Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Plant material or plant extract of undetermined constitution... – Containing or obtained from piper
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-17
2003-04-01
Lankford, Jr., Leon B. (Department: 1651)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Plant material or plant extract of undetermined constitution...
Containing or obtained from piper
C424S773000, C210S634000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06541044
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of nutritional supplements and, more particularly, to a composition comprising an extract of kava-kava root and a method for the extraction of kava-kava root compounds.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Supercritical CO
2
has been used for about 20 years to extract non-polar compounds such as lipids, including fatty acids and sterols from solid plant material. Typical products of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) include decaffeinated coffee and tea, essential oils from hops used in brewing, and extraction of aromas and flavors from spices and herbs.
The technology of supercritical CO
2
extraction advantageously employs the increased dissolving power of CO
2
increases at high pressures. At pressures less than the critical pressure of CO
2
, solubilities are essentially nil, but as the pressure is increased to several thousand pounds per square inch, the CO
2
has the dissolving power of a liquid, but the flow characteristics of a gas. Thus, CO
2
can easily flow through a pressurized extraction vessel containing powdered kava-kava root and quickly dissolve the non-polar oily constituents. The product-laden CO
2
then flows to a separation vessel where pressure is lowered and the CO
2
passes off as a gas, leaving the extract behind as recovered product. The CO
2
is recycled, compressed, and the process repeated.
Herbal products such as kava-kava root extract have long been used as home remedies and dietary supplements in many parts of the world. Kava-kava root has previously been extracted through a standard method using ethanol as the solvent. This prior art process results in an extract providing an insufficient yield of kavalactones, which comprise the desired components of kava-kava root. In addition, ethanol extracts of the root have the further undesirable property of including a certain amount of the solvent in the final product. The typical extraction process of the kava-kava root for kavalactones produces a yield of about 40-50% kavalactones, and a yield of at most 0.3% of flavokawain. The average industry percentage of kavalactone of a kava-kava extract is less than 70% and contains harmful solvent residue.
The present invention relates to herbal extracts and processes for herbal extracts. More specifically, it relates to herbal extracts of whole kava-kava root to obtain a liquid, semi-solid extracts, and/or paste extracts whereby these extracts are obtained through a supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing in mind, the present invention advantageously provides a method for extracting kava-kava root, a composition comprising the extract, and a method of nutritional supplementation employing the extract.
Supercritical fluid extraction of kava-kava (
Piper methysticum
) at a preferred pressure and temperature yields a paste extract having a much higher percentage of kavalactone and flavokawain than is obtainable with previous processes. When the extraction process is conducted according to the present invention, at a pressure above 500 bar and a temperature range of 450° C. to 65° C., the extract is separated from the CO
2
in the form of a paste having a kavalactone percent by weight of greater than 70% and a flavokawain of approximately 30% by weight. The kava-kava extract contains kavalactones at percentages surprisingly higher than industry standard.
Other than the present invention, kava extraction is generally conducted by producing a dry extract using conventional liquid solvents in the extraction process, and particularly ethanol. Supercritical CO2 has been previously employed for extracting kava-kava root, but at the pressures employed, substantially lower than 500 bar, recovery of kavalactones is not significantly higher than with ethanol extraction. The present invention employs supercritical fluid extraction at higher pressures to achieve its unexpectedly higher kavalactone concentrations. The kavalactone percentage by weight in the kava extract obtained in this inventive process is greater than 70% with no harmful solvent residue.
In the present invention, whole, dried kava root is ground to a fineness of from about minus 40 to about plus 60 mesh. The supercritical carbon dioxide extraction process is conducted at pressures of at least 500 bar, and at temperatures from 45° C. to 65° C. The high pressure and relatively low temperature conditions increase yields of the desired kava compounds while preserving favorable qualities of the extract produced, for example, resulting in an extract having a relatively low oxidation state.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5932101 (1999-08-01), Kanel et al.
patent: 6106720 (2000-08-01), Kanel et al.
Ashraf-Khorassani et al. Chromatographia (Sep. 1999), vol. 50, No. 5/6, pp. 287-292.*
Lopez-Avila et al. J. High Resol. Chromatogr. (1997), vol. 20, No. 10, pp. 555-559.
Allen Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gilchrist, P.A.
Coe Susan D.
Lankford , Jr. Leon B.
U.S. Nutraceuticals
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