FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
1. Title of the Invention
HEALTH FUNCTIONAL FOOD FOR INHIBITING RISE OF BLOOD GLUCOSE CONTAINING
COFFEE AND TAGATOSE
2. Applicant(s)
Name Nationality Address
CJ CHEILJEDANG CORPORATION Korean
CJ Cheiljedang Center, 330, Dongho-ro,
Jung-gu, Seoul 04560, Republic of
Korea
3. Preamble to the description
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be
performed

【DESCRIPTION】
【Technical Field】
The present invention relates to a health functional
5 food for inhibiting a rise in blood glucose, which includes
coffee and tagatose.
【Background Art】
Our human bodies require energy to maintain their own
10 normal functions, and this energy is generated from
nutrients in blood. Among the nutrients in blood, the most
effective energy source is glucose which is a raw material
important as an energy source for red blood cells and brain
cells. Glucose in blood is referred to as blood glucose,
15 and energy may be supplied to our bodies when the blood
glucose always has to be maintained at a constant level.
Particularly, a constant level of blood glucose is
maintained by various hormones and enzymes. Insulin and
glucagon are most representative of the hormones and
20 enzymes. In this case, when ones do not eat food or
require a large amount of energy, glucagon is secreted to
help to release glucose, which has been stored in the liver,
into blood so that the blood glucose can be maintained at a
normal level. On the contrary, as a level of blood glucose
increases after meal, insulin is secreted from the pancreas.
In this case, insulin sends signals to store glucose in the
liver, and promotes the use of glucose in cells of
respective tissues to control a blood glucose level to a
5 normal level.
In a normal state, blood glucose temporarily rises
after meal, but returns to a normal level in response to
insulin. However, when insulin is not normally secreted
from the pancreas or insulin is secreted but does not
10 function normally, the blood glucose does not return to a
normal level after meal. That is, the bodies do not use
glucose as energy source, thereby making impossible to
excrete the glucose. When a level of blood glucose higher
than a normal level lasts, it may interfere with regulatory
15 components circulated through blood, reduce the functions
of red and white blood cells, or put the pressure on the
kidney, thereby negatively affecting our bodies.
As an isomer of galactose, tagatose is a naturally
existing rare sucrose that is included as a trace element
20 in foods such as dairy products, fruits, and the like, and
has been registered as the FDA GRAS and EU Novel Food and
approved to be safe by the Korea Food & Drug Administration
(KFDA). Although the KFDA has approved tagatose as a raw
material which help to inhibit a rise in blood glucose
after meal, there is no report showing that the tagatose
functions to inhibit a rise in blood glucose when taken
with caffeine-containing coffee known to promote a rise in
blood glucose after meal and taken with coffee (for example,
5 a coffee mix) with a coffee creamer (glycemic index: 24)
having a glycemic index (GI) higher than tagatose. Also,
the patent (Registered Patent No. 10-1366404; Korean Patent
Publication No. 2011-0047976) by the present inventors
discloses a low-calorie coffee-mix composition in which
10 tagatose is used instead of sucrose to make natural sweet
tastes. However, there is no report on the coffee mix that
functions to inhibit a rise in blood glucose.
In this context, the present inventors have ardently
conducted research to confirm whether a tagatose coffee mix
15 has an effect of inhibiting a rise in blood glucose, and
found that the tagatose coffee mix has an excellent effect
of inhibiting a rise in blood glucose, compared to the
control and a sucrose coffee mix. Therefore, the present
invention has been completed based on the facts.
20
【Disclosure】
【Technical Problem】
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention
to provide a health functional food for inhibiting a rise
in blood glucose, which includes coffee and tagatose.
It is another object of the present invention to
provide a method of inhibiting a rise in blood glucose,
which includes administering the health functional food of
5 the present invention to a subject in need thereof.
【Technical Solution】
To solve the above problems, according to an aspect
of the present invention, there is provided a health
10 functional food for inhibiting a rise in blood glucose,
which includes coffee and tagatose.
The term “coffee” used herein refers to a powder of
coffee obtained by roasting and grinding the fruit of a
coffee tree, and includes a coffee been powder and instant
15 black coffee, which are sold and distributed in various
forms on the market, but the present invention is not
limited thereto. Particularly, the coffee of the present
invention may contain caffeine.
The term “tagatose” used herein refers to an isomer
20 of galactose under the IUPAC name of (3S,4S,5R)-1,3,4,5,6-
pentahydroxy-hexan-2-one. The tagatose of the present
invention may be directly extracted from natural substances,
and may be prepared using a chemical synthesis or
biological method (for example, fermentation using
microorganisms or enzymes), but the present invention is
not limited thereto.
In the health functional food of the present
invention, the tagatose of the present invention may be
5 included at a dose of 6 g/day to 10 g/day. Particularly,
the tagatose of the present invention may be included at a
dose of 6 g/day to 7.5 g/day, 6 g/day to 7 g/day, 6 g/day
to 6.5 g/day, or 6 g/day.
Also, the tagatose of the present invention may be
10 provided in a crystalline form or in the form of a syrup
containing tagatose. The tagatose-containing syrup may
contain a varying amount of tagatose, based on the dried
solid content (DS). Particularly, the tagatose of the
present invention may be included at a tagatose content of
15 95% or more, and more particularly at a tagatose content of
96% or more, 97% or more, 98% or more, 99% or more, 99.5%
or more, 99.5% to 99.9%, 99.5% to 99.8%, 99.5% to 99.7%,
99.5% to 99.6%, or 99.5%, based on the weight of dries
solids. Also, the tagatose of the present invention may be
20 in a crystalline form. When the tagatose of the present
invention is used in a crystalline form, the tagatose may
have any characteristics such as crystal morphology,
particle size, crystal shape, or other physical
characteristics in terms of the health functional food (for
example, a health functional coffee mix) of the present
invention.
Also, the health functional food of the present
invention may further include a milk protein. The term
5 “milk protein” used herein refers to a protein or
derivatives thereof included in milk, and may be
particularly selected from the group consisting of casein,
sodium caseinate, a milk protein isolate, and a milk
protein concentrate. More particularly, the milk protein
10 of the present invention may be selected from the group
consisting of casein, sodium caseinate, and a milk protein
concentrate.
Also, the health functional food of the present
invention may further include starch syrup. The term
15 “starch syrup” used herein refers to a starch hydrolysate.
Particularly, the starch syrup of the present invention may
include maltose. More particularly, the starch syrup may
include maltose and glucose and/or dextrin.
In the present invention, the inhibition of the rise
20 in blood glucose may include a decrease in a blood glucose
level by 3% to 20%, particularly by 3% to 15%, 3% to 10%,
3% to 7.6%, 3% to 6.35%, 5% to 20%, 5% to 15%, 5% to 10%,
5% to 7.6%, 5% to 6.35%, 6.35% to 7.6%, 6.35%, or 7.6%
within 30 minutes to 45 minutes after the intake of the
health functional food of the present invention relative to
a blood glucose level of the control who does not eat the
health functional food of the present invention.
Also, in the present invention, the inhibition of the
5 rise in blood glucose may include a decrease in an area
under the blood glucose response curve (AUC) by 2% to 10%,
particularly by 2% to 7%, 2% to 5%, 2% to 3.8%, 3% to 10%,
3% to 7%, 3% to 5%, 3% to 3.8%, 3.8% to 10%, 3.8% to 7%,
3.8% to 5%, or 3.8% within 0 minutes to 120 minutes after
10 the intake of the health functional food of the present
invention relative to an area under the blood glucose
response curve of the control who does not eat the health
functional food of the present invention.
Meanwhile, in the present invention, the inhibition
15 of the rise in blood glucose may include a decrease in a
blood glucose level by 3% to 20%, particularly by 3% to 15%,
3% to 10%, 3% to 8%, 3% to 7.7%, 5% to 20%, 5% to 15%, 5%
to 10%, 5% to 8%, 5% to 7.7%, 7% to 20%, 7% to 15%, 7% to
10%, 7% to 8%, 7% to 7.7%, or 7.7% within 30 minutes after
20 the intake of the health functional food of the present
invention relative to a blood glucose level of the control
who eats tagatose instead of sucrose in the health
functional food of the present invention.
Also, in the present invention, the inhibition of the
rise in blood glucose may include a decrease in a blood
glucose level by 3% to 20%, particularly by 3% to 15%, 3%
to 13%, 3% to 12.7%, 3% to 11%, 3% to 10.8%, 5% to 20%, 5%
to 15%, 5% to 13%, 5% to 12.7%, 5% to 11%, 5% to 10.8%, 8%
5 to 20%, 8% to 15%, 8% to 13%, 8% to 12.7%, 8% to 11%, 8% to
10.8%, 10% to 20%, 10% to 15%, 10% to 13%, 10% to 12.7%,
10% to 11%, 10% to 10.8%, 10.8% to 20%, 10.8% to 15%, 10.8%
to 13%, 10.8% to 12.7%, 12.7% to 20%, 12.7% to 15%, 12.7%
to 13%, 10.8%, or 12.7% within 15 minutes to 30 minutes
10 after the intake of the health functional food of the
present invention relative to a blood glucose level of the
control who eats sucrose instead of tagatose in the health
functional food of the present invention.
In addition, in the present invention, the inhibition
15 of the rise in blood glucose may include a decrease in an
area under the blood glucose response curve by 2% to 10%,
particularly by 2% to 8%, 2% to 6%, 2% to 5.49%, 3% to 10%,
3% to 8%, 3% to 6%, 3% to 5.49%, 5% to 10%, 5% to 8%, 5% to
6%, 5% to 5.49%, 5.49% to 10%, 5.49% to 8%, 5.49% to 6%, or
20 5.49% within 0 minutes to 90 minutes after the intake of
the health functional food of the present invention
relative to an area under the blood glucose response curve
of the control who does not eat the health functional food
of the present invention.
The food of the present invention may be used without
limitation as long as it contains coffee and tagatose.
Examples of the food of the present invention include bread,
cake, chocolate, candies, confectionery (cookies, crackers,
5 and the like), dairy products including ice creams, drinks
and alcoholic beverages, and the like, the present
invention is not limited thereto.
Particularly, the food of the present invention may
be a coffee mix. The term “coffee mix” used herein refers
10 to a food formulation which is packaged to include coffee
as well as other additives (for example, a sweetener and/or
a coffee creamer). The term “coffee creamer” used herein
refers to an additive which serves to make coffee including
a milk protein soft and rich in flavors, and may
15 particularly further include starch syrup, and more
particularly a vegetable oil, an emulsifying agent, a
stabilizing agent and/or a buffer, all of which may be used
for foods.
It is still another object of the present invention
20 to provide a method of inhibiting a rise in blood glucose,
which includes administering the health functional food of
the present invention to a subject in need thereof.
In the method of inhibiting a rise in blood glucose
according to the present invention, both of the health
functional food of the present invention and the inhibition
of the rise in blood glucose are applied as described above.
The term “administration” used herein refers to an
introduction of a certain material to a subject of interest
5 in any proper manner. In this case, the certain material
may be administered through any general route of
administration through which a composition of the present
invention may reach an in vivo target. The routes of
administration of the health functional food of the present
10 invention are not particularly limited, but the health
functional food of the present invention may be
administered orally or parenterally. Particularly, the
health functional food of the present invention may be
administered orally. Also, the administration of the
15 present invention may be performed so that the tagatose is
included at a dose of 6 g/day to 10 g/day, 6 g/day to 7.5
g/day, 6 g/day to 7 g/day, 6 g/day to 6.5 g/day, or 6 g/day,
based on the total weight of the health functional food of
the present invention.
20 Those skilled in the art may recognize and appreciate
the contents which are not described in this specification,
and thus descriptions thereof will be omitted for clarity.
【Advantageous Effects】
According to the present invention, it has been
clearly identified that a rise in blood glucose is
inhibited even when tagatose is taken with caffeinecontaining
coffee and/or a coffee creamer having a high
5 glycemic index (GI). As a result, it is expected that a
food including coffee and tagatose will be used as a health
functional food which help to inhibit a rise in blood
glucose after meal.
10 【Description of Drawings】
FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating a change in blood
glucose according to the intake of a coffee mix including
tagatose, erythritol or sucrose according to one exemplary
embodiment of the present invention.
15 FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating a change in an area
under the blood glucose response curve (AUC) according to
the intake of a coffee mix including tagatose, erythritol
or sucrose according to one exemplary embodiment of the
present invention.
20 FIG. 3 2 is a graph illustrating a change in blood
glucose according to the intake of a coffee mix including
tagatose or sucrose along with coffee and a coffee creamer
according to one exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating a change in an area
under the blood glucose response curve according to the
intake of a coffee mix including tagatose or sucrose along
with coffee and a coffee creamer according to one exemplary
5 embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating a change in blood
glucose according to milk proteins included in the coffee
creamer according to one exemplary embodiment of the
present invention.
10 FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a change in in an area
under the blood glucose response curve according to milk
proteins included in the coffee creamer according to one
exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
15 【Mode for Invention】
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described
in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof,
but the present invention is not limited thereto. However,
coffee mixes according to other examples than the
20 embodiments will follow general technology known in the art.
For example, see Korean Patent Publication No. 2011-0047976.
Preparative Example 1: Preparation of coffee mix
Coffee mixes were prepared as listed in the following
Table 1.
Particularly, instant coffee (Maxim Mocha Gold
Original, Dongsuh Food Co. Ltd.) was used as coffee in
comparative examples and examples, and 6 g of tagatose
5 (crystalline tagatose containing 98.5% tagatose, CJ
CheilJedang Corp.) (Example 1), and 5 g of sucrose (white
sucrose, CJ CheilJedang Corp.) (Comparative Example 1) and
8.4 g of erythritol (Zibo Zhongshi Green Biotech Co., Ltd)
(Comparative Example 2) whose contents were adjusted to
10 exhibit a degree of sweetness similar to that of the
tagatose were used as a sweetener added to the coffee mixes
in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Example 1. The
erythritol was used as the placebo in Comparative Example 2
in which erythritol was added as a sweetening ingredient (0
15 Kcal, GI: 0) which had no effects on blood glucose.
Coffee mixes of Examples 2 and 3 were prepared by
further adding 6 g of coffee creamer 1 (a starch syrup
including hydrogenated vegetable fats, natural casein,
dibasic potassium phosphate, and an emulsifying agent;
20 „Prima‟ from Dongsuh Food Co. Ltd.) and 6 g of coffee
creamer 2 (a starch syrup including hydrogenated vegetable
fats, non-fat milk, dibasic potassium phosphate, and a
powder of milk protein concentrate; Namyang French Cafe Mix
Creamer) to the coffee mix of Example 1, respectively. A
coffee mix of Comparative Example 3 was prepared by
replacing sucrose for only tagatose of Example 3.
【Table 1】
Raw
material
Relative
degree of
sweetness
Comparative
Example 1
(g)
Comparative
Example 2
(g)
Example
1 (g)
Example
2 (g)
Example
3 (g)
Comparative
Example 3
(g)
Sucrose 1 5 - - - - 6
Erythritol 0.85 - 8.4 - - - -
Tagatose 0.6 - - 6 6 6 -
Coffee - 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6
Coffee
creamer 1
- - - - 6 - -
Coffee
creamer 2
- - - - - 6 6
5 Experimental Example 1: Change in blood glucose
according to intake of coffee mix
1-1. Change in blood glucose according to sweetener
1) Selection of subjects and intake method
To measure changes in blood glucose after the intake
10 of the coffee mixes of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1
and 2 prepared in Preparative Example 1, the following
experiment was performed on 21 healthy persons (12 males
and 9 females), with an average age of 32.4 ± 5.5 years
(between 25 and 42 years), who had a fasting blood sucrose
15 level of 100 mg/dL or less.
Particularly, the subjects who had fasted since 10
p.m. the night before were randomly fed with muffin (a
total of 326 kcal, including 19 g of sucrose) and the
coffee mixes of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2
(to perform randomization, double-blind, and cross-over
tests).
2) Measurement of changes in blood glucose and area
under the blood glucose response curve
5 To measure changes in blood glucose of subjects after
meal, blood samples were taken through fingertip at time
points of 0 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60
minutes, 90 minutes, and 120 minutes after meal. Blood
glucose contents were measured for every blood collection
10 using an electrochemical method (Accu-Check, Roche). Area
values under the blood glucose response curve (AUC) with
the lapse of time were statistically processed based on the
Student‟s paired t-test. P < 0.05 was set to be of
statistical significance as a threshold value.
15 As a result, it was revealed that the tagatosecontaining
coffee mix of Example 1 exhibited a significant
decrease in blood glucose by 7.6% within 30 minutes after
meal and a decrease in blood glucose by 6.35% within 45
minutes after meal, and also exhibited a significant
20 decrease in an area under the blood glucose response curve
(AUC) by 3.8% within 120 minutes after meal, compared to
the placebo of Comparative Example 2. Also, it was
revealed that the tagatose-containing coffee mix of Example
1 exhibited a significant decrease (7.7%) within 30 minutes
after meal, compared to the sucrose-containing coffee mix
of Comparative Example 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2). That is, it can
be seen that the rise in blood glucose after meal was
significantly inhibited when the caffeine-containing coffee
5 and the tagatose-containing coffee mix were taken at a dose
of 6 g/day after meal, and that the rise in blood glucose
after meal was significantly inhibited even when compared
to the existing commercial product, that is, a sucrosecontaining
coffee mix.
10
1-2. Change in blood glucose according to intake of
coffee creamer-containing coffee mix
1) Selection of subjects and intake method
The following experiment was performed on 22 healthy
15 persons (13 males and 9 females), with an average age of
32.4 ± 5.5 years (between 25 and 42 years), who had a
fasting blood sucrose level of 100 mg/dL or less.
Particularly, the subjects who had fasted since 10
p.m. the night before were randomly fed with the coffee
20 mixes of Example 3 and Comparative Example 3 prepared in
Preparative Example 1 (to perform randomization, doubleblind,
and cross-over tests).
2) Measurement of changes in blood glucose and area
under the blood glucose response curve
Measurements of a change in blood glucose and an area
under the blood glucose response curve for the subjects,
and statistical processing were performed in the same
manner as in Experimental Example 1-1. In the case of the
5 change in blood glucose, the rises in blood glucose were
significantly inhibited within 15 minutes (10.8%) and 30
minutes (12.7%) when the coffee mix containing tagatose and
a coffee creamer (Example 3) was ingested, compared to when
the coffee mix containing sucrose and a coffee creamer
10 (Comparative Example 3) was ingested, and that the area
under the blood glucose response curve (AUC) was also
significantly inhibited by 5.49% within 90 minutes (FIGS. 3
and 4). Therefore, it can be seen that the rise in blood
glucose after meal was significantly inhibited when the
15 caffeine-containing coffee and the tagatose-containing
coffee mix including a coffee creamer having a high GI were
taken at a dose of 6 g/day or more, compared to the
existing commercial product, that is, a coffee mix
containing sucrose and a coffee creamer.
20
Experimental Example 2: Change in blood glucose
according to type of milk proteins in coffee creamer
The same subjects as in Experimental Example 1 were
fed with the coffee mixes of Examples 2 and 3 in the same
manner to check a change in blood glucose and a change in
an area under the blood glucose response curve according to
the type of milk proteins in a coffee creamer. Casein was
included in the coffee creamer of Example 2, and a milk
5 protein concentrate was included in the coffee creamer of
Example 3.
As a result, it was confirmed that there were no
changes in blood glucose and area under the blood glucose
response curve according to the type of the coffee creamers,
10 indicating that there was no difference in an inhibitory
effect of tagatose on the rise in blood glucose according
to the type of milk proteins (FIGS. 5 and 6).

WE CLAIM
【Claim 1】
A health functional food for inhibiting a rise in
blood glucose, comprising coffee and tagatose.
5 【Claim 2】
The health functional food of claim 1, wherein the
tagatose is included at a dose of 6 g/day to 10 g/day.
【Claim 3】
The health functional food of claim 1, wherein the
10 tagatose is included at a tagatose content of 95% by weight
or more, based on the weight of dried solids.
【Claim 4】
The health functional food of claim 1, wherein the
tagatose is in a crystalline form.
15 【Claim 5】
The health functional food of claim 1, wherein the
health functional food further comprises a milk protein.
【Claim 6】
The health functional food of claim 5, wherein the
20 milk protein is selected from the group consisting of
casein, sodium caseinate, a milk protein isolate, and a
milk protein concentrate.
【Claim 7】
The health functional food of claim 5, wherein the
health functional food further comprises starch syrup.
【Claim 8】
The health functional food of claim 1, wherein the
5 coffee contains caffeine.
【Claim 9】
The health functional food of claim 1, wherein the
inhibition of the rise in blood glucose comprises a
decrease in a blood glucose level by 3% to 20% within 30
10 minutes to 45 minutes after the intake of the health
functional food relative to a blood glucose level of the
control who does not eat the health functional food.
【Claim 10】
The health functional food of claim 1, wherein the
15 inhibition of the rise in blood glucose comprises a
decrease in an area under the blood glucose response curve
(AUC) by 2% to 10% within 0 minutes to 120 minutes after
the intake of the health functional food relative to an
area under the blood glucose response curve of the control
20 who does not eat the health functional food.
【Claim 11】
The health functional food of claim 1, wherein the
inhibition of the rise in blood glucose comprises a
decrease in a blood glucose level by 3% to 20% within 30
minutes after the intake of the health functional food
relative to a blood glucose level of the control who eats
sucrose instead of tagatose in the health functional food.
【Claim 12】
5 The health functional food of claim 5, wherein the
inhibition of the rise in blood glucose comprises a
decrease in a blood glucose level by 3% to 20% within 15
minutes to 30 minutes after the intake of the health
functional food relative to a blood glucose level of the
10 control who eats sucrose instead of tagatose in the health
functional food.
【Claim 13】
The health functional food of claim 5, wherein the
inhibition of the rise in blood glucose comprises a
15 decrease in an area under the blood glucose response curve
by 2% to 10% within 0 minutes to 90 minutes after the
intake of the health functional food relative to an area
under the blood glucose response curve of the control who
does not eat the health functional food.
20 【Claim 14】
The health functional food of claim 1, wherein the
food is a coffee mix.
【Claim 15】
A method of inhibiting a rise in blood glucose,
comprising:
administering the health functional food according to
claim 1 to a subject in need thereof.