 228.50 ± 15.87^* 8.00 ± 0.59^" 0.216 ± 0.009^** 2.060±0.26

2 x low dose B1 236.77 ± 26.80^* 7.70 ± 0.34^** 0.207 ± 0.004^** 2.087±0.302^"

4 x low dose B1 241.05 ± 17.46^* 7.10 ± 0.57^** 0.200 ± 0.013^" 1.014±0.019^"

Green kiwifruit

Low dose B2 223.92 ± 28.01 7.64±1.20 0.212±0.012^" 2.961 ±0.276^" 2 x low dose B2 259.90 ± 24.48^* 7.61±1.57" 0.200±0.014^" 2.876±0.297^** 4 x low dose B2 327.72 ± 32.19^** 7.51±1.14^" 0.179+0.013 ^* 1.582±0.132^"

P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01 v. experimental control group.

Immune function

Although there was no significant effect on the parameters used to determine immune function in animals treated with the low dose rate of kiwifruit extracts (P > 0.05), all of the immune parameters in the mice fed 2 x the low dose rate were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than in the control (Tables 3 and 4). In addition, the treatment of 1.5 x low dose of kiwifruit extracts significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced lymphocyte transformation, carbon clearance, and phagocytosis in all of the treatment groups compared to the control (Table

3), while that dose level only significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the IgA and IgM concentrations in the groups fed green kiwifruit extracts (Table 4). Statistically significant differences in immune parameters when the two types (golden and green) of kiwifruit extracts were consumed were not found (P > 0.05).

Table 13 - Effect of extracts from golden and green kiwifruit on lymphocytic transformation, carbon clearance and phagocytosis index in mice (mean ± SE)

Groups transformation ^{Carbon clearance} Phagocytosis

Control 0.021 ± 0.005 0.011 ± 0.003 3.40 ± 0.30 Golden kiwifruit

Low dose C1 0.021 ±0.007 0.018 ±0.006 4.18 ±0.36

1.5 X low dose C1 0.038 ± 0.008^* 0.021 ± 0.006^* 4.32 ± 0.38^*

2 x low dose C1 0.041 ± 0.005^* 0.032 ± 0.007^* 5.24 ± 0.38^**

4 X low dose C1 0.058 ± 0.014^*" 0.049 ± 0.014^** 5.61 ± 0.56^** Green kiwifruit

Low dose C2 0.020 ±0.009 0.026 ±0.007 4.59 ± 0.49

1.5 X low dose C2 0.040 ±0.007^* 0.029 ±0.007^* 4.70 ± 0.44^*

2xlowdoseC2 0.044 ±0.005^* 0.042 ±0.010^* 5.43±0.5θ^"

4xlθWdθseC2 0.068 ±0.012^** 0.049 ±0.012^** 5.61 ± 0.57^"

P < 0.05, ^**P < 0.01 v. control group. Table 14 - Effect of extracts from golden and green kiwifruit on the contents (mg/ml) of immunoglobuiins A, G, M (IgA, IgG, IgM) in mice serum (mean ± SE)

Groups IgA IgG IgM

Control 1.48 ±0.05 5.41 ±0.28 2.13 ±0.05 Golden kiwifruit

Low dose C1 1.56 ±0.06 5.77 ±0.36 2.17 ±0.07

1.5 X low dose C1 1.66 ±0.05 6.22 ±0.33 2.29 ± 0.05

2 X low dosed 1.72 ±0.07^* 6.38 ±0.33^* 2.35 ± 0.05^*

4 X low dosed 1.78 ±0.06^** 7.26±0.3θ^" 2.52 ± 0.06^** Green kiwifruit

Low dose C2 1.64 ±0.06 5.97 ±0.30 2.12 ±0.06

1.5 X low dose C2 1.68 ±0.08^* 6.05 ±0.37 2.23 ± 0.06^*

2 X low dose C2 1 JO ± 0.07^* 6.21 ± 0.38^* 2.35 ± 0.06^"

4 X low dose C2 1.81 ± 0.09^" 7.08 ± 0.23^" 2.47 ± 0.07^"

^*P<0.05, ^" P< 0.01 v. control group. Antioxidant Function

The results of this study clearly indicate that kiwifruit extracts, when consumed at an appropriate dose, increased the levels of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GSH-Px) and reduced the levels of MDA and PLO (P < 0.05), confirming that kiwifruit extracts produced by the extraction process described can enhance antioxidant activities in the host. This observation has been further confirmed by the significantly positive results of the free radical scavenge test. Mice fed kiwifruit extracts exhibited higher lymphocyte transformation, carbon clearance, and phagocytotic activities as well as higher blood immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgM) content. These results indicate that feeding kiwifruit extracts produced using the extraction process described can enhance host immunity.

Conclusion

The experiments have well demonstrated a range of health benefits in the extracts of the components presented in kiwifruit. The beneficial effects of kiwifruit have been well documented and include the antioxidant, anti-free radical and immunological benefits described in the Examples. The extract also will exhibit other health benefits provided by the various bioactive compounds retained as a result of the extraction process. Some of these benefits have been described earlier in this specification (such as gut health, lower blood pressure, wound healing effect, etc). By retaining suitable amounts of such bioactives in the extracts, the beneficial properties of kiwifruit in the extract can be suitably retained. The ability to provide such a extract in powder or liquid form that can be provided to the consumer as discussed earlier is a significant advantage.

Throughout this specification terms such as "contains", "containing" or "comprises", "comprising" may have been used. Such terms are intended to be inclusive in the manner of "includes" or "including".

Although this invention has been described by way of example only and with reference to possible embodiments thereof it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the attached claims.

Claims

1. A kiwifruit extract including the following bioactives: (1) water soluble polysaccharides; or (2) a combination of water-soluble polysaccharides and any one or more of alkaloid, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, arginine, polyphenols, or β-carotene.

2. The kiwifruit extract according to claim 1 wherein the extract includes water- soluble polysaccharides, β-carotene and any one or more of alkaloid, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, arginine, or polyphenols.

3. The kiwifruit extract according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the extract includes, per 100 g of extract:

Components Content

Ascorbic acid 6500—8500 μg

Tocopherol 1.4— 1.8 mg β-carotene 120— 170 μg

Selenium 4.0 — 5.0 μg

Folic acid 1400—1900 μg

Chlorophyll 3000—3500 μg

Arginine . 1080— 1600 μg

Polyphenols 4.5 — 7.5 μ g

Alkaloid 4.5—5.5 μg

W-S Polysaccharide 4.0—80.0 mg

4. The kiwifruit extract according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the extract includes at least 15 mg of polysaccharide.

5. The kiwifruit extract according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the extract has a range of beneficial properties associated with kiwifruit components including antioxidant, anti free radical, immunological properties, wound healing properties, gut health improvement, lower cholesterol effects, lower blood lipid effects, lower blood pressure effects, and improvements in sleep and reduction in stress levels.

6. The kiwifruit extract according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the extract is in a powder form.

7. The kiwifruit extract according to claim 6 wherein the extract is mixed with a suitable carrier to produce a liquid or gel product.

8. The kiwifruit extract according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the extract is mixed with a suitable carrier and forms part of a pill, tablet, or capsule.

9. The kiwifruit extract according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the carrier is selected from any one or more of: polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, starches, sugars, glucans, gelatin, milk powder, liquid milk, proteins, lipids, fermented milk, fruit juice.

10. A process for producing a kiwifruit extract, the process including the following steps:

• physical and enzyme treatment

• extraction with water and/or ethanol,

• drying the extract at relatively low temperature.

1 1. The process according to claim 10 wherein the temperature for drying the extract is between about 70°C and about 80°C.

12. The process according to claim 10 or 1 1 including the steps of separation of kiwifruit pericarp and pulp, separation of kiwifruit seed and pulp, physical and enzyme treatments, dehydration, and drying of the extract.

13. The process according to claim 12 wherein the separation of the kiwifruit pericarp and pulp is achieved using a stainless steel net.

14. The process according to claim 13 wherein the stainless steel net is between 30 and 45 mesh, more preferably 40 mesh.

15. The process according to claims 12, 13 or 14 wherein the separation of the kiwifruit seed and pulp is achieved using a stainless steel net.

16. The process according to claim 15 wherein the stainless steel net is between 250 and 350 mesh, more preferably 300 mesh.

17. The process according to any one of claims 10 to 16 wherein the enzyme is pectinase, pectatelyase and pepsin.

18. A kiwifruit extract produced by the process of any one of claims 10 to 17, the extract having beneficial effects on antioxidant, anti-free radical, immunological properties, and other health benefits associated with the bioactives, which are present in kiwifruit.

19. A composition including a kiwifruit extract together with a suitable carrier, the kiwifruit extract including the following components:

1. water soluble polysaccharides; or 2. a combination of water soluble polysaccharides and alkaloid, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, arginine, polyphenols, or β-carotene.

20. A composition a kiwifruit extract according to claim 18, together with a suitable carrier.

21. The composition according to claim 19 or 20 wherein the carrier is a suitable pharmaceutical carrier which can be selected from any one or more of: polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, starches, sugars, glucans, gelatin, milk powder, liquid milk, proteins, lipids, fermented milk, or fruit juice.

22. The composition according to any one of claims 19 to 21 wherein the kiwifruit extract includes water-soluble polysaccharides, β-carotene and any one or more of alkaloid, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, folic acid, selenium, chlorophyll, arginine, or polyphenols.

23. The composition according to any one of claims 19 to 22 wherein the composition is a topical cosmetic or wound care composition; or an oral composition in pill or capsule form.

24. A method for producing a kiwifruit extract, the method including the steps of (i) separating the pericarp from the pulp and seed; (ii) treating the pericarp to produce a juice and residue; (iii) collecting the pericarp juice or drying the pericarp juice to a powder; (iv) discarding the pericarp residue or treating the pericarp residue to remove chlorophyll which is either collected or discarded and either collecting the treated residue or further treating the residue to extract polysaccharides and collecting the polysaccharides as a juice or powder; (v) treating the seed and pulp by either: (a) enzyme treatment of both seed and pulp using pectinase, pepsin or pectatelyase; (b) collecting the juice or further treating the seed and pulp by removal of solid components from the juice and then further enzyme treatment using pectinase, pepsin or pectatelyase and collecting the juice; or (c) separating the seed from the pulp and treating the seed to produce a juice and collecting the juice; (d) treating the pulp to produce a juice by crushing and separation or following steps (a) and (b) above; (vi) combining the collected material.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the seed, when treated separately is converted to a juice using acid and base treatment, followed by crushing and separation.

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25 wherein the enzyme treatment in step (v)

(a) and (v)(b) uses different enzymes.

27. A kiwifruit extract when prepared by the process of claims 24 to 26, the extract having beneficial effects on antioxidant, anti-free radical, immunological properties and/or other health benefits associated with components in kiwifruit.

28. A kiwifruit extract including the following component amounts per 100 g of extract:

Components Content

Ascorbic acid 6750- 8000 μg β-carotene 125 - 165 μg Tocopherol 1.5- 1.8 mg

W-S Polysaccharide 15-18mg

Polyphenols 4.5 - 7.5 μg

Folic Acid 1450- 1900 μg

or

Components Content

Tocopherol 1.5- 1.8 mg β-carotene 120- 168 μg

Selenium 4.5 - 4.6 μg

Ascorbic acid 6820- 8300 μg

W-S Polysaccharide 16- 18.0 mg

Chlorophyll 320 - 340 μg or

Components Content

W-S Polysaccharide 75 - 80 mg _.

Arginine 1080- 1320 μg

Chorophyll 3000 - 3500 μg

Folic Acid 1450- 1810 μg β-carotene 125- 170 μg

Alkaloid 4.6 - 5.2 μg

Selenium 4-4.1 μg