Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Inhibiting chemical or physical change of food by contact... – Biocidal or disinfecting chemical agent
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-10
2001-06-26
Saucier, Sandra E. (Department: 1651)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Inhibiting chemical or physical change of food by contact...
Biocidal or disinfecting chemical agent
C426S532000, C424S725000, C435S032000, C435S252700, C435S842000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06251461
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the use of hop extracts for controlling
Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile
, and
Helicobacter pylori.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The most prevalent groups of bitter acids found as components of hops are the alpha-acids and beta-acids, also referred to as humulones and lupulones, respectively. Both contribute bitterness to beer, but the alpha-acids are much more intense in this regard than the beta-acids. Producers of hop extracts have recently used liquid carbon dioxide under supercritical conditions. A by-product of the operation is a product which contains approximately 61 weight percent beta-acids, the remainder consisting essentially of other hop resins.
Quite apart from their use in beer, hops and hop acids have also been recognized as microbial inhibitors. More specifically, hop acids and resins have been shown to be primarily active against some gram positive bacteria and Mycobacteria. Activity against gram negative bacteria is far less pronounced. It has been suggested that the reduced effect was due to induced permeability of the cell membrane in gram positive bacteria, but was inactivated by the serum phosphatides in gram negative bacteria. Arch. Mikrobiol. 94, pp. 159-171, 1973.
Other more recent references have been identified, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,506 (1994) and Larson, Yu, Price, Haas and Johnson,
International Journal of Food Microbiology
, 1996, which report on the use of beta acids as extracted from hops for controlling
Listeria
. More specifically, 6 to 50 ppm of beta acids, as extracted from hops, was found in media to protect against
Listeria monocytogenes
contamination, while in foods, depending on the specific food, higher levels (100-300 ppm) were necessary.
Attention is also directed to the following references:
Agricultural and Biological Chemistry
, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp 399-404 (1985) which discloses that humulone, lupulone and related compounds were found to have antifungal activities;
Dissertation Abstracts
, Vol. 53-08B, 1991, pp. 3861, reports that compounds derived from hops possess antibacterial activity, and more specifically, the antibacterial activity against
Lactobacillus brevis
was found to be pH-dependent;
Journal of the Institute of Brewing
, 99 (5) 405-411 (1993) reports on the results of studies investigating the ability of hop acids to inhibit beer spoilage activity;
Journal of the Institute of Brewing
, 99 (1) 43-48 (1993) reports on the antibacterial activity of hop bitter resins derived from recovered hopped worts. More specifically, strains of thermophilic
Bacillus spp
were identified which failed to grow in certain sweet worts derived from mashes to which centrate (recovered hop wort) had been added;
J. Food Prot
. Vol 57, No. 1, pp 59-61 (1994) reports on the antimicrobial activity of hop resins against
Streptococcus salivarius
. The two hop resins used were iso-alpha acid and beta resin;
Agric. Biol. Chem
., Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 399-403 (1985) discloses that humulone, lupulone and related compounds as having antifungal activities;
Lebensm. Ind
. Vol. 28, No. 7, pp. 311-315 (1981) reports that tests showed that hop extract and isomerized hop extract have similar anti-microbial properties like hops, but the antimicrobial effect of the hops in beer production was low.
J. Appl. Bacteriol
., Vol. 72, No. 4, pp. 327-324 (1992) considered the antibacterial effect of weak acids derived from the hop plant
Humulus lupulus
. The antibacterial activity of trans-isohumulone was about 20 times greater than that of humulone, 11 times greater than colupulone, and nine times greater than that of trans-humulinic acid when the degree of ionization was taken into account.
However not all gram positive bacteria are sensitive to hop resins as is well known to the Brewer and see J. Fernandez and Will Simpson in J. App Bacteriology, 75 315-319 (1993). Also G. Haas and B. Barsoumian in J. Food Protection 57, 59-61 (1994) worked with a strain of
Bacillus subtilis
which was resistant.
None of the art noted above deals with the control of botulism, which is well-known as an acute intoxication manifested by neuromuscular disturbances after ingesting food containing a toxin elaborated by
Clostridium botulinum
. The causative agent is actually one of several types of exotoxins elaborated by the sporulating, anaerobic bacillus
Clostridium botulinum
, which causes human poisoning. Botulinum toxins are highly poisonous proteins resistant to digestion by gastrointestinal enzymes.
Clostridium difficile
is one of the major causes of diarrheal disease particularly in elderly humans treated with antibiotics. Very few antibiotics are effective and treatment of this infection is difficult at best. Only vancomycin of the well known antibiotics seems to be useful in treatment.
Helicobacter pylori
is a common cause of gastric ulcers and chronic active gastritis in humans. Ulcer relapses are common in humans treated with antibiotics or bismith nitrate. Other intervention strategies have to be sought and a nutritional or dietetic approach would be highly desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the discovery that hops extract or the components of hops extract are useful as an antibacterial agent against dangerous pathogens
Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile
, and
Helicobacter pylori
. More specifically, a process and associated product is described herein, comprising applying at least about 1 ppm or greater, by weight, of beta acids, or hop extracts to inhibit growth of
Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile
, and
Helicobacter pylori
. Medications, disinfectant solutions or pharmaceutical compositions containing these materials may also be used.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3932603 (1976-01-01), Haas
patent: 5286506 (1994-02-01), Millis et al.
patent: 2749274 (1976-11-01), None
patent: 0606599 (1994-07-01), None
patent: 0681029 (1995-11-01), None
Smith et al; “Antibacterial Activity of Hop Bitter Resins Derived From Recovered Hopped Wort”; Feb. 1993; pp. 43-48; Journal of the Institute of Brewing, vol. 99.
Simpson; “Studies on the Sensitivity of Lactic Acid Bacteria to Hop Bitter Acids”; Sep.-Oct. 1993; Journal of the Institute of Brewing; vol. 99; pp. 405-411.
Simpson et al; “Factors affecting antibacterial activity of hop compounds and their-derivatives ”; 1992; pp. 327-334; Journal of Applied Bacteriology.
Mizobuchi et al.; “Antifungal ACtivities of Hop Bitter Resins and Related Compounds”; 1985; pp. 399-403; Agric. Biol. Chem. 49(2).
Larson et al; “Antimicrobial activity of hop extracts againstListeria monocytogenesin media and in food”; Jul. 1996; pp. 195-207; International Journal of Food Microbiology 33.
Haas et al; “Antimicrobial Activity of Hop Resins”; Jan. 1994; pp. 59-61; Journal of Food Protection, vol. 57, No. 1.
Fernandez et al; “Aspects of the resistance of lactic acid bacteria to hop bitter acids”; 1993; pp. 315-319; Journal of Applied Bacteriology.
Ohsugi et al., “Antibacterial activity ofHumulus lupulusagainstHelicobacter pylori”, Journal of Traditional Medicines, 1996, vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 344-345.*
Ohsugi et al., “Antibacterial activity of traditional medecines and an active constituent lupulone fromHumulus lupulusagainst Helicobacter pylori”, Journal of Tradtitional Medicines, 1997, vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 186-191.
Haas Gerhard J.
Johnson Eric A.
Afremova Vera
Hayes, Soloway, Hennessey Grossman & Hage, P.C.
S. S. Steiner, Inc.
Saucier Sandra E.
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