COMPOSITION FOR ALLEVIATING AND TREATING NARCOLEPSY, CONTAINING FERMENTED RICE BRAN POWDER AS ACTIVE INGREDIENT, AND PREPARATION METHOD THEREFOR

Abstract

A composition for alleviating and treating narcolepsy, contains a fermented rice bran powder as an active ingredient. The fermented rice bran powder can be obtained by mixing rice bran with a specific strain and fermenting the resulting mixture, and the composition exhibits cranial nerve stimulation and causes no cognitive impairment, thereby exhibiting an effect of waking a sleeping person, and thus can solve psychological and social problems caused by excessive daytime sleepiness and prevent feelings of shame, difficulty in interpersonal relationships, a decline in work performance and a risk of accidents. In addition, the composition is not neurocytotoxic, and thus can achieve only a desired effect without side effects.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a fermented rice bran powder, the method comprising: a) obtaining a fermented rice bran broth by mixing rice bran with one or more strains and fermenting the resulting mixture; b) purifying the fermented rice bran broth, and then vacuum-concentrating the purified fermented rice bran broth; c) obtaining only solid matter by slurrying or recrystallizing the vacuum-concentrated fermented rice bran broth; and d) obtaining a fermented rice bran powder by drying the solid matter and crushing the dried solid matter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the strain in Step a is one or more selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. tolerans, Lactobacillus harbinensis, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Pichia kudriavzevii.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fermentation in Step a is performed under a temperature condition of 35 to 40° C. for 46 to 50 hours.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the purification process in Step b is performed on the fermented rice bran broth using a mixture of water and an alcohol in chromatography comprising one or more adsorptive resins selected from an epoxy resin and a copolymer of styrene and divinyl benzene.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein in the mixture of water and the alcohol, the amount of water is 0.5- to 20-fold larger than the amount of the alcohol.

6. A composition for alleviating and treating narcolepsy, comprising a fermented rice bran powder prepared by the method of claim 1 as an active ingredient.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] FIGS. 1 and 2 are graphs showing the measured locomotor activity of zebrafish treated with the fermented rice bran powder obtained according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIGS. 3 and 5 are graphs showing the measured dark/light transition of zebrafish treated with the fermented rice bran powder obtained according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIGS. 6 and 10 are graphs showing the measured color preference of zebrafish treated with the fermented rice bran powder obtained according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

MODES OF THE INVENTION

[0038] A method for preparing a fermented rice bran powder, the method including: a) obtaining a fermented rice bran broth by mixing rice bran with one or more strains and fermenting the resulting mixture;

[0039] b) purifying the fermented rice bran broth, and then vacuum-concentrating the purified fermented rice bran broth;

[0040] c) obtaining solid matter by slurrying or recrystallizing the vacuum-concentrated fermented rice bran broth; and

[0041] d) obtaining a fermented rice bran powder by drying the solid matter and crushing the dried solid matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] Since the present invention may be modified into various forms and include various exemplary embodiments, specific exemplary embodiments will be illustrated and described in detail below. However, the description is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed forms, and it is to be understood that all the changes, equivalents and substitutions included in the spirit and scope of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0043] Hereinafter, the method for preparing a fermented rice bran powder according to specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention and a composition for alleviating and treating narcolepsy, containing the fermented rice bran powder prepared by the method as an active ingredient will be described in more detail.

Example 1

[0044] A mixed strain in which Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. tolerans, Lactobacillus harbinensis, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Pichia kudriavzevii were mixed was inoculated into 100 g of rice bran and 1 L of water, and the inoculated rice bran was fermented at a temperature of 37° C. for 48 hours. Impurities were removed from the obtained fermented rice bran broth by filtration using diatomaceous earth and a centrifuge.

[0045] A chromatography column containing 300 g of PB-600 was filled with this fermented product, and the ratio of ethanol and water was sequentially developed at 10%, 30%, 50%, 80%, and 100% for purification. This purified product was vacuum-concentrated at a temperature of 65° C.

[0046] Only solid matter was obtained by adding 500 mL of ethanol to 50 g of the obtained fermented rice bran broth to form a slurry, and then filtering the slurry through a Nutsche filter.

[0047] A fermented rice bran powder was obtained by crushing a product obtained by drying the obtained solid matter with hot air at a temperature of 70° C. for 2 hours with a crusher for pulverization.

Example 2

[0048] A mixed strain in which Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. tolerans, Lactobacillus harbinensis, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Pichia kudriavzevii were mixed was inoculated into 100 g of rice bran and 1 L of water, and the inoculated rice bran was fermented at a temperature of 37° C. for 48 hours. Impurities were removed from the obtained fermented rice bran broth by filtration using diatomaceous earth and a centrifuge.

[0049] A chromatography column containing 300 g of PB-600 was filled with this fermented product, and the ratio of methanol and water was sequentially developed at 10%, 30%, 50%, 80%, and 100% for purification. This purified product was vacuum-concentrated at a temperature of 65° C.

[0050] Only solid matter was obtained by adding 500 mL of ethanol to 50 g of the obtained fermented rice bran broth to form a slurry, and then filtering the slurry through a Nutsche filter.

[0051] A fermented rice bran powder was obtained by crushing a product obtained by drying the obtained solid matter with hot air at a temperature of 70° C. for 2 hours with a crusher for pulverization.

Example 3

[0052] A mixed strain in which Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. tolerans, Lactobacillus harbinensis, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Pichia kudriavzevii were mixed was inoculated into 100 g of rice bran and 1 L of water, and the inoculated rice bran was fermented at a temperature of 37° C. for 48 hours. Impurities were removed from the obtained fermented rice bran broth by filtration using diatomaceous earth and a centrifuge.

[0053] A chromatography column containing 300 g of PB-600 was filled with this fermented product, and the ratio of ethanol and water was sequentially developed at 10%, 30%, 50%, 80%, and 100% for purification. This purified product was vacuum-concentrated at a temperature of 65° C.

[0054] Only solid matter was obtained by adding 100 ml of water and 500 mL of ethanol to 50 g of the obtained fermented rice bran broth, recrystallizing the resulting mixture, and then filtering the resulting product through a Nutsche filter.

[0055] A fermented rice bran powder was obtained by crushing a product obtained by drying the obtained solid matter with hot air at a temperature of 70° C. for 2 hours with a crusher for pulverization.

Example 4

[0056] A mixed strain in which Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. tolerans, Lactobacillus harbinensis, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Pichia kudriavzevii were mixed was inoculated into 100 g of rice bran and 1 L of water, and the inoculated rice bran was fermented at a temperature of 37° C. for 48 hours. Impurities were removed from the obtained fermented rice bran broth by filtration using diatomaceous earth and a centrifuge.

[0057] A chromatography column containing 300 g of PB-600 was filled with this fermented product, and the ratio of methanol and water was sequentially developed at 10%, 30%, 50%, 80%, and 100% for purification. This purified product was vacuum-concentrated at a temperature of 65° C.

[0058] Only solid matter was obtained by adding 100 ml of water and 500 mL of ethanol to 50 g of the obtained fermented rice bran broth, recrystallizing the resulting mixture, and then filtering the resulting product through a Nutsche filter.

[0059] A fermented rice bran powder was obtained by crushing a product obtained by drying the obtained solid matter with hot air at a temperature of 70° C. for 2 hours with a crusher for pulverization.

Comparative Example 1

[0060] Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), which is known as a material that induces artificial seizures in zebrafish, was prepared.

Experiment 1: Measurement of Locomotor Activity by Fermented Rice Bran Powder of Present Invention

[0061] Zebrafish are vertebrates and very similar to humans in terms of genetic composition, and thus have most of the genes that humans have. Thus, in the present invention, the locomotor activity of zebrafish treated with the fermented rice bran powder obtained according to Example 1 was measured. Specifically, 5 dpf zebrafish were prepared in 96 wells and treated with the fermented rice bran powder according to Example 1, and then DanioVision recording & tracking was performed for 30 to 60 minutes, and the obtained data was profiled.

[0062] The results are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and it could be confirmed that the locomotor activity increased according to the concentration of the fermented rice bran powder according to Example 1. Particularly, it could be confirmed that when the concentration was 1 mg/mL, the fermented rice bran powder was better than PTZ which is a control material (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

Experiment 2: Measurement of Dark/Light Transition by Fermented Rice Bran Powder of Present Invention

[0063] The dark/light transition of zebrafish treated with the fermented rice bran powder obtained according to Example 1 was measured. Specifically, dark and light conditions were given at 10-minute intervals, and graphs for the distance moved at 2-minute intervals were measured (see FIGS. 3, 4, and 5). Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, it could be confirmed that the control material PTZ moved regardless of the light/dark division, whereas zebrafish treated with the fermented rice bran powder had no impaired cognitive ability, and thus exhibited a normal behavior pattern to dark/light.

Experiment 3: Measurement of Color Preference by Fermented Rice Bran Powder of Present Invention

[0064] The color preference of zebrafish treated with the fermented rice bran powder obtained according to Example 1 was measured. It is known that in the case of normal zebrafish, the blue preference is excellent, whereas in the case of zebrafish whose brain is damaged by PTZ or the like, color cannot be normally recognized. Specifically, it could be confirmed that when zebrafish was treated with the fermented rice bran powder according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the blue preference is excellent (see FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10).

[0065] Although examples of the present invention have been described above, a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to modify the examples of the present invention without departing from the principle or spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the described examples, various modifications and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications or alterations fall within the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0066] Provided in the present invention is a composition containing, as an active ingredient, a fermented rice bran powder obtained by mixing rice bran with a specific strain and fermenting the resulting mixture, and the composition exhibits cranial nerve stimulation and causes no cognitive impairment, thereby exhibiting an effect of waking a sleeping person, and thus can solve psychological and social problems caused by excessive daytime sleepiness and prevent feelings of shame, difficulty in interpersonal relationships, a decline in work performance and a risk of accidents. In addition, the composition according to the present invention is not neurocytotoxic, and thus can achieve only a desired effect without side effects.