Composition containing equol and ornithine

Abstract

An object of the invention is to provide an equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material that is useful for foods, pharmaceutical preparations, cosmetic products, etc.The equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material of the invention is obtained by fermenting soybean hypocotyls using at least one microorganism having an equol-producing ability by utilizing at least one daidzein compound selected from the group consisting of diadzein glycosides, daidzein, and dihydrodaidzein.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . An equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material obtained by fermenting soybean hypocotyls using at least one microorganism having an equol-producing ability by utilizing at least one daidzein compound selected from the group consisting of daidzein glycosides, daidzein, and dihydrodaidzein. 
     
     
         8 . The equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material according to  claim 7 , wherein said at least one microorganism is a lactic acid bacterium of the genus  Lactococcus.    
     
     
         9 . The equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material according to  claim 7 , wherein said at least one microorganism belongs to  Lactococcus garvieae.    
     
     
         10 . The equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material according to  claim 7 , which contains 0.1 to 20 wt % of equol per total weight of dry fermented soybean hypocotyl material. 
     
     
         11 . The equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material according to  claim 7 , which further contains daidzein compounds, genistin compounds, genistein compounds, glycitin compounds and glycitein compounds. 
     
     
         12 . The equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material according to  claim 7 , which further contains ornithine. 
     
     
         13 . A food containing the equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         14 . The food according to  claim 13 , which is a dietary supplement. 
     
     
         15 . The food according to  claim 13 , which contains 0.1 to 90 g of the equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material per 100 g of the food. 
     
     
         16 . A pharmaceutical preparation containing the equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         17 . The pharmaceutical preparation according to  claim 16 , which is used for preventing or treating menopausal disorders, osteoporosis, prostatic hypertrophy, or metabolic syndrome. 
     
     
         18 . A pharmaceutical preparation according to  claim 16 , which is used for lowering the blood cholesterol level. 
     
     
         19 . Use of a fermented soybean hypocotyl material of  claim 7  for producing preparations for preventing or treating menopausal disorders, osteoporosis, prostatic hypertrophy, or metabolic syndrome. 
     
     
         20 . Use of a fermented soybean hypocotyl material of  claim 7  for producing preparations for lowering the blood cholesterol level. 
     
     
         21 . A method for treating menopausal disorders comprising the step of administering an effective amount of a fermented soybean hypocotyl material of  claim 7  to a patient suffering from menopausal disorders. 
     
     
         22 . A method for lowering the blood cholesterol level comprising the step of administering an effective amount of a fermented soybean hypocotyl material of  claim 7  to a patient who is in need of lowering the blood cholesterol level. 
     
     
         23 . A cosmetic product containing the fermented soybean hypocotyl material of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         24 . A cosmetic product according to  claim 23 , which contains 0.1 to 10 g of the fermented soybean hypocotyl material per 100 g of cosmetic product. 
     
     
         25 . A method for producing an equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl material comprising the step of fermenting soybean hypocotyls using at least one microorganism having an equol-producing abilityby utilizing at least one daidzein compound selected from the group consisting of daidzein glycosides, daidzein, and dihydrodaidzein.