Capsule, containing dioxabicyclo(3.3.0)octane compounds

Abstract: A food or drink comprising at least 0.001% by weight of dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane compound of the following formula (I): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are selected independently from H and alkyl groups having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, but R 1 and R 2 and/or R 4 may together form a methylene group or an ethylene group, and n, m and ℓ are 0 or 1. The compound may be selected from sesamin, sesaminol, episesamin, episesaminol, sesamolin, 2-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-6-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane, 2,6-bis-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane and 2-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-6-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,7- dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane.

Description: The present invention relates to a capsule comprising, as an effective ingredient, dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane derivative, having a liver function-improving action, a cholesterol level-reducing action, and/or a neutral fat level-reducing action. The liver is the largest substantial organ of a human body, in addition to the brain, and has various functions such as a detoxifying action, carbohydrate metabolism, protein metabolism, the formation and secretion of bile, the formation of blood coagulation factors, hormone-controlling action, and the action of storing various living body constituents such as fat, glycogen, proteins, and vitamins. These functions are acutely or chronically impeded by viruses, drugs, poisons, excessive intake of alcohol, malnutrition, liver circulatory system troubles, bile duct occlusion and the like, and as a result, there appear such diseases as viral hepatitis, drug doxic hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, congestive hepatitis, liver disorder due to a stagnation of hepatic juice fatty liver, interus, and finally, hepatocirrhosis. For example, to remedy liver disorder caused by alcohol, there has been adopted not only a method of controlling an intake of meat fat and an excessive intake of alcohol, but also a medicinal therapy using antihistamic agents, barbituric acid salts, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), pyrazole, a mixture of dihydroxy acetone and riboflavin, glucronic acid, arginine hydrochloride, and amino acid preparations such as glutathione. Nevertheless, the effects of these drugs are not satisfactory, and there is no certain remedial method other than a control of an excessive intake of alcohol. As one of the causes of liver disorder brought on by drugs and poisons, there can be mentioned the formation of a harmful oxygen free radical, and accordingly, a large quantity of glutathione is administered for theraphy of toxicoses and allergic diseases. Especially, for a protection of cells, glutathione reduces or extinguishes an active oxygen species or free radical by glutathione peroxidase, or glutathione reacts with a poison through glutathione-S-tranferase and discharges the poison from cells in the form of a glutathione conjugate, to exert the intended function whereby antioxidation/ detoxification and a protection from radiation damage can be achieved. Nevertheless, even if glutamine per se is administered, the half-life is short (only several minutes) and tissue glutathione is not effectively increased. Accordingly, the development of glutathione derivatives and the like is now under investigation. Under the above circumstances, however, the development of a novel liver function improver is urgently required. Therefore, a primary task addressed herein is to provide a novel liver function improver and a food having a liver function-improving action. Since the liver-derived enzyme activity (glutamic-oxaloacetic aminotransferase (GOT) and glutamic-pyruvic aminotransferase (GPT)] in sera of mouse and rat is increased by liver disorder, to obtain the above-mentioned object, the inventors searched for a liver function improver by using GOT and GPT as indications, and as a result, found that a dioxabicyclo-[3.3.0]octane isolated from sesame seeds, sesame lees, and sesame oil, or a synthesized dioxabicyclo-[3.3.0]octane derivative, has a liver function-improving action, a cholesterol level-reducing and a neutral fat level-reducing action, and is very safe. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a capsule containing dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane compound of the following formula (I): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are selected independently from hydrogen and alkyl groups having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, but R 1 and R 2 and/or R 4 may together form a methylene group or an ethylene group, n, m and ℓ are 0 or 1, and the compound is sesamin or episesamin. As the dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane, in the present invention, sesamin, episesamin, may be used. These derivatives may be used alone or in the form of a mixture. The compounds used in the invention, and an extract composed mainly of the compound(s) may be obtained according to the following procedures. First, an extract composed mainly of the relevant compound(s) may be obtained from sesame oil according to a method comprising extracting sesame oil with an organic solvent substantially immiscible with sooamo oil and capable of extracting and dissolving the compound for the present invention, and concentrating the extract. As the organic solvent, there can be mentioned, for example, acetone, methylethylketone, diethylketone, methanol and ethanol. For example, an extract composed mainly of the compound forthe present invention can be obtained by mixing sesame oil homogeneously with an organic solvent as mentioned above, allowing the mixture to stand at a low temperature, carrying out a phase separation according to a customary process, and removing the solvent from the solvent fraction by evaporation. More specifically, sesame oil is dissolved in 2 to 10 volumes, preferably 6 to 8 volumes of acetone, and the solution is allowed to stand at -80°C overnight. As a result, the oil component is precipitated, and the organic solvent is removed from the obtained filtrate by distillation, whereby an extract composed mainly of the compound of the present invention is obtained. Alternatively, sesame oil is mixed with hot methanol or hot ethanol, the mixture is allowed to stand at room temperature, and the solvent is removed from the solvent fraction to obtain an extract composed mainly of the compound of the present invention. More specifically, sesame oil is mixed with hot methanol (higher than 50°C) or hot ethanol (higher than 50°) in a volume 2 to 10 times, preferably 5 to 7 times, as large as the volume of the sesame oil to effect a violent extraction. The phase separation is effected by a phase separation when standing at room temperature or a centrifugal separation according to customary procedures, and the solvent is removed from the solvent fraction by distillation to obtain an extract composed mainly of the compound desired. Alternatively, a supercritical gas extraction may be utilized. The compound for the present invention can be obtained from an extract as mentioned above by treating the extract by a customary method such as column chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, recrystallization, distillation, or liquid-liquid countercurrent distribution chromatography. More specifically, by using a reversed phase column (5C 18 ) and methanol/water (60/40) as the eluent, the extract is subjected to high performance liquid chromatography, the solvent is removed by distillation, and the obtained crystal is recrystallized from ethanol to obtain the compound usable in the present invention, such as sesamin, episesamin, sesaminol or episesaminol. Sesame oil for use in the present invention can be either a purified product or a crude product. Furthermore, sesame seeds or sesame lees (defatted sesame seeds having a residual oil content of 8 to 10%) may be used. In this case, sesame seeds or sesame lees are pulverized if necessary, and then subjected to the extraction according to customary procedures using an any solvent, for example, a solvent as mentioned above with respect to the extraction from sesame oil. The extraction residue is separated, and the solvent is removed from the extract by evaporation or the like to obtain an extraction product. The compound used in the present invention, sesamin or episesamin, may be obtained from a sesame seed extract, a sesame lee extract or a crude sesame oil extract according to the same procedures as described above. Moreover, the compound used in the present invention may be obtained from a by-product formed in the sesame oil-preparing process. The process for the purification of the compound and the process for obtaining the extract are not limited to those mentioned above, and the compound used in the present invention and the extract composed mainly of the compound used in the present invention are not limited to those obtained from sesame oil, sesame lees and sesame seeds. Other natural substances containing the compound used in the present invention can be used. For example, there can be mentioned Acanthopanax sessiliflorus , paulowina, Ginkgo-biolobu and Piper lonum. Also, suitable processes may be adopted for the synthesis of the compound for use in the invention. For example, sesamin and episesamin can be synthesized according to the process of Beroza et al. [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 78 , 1242 (1956)]. Pinoresinol [in the general formula (I), R 1 and R 4 represent H, R 2 and R 5 represent CH 3 , and n, m and ℓ are zero] can be synthesized according to the process of Freundenberg et al. [Chem. Ber., 86 , 1157 (1953)]. Furthermore, syringaresinol [in the general formula (I), R 1 and R 4 represent H, R 2 , R 3 , R 3 , R 5 and R 6 represents CH 3 , n is zero, and each of m and ℓ is 1) can be synthesized according to the process of Freundenberg et al [Chem. Ber., 88 , 16 (1955)]. The compound used in the present invention also may be used in the form of a glycoside. Furthermore, compounds used in the present invention can be used alone or in combination with other liver function improver or a functional factor of a food. The liver function improver of the present invention may be orally administered, or non-orally administered, for example, by intramuscular injection, hypodermic injection or intravenous injection. The dosage depends on the state of a person to whom the liver function improver is administered, but in general, in the case of the oral administration, the dosage is 1 to 100 mg/day, and in the case of the non-oral administration, the dosage is 0.1 to 20 mg/day. For the preparation of an injection, a solubilizing agent for a drug, for example, a nonionic surface active agent, can be used. More specifically, the compound may for example be dissolved under heating in a nonionic surface active agent such as POE(60) hardened castor oil or POE sorbitan-monooleate in a volume 80 times as large as the volume of the compound of the present invention, and the solution is diluted with a physiological saline to form an injection solution. An isotonic agent, a stabilizer, an antiseptic agent, and an alagesic agent, can be incorporated according to need. If necessary, the compound of the present invention may be formed into an emulsion, a capsule, a dust, a granule or a tablet. In the present invention, the amount of the compound of the present invention is not particularly critical, but preferably the amount of the compound of the present invention is 0.001 to 20% by weight, especially 0.01 to 10.0% by weight, based on the food to which the compound of the present invention is added. If the amount of the compound of the present invention is smaller than 0.001% by weight, the effect is low, and if the amount is larger than 20% by weight, the taste and flavor of some foods are adversely affected. Preferably, the content of the compound in an extract is at least 25%. Moreover, the compound of the present invention may be converted to a cyclodextrin inclusion compound and the formed powder can be used. The effect of the compound of the present invention or the extract composed mainly of the compound of the present invention as the functional factor may be increased by a combined use thereof with other substances, and the combined use of a fatty acid having 16 to 20 carbon atoms and 1 to 3 double bonds in the carbon chain, especially γ-linolenic acid (6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid) or dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid), is preferred. In this case, the acid can be used directly or in the form a salt of sodium, potassium or ammonium or an ester such as a methyl ester or an ethyl ester. Moreover, oils and fats containing these fatty acids can be used. The cholesterol level-reducing and neutral fat level-reducing actions of the compound of the present invention, the extract composed mainly of the compound of the present invention, and the food containing the compound or extract have been explained. As described in copending European Patent Application 90302374.5, certain of the compounds whose use is described herein can act as an inhibitor for specifically inhibiting a Δ 5 -desaturase for converting dihoma-γ-linolenic acid to arachidonic acid. It is expected that various pharmacological effects will be obtained by an increase of the eicosanoide of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid brought about by an increase of the content of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid. For example, an antiinflammatory action, an anti-thrombosis,action, and a hypotensive action can be expected, and the compound of the present invention and the extract composed mainly of the compound of the present invention can be used as a remedy for related diseases, such as inflammatory diseases, heartvascular and thrombotic diseases, mental diseases, chest and prostate diseases, diabetes, endometritis, malnutrition, menstrual disorders, and malignant tumors. Accordingly, as the function attained by the present invention, there can be mentioned the anti-thrombosis action, the antiinflammatory action, and the hypotensive action. Furthermore, these actions can be significantly enhanced by the effect derived from prostaglandin I by the combined use with γ-linolenic acid and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid. The compound of the present invention has a very high activity; this is made obvious from the fact that, even if sesamin was continuously administered (oral administration) to 7-weeks-old ICR male mice at a dosage of 2.14 g/day/kg continuously for two weeks, no abnormal symptoms were observed. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the following examples. Example 1 To 16.5 kg of sesame oil was added 94.5 ℓ of hot methanol (60°C), the mixture was violently stirred to effect extraction, and then allowed to stand at room temperature overnight. The organic solvent was removed from the upper methanol layer by distillation using a rotary evaporator, to obtain 424 g of an extract composed mainly of the desired compound. Then the extract was dissolved in 3.2 £ of acetone, the solution was allowed to stand at -80°C overnight, and the organic solvent was removed by distillation from the filtrate obtained by the filtration to obtain 103 g of an extract composed mainly of the compounds. When the compound of the present substance was analyzed, it was found to comprise 19.6% of sesamin, 30.6% of episesamin and 10.2% of sesaminol and episesaminol based on the extract, and the content of the compound in the extract was 60.4%. Eight-weeks-old male mice (CD-1 mice supplied by Nippon Charles River) were raised for one week with an ordinary feed (CE-2 feed supplied by Nippon Clea). The mice were then divided into 4 groups, each consisting of 10 mice, and the mice of one group were raised with the same ordinary feed, and the mice of the other three groups were raised with a high cholesterol feed having 1% of cholesterol, 0.2% of cholic acid and 5% of olive oil incorporated therein. Of the three groups to which the high-cholesterol feed was given, the two groups were raised with a feed obtained by incorporating 0.4 or 0.6% of the above-mentioned extract into the high-cholesterol feed. After two weeks' growth, the mice were fasted for 15 hours and blood was collected. The GOT and GPT activities in the serum were analyzed by an automatic biochemical analysis apparatus (Model 7050 supplied by Hitachi). The results are shown in Table 1, and as seen from these results, increases of GOT and GPT were controlled by using the compounds embodying the invention. Ordinary feed High-cholesterol feed High-cholesterol feed + 0.4% of sesame oil extract High-cholesterol feed + 0.6% of sesame oil extract GOT (IU/L) 72 ± 24.6 161 ± 48.8 136 ± 53.7 104 ± 26.1 GPT (IU/L) 24 ± 5.5 151 ± 66.7 68 ± 18.7 82 ± 39.1 Example 2 In the same manner as described in Example 1, mice were raised for one week with the ordinary feed, and the mice were divided into four groups, each consisting of 10 mice. The mice of one group were raised with the same ordinary feed, and the mice of the remaining three groups were raised with a high-cholesterol feed formed by adding 1% of cholesterol, 0.2% of cholic acid and 5% of evening primrose oil to the ordinary feed. A feed formed by adding 0.4 to 0.6% of a purified mixture comprising 61.5% of sesamin and 38.0% of episesamin to the high-cholesterol feed was given to the mice of the two groups among the three groups to which the high-cholesterol feed was given. After two weeks' growth, the mice were fasted for 15 hours and blood was collected. The GOT and GPT activities in the serum were measured, and the results are shown in Table 2. As seen from these results, the increase of GOT by the high-cholesterol feed was controlled by using the mixture of sesamin and episesamin. Ordinary feed High-cholesterol feed High-cholesterol feed + 0.4% of sesamin High-cholesterol feed + 0.6% of sesamin GOT (IU/L) 105 ± 31.8 141 ± 35.8 112 ± 35.6 87 ± 13.2 GPT (IU/L) 29 ± 5.1 58 ± 14.2 64 ± 23.1 45 ± 16.2 Example 3 Eight-weeks-old male rats of the SD line (supplied by Nippon Clea) were raised for 1 week with an ordinary feed, and the rats were divided into 4 groups, each consisting of 6 rats. The rats of one group were raised with the same ordinary feed, and the rats of the remaining three groups were raised with a high-cholesterol feed comprising 20% of casein, 10% of beef tallow, 59.9% of granulated sugar, 4.0% of a mineral mixture, 0.85% of a vitamin mixture, 4.0% of a filter paper powder. 1.0% of cholesterol and 0.25% of bile acid. A feed formed by adding 1.0 or 2.0% of the mixture of sesamin and episesamin used in Example 2 to the above-mentioned high-cholesterol feed was given to the rats of two groups among the three groups to which the high-cholesterol feed was given. After 1 week's growth, blood was partially collected, and after two weeks' growth, blood was wholly collected. Each blood collection was effected after 17 hours' fasting. The GOT and GPT activities in the serum were measured. The results are shown in Table 3, and from these results, it is seen that the increase of GOT by the high-cholesterol feed was controlled by using the mixture of sesamin and episesamin. After 1 week's raising Ordinary feed High-cholesterol feed High-cholesterol feed + 1.0% of sesamin High-cholesterol feed + 2.0% of sesamin GOT (IU/L) 119 ± 37.8 140 ± 48.2 76 ± 12.8 63 ± 11.5 GPT (IU/L) 39 ± 9.9 23 ± 1.7 24 ± 3.4 26 ± 1.9 After 2 weeks' raising Ordinary feed High-cholesterol feed High-cholesterol feed + 1.0% of sesamin High-cholesterol feed + 2.0% of sesamin GOT (IU/L) 83 ± 11.5 102 ± 37.8 81 ± 21.5 76 ± 12.1 GPT (IU/L) 26 ± 4.3 21 ± 1.3 22 ± 2.3 27 ± 6.4 Example 4 Nine-weeks-old male CDF-1 mice (supplied by Nippon Clea) were raised for 1 week, and the mice were divided into three groups, each consisting of 7 mice. The mice of two groups other than the control group were raised in a chamber filled with air containing 12 ppm of ethanol. After 1 week's growth, the mice were fasted for 16 hours, and blood was collected. The total cholesterol (T-CHO) content, the triglyceride (TG) content, the GOT and GPT activities and the total bilirubin content in the serum were measured, and the results are shown in Table 4. The increase of the triglyceride content, the total bilirubin content, GOT, and GPT by the administration of the alcohol was significantly reduced. When the general motion of the mice was observed, it was seen that in the ordinary feed-given group, 5 mice of the seven mice were fragged out, but in the sesamin-containing feed-given groups, the motion was not different from the ordinary motion. Thus, a conspicuous difference was found. Example 5 Eight-weeks-old male CDF-1 mice (supplied by Nippon Clea) were raised for 1 week and were divided into three groups, each consisting of 7 mice. To two groups other than the control group, 1 mg/kg of carbon tetrachloride was administered in the abdominal cavity. To one of these two groups, simultaneously, 100 mg/kg of sesamin was forcibly orally administered. Then the mice were fasted for 16 hours and blood was collected. The total cholesterol (T-CHO), the triglyceride (TG) content, GOT, GPT and the total bilirubin content in the serum were measured. The results are shown in Table 5. Example 6 Male rats of the Wister line were divided into two groups (control group and sesamin group), each consisting of 6 rats. The rats of the control group were raised for 22 days with a basic feed and the rats of the sesamin group were raised for 22 days with a feed formed by adding 0.5% of sesamin to the basic feed. The rats were fasted overnight, and 1 g/kg of ethanol (20%) was forcibly orally administered. After 1 and 3 hours, blood was collected from the tail vein and the alcohol concentration in blood was measured. After 1 hour from the point of the administration, the ethanol concentration was 0.5 mg/ml in the control group but the ethanol concentration was 0.27 mg/ml in the sesamin group. After 3 hours from the point of the administration, the ethanol concentration was 0.12 mg/ml in the control group but the ethanol concentration was 0.02 mg/ml in the sesamin group. Accordingly, it was confirmed that ethanol disappeared more quickly in the sesamin group than in the control group. Example 7 Examples of formulations using compounds for the present invention will now be described, though the present invention is not limited by these formulation examples. Formulation 1 With 20.5 g of silicic anhydride was mixed 0.5 g of the compound, and 79 g of corn starch was added to the mixture. Then, 100 ml of a 10% solution of hydroxypropyl cellulose in ethanol was added to the mixture, and according to customary procedures, the mixture was kneaded, extruded and dried to obtain a granule. Formulation 2 With 20 g of silicic anhydride was mixed 7 g of the compound, and 10 g of microcrystalline cellulose, 3.0 g of magnesium stearate and 60 g of lactose were added to the mixture. The mixture was formed into tablets having a diameter of 7 mm and a weight of 100 mg by using a single-shot tableting machine. Formulation 3 In 200 g of a nonionic surface active agent (TO-10M supplied by Nikko Chemicals) was dissolved 2.5 g of the compound under heating at 122°C Then, 4.8985 g of a sterilized physiological saline solution was added to the solution and the mixture was thoroughly stirred. The liquid was sterilely distributed into vials, and the vials were sealed to obtain injections. Example 8 In 180 ml of salad oil was dissolved 0.9 g of the extract composed mainly of the compound invention, which was obtained in Example 1. Separately, a vessel was charged with one egg yolk, 3 g of table salt, 1 g of mustard, sugar, a spice and a chemical seasoning, and 3 ml of vinegar was added into the vessel and the mixture was strongly stirred by a whip to form a mayonnaise base. Then, 12 ml of vinegar and 180 ml of the salad oil containing the compound dissolved therein were added to the mayonnaise base with stirring to obtain a mayonnaise containing the compound of the present invention. Example 9 To 100 g of a butter milk-free butter fat obtained at the stirring operation (churning) in the butter-preparing process, 2 g of the extract composed mainly of the compound, which was obtained in Example 1 of the present invention, was added, and the mixture was subjected to the kneading operation (working) to obtain a butter containing the compound which had a homogeneous texture. Example 10 The mayonnaise containing a compound of the present invention, which was obtained in Example 8, and the butter containing a compound of the present invention, which was obtained in Example 9, were compared with the mayonnaise and butter prepared without adding any such compound, and the differences of the taste and flavor were evaluated by five experts. As a result, it was confirmed that the inherent quality was not influenced by the addition of the compound. Example 11 Four-weeks-old male rats of the SD line were raised for 3 weeks with a feed containing 10% of the butter which was obtained in Example 9 (compound-added group), or a butter not containing the compound of the present invention (compound-free group). After 3 weeks, the body weight, the liver weight, the plasma cholesterol content, the plasma triglyceride content and the plasma phospholipid content were measured. The results are shown in Table 6. As apparent from the results shown in Table 6, even if the food containing the compound was given, there was no difference of the increase of the body weight or the liver weight during 3 weeks' raising and the growth was not influenced at all. Furthermore, the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the plasma were reduced by giving the food containing the compound. Compound-added group Compound-free group Initial body weight (g) 102 ± 3 103 ± 3 Final body weight (g) 272 ± 13 275 ± 11 Body weight increase (g) 170 ± 11 172 ± 10 Body weight increased per day (g/day) 8 ± 0 8 ± 0 Total intake (g) 388 ± 9 384 ± 13 Intake per day (g/day) 18 ± 1 18 ± 1 Feed efficiency 0.43 ± 0.01 0.43 ± 0.01 Liver weight (g) 15.23 ± 0.52 14.87 ± 0.67 Plasma cholesterol level (mg/dl) 76.2 ± 4.3 112.7 ± 4.9 Plasma triglyceride level (mg/dl) 145.7 ± 21.5 214.3 ± 11.4 Plasma phospholipid level (mg/dl) 211.4 ± 7.6 251.8 ± 17.9 Example 12 From the extract composed mainly of the compound, obtained in Example 1, Δ 5 -desaturase inhibitors, i.e., sesamin, episesamin, sesaminol and episesaminol, were obtained according to the method described in European Application 90302374.5 Sesamine-containing mayonnaise and sesamin-containing butter were prepared in the same manner as described in Examples 7 and 8 by using 0.54 g and 1.2 g of sesamin, respectively. Similarly, foods containing the compounds, singly or in combination were obtained. The compound as used was a colorless (white) crystal and had no taste or smell. Accordingly, the compound did not have any influence on the inherent quality of the foods. Example 13 To 20 ml of water was added 2 g of β-cyclodextrin, and 0.2 g of sesamin dissolved in a small amount of acetone was added to the mixture under agitation by a stirrer. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 4 hours and freeze-dried to obtain 2.2 g of a cyclodextrin inclusion compound containing 10% of sesamin. A sesamin-containing juice was prepared by adding 1 g of the obtained powder to 100 ml of a juice. Example 14 The procedures of Example 13 were repeated by using the compound of the present invention and the extract embodying the present invention. Juices containing the compound of the present invention and the extract, respectively, were obtained. Example 15 In 82 g of a starting oil and fat material comprising 30% of edible hardened soybean oil, 10% of edible hardened cotton seed oil, 40% of soybean salad oil, 10% of palm oil and 10% of corn oil, 1 g of sesamin was incorporated and dissolved. Then, 15 g of water, 1.2 g of table salt, 0.3 g of monoglyceride, 0.1 g of lecithin, a trace of carotene, 0.00001 g of a flavor and 1.4 g of a milk solid were added to the solution, and the mixture was emulsified, rapidly cooled, and kneaded to obtain a sesamin-containing margarin.

Claims: Claims for the following Contracting States : AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, FR, GB, IT, LI, LU, NL, SE A capsule containing dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane compound of the following formula (I): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are selected independently from H and alkyl groups having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, but R 1 and R 2 and/or R 4 may together form a methylene group or an ethylene group, n, m and ℓ are 0 or 1, and the compound is sesamin or episesamin. A capsule according to claim 1 in which the compound of formula (I) is included as an extract of which at least 25% is the compound. A capsule according to claim 2 in which the extract is an extract of sesame oil, sesame seeds or sesame lees. A capsule according to claim 1 in which the compound(s) has/have been purified from a natural substance or synthesised. A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims containing from 0.01 to 10% by weight of the compound of formula (I). Claims for the following Contracting States : ES, GR A method of making a capsule, in which dioxabicyclo [3.3.0] octane compound of the following formula (I): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are selected independently from H and alkyl groups having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, but R 1 and R 2 and/or R 4 may together form a methylene group or an ethylene group, n, m and ℓ are 0 or 1, and the compound is sesamin or episesamin, is contained in the capsule. A method according to claim 1 in which the compound of formula (I) is included as an extract of which at least 25% is the compound. A method according to claim 2 in which the extract is an extract of sesame oil, sesame seeds or sesame lees. A method according to claim 1 in which the compound(s) has/have been purified from a natural substance or synthesised. A method according to any one of the preceding claims in which the capsule contains from 0.01 to 10% by weight of the compound of formula (I).

Inventors: AKIMOTO KENGO, ASAMI SUMIO, KITAGAWA YOSHINORI, SHIMIZU SAKAYU, SHINMEN YOSHIFUMI, SUGANO MICHIHIRO, SUWA YOSHIHIDE, YAMADA HIDEAKI, AKIMOTO, KENGO, ASAMI, SUMIO, KITAGAWA, YOSHINORI, SHIMIZU, SAKAYU, SHINMEN, YOSHIFUMI, SUGANO, MICHIHIRO, SUWA, YOSHIHIDE, YAMADA, HIDEAKI
Applicants: SUNTORY LTD, SUNTORY LIMITED
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A61K31
IPC codes: A23L1, A23D7, A61K31, A61P3