SUMMARY of the INVENTION of a Salt of an Oxy Acid of Sulfur Wherein
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3,597,456 thirds water. Such a mixture is preferred as higher con 3,597,456 METHOD FOR PREPARNG STERILE LECTHEN centrations of lecithin tend to be difficult to handle, while Charles Rifkin, Highland Park, and Rudolfo Cilento, lower concentrations require excessively large vessels North Brunswick, N.J., assignors to E. R. Squibb & and involve heating excessive amounts of water. It is Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y. 5 to be understood, however, that the foregoing considera No Drawing. Filed May 20, 1969, Ser. No. 826,258 tions are primarily economic, not chemical, and it is em Int, CI. A237/00; C07f 9/02 phasized that the present invention is applicable to any U.S. C. 260-403 9 (Claims aqueous mixture of lecithin and water. The sterilizing conditions comprise elevated tempera tures and pressures. The temperatures are suitably above ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 10 100 C. and the pressures are at least atmospheric and The presence of from 0.1 to 5% by weight of a salt of Suitably superatmospheric. The upper limit of the steri an oxy acid of sulfur wherein the apparent oxidation state lizing conditions is the decomposition point of the lecithin. of the sulfur is not greater than -- 4 prevents color In practice, there is little or no advantage in temperatures degradation during the sterilization of lecithin. above about 130° C. or pressures above a few atmos ls pheres. The lecithin is generally treated at these elevated temperatures and pressures for upwards of fifteen min BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION utes,minutes. typically from about thirty minutes to about sixty The present invention relates to the sterilization of According to the present invention the sterilizing treat lecithin, and more particularly, to a method of sterilizing ment is carried out in the presence of a small amount lecithin whereby color degradation is prevented. of a salt of an oxy acid of sulfur wherein the apparent Lecithin is an organic chemical compound, phospho oxidation state of sulfur is not greater than --4. The lipid in nature, which is used in pharmaceutical practice oxy acids of Sulfur wherein the sulfur has an apparent as a dispersant and surface active agent. In view of the oxidation state not greater than +4 are Sulfoxylic acid "natural' character of lecithin, it has for many years been 25 (H2SO2), dithionous acid (H2SO4), sulfurous acid used as a dispersant in sterile aqueous suspensions of pro (HSOs), and pyrosulfurous acid (HSO). In deter caine penicillin. Modern medical practice dictates that mining the apparent oxidation state of sulfur in the OXy very large doses of procaine pencillin be injected in order acid, hydrogen is assigned its normal valence of --1 and to achieve a good therapeutic response. When 50% mi 30 oxygen its normal valence of -2. In this way the appar cronized penicillin solids are formulated into an aqueous ent oxidation state of sulfur can be computed to be 2 suspension, the resultant mixture is so thick that it will in sulfoxylic acid, --3 in dithionous acid, and --4 in not flow out of a syringe. The addition of relatively small both sulfurous acid and pyrosulfurous acid. By way of quantities of sterile lecithin fluidizes this mixture, and contrast, Sulfur has an apparent valence of -6 insul permits the injection of high doses. furic acid. Lecithin is commercially available as a light yellow or 35 The Salts of the oxy acids wherein the apparent oxida light tan granular solid, or in various liquid forms. The tion state of Sulfur is not greater than --4 include inor preparation of sterile lecithin has always been a problem ganic salts and organic salts. Among the inorganic salts in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly while trying are the alkali metal salts and ammonium salts. The or to retain its original light color. Lecithin is susceptible to 40 ganic Salts include the formyl derivatives of sulfoxylic auto-oxidation and decomposition, resulting in an un acid, that is, organic sulfones, and formyl and acetonyl desirable darkening of the color. Various methods are derivatives of sulfurous acid. used in commercial practice, none of which are entirely Some examples of inorganic salts are lithium sulfite, satisfactory. Commercial lecithin can be sterilized by dis Sodium Sulfite, potassium sulfite, ammonium sulfite, persing it in water and autoclaving the mixture at about 45 lithium sodium sulfite, lithium potassium sulfite, lithium 121 C. and at about 15 lbs. steam pressure, for from ammonium sulfite, sodium potassium sulfite, sodium am about 30 to about 60 minutes. In the normal course of monium sulfite, potassium ammonium Sulfite, lithium bi events this procedure will yield sterile lecithin. The prod sulfite, Sodium bisulfite, potassium bisulfite, ammonium uct, however, is extremely discolored and dark. bisulfite, lithium metabisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, po It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to 50 tassium metabisulfite, ammonium metabisulfite, lithium provide an improved process for sterilizing lecithin while Sodium metabisulfite, lithium potassium metabisulfite, at the same time avoiding color degradation. A further lithium ammonium metabisulfite, sodium potassium meta object is to prepare light colored sterile lecithin. These and bisulfite, Sodium ammonium metabisulfite, potassium am other objects of the present invention will be apparent monium metabisulfite, lithium hydrogen metabisulfite, from the following description. 55 Sodium hydrogen metabisulfite, potassium hydrogen meta bisulfite, ammonium hydrogen metabisulfite, lithium hy SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION drosulfite, sodium hydrosulfite, potassium hydrosulfite, ammonium hydrosulfite, lithium sodium hydrosulfite, It has now been found that color degradation is avoided lithium potassium hydrosulfite, lithium ammonium hy by contacting aqueous lecithin under sterilizing condi 60 drosulfite, sodium potassium hydrosulfite, sodium am tions with a small amount of a salt of an oxy acid of sulfur monium hydrosulfite, potassium ammonium hydrosulfite, wherein the apparent oxidation state of sulfur is not lithium hydrogen hydrosulfite, sodium hydrogen hydro greater than --4. Sulfite, potassium hydrogen hydrosulfite and ammonium DETALED DESCRIPTION hydrogen hydrosulfite. 65 The organic salts may be, for example, sodium for Aqueous lecithin is a mixture of lecithin and water. maldehyde sulfoxylate (formosul), sodium formaldehyde The mixture may be in the form of a dispersion, suspen bisulfite, acetone sodium bisulfite, and the corresponding sion or emulsion. The process of the present invention is lithium, potassium and ammonium salts. applicable to any mixture of lecithin and water, regard The quantity of the salt of the oxy acid of sulfur may less of the lecithin concentration. A preferred aqueous 70 vary from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the lecithin mixture consists of one-third lecithin and two lecithin. 3,597,456 3 4. The sterile lecithin obtained by subjecting lecithin to EXAMPLE 5 a sterilizing treatment in the presence of a Salt of an The procedure of Example 1 was repeated except that oxy acid of sulfur according to the present invention may when the bottle was removed from the autoclave it was be used directly in solution or dispersion such as in the allowed to cool somewhat, but while still warm, was preparation of procaine pencillin aqueous Suspension, or poured into a sterile stainless steel tray, covered and the dispersion of sterile lecithin can be frozen and lyo frozen. The tray was subsequently freeze-dried at a philized so that sterile dry lecithin can be obtained and vacuum of 50 microns of mercury to yield a porous sterile used for various purposes in the dry state. The quantity mass which had a very light acceptable color. of lecithin which can be treated in this manner is limited only by the equipment size. O EXAMPLE 6 The following examples illustrate the present invention The lecithin dispersion of Example 3 was poured into without, however, limiting the same thereto. trays and freeze-dried as in Example 5 to yield a porous EXAMPLE 1. sterile mass similar in appearance to that of Example 5. What is claimed is: 500 g. of lecithin and 1 1. of water in which 10 g. of 1. A process for preparing sterile lecithin wherein sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate had been predissolved aqueous lecithin is contacted under sterilizing conditions were added to a 4 1. Pyrex bottle. The bottle was sealed with a salt of an oxy acid of sulfur wherein the apparent and autoclaved at 121 for one hour. It was then removed oxidation state of sulfur is not greater than --4, the from the autoclave and the dispersion of lecithin allowed amount of the reducing agent being effective to prevent to cool. The lecithin dispersion was very light in color 20 discoloration of the lecithin. and acceptable for the preparation of aqueous Suspen 2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the salt sions of procaine penicillin. On testing for sterility, it of the oxy acid of sulfur is present in an amount of from was found to be sterile. Aqueous suspensions of procaine about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the lecithin. penicillin made from this lecithin were tested for muscle 3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the oxy irritation and toxicity. There was no significant difference 25 acid of sulfur is sulfoxylic acid, dithionous acid, sulfurous between these preparations and controls. acid or pyrosulfurous acid. EXAMPLE 2 4. A process according to claim 3 wherein the cation of the salt of the oxy acid of sulfur is an alkali metal or The foregoing procedure was repeated except that no ammonium salt. sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate was present. The re 30 5. A process according to claim 3 wherein the anion sulting lecithin dispersion was sterile but much darker in of the salt of the oxy acid of sulfur is a sulfite, bisulfite, color and unacceptable for the preparation of aqueous metabisulfite or hydrosulfite.