Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Obesity
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-24
2002-03-19
Webman, Edward J. (Department: 1617)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Obesity
C514S456000, C514S453000, C424S439000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06359017
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to dietary compositions, particularly for mammals, including humans, dogs, cats and horses, and to methods for reducing weight gain normally incurred in mammals subsequent to neutering, castration, spaying, ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy, or post menopause.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Procedures including neutering, castration, spaying, ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy are increasingly performed on dogs and cats for health related reasons and/or for population control. It is not uncommon for dogs or cats having undergone one of the aforementioned procedures to gain a significant amount of weight thereafter, and often exceed target healthy weight limits.
Weight gain incurred subsequent to ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy procedures in other mammals, including humans, is not uncommon. Additionally, post menopausal weight gain often occurs in humans even when ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy procedures are not performed.
While various weight reduction and weight gain prevention techniques and systems are available, such techniques and systems are typically difficult to implement on a continual basis and/or are ineffective for extended periods of time. Accordingly, a need exists for improved systems for reducing weight gain normally incurred in mammals subsequent to neutering, castration, spaying, ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy, and/or post menopause.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide dietary compositions and methods which overcome disadvantages of the prior art. It is a more specific object of the invention to provide dietary compositions and methods, particularly for mammals, which reduce weight gain normally incurred in mammals subsequent to neutering, castration, spaying, ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy, or post menopause. It is a further object of the invention to provide compositions and methods which may be easily employed by humans and with other mammals, including dogs, cats and horses.
These and additional objects and advantages are provided by the dietary compositions and methods according to the present invention. The dietary compositions according to the present invention are particularly suitable for consumption by mammals and comprise a mammal food base and a component comprising estrogen, androgen or a mixture thereof in an amount sufficient to reduce weight gain normally incurred in the mammal type subsequent to neutering, castration, spaying, ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy, or in a post menopausal phase, when the dietary composition is administered on a daily or otherwise regular basis. In preferred embodiments, the component comprises phytoestrogen, phytoandrogen or a mixture thereof. The methods according to the present invention are directed to reducing weight gain normally occurring in a mammal subsequent to neutering, castration, spaying, ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy, or post menopause. These methods comprise administering to the mammal on a daily or otherwise regular basis a dietary composition comprising a mammal food base and a component comprising estrogen, androgen or a mixture thereof in an amount sufficient to reduce weight gain normally incurred in the mammal type subsequent to neutering, castration, spaying, ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy, or post menopause, when the dietary composition is administered on a daily or otherwise regular basis. In preferred embodiments of the methods, the component comprises phytoestrogen, phytoandrogen or a mixture thereof.
Further objects and advantages provided by the compositions and methods according to the present invention will be more fully apparent in view of the following detailed description.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The dietary compositions according to the present invention are suitable for consumption by mammals and are intended to reduce weight gain normally incurred in the mammal type subsequent to neutering, castration, spaying, ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy, or post menopause, particularly when the dietary composition is administered on a daily or otherwise regular basis. The compositions comprise a food base and a component comprising estrogen, androgen, or a mixture thereof. The estrogen and androgen which are suitable for use in the compositions and methods of the present invention may be obtained or derived from any natural or synthetic source which exhibits estrogenic or androgenic activity, respectively.
In prefered embodiments, phytoestrogen, phytoandrogen or a mixture thereof is employed. The phytoestrogen and phytoandrogen preferred for use in the present compositions may be derived from various plants. Preferred plant sources of phytoestrogen comprise soybean, or its isolated products, eg., soy protein isolate or soy hypocotyls, and flax seed, or its isolated products, eg., flax protein isolate, although other plants such as red clover and other clovers, alfalfa, barrel medic, chickpeas, lentils, beans, Hibiscus rosa sinensis and/or grapes may be employed. In addition to the aforementioned phytoestrogen sources, phytoandrogens may be found in sources such as
Serenoa repens, Dalbergia cochinchinensis, Brosimum rubescens, Striga orobanchioides
, and
Azadurachta indica
. These examples are illustrative only and do not constitute a complete list. One skilled in the art will recognize that other phytoestrogen and/or phytoandrogen sources may be employed in the dietary compositions and methods of the present invention. In further preferred embodiments, the phytoestrogen and/or phytoandrogen are derived from soy beans, or flax seeds. Examples of specific groups of phytoestrogen compounds suitable for use in the compositions of the present invention include, but are not limited to, isoflavones, lignans, coumestans, resorcylic acid lactones, and mixtures thereof. Daidzein, genistein and coumesterol are particularly preferred sources of phytoestrogen for use in the dietary compositions of the present invention. Other preferred sources are formononetin, genistin, daidzin, ononin, sissotrin, resveratrol and biochanin A. One skilled in the art will appreciate that glycosides such as daidzin and genistin convert to the aglycone compounds, daidzein and genistein, upon fermentation.
In alternate embodiments, the estrogen or androgen may be derived from fungal, microbial and other naturally occurring sources exhibiting estrogenic or adrogenic activity, respectively, or these components may be synthetically derived in accordance with methods known in the art. In this regard, the conversion of an isoflavone glycoside to the aglycone form by fermentation is a preferred example of synthetically derived components.
The food base with which the estrogen and/or androgen are combined may comprise any suitable food component including, but not limited to, a food of animal origin, for example, meat or a milk product, or of plant origin, including a cereal, for example oat or bran, a starch, mono, di, poly or oligosaccharides, an oil meal, or other cellulosic material, or mixtures thereof. Selection of a specific food base for use in the compositions of the present invention will depend, in part, on the type of dietary composition which is desired. For example, for dietary compositions suitable for administering to humans, the food base may conveniently comprise a milk product, a cereal product or the like to be administered alone or as an additive in connection with other types of foods, for example as a sauce, dressing, powder or the like. As a dietary composition for administering to pets such as dogs and/or cats, the dietary composition may be provided in the form of a biscuit or other treat, or in the form of a complete and balanced food.
In this regard, the form of dietary composition, i.e., main component or additive, which is selected will also influence the amount of the estrogen and/or androgen which is employed therein. In a preferred embodiment, the dietary composition comprises from about 0.001 to about 10 weight percent, based on the weight of the composition, of estrogen a
Bruckner Geza
Szabo Joseph
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Nguyen Helen
Webman Edward J.
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