Bleaching detergent compositions

Details Bleaching detergent compositions Bleaching detergent compositions

2000-07-26

2003-07-22

Delcotto, Gregory (Department: 1751)

Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions

Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing

For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...

C510S321000, C510S392000, C510S393000, C510S370000, C510S372000, C510S376000, C510S530000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06596679

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention generally relates to bleaching detergent compositions. More in particular, it relates to enzymatic bleaching detergent compositions comprising a surfactant, a cofactor-dependent oxidoreductase and an antibody which is directed against said oxidoreductase. The invention also relates a process for enhancing the activity and/or stability of a cofactor-dependent oxidoreductase in detergent compositions.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Enzymatic bleaching detergent compositions have been described in the prior art. For instance, GB-A-2 101 167 (Unilever) discloses an enzymatic bleach composition in the form of a hydrogen peroxide-generating system comprising a C
1
-C
4
alkanol oxidase and a C
1
-C
4
alkanol. Such enzymatic bleaching compositions may be used in detergent compositions for fabric washing, in which they may provide a low-temperature enzymatic bleach system. In the wash liquor, the alkanol oxidase enzyme catalyses the reaction between dissolved molecular oxygen and the alkanol to form an aldehyde and hydrogen peroxide. In order to obtain a significant bleach effect at low wash temperatures, e.g. at 15-55° C., the hydrogen peroxide must be activated by means of a bleach activator such tetra-acetyl ethylene diamine (TAED), which yields peracetic acid upon reacting with the hydrogen peroxide.
WO-A-98/56885 (Unilever) discloses detergent compositions comprising a bleaching enzyme capable of generating a bleaching chemical and having a high binding affinity for stains present on fabrics. It is suggested to use a bispecific agent, comprising one specificity for stains and one specificity for the bleaching enzyme. It is shown that by using a specific antibodies, one can achieve targeting of the bleaching enzyme towards the stains.
Although this and several other enzymatic bleaching detergent compositions have been proposed, there is still a need for alternative or improved enzymatic bleaching detergent compositions. In particular, there is a need for compositions having enhanced activity and/or stability of the bleaching enzyme. It will be understood that with such improved compositions, it could be possible to enzymatically bleach stains which are otherwise difficult to remove, in particular the so-called “problem stains” such as tomato, tea, blackberry juice, or red wine. Such stains normally require a significant amount of bleaching for their removal, which might negatively affect the colours of the garment.
In conventional, non-enzymatic laundry bleach systems, fabrics are everywhere exposed to the same concentration of bleach, whether “problem stains” are present or not. Repeated washing with such conventional bleach systems, which may contain relatively high concentrations of bleach, may cause damage to garments such as the fading of dyes.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide alternative or improved enzymatic bleaching compositions. In particular, they should provide enhanced activity and/or stability of the bleaching enzyme and they should be capable of bleaching stains which are otherwise difficult to remove, and should preferably be more selective in its bleaching action. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an alternative or improved enzymatic process for bleaching stains on fabrics.
We have now surprisingly found that it is possible to enhance the activity and/or stability of a cofactor-dependent oxidoreductase by adding antibodies directed against any surface amino acid residues of said oxidoreductase, whereby the molar ratio between said antibody and said oxidoreductase is less than 1.
The new bleaching compositions are particularly attractive for treating “problem stains” which occur only occasionally, such as fruits and vegetables. These stains are not present on most garments and when they are present they are likely to be present in different positions than habitual stains such as those found on collars and cuffs. According to the invention, it is possible to optimise the in-use concentration of the new bleaching enzyme so that threshold concentrations of bleach are only reached if stain is present and the new bleaching enzyme binds to and accumulates on said stain. When this happens, the high local concentration of enzyme generates a high local concentration of bleach near to the stain and thereby exerts a selective bleaching action where it is required. Therefore, the unstained part of the garment (typically the majority) is not exposed to high levels of bleach and thereby this fabric is protected from any bleach-associated damage. Moreover, the next time the same garment has a stain such as fruit or vegetable stains, it is likely to be in a different position on the garment. Therefore, a different position on the garment will be exposed to high levels of bleach. Therefore, problems associated with several washes in conventional bleaching systems, such as dye-fade, will be reduced or eliminated altogether. This is in stark contrast to conventional bleaching systems where all garments are uniformly exposed to high concentrations of bleach, in every wash, regardless of whether problem stains are present or not.
DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an enzymatic detergent composition comprising a surfactant, a cofactor-dependent oxidoreductase and an antibody which is directed against said oxidoreductase, characterised in that the molar ratio between said antibody and said oxidoreductase is less than 1.
According to a second aspect, there is provided a process for enhancing the activity or stability of an cofactor-dependent oxidoreductase, by adding an antibody which is directed against at any surface amino acid residues of said oxidoreductase, whereby the molar ratio between said antibody and said oxidoreductase is less than 1.
According to a third aspect, there is provided a process for bleaching stains present of fabrics, wherein stained fabrics are contacted with the detergent composition of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1. The Cofactor-dependent Oxidase
In its first aspect, the compositions of the invention comprise a cofactor-dependent oxidoreductase. Preferably, the oxidoreductase is a flavoenzyme, in which case the cofactor FAD. It is especially preferred if the enzyme belongs to the so-called glucose-methanol-choline or GMC-family of structurally related oxidoreductases. Two recent papers describing the GMC family are: (1) Kiess, M. Hecht, H. J. Kalisz, H. M. European Journal of Biochemistry (1998) 252 (1) 90-99. Glucose oxidase from Penicillium amagasakiense—Primary structure and comparison with other glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductases and (2) Cavener, D. R., Journal of Molecular Biology (1992) 223 (3) 811-814. GMC oxidoreductases—a newly defined family of homologous proteins with diverse catalytic activities. The most preferred oxidases are glucose oxidase, galactose oxidase and alcohol oxidase.
The above mentioned hydrogen peroxide generating enzymes may be used in combination with activators which generate peracetic acid. Such activators are well-known in the art. Examples include tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) and sodium nonanoyl-oxybenzenesulphonate (SNOBS). These and other related compounds are described in fuller detail by Grime and Clauss in Chemistry & Industry (Oct. 15, 1990) 647-653. Alternatively, a transition metal catalyst could be used in combination with a hydrogen peroxide generating enzyme to increase the bleaching power. Examples of manganese catalysts are described by Hage et al. (1994) Nature 369, 637-639.
2. The Antibody or Antibody Fragment
As a second element, the new detergent compositions comprise an antibody or antibody fragment which is directed at the cofactor-dependent oxidoreductase. Preferably, the antibody is directed at the surface amino acids that are not involved in cofactor binding or substrate binding. Taking the residue numbering of glucose oxidase, the antibody is preferably directed at one or more of the following surface amino acid residues: 1-18, 26-28,

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