SUBSTANCES EXTRACTED FROM CORN WHICH CAN INHIBIT THE ACTIVITIES OF AMYLASE, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS AND FOOD ADDITIVES CONTAINING THE SAME EXTRACTS FOR TREATMENT OR PREVENTION OF OBESITY AND DIABETES MELLITUS, AND PROCESSES FOR THEIR PREPARATIONS

摘要

Corn extracts that can inhibit the amylase activities are provided. The corn extracts according to the present invention can be obtained by an extracting process comprising the steps of extracting corn with an extracting solvent selected from water, organic polar solvents and their mixtures, removing solids from the extract solution obtained from the extracting step, and removing the extracting solvent from the extract solution to obtain the corn extract. The corn extracts according to the present invention can inhibit the activities of amylase, a carbohydrate digestion enzyme. Therefore, they can suppress the intake of lower saccharides into the body to prevent the increase of blood glucose level, decrease excessive intake of nutrition in order to be effective in the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitues and obesity, and induce the feeling of satiety due to the non-digested carbohydrates to obtain the diet effect. Also they are not harmful to the human body because they are extracted from plants for food.