Intestinal immune-enhancing agent, food product, and medicament

Abstract

Object of the present invention is to provide an intestinal immune-enhancing agent that can sufficiently increase IgA in the intestinal tract with a low dose while maintaining an increased amount of IgA for an extended period of time. Provided is an intestinal immune-enhancing agent containing a cellulose acetate that has a total degree of acetyl substitution from 0.4 to 1.1.

1 . An intestinal immune-enhancing agent comprising a cellulose acetate having a total degree of acetyl substitution from 0.4 to 1.1. 
     
     
         2 . The intestinal immune-enhancing agent according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellulose acetate has a compositional distribution index (CDI) of 2.0 or less, the compositional distribution index (CDI) being defined by the equation below:
   CDI=(Measured value of half width of compositional distribution)/(Theoretical value of half width of compositional distribution)   wherein the measured value of half width of compositional distribution is a half width of compositional distribution determined by HPLC analysis of a cellulose acetate propionate obtained by propionylation of all residual hydroxyl groups of a cellulose acetate that is a sample;
   [Equation 1] 
   theoretical value of half width of compositional distribution=2. 35482√{square root over ( 3 * DPw *( DS /3)*(1− DS/ 3)})/ DPw    (2)
 
   where DS is a total degree of acetyl substitution; and   Dpw is a weight average degree of polymerization determined by GPC-light scattering using a cellulose acetate propionate obtained by propionylation of all residual hydroxyl groups of a cellulose acetate that is a sample.   
     
     
         3 . A food product comprising the intestinal immune-enhancing agent according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         4 . The food product according to  claim 3 , wherein a content of the cellulose acetate in the food product is 0.1 wt. % or greater and less than 5 wt. %. 
     
     
         5 . A medicament comprising the intestinal immune-enhancing agent according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         6 . A food product comprising the intestinal immune-enhancing agent according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         7 . The food product according to  claim 6 , wherein a content of the cellulose acetate in the food product is 0.1 wt. % or greater and less than 5 wt. %. 
     
     
         8 . A medicament comprising the intestinal immune-enhancing agent according to  claim 2 .