Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Radical -xh acid – or anhydride – acid halide or salt thereof...
Patent
1997-02-14
1999-11-30
Criares, Theodore J.
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Radical -xh acid, or anhydride, acid halide or salt thereof...
426601, 426606, 426607, A61K 3120, A23D 700
Patent
active
059944048
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to certain nervonic acid-containing compositions.
Nervonic acid is a long chain mono-unsaturated fatty acid, the systematic name of which is cis-tetracos-15-enoic acid, generally designated in short as C24:1(n-9). It plays a part in the biosynthesis of myelin and it is found in sphingolipids of white matter in the human brain. In diseases involving demyelination, such as adrenoleucodystrophy (ALD) and multiple sclerosis (MS), there is a marked reduction from normal in the nervonic acid levels in sphingolipids, and we have described the administration of nervonic acid to sufferers of these diseases to alleviate the condition. However, whilst this treatment is effective, its apparent simplicity belies the extreme complexity of the body processes involved. It is not the case that mere administration of a fatty acid will necessarily, or even probably, overcome a deficiency of that acid in the brain: the processes are too complex for such an elementary analysis.
In Medical Hypotheses (1994), 42, 237-242, Sargent J. R. et al review the relation between nervonic acid and demyelinating diseases. These diseases tend to occur from teenage onwards whereas, in contrast, myelin formation occurs before birth and in the first year or two of life. Sargent et al hypothesise that in the context of ALD and MS diseases, the absence of relatively specialised fatty acids during the early years of life could have serious consequences for neural performance later. Whilst, later in life, there is an apparent relationship during demyelination between nervonic acid levels and the diseases ALD and MS, no such relationship has been established between any particular acid and the myelination process itself. Indeed, the whole area of long chain fatty acid biosynthesis is proving much more complex than hitherto realised, and the effects of competing processes and variations in dietary feed are very far from understood.
We have now found, however, that despite the fundamental lack of understanding of the technology and the complexity and inter-relation of very many different factors, there is an advantage in providing a supplement of nervonic acid in the diets of children and mothers, and in the diets of adults whose nervonic acid levels are generally taken to be normal. This dietary supplement of nervonic acid other than for the treatment of a demyelinating disease provides advantageous effects both for children in the myelinating age and later in life. This finding is contrary to the generally accepted view that normal diets do result in adequate nervonic acid levels, and it is of note that despite the complexity of the overall situation, dietary nervonic acid is a useful way of providing this substance to human tissue.
According to the present invention, therefore, there is provided a baby or infant food composition comprising one or more nutrient materials and, as a supplement, nervonic acid or a functional derivative thereof or an immediate biochemical precursor of either nervonic acid or a functional derivative thereof, in a physiologically acceptable form.
The composition may, for example, comprise a formula for preterm babies or term babies and infants in the form of a ready-to-feed liquid water-based preparation, or may be in the form of a powder or concentrated liquid intended to be diluted with water to become a ready-to-feed liquid. Alternatively, infant foods, such as processed meats, vegetables and fish, can be supplemented by adding nervonic acid or a functional derivative thereof or an immediate biochemical precursor.
The term "functional derivative", as used throughout the specification, is defined as any derivative of nervonic acid which contains the intact acyl group. Examples of such functional derivatives include esters, particularly glyceride esters, for example the mono-, di- and tri-nervonyl glycerides, and ethyl esters, and fatty acid salts, such as sodium salts, lithium salts, potassium salts, calcium salts, amino acid salts and the like.
The functional derivative may be a complex triglycer
REFERENCES:
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patent: 5190783 (1993-03-01), Klemann et al.
patent: 5411756 (1995-05-01), Wheeler et al.
International Publication No. WO 91/07955 to K. Coupland et al. entitled, "Use of Nervonic Acid . . . Disorders" dated Jun. 13, 1991.
International Publication No. WO 89/00895 to T. Grebinski entitled, "Surface Treatment to Remove Impurities in Microprocesses" dated Feb. 9, 1989.
J.R. Sargent et al., "Nervonic Acid and Demyelinating Disease" in Medical Hypotheses (1994) 42, 237-242.
Database WPI, Section Ch, Week 9329, Derwent, JP,A,05155803 (Hohnen Oil), Jun. 22, 1993.
Database WPI, Section Ch, Week 9150, Derwent, JP,A,03244344 (Moringa Milk), Oct. 31, 1991.
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Criares Theodore J.
Croda International PLC
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