(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 6,299,925 B1 Xiong Et Al
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
US006299925B1 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 6,299,925 B1 Xiong et al. (45) Date of Patent: Oct. 9, 2001 (54) EFFERVESCENT GREEN TEA EXTRACT OTHER PUBLICATIONS FORMULATION Database Abstract. DerWent—Acc—No.: 1997—544143. For (75) Inventors: Weihong Xiong; Danyi Quan; Dinesh JP 09262078 Pubhshed Oct- 7> 1991* C_ Pate] an of Salt Lake City UT (Us) Database Abstract. DerWent Acc No.: 1997—424658 for ES ’ ’ 21222894, 1991* (73) Assignee; XEL Herbaceuticals, Inc” Salt Lake Database Abstract. DerWent Acc. No. 1998—488335 for City, UT (Us) JP10210932A, 1998* The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (Fourth Edition) ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this The Macmillan Company pp. 828 I0 830 1970. patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Ask the Experts (Women’s Health) Natural Health p. 50 Jun. U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. 1999. Morinda USA: The Morinda Story p. 1 and 2 Date not (21) Appl. No.: 09/342,787 avallable- _ _ Kombucha Tea Ref.: The Miracle Fun . y Harald T1etZe— (22) Filedi JllIl- 29, 1999 Cygnus Book Club @ WWW.cygnus—books.co.uk 1995. (51) Int. C].7 ...................................................... .. A23F 3/00 * Cited by examiner (52) US. Cl. ........................ .. 426/597; 426/591; 426/285; 426/477 Primary Examiner—Anthony J. Weier (58) Field of Search 426/591 597 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Thorpe North & Western, 426/285, 477 LLP 57 ABSTRACT (56) References Cited ( ) A solid state Water soluble formulation in granular or tablet U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS form is provided. The formulation is a natural products 376537914 * 4/1972 Schmitt _ formulation containing a green tea plant extract in combi 3,660,107 5/1972 Mayer . nation With other ingredients Which create an effervescent 4,004,036 1/1977 Schmitt. liquid composition upon dispensing the formulation in a 4,009,292 2/1977 Finucane- liquid. The liquid form of administration, as Well as the 4,440,796 4/1984 Lunder ct a1~ - effervescent properties of the dissolved formulation increase 4,552,771 * 11/1985 Fulberth et al. bioavailability of the advantageous components of the green 4,897,257 * 1/1990 Nishhikawa et al. tea plants such as Polyphenols, by increasing absorption 5,171,571 12/1992 Stephan et al. 5 543 165 * 8/1996 Hill ' speed and amount in the human body. The formulation may 5:837j286 11/1998 Pandya et aL _ include additional components such as, other plant extracts, vitamins, ionic minerals, and other substances purported to FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS be of a health bene?t 0919 227 A1 6/1999 (EP) . 0922 450 A1 6/1999 (EP) . 36 Claims, N0 Drawings US 6,299,925 B1 1 2 EFFERVESCENT GREEN TEA EXTRACT to achieve the desired therapeutic and bene?cial effects FORMULATION Within a reasonable daily dosage. Here too, the conventional dosage forms such as capsules and tablets suffer from the THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION same disadvantages as the traditional green tea products detailed above. The present invention relates generally to a green tea extract formulation Which maximizes release and delivery of The concept of effervescence has long been knoWn in the a therapeutic extract contained therein to the human body. art of beverage making for the pleasant characteristics it More particularly, it concerns an effervescent tablet contain imparts. Soda pop and other ?avored beverages have been ing a green tea extract Which is dispensed in a liquid for knoWn to be produced from a tablet Which combines a consumption. 10 desired ?avorant ingredient With effervescence causing ingredients. For many years, only beverages having a strong BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ?avor such as a citrus, or grape ?avor could be utiliZed by such a tablet, because of the strong bitter alkaline taste Nearly 4,000 years ago, the people of the far east recog Which is produced by the normal combination of acidic and niZed many general health and refreshment bene?ts from the 15 carbonate effervescence causing ingredients. consumption of green tea. Such recognition has led to a Wide HoWever, one reference discloses an effervescent couple spread use of tea Which has even gained cultural status and Which When applied in a proper ratio does not cause such a signi?cance in many areas of the World. HoWever, the bitter alkaline taste, and is therefore useful to produce speci?c health bene?ts of green tea consumption have been beverages having a mild ?avor such as coffee, tea, and little understood until recently. 20 chocolate. This reference is US. Pat. No. 3,660,107 to Today, scienti?c evidence has linked certain positive Mayer. (hereinafter “Mayer”) health effects, including anti-cancer and anti-heart disease The effervescent “couple,” or composition taught by effects, to various components of green tea. Speci?cally, Mayer includes tartaric acid, citric acid, and sodium bicar positive effects in fending off cancer, heart disease, and other bonate combined in a 2:114 ratio. Apparently, this particular health bene?ts come from the green tea components of 25 ratio, and only this particular ratio, is capable of producing Catechins polyphenols, Polysaccharides, Flavonoids, Vita an effervescence effect When dissolved in Water Without min B complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, r-Amino Butyric producing the undesired metal alkaline taste. Mayer con Acid, and Fluoride. Polyphenols, otherWise knoWn as templates using the effervescent couple With a solid ?a catechins, and particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) vorant such as freeZe dried coffee extract for the formation 30 have shoWn anti-microbial, anti-mutagenic, and anti of the desired beverage. carcinogenic effects When administered in signi?cant doses. Unfortunately, the tartrate ion is a Well knoWn cathartic, Although there are several types of tea, only tea prepared Which When delivered in substantial doses could cause great from the green tea plant Camillia Sinesis, dried Without gastrointestinal discomfort and purging. Additionally, if fermentation, contains the highest content of catechins. 35 suf?cient quantities of tartrate ion are alloWed to enter the Other teas Which are derived from the green tea plant, such circulatory system, renal damage may result. as black tea and oolong tea lose some of their polyphenols anti-oxidant potency during their fermentation process. In addition to the pleasant effects that effervescence adds Therefore, these types of tea are someWhat less desirable to to a beverage, it is also thought to be useful in speeding the consume for their health bene?ts. body’s absorption of components associated thereWith. This 40 effect has been made famous by Alka-seltZer® brand medi Conventional tea preparation, by seeping the tea plant in cines. Analgesics, cold medicines, and even anti-acids have hot Water, extracts only the Water soluble tea components. been used in combination With an effervescent compound in Some of the most valuable components of green tea plants order to speed relief to a suffering individual. are actually Water insoluble. Therefore, in order to receive the full health bene?ts offered by the tea, an extract Which In vieW of the foregoing, a natural product formulation 45 Will alloW the release of both Water and alcohol soluble containing a concentrated green tea extract, in a ?nal deliv elements is necessary. ery form Which is both easily administered, and Which NeWer technologies alloW extraction of key green tea increases bioavailability is desirable. Further, a natural prod uct formulation containing a concentrated green tea extract plant ingredients. Often such an extract is combined into a Which increases absorption rate, and therefore bioavailabil formulation With additional substances such as vitamins, 50 ity is highly desirable. Finally, a natural product formulation essential minerals, and other items Which are purported to be containing a concentrated green tea extract in combination of a health bene?t. Such formulations can be produced in With components capable of forming an effervescent com different dosage forms, such as capsules and tablets. position When combined With a liquid is most desirable. Unfortunately, capsules or tablets can be dif?cult to administer to elderly people and children. Additionally, solid 55 OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE or crystalline dosage forms can require a signi?cant amount INVENTION of time for absorption by the body. This poor bioavailability often results in much of the dosage amount passing though It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide the body unabsorbed. a natural product formulation containing a concentrated green tea extract that is capable of being administered in a In addition to green tea, many other natural products, such 60 as herbs, fruits, and vegetables, and other botanicals have liquid form. been knoWn to impart positive, refreshing, therapeutic, and It is an additional object of the present invention, to medicinal effects When consumed in suf?cient quantities. To provide a natural product formulation containing a concen this end, herbal teas, juices, and other beverages have been trated green tea extract Which increases the formulation’s prepared from selected items. As With green tea, the basic 65 absorption rate, and therefore bioavailability. problem in the past has been the need to identify, and extract It is a further object of the present invention to provide a the bene?cial components of each item into a form suf?cient natural product formulation containing a concentrated green US 6,299,925 B1 3 4 tea extract having ingredients Which allow the formulation The preferred embodiment is chosen and described in to produce an effervescent composition When the formula order to best explain the principles of the invention and its tion is combined With a liquid. practical application. The folloWing description is intended The above objects and others not speci?cally recited are to enable others skilled in the art to best utiliZe the invention realiZed in a speci?c illustrative embodiment of a solid state in various embodiments and With various modi?cations as Water soluble formulation containing by Weight, about 10 to are suited to the particular use contemplated.