US007 19291.3B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,192,913 B2 Clark et al. (45) Date of Patent: Mar. 20, 2007 (54) ENHANCING THE FRAGRANCE OF AN 5,263,359 A * 11/1993 Mookherjee et al. ...... T3/23.34 ARTICLE 5,269,169 A * 12/1993 Trenkle et al. ............. T3/23.34 5,321,005 A * 6/1994 Mookherjee et al. .......... 512/5 (75) Inventors: David G. Clark, Gainesville, FL (US); 5,321,006 A * 6/1994 Mookherjee et al. .......... 512/5 Kenichi Shibuya, Gainesville, FL (US) 5,355.718 A * 10/1994 Mookherjee et al. ...... T3/23.34 5,367,899 A * 11/1994 Mookherjee et al. ...... T3/23.34 (73) Assignee: University of Florida Research 5,369,978 A * 12/1994 Mookherjee et al. ...... T3/23.34 Foundation, Inc., Gainesville, FL (US) k . (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this cited by examiner patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Primary Examiner Monique T. Cole U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm Akerman Senterfitt: Nicholas A. Zachariades (21) Appl. No.: 10/779,508 (57) ABSTRACT (22) Filed: Feb. 13, 2004 O O A composition having a fragrance that Substantially mimics (65) Prior Publication Data a RC of a R E. by (a) identifying N US 2004/022977O A1 Nov. 18, 2004 of different chemical entities emitted from a plant, wherein the plurality of different chemical entities combine to form Related U.S. Application Data the fragrance of the plant; (b) determining a concentration of (60) Provisional application No. 60/514,795, filed on Oct. the plurality of different chemical entities emitted from the 27, 2003, provisional application No. 60/447,062, plant, the plurality of different chemical entities including at filed on Feb. 13, 2003 least a first chemical entity and a second chemical entity, the • - s first and second chemical entities having different chemical (51) Int. Cl. structures; (c) providing a stock of the first chemical entity A61O 13/00 (2006.01) and a stock of the second chemical entity; and (d) mixing (52) U.S. Cl 512/1 together aliquots of the stock of the first chemical entity and irr irrir. the stock of the second chemical entity to form a mixture (58) Field of Classification Search .................... 512/1, wherein a ratio of the concentration of the first chemical 512/5 73/23.34 entity to second chemical entity is Substantially the same as See application file for complete search history. that emitted from the plant. The composition may be applied (56) References Cited to an article such as a flower with little or no scent to enhance the articles fragrance. U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 4,868,339 A * 9/1989 Christenson et al. ....... 568,376 3 Claims, No Drawings US 7,192,913 B2 1. 2 ENHANCING THE FRAGRANCE OF AN flower (e.g., a hybrid rose that lacks or has only minimal ARTICLE fragrance) includes a mixture of 2-phenylethanol and beta ionone. A formulation that may be used to impart a “petunia' CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED odor includes a mixture of benzaldehyde, phenylacetalde APPLICATION hyde, methylbenzoate, 2-phenylethanol, caryophylene, and benzyl benzoate. This application claims the priority of U.S. provisional Accordingly, the present invention features a method for patent application No. 60/447,062, filed Feb. 13, 2003 and producing a composition having a fragrance that mimics or U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/514,795, filed substantially mimics that of a plant. The method includes the Oct. 27, 2003. 10 steps of: (a) identifying a plurality of different chemical entities emitted from a plant, wherein the plurality of dif STATEMENT AS TO FEDERALLY SPONSORED ferent chemical entities combine to form the fragrance of the RESEARCH plant; (b) determining a concentration of the plurality of different chemical entities emitted from the plant, the plu Not applicable. 15 rality of different chemical entities including at least a first chemical entity and a second chemical entity, the first and FIELD OF THE INVENTION second chemical entities having different chemical struc tures; (c) providing a stock of the first chemical entity and The invention relates to the fields of fragrances and a stock of the second chemical entity; and (d) mixing flowers. More particularly, the invention relates to compo together aliquots of the stock of the first chemical entity and sitions and methods for enhancing the fragrance of an the stock of the second chemical entity to form a mixture article. wherein a ratio of the concentration of the first chemical entity to second chemical entity is Substantially the same as BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION that emitted from the plant. More than two chemical entities 25 may be needed, based upon the number of chemical entities Plant breeding has led to flowers with bigger, longer identified, e.g. 3, 4 or more as necessary. lasting blooms. Unfortunately, this breeding process has also The plant may be selected from a variety of different led to flowers that have lost all or much of their scents. plants including, but not limited to, rose, petunia, lilac, lavender, gardenia, orchid, Snapdragon, cyclamen, lily, hya SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 30 cinth, carnation, citronellia, mint, lemon, lime, orange, or pineapple. The first or second chemical entity may be a The invention relates to compositions and methods for compound selected from those presented in Table 1 (below). enhancing the scent of a article (e.g., cut flowers) by An exemplary composition having a fragrance that mim contacting the article with one or more chemical formula ics that of a rose includes 2-phenylethanol and beta-ionone, tions that have a selected fragrance. For example, a com 35 e.g., at a molar ratio of about 2200:1. One that has a position that mimics the natural scent of a flower is prepared fragrance that mimics that of petunia, includes benzalde by mixing together stock chemicals in a ratio that is similar hyde, phenylacetaldehyde, methyl benzoate, 2-phenyletha to that emitted from the flower. Applying this composition to nol, caryophyllene, and benzyl benzoate. a flower that has lost all or much of its scent through The composition of the invention may also include a breeding can restore the lost or diminished scent to produce 40 diluent such as water, hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HP a more commercially desirable product. BCD) and/or glycerol. It can also be encapsulated. The compositions of the invention may be formulated in In yet another aspect, the invention features a method for liquid form and sprayed directly on cut flowers. They might enhancing the fragrance of an article. The method includes also be added to vase solutions or embedded into floral the step of contacting the article with a composition having arrangement hardware. As one example, for roses that do not 45 a scent that Substantially mimics a natural fragrance of a emit a "rose' scent, to enhance their aesthetic appeal and plant. therefore commercial value, a florist or consumer might Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein spray the roses with a composition that mimics a natural rose have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of Scent. ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The chemical makeup of the fragrant compositions of the 50 Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to invention are based on type and amount of scent-imparting those described herein may be used in the practice or testing chemicals that are emitted by a particular plant. For of the present invention, Suitable methods and materials are example, to devise a formulation that has the fragrance of a described below. All publications, patent applications, pat particular flower, the identity and relative concentration of ents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated the chemicals emitted from the flower may be determined 55 by reference in their entirety. In the case of conflict, the using conventional chemical analysis. As one example, a gas present specification, including definitions will control. The flowed over a flower may be analyzed by gas chromatog particular embodiments discussed below are illustrative only raphy (GC) to characterize the identity and concentration of and not intended to be limiting. chemicals emitted by the flower. Using the methods of the present invention, compositions 60 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE that substantially mimic the fragrance of a flower may be INVENTION made from Stock chemicals using the GC data as a guide. Although the exact formula generated from GC analysis The present invention is more particularly described in the might be used, other formulas that are similar to the exact following description and examples that are intended to be formula might also be used. Beneficial formulas may be 65 illustrative only since numerous modifications and varia selected empirically, e.g., using a test panel. For example, a tions therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As formulation that may be used to impart a “rose odor to a used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form US 7,192,913 B2 3 4 a,” “an,” and “the may include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “comprising TABLE 1-continued may include the embodiments "consisting of and “consist Cresol; 3-Methylphenol; m-Cresol; ing essentially of.” By the phrase “a fragrance that Substan Cresol; 4-methylphenol; p-Cresol; tially mimics a fragrance of a plant’ or a like phrase is meant 5 Cyclocitral; beta-Cyclocitral isomer that the fragrance can be identified as originating from the Damascenone; beta- Damascenone; plant by at least 50% of persons experienced in formulating Damascone; alpha- Damascone; Damascone; (+)-alpha-Damascone isomer; fragrances.