Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Preparations characterized by special physical form – Food or edible as carrier for pharmaceutical
Patent
1993-07-22
1995-10-31
Kishore, Gollamudi S.
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Preparations characterized by special physical form
Food or edible as carrier for pharmaceutical
514892, 514909, 514910, 514911, 514944, 514975, 424 7801, A61K 900, A61K 908, A61K 3170
Patent
active
054627427
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention refers to a dietary fibre composition which is liquid at room temperature and a gel in the gastrointestinal tract at body temperature.
2. Background of the Invention
The term "dietary fibre" is often used to describe non-starch polysaccharides which are not digested by enzymes of the upper intestinal tract. The term includes a variety of substances with different chemical and physical properties which have a number of effects on the gastrointestinal tract; by virtue of their indigestibility in the stomach and small intestine they alter patterns of motility and the rate and site of absorption of other substances. In the colon, however, their effect is largely determined by the polysaccharide linkages present which may or may not be broken down by bacterial enzymes. As the composition of the invention comprises an aqueous solution of a modified cellulose derivative which is a clear flowing liquid at room temperature but gels in the stomach at body temperature, said composition has been called a "liquid fibre".
The liquid fibre can be used as a slimming aid and/or as a bulk laxative.
In our society obesity has become a serious problem, which could however be helped by a reduced food intake. Some soluble dietary fibres forming viscous solutions in water, i.e. guar gum and methyl cellulose, have previously been shown to be efficient to a certain extent at decreasing energy intake and causing weight loss in obese subjects. Their precise mode of action has not been definitely established but they are known to slow gastric emptying.
Another problem also associated with our way of living is constipation, which in some cases could be remedied by means of dietary fibre, a kind of bulk-forming laxative. The effect of fibre on bowel performance--to increase the amount, consistency and volume of stool passed--has been known for centuries.
Bulk laxatives are polysaccharide hydrocolloids which swell when placed in aqueous solutions because of their strongly hydrophilic properties. They belong to a group of viscous polysaccharides used in the food industry which are derived from various sources: plant seeds (isphagula or psyllium, guar gum, locust bean gum), fruit (pectins), plant exudates (gum karaya and tragacanth), marine-plants and algae (carrageenan and agar), microorganisms (xanthan gum) or are chemically modified natural substances (methyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose). A property that they share with the non-starch polysaccharides is that they are unaffected by human digestive enzymes, and so the molecules pass relatively intact through the small intestine to the colon.
The physiological effects of dietary fibres could be summarized as follows. Fibre causes an increase in stool weight and changes in bowel habit. This is partly due to the presence of undigested fibre and its water-holding capacity, although most types of dietary fibre are extensively degraded in the gut. The site of this degradation is the large intestine, which contains many anaerobic bacteria which may produce the appropriate enzymes for breaking down these polysaccharides. The breakdown of fibres by the flora is known as fermentation and is an important part of large bowel function. As a result of the fermentation the fibres are converted mainly to short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) which are absorbed and provide a readily available source of energy to the host. SCFA's also stimulate salt and water absorption from the colonic lumen. The breakdown of dietary fibres in the large intestine also stimulates microbial growth, which in turn contributes to an increased faecal mass.
There are several dietary fibre products on the market today; fibers made up mainly of polysaccharides. Different cellulose ethers have been used as bulk laxatives, such as ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and the sodium salt of carboxymethyl cellulose. Methyl cellulose has also, as well as guar gum, been marketed as a slimming agent. One major disadvantage in the use of these types of polysaccharides is
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63-Pharmaceuticals, vol. 97, 1982, p. 413.
Bogentoft Conny
Carlsson Anders
Tomlin Janet
Kishore Gollamudi S.
Pharmacia AB
Spear James
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