JPH0920661A - Learning ability-improving composition - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a composition capable of preventing or reducing fatigue- feeling caused by excessive mental activities, enhancing consciousness, reinforcing ability to concentrate, having effects to improve efficiency and accuracy of working in learning ability and useful as medicines and functional foods by allowing to contain a specific imidazole compound. SOLUTION: This learning ability-improving composition contains one on more imidazole compounds selected from a group consisting of anserine, carnosine, balenine, π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine. Functional food can preferably be beverage or food having a form capable of taking 50mg-5g imidazole compound per day. It is preferable to use a material extracted, separated and purified from a broth, etc., discharged in producing dried bonitos or dried small sardines.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a composition of a medicine or a functional food containing anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine, or τ-methylhistidine as an active ingredient, and anserine, carnosine, valenin,
Foods and drinks that do not substantially contain π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine, one or more imidazole compounds selected from the group of anserine, carnosine, varenin, π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine, or mainly these. The present invention relates to a novel food or drink product to which an extract as a component is added, and a method for producing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is known that the feeling of mental fatigue that occurs when performing various mental activities reduces the efficiency of brain work and significantly impairs the accuracy of work. In recent years, the number of people engaged in tertiary industry has become large in the industrial world, and the number of people who are engaged in work that is prone to mental fatigue has increased. The increase in the number of young people who have a hut is a big problem.

Against this background, the increase in the number of people who reduce mental fatigue by using dangerous drugs such as stimulants and narcotics has become a big social problem. To date, we have developed safe drugs or foods and drinks that can improve consciousness, enhance concentration, improve brain work efficiency and accuracy, and improve learning ability by reducing fatigue caused by mental activity. It was not done and was strongly desired.

On the other hand, anserine (β-alanyl-π-methyl-L-histidine), carnosine (β-alanyl-
L-histidine) and varenin (β-alanyl-τ-methyl-L-histidine) are dipeptides existing in muscle tissues of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, etc., and are already known substances. Further, π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine are known as biosynthetic intermediates of anserine and valenin, respectively.

Since the discovery of these dipeptides at the beginning of this century, many studies have been conducted, and it has been reported that anserine and valenin are present in skeletal muscles of vertebrates in a concentration range of 1-20 mM. Its content is known to change with the type of muscle and the age of the animal, but its physiological action has not been completely clarified yet.

[0006] However, in recent years, research on the action and effect has been conducted, and in JP-A-1-246218, L-anserin has an immunomodulatory action.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-62 discloses that carnosine, anserine and varenin have a blood pressure elevation suppressing action.
In 299 publication, carnosine zinc salt prevents liver damage,
It is useful as a therapeutic agent, and the literature (Japanese Physiology (1990) 52, 221-228) discloses the liver function-protecting action of L-carnosine and the metabolism promoting action of stress-related substances.

Further, in JP-A-4-187067, it is disclosed that carnosine, anserine and valenin have an antioxidant effect on protein foods.
Japanese Patent No. 435 discloses that carnosine, anserine, and valenin are added so that the product content is 0.1% or more, and the pH is 6.5 or more to improve the taste of the product. There is. However, it has not been known at all that anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine have a learning ability improving effect.

[0008]

Therefore, the present invention provides a highly safe learning ability improving agent or a functional food having an action of improving learning ability, as well as anserine, carnosine, varenin, π-methylhistidine and τ-methyl. To foods and drinks that do not substantially contain histidine, one or more imidazole compounds selected from the group of anserine, carnosine, varenin, π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine, or an extract containing this as a main component is added. The present invention is intended to provide a new food or drink or a food or drink having an effect of improving learning ability.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of earnest research to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that anserine,
Carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine, τ-methylhistidine prevent or reduce the feeling of fatigue caused by excessive mental activity, enhance consciousness, enhance concentration,
The inventors have found that they have the effect of improving the efficiency and accuracy of work in learning ability, and have completed the present invention.
Therefore, the present invention is intended to provide a learning ability improving composition comprising one or more imidazole compounds selected from the group of anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine. .

The present invention also relates to anserine, carnosine,
Valenin, food and drink substantially free of π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine, anserine, carnosine, varenin, one or more imidazole compounds selected from the group of π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine, or this The present invention relates to a novel food or drink obtained by adding an extract containing as a main component or a food or drink having an action of improving learning ability. Furthermore, anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-
Methylhistidine, and τ-methylhistidine, to foods and drinks that do not substantially contain naturally, anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine, and τ-methylhistidine or to add an extract having a main component thereof. The present invention relates to a method for producing a novel food or drink or a food or drink having an effect of improving learning ability.

[0011]

[Detailed Description] Anserine used in the present invention,
Carnosine, Valenin, π-Methylhistidine and τ-
Methylhistidine is a natural product, for example, broth discharged during the production of bonito flakes or dried sardines, broth discharged during the production of canned tuna, or is extracted, separated and purified from inexpensive raw materials such as waste chicken. However, it may be chemically or enzymatically synthesized, or may be produced by a microorganism. Further, the anserine, carnosine, varenin, π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine of the present invention may be any of D-form, L-form and DL-form. Since naturally occurring anserine, carnosine, varenin, π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine are all L-forms, the L-form is preferable when used as a food or drink.

The anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine of the present invention may be in the form of a salt, such as anserine salt, carnosine salt, valenine salt, π-methylhistidine salt, τ-methylhistine. Histidine salts include salts based on carboxylic acid groups and acid addition salts based on amino groups and pharmacologically acceptable acids, and salts based on both carboxylic acid groups and amino groups.

Salts based on carboxylic acid groups include sodium,
There are salts with metals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and aluminum, ammonium salts and substituted ammonium salts, for example salts with trialkylamines and other amines such as triethylamine, and salts based on amino groups include hydrochloric acid, There are salts with inorganic acids and organic acids such as sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, succinic acid, maleic acid, benzenesulfonic acid and toluenesulfonic acid, which are known per se. Can be prepared by reacting free anserine, carnosine, varenin, π-methylhistidine, τ-methylhistidine with a stoichiometrically calculated amount of the selected acid or base. These may be used alone or in combination.

In the present invention, the anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine of the present invention are not necessarily limited to high-purity purified products, and extraction using the imidazole compound of the present invention as a main component. The thing can also be used. The π-methylhistidine or τ-methylhistidine of the present invention is anserine,
It is an amino acid that constitutes valenin and is considered to have the same effect as anserine and valenin.

The extract containing the imidazole compound as a main component of the present invention means, for example, broth discharged during the production of bonito flakes or dried sardines, concentrated liquid of broth discharged during the production of canned tuna, chicken and the like. An extract extracted according to a conventional method, or a broth discharged during the production of skipjack tuna or dried sardines, or a fraction containing the imidazole compound of the present invention separated according to a conventional method from the broth discharged during the production of canned tuna Etc. can be mentioned.

Particularly, the fraction from the broth discharged during the production of canned tuna is preferable because it contains abundant amounts of anserine, carnosine and π-methylhistidine. Further, the extract extracted from chicken or the like by a conventional method is preferable because it contains abundant amounts of anserine and carnosine. The content of the imidazole compound in the imidazole compound-based extract of the present invention is preferably 2% or more, preferably 10% or more, more preferably 50% or more, and particularly the anserine and / or carnosine content is 0.2. % Or more, preferably 1% or more, more preferably 5% or more.

The learning ability-improving composition of the present invention prevents or reduces the feeling of fatigue caused by excessive mental activity, enhances concentration, raises consciousness, and improves the efficiency and accuracy of mental activity. Have the effect of improving the efficiency and accuracy of tasks in learning ability, and thus the compounds of the present invention enhance the ability to learn, prevent mental fatigue, or promote recovery from mental fatigue, which enhances consciousness. It is useful for, for example, enhancing the concentration, and can be used as a medicine, a functional food, or a food or drink.

When the composition for improving learning ability of the present invention is used as a medicine, the dosage form may be any dosage form as long as oral or parenteral administration is conveniently carried out, for example injection. Liquid, infusion, powder, granule, tablet, capsule, enteric solution, troche, internal solution, suspension, emulsion, syrup, external solution, poultice, nasal drop, ear drop, eye drop, inhalation Agents, ointments, lotions, suppositories, etc. can be mentioned, and these can be used alone or in combination depending on the symptoms. These various preparations are based on the conventional method, depending on the purpose, the main ingredient is an excipient,
It is possible to formulate using known auxiliary agents which can be usually used in the technical field of pharmaceutical preparation such as binders, disintegrants, lubricants, corrigents and stabilizers.

The dose of the learning ability-improving agent of the present invention varies depending on the administration route, dosage form, symptom, age, body weight and the like. Normally, when administered orally to an adult, the total amount of the imidazole compound of the present invention is 50 mg. ~ 5 g / day, preferably 1
00 mg to 2 g / day, more preferably 50 mg to 2 g / day,
More preferably, it is 50 mg to 500 mg / day. Further, as anserine and / or carnosine, 50 mg to 5 g /
Day, preferably 100 mg to 2 g / day, more preferably 5
0 mg to 2 g / day, more preferably 50 mg to 500 mg /
Day, and 75 mg to 7.5 g / day as π-methylhistidine and / or τ-methylhistidine, preferably 1
50 mg to 3 g / day, more preferably 75 mg to 3 g / day,
More preferably, it is 75 mg to 750 mg / day.

For parenteral administration, the total amount of the imidazole compound of the present invention is 5 mg to 500 mg / day, preferably 1
0 mg to 200 mg / day, more preferably 5 mg to 200 mg /
Day, more preferably 5 mg to 50 mg / day. Also, as anserine and / or carnosine, 5 mg to 500 mg /
Day, preferably 10 mg to 200 mg / day, more preferably 5 mg to 200 mg / day, even more preferably 5 mg to 50 mg / day
It is a day, and is 7.5 mg to 750 mg / day, preferably 15 mg to 300 mg / day, more preferably 7.5 mg to 30 as π-methylhistidine and / or τ-methylhistidine.
It is 0 mg / day, more preferably 7.5 mg to 75 mg / day.

When the composition for improving learning ability of the present invention is used as a functional food, it may be in the form of the above-mentioned pharmaceutical preparation, but it may be anserine, carnosine, varenin,
π-Methylhistidine or τ-methylhistidine or an extract containing these as the main components, alone or in combination, is used as a protein (as a protein source, a highly nutritious milk protein with a balanced amino acid, soybean protein, oligopeptide of egg white). , Other than soybean hydrolyzate, a mixture of simple amino acids is also used), sugars, fats, trace elements, vitamins,
It is also possible to mix it with an emulsifier, a flavor, etc. to obtain a processed form such as a natural liquid food, a semi-digestive nutrition food, a component nutrition food or a drink.

Further, the functional food of the present invention comprises a required amount of anserine, carnosine, varenin, π-methylhistidine, τ-methylhistidine or an extract containing these as a main component in a food or drink raw material, It can also be processed and manufactured by a general manufacturing method. The blending amount varies depending on the dosage form and the morphological characteristics of the food, but generally 0.001 to 50%
Is preferred but not particularly limited.

The form of the food includes solid or liquid food or a favorite product such as bread, noodles, rice, confectionery (biscuits, cookies, cakes, candy, chocolate, chewing gum, Japanese confectionery), tofu and processed products thereof. Agricultural foods, sake, fermented foods such as medicinal liquor,
Agricultural foods such as mirin, vinegar, soy sauce, miso, dressing, yogurt, ham, bacon, sausage, mayonnaise, fish products such as kamaboko, fried tempura, and hanpen,
Fruit juice, soft drink, sports drink, alcoholic drink,
Examples thereof include beverages such as tea.

The functional food of the present invention is anserine,
Carnosine, Valenin, π-Methylhistidine, and τ
-From natural products containing one or more imidazole compounds selected from the group of methylhistidine, anserine,
Carnosine, Valenin, π-Methylhistidine, and τ
-It can be produced by extracting one or more imidazole compounds selected from the group of methylhistidine. The extract containing the imidazole compound of the present invention thus obtained as a main component, for example, an extract extracted according to a conventional method from chicken etc., in the form of the aforementioned pharmaceutical preparation, for example, a drink, a capsule or a granule. It can be used as an agent.

The imidazole compound of the present invention can be used in combination with vitamins, hormones and other nutritional supplements, as well as trace elements and iron compounds. Further, the functional food of the present invention, for the purpose of improving learning ability, or preventing mental fatigue, or promoting recovery from mental fatigue, elevating consciousness, enhancing concentration, etc. 50mg per day as total amount of imidazole compound
Or more, preferably 100 mg or more, more preferably 50 mg
˜5 g, more preferably 100 mg to 2 g, more preferably 50 mg to 2 g, and even more preferably 50 mg to 500 mg.

Further, as anserine and / or carnosine, the daily dose is 50 mg or more, preferably 100 mg or more, more preferably 50 mg to 5 g, and further preferably 100 mg to
2 g, more preferably 50 mg to 2 g, and even more preferably 50 mg to 500 mg is orally ingested. Further, as π-methylhistidine and / or τ-methylhistidine, 75 mg or more per day, preferably 15
0 mg or more, more preferably 75 mg to 7.5 g, more preferably 150 mg to 3 g, more preferably 75 mg to 3 g,
More preferably, it is desirable to be ingested orally in the range of 75 mg to 750 mg.

The functional food of the present invention can be applied not only to healthy people but also to elderly people with dementia, patients under the control of a dietitian based on the instructions of a doctor, and the like.
Since anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine, τ-methylhistidine of the present invention are substances originally existing in the living body, they have low toxicity and high safety, and therefore have great significance as a learning ability improving composition. .

The foods and drinks of the present invention containing substantially no anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine, and τ-methylhistidine, include anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine, and τ-methylhistidine. A novel food or drink obtained by adding one or more selected imidazole compounds or an extract containing the same as a main component does not substantially contain anserine, carnosine, varenin, π-methylhistidine, τ-methylhistidine. As the food and drink, for example, foods and drinks that are not made of meat such as beef, pork, chicken, fish, whale, and snake meat, and meat extracts such as beef, pork, chicken, fish, whale, and snake meat are used. Food and drink that you have not done.

However, beef, pork, chicken, fish,
Even for foods and drinks made from meat such as whale meat and snake meat, since the product content of anserine, carnosine, varenin, π-methylhistidine, τ-methylhistidine is extremely small, per daily intake Anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine, τ-methylhistidine in a total amount of 50 mg or less, preferably 100 mg or less, more preferably 400 mg or less, further preferably 500 mg or less, or 1 day Those having an anserine and / or carnosine content per ingestion of 50 mg or less, preferably 100 mg or less, more preferably 400 mg or less, still more preferably 500 mg or less are the anserine, carnosine, and varenin of the present invention. π-Methylhistidine, τ-Methylhistidine included in foods and drinks that do not substantially contain You.

Further, in the category of the novel food and drink of the present invention, anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-, and more than foods and drinks containing substantially no anserine, carnosine, varenin, π-methylhistidine, and τ-methylhistidine. Also included are extracts extracted to contain methylhistidine and one or more imidazole compounds selected from the group of τ-methylhistidine.

The novel food and drink of the present invention comprises the required amount of anserine, carnosine, valenine, π-methylhistidine, τ-methylhistidine or an extract containing these as the main ingredients, and It can be processed and manufactured by a general manufacturing method. The blending amount varies depending on the dosage form and the morphological characteristics of the food, but is generally preferably 0.001 to 50%, but is not particularly limited. The form of the food or drink may be the form of the above-mentioned pharmaceutical preparation or the form of the above-mentioned functional food.

The novel food or drink of the present invention is a natural product containing at least one imidazole compound selected from the group consisting of anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine, and τ-methylhistidine. According to the usual method, the total amount of anserine, carnosine, valenin, π-methylhistidine, τ-methylhistidine per daily intake is more than 50 mg, preferably more than 100 mg,
More preferably more than 400 mg, even more preferably 5
Anserine, carnosine, so that it is more than 00mg
It can be produced by extraction so as to contain one or more imidazole compounds selected from the group of valenin, π-methylhistidine, and τ-methylhistidine.

Further, the food or drink of the present invention has the purpose of improving learning ability, preventing mental fatigue, promoting recovery from mental fatigue, elevating consciousness, enhancing concentration, etc. It can be taken orally according to the above-mentioned intake of functional food.

[0034]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Embodiment 1 FIG. For 16 healthy male college students, chicken extract containing 150 mg of anserine and 50 mg of carnosine (BRAND'S TRADITION)
AL ESSENCE OF CHICKEN; Cerebo
s Pacific Ltd. ) Was taken twice a day for 1 week and a gelatin aqueous solution (placebo) not containing these imidazole compounds was taken twice a day for 1 week, and the calculation test and short-term memory ability were evaluated. Conduct a test,
We compared the feeling of mental fatigue and vitality.
We also compared the effects of computational and short-term memory tests on efficiency and accuracy.

For the calculation ability test, 40 pieces of calculation tasks consisting of two-digit or three-digit addition and subtraction tasks of 40 questions (1,600 questions in total) were used. There was a time limit of 1 minute for each sheet, and the task was 40 minutes. A sequence memory task was used for the short-term memory test. A 9-digit sequence was presented for 5 seconds, the subject was made to remember it, and immediately after that, it was reproduced and described for a limited time of 5 seconds. The number sequence task was a total of 1 question and 9 points. Feeling mental fatigue,
For the vitality etc., refer to “Mood State Scale Profile of Mood State (POM
S) ”. This evaluation method represents mood 6
It is a questionnaire that evaluates the words of 5 items on a scale of 5 levels, and can analyze for each of 7 factors of "tension", "repression", "uplifting", "vigor", "fatigue", "upset" and "kindness". I have

FIG. 1 shows changes in the mood state score immediately after the calculation task. When taking a placebo, excessive mental activity of 40 minutes of calculation increased fatigue, decreased vitality,
Although a reduction in uplifting feeling was observed, a significant increase in fatigue feeling, a decrease in vitality, and a significant increase in uplifting feeling were observed when the substance containing anserine and carnosine was taken. This means that the substances containing anserine and carnosine effectively reduced the feeling of fatigue caused by excessive mental activity, and exhibited an antipsychotic fatigue effect that enhances concentration.

FIG. 2 shows changes in the mood state score immediately after the sequence memory task. An increase in fatigue and a decrease in vitality were observed due to excessive mental activity of sequence memory of 20 consecutive questions when taking placebo, whereas an increase in fatigue was suppressed when taking anserine and carnosine-containing substances,
Significant suppression of decline in vitality, increase in uplifting feeling, and significant increase in tension were observed. This means that the substances containing anserine and carnosine effectively reduced the feeling of fatigue caused by excessive mental activity, and exhibited an antipsychotic fatigue effect that enhances concentration.

FIG. 3 shows the number of answers to the calculation task. The number of responses increased when the anserine / carnosine-containing product was taken compared to when the placebo was taken, which indicates that the anserine / carnosine-containing product enhanced concentration and improved work efficiency in learning ability. . Figure 4 shows the number of correct answers for the calculation task. The number of correct answers increased when the anserine / carnosine-containing product was taken compared to when the placebo was taken, which indicates that the anserine / carnosine-containing product increased the concentration and improved the accuracy of work in learning ability. Shows.

FIG. 5 shows the incorrect answer rate of the calculation task. When an anserine / carnosine-containing substance was taken, the error rate was lower than when it was administered a placebo, but this was due to the fact that the anserine / carnosine-containing substance increased concentration and improved the accuracy of work in learning ability. Is shown. FIG. 6 shows the average score of the first 10 questions of the sequence memory task. The average score was higher when the anserine / carnosine-containing product was taken compared to when the placebo was taken, which means that the anserine / carnosine-containing product increased the concentration and improved the accuracy of work in learning ability. Shows.

Embodiment 2 FIG . The concentrated liquid of the broth discharged during the production of canned tuna was treated with an ultrafiltration membrane to separate it with a molecular weight of 10,000 to obtain a clarified liquid of a low molecular weight fraction. After the pH of the clarified liquid was adjusted to 2.2 with dilute hydrochloric acid, this liquid was passed through a column packed with MM81 type ion exchange resin manufactured by Beckman Co. to adsorb anserine and carnosine. Then, with the column kept warm at 57 ° C., 0.4N sodium citrate solution was flown to obtain a fraction containing anserine and carnosine. This was freeze-dried to obtain a dried product. The contents of anserine, carnosine, and π-methylhistidine in the dried product were measured by an amino acid analyzer and were 41%, 12% and 5%, respectively.

Embodiment 3 FIG . Lactose 50 parts, sucrose 39.8 parts,
Mix 5 parts of tragacanth gum and 0.2 parts of peppermint,
A solution prepared by dissolving 5 parts of the dried product obtained in Example 2 in 3.5 parts of distilled water in terms of imidazole compound was added and kneaded well. Then, the above kneaded product was spread on a glass plate on which starch was sprayed with a rolling pin to form a sheet having a thickness of about 5 mm, which was punched out with a mold and dried to obtain a troche.

Embodiment 4 FIG . Carnosine 2 on 100 parts flour
Parts, sucrose 4 parts, salt 1.1 parts, skim milk powder 2 parts, yeast 3 parts, yeast food 0.8 parts, and water 67.2 parts were added and kneaded, and then 5 parts of oil and fat were further added and kneaded well. 9 at 28 ° C
A 0-minute primary fermentation was performed. After that, punching was performed, and second fermentation was performed at 28 ° C. for 20 minutes, and then the mixture was packed in a mold and baked at 190 ° C. for 30 minutes to manufacture. The physical properties of the baked bread were compared with those of the bread produced without adding carnosine, and no difference was found in flavor and texture.

Example 5. BRAND'S on 80 parts of pork
TRADITIONAL ESSENCE OF CH
2 parts of ICKEN (Cerebos Pacific Ltd.) in terms of total amount of anserine and carnosine, sodium nitrite 0.
Add 02 parts, 2 parts salt, 0.3 parts sodium pyrophosphate, 0.006 parts sodium ascorbate, 1 part sucrose and salt for 72 hours at 10 ° C, then add seasonings and spices and cut, Was prepared. After filling this kneaded meat in a casing, a sausage was produced according to a conventional method.
As a result of sensory inspection of this sausage, BRAND'S
TRADITIONALESSENCE OF CHI
No difference in color tone, flavor, or texture was observed as compared to sausage produced without the addition of CKEN.

Example 6. Using the synthesized anserine, granules were manufactured by the usual method according to the following formulation. Anserine 20 parts Lactose 34 parts Corn starch 45 parts Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 1 part

Example 7. To 20 g of vitamin C, 10 g of ferrous sulfate, 40 g of granulated sugar, and 30 g of an equal mixture of corn starch and lactose, 50 g of the extract obtained in Example 2 was added and mixed. The mixture was divided into 100 equal parts and packed in a bag to produce 100 bags of a functional stick-shaped food having an effect of improving learning ability of 1.5 g per bag.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 shows the effect of anserine and carnosine on mood state scores immediately after imposing a computational task in Example 1. FIG.

FIG. 2 shows the effect of anserine and carnosine on mood state scores immediately after imposing a sequence memory task in Example 1.

FIG. 3 shows the effect of anserine and carnosine on the number of answers to a calculation task in Example 1.

FIG. 4 shows the effect of anserine and carnosine on the number of correct answers in the calculation task in Example 1.

FIG. 5 shows the effect of anserine and carnosine on the incorrect answer rate of the calculation task in Example 1.

FIG. 6 shows the effect of anserine and carnosine on the average score of 10 questions in the first half of the sequence memory task in Example 1.

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. Anserine, carnosine, valenin, π
-A learning ability improving composition comprising one or more imidazole compounds selected from the group of -methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine. 2. The learning ability improving composition according to claim 1, which is a medicine. 3. The learning ability improving composition according to claim 1, which is a functional food. 4. The learning ability improving composition according to claim 3, wherein the functional food is a functional food in a form in which 50 mg to 5 g / day of an imidazole compound can be ingested. 5. The imidazole compound is anserine and / or carnosine, according to claim 1.
A composition for improving learning ability according to the item. 6. Anserine, carnosine, valenin, π
-Methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine substantially in food and drink, anserine, carnosine, valenin, one or more imidazole compound selected from the group of π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine, or the main component thereof A new food or drink product to which the extract described above is added. 7. The food or drink according to claim 6, which is a food or drink having an effect of improving learning ability. 8. The food or drink according to claim 6 or 7, which is in a form in which 50 mg to 5 g / day of an imidazole compound can be ingested. 9. Anserine, carnosine, valenin, π
-Methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine substantially in food and drink, anserine, carnosine, valenin, one or more imidazole compound selected from the group of π-methylhistidine and τ-methylhistidine, or the main component thereof A novel method for producing a food or drink, comprising adding the extract 10. The method for producing a food or drink according to claim 9, wherein the food or drink is a food or drink having an effect of improving learning ability. 11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the food or drink is a food or drink in a form capable of ingesting 50 mg to 5 g / day of an imidazole compound.