Laundry detergent compositions comprising a saccharide gum...

Details Laundry detergent compositions comprising a saccharide gum... Laundry detergent compositions comprising a saccharide gum...

2000-02-14

2002-11-26

Boyer, Charles (Department: 1751)

Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions

Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing

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

C510S276000, C510S300000, C510S305000, C510S306000, C510S530000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06486112

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to laundry detergent compositions comprising a saccharide gum degrading enzyme.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Detergent compositions include nowadays a complex combination of active ingredients which fulfill certain specific needs. In particular, current detergent formulations generally include detergent enzymes providing cleaning and fabric care benefits and more specifically cellulase and amylase enzymes.
The efficiency of cellulytic enzymes, i.e. cellulases, in terms of textile cleaning and harshness-reducing agent for fabrics has been recognized for some time. The activity of cellulase is one in which cellulosic fibres or substrates are hydrolysed by the cellulase and depending on the particular function of the cellulase, which can be endo- or exo- cellulase and the respective hemicellulases. The cellulose structures are depolymerized or cleaved into smaller and thereby more soluble or dispersible fractions. This activity in particular on fabrics provides a cleaning, rejuvenation, softening and generally improved handfeel characteristics to the fabric structure.
Amylases are known in the art to provide stain removal performance benefits on naturally present or added starch containing food stains/soils or added as a finishing agent.
Food stains/soils represent the majority of consumer relevant stains/soils and often comprise food additives. Neutraceuticals, acidulants, antioxidants, preservatives, sweeteners, enzymes, thickener/stabiliser agents such as hydrocolloids and emulsifiers are commonly used food additives. In particular. the consumer demand for reductions in fat and calories is driving growth in texturing agents as fat replacers. The market for hydrocolloid texturing/stabiliser agents also called food gums, is expected to grow about 4% a year, xanthan gum growth should register gains of 6% to 8%/year and carrageenan about 3%/year (Chemical week, June 19 (1996) pp32-34).
The term “gum” denotes a group of industrially useful polysaccharides (long chain polymer) or their derivatives that hydrate in hot or cold water to from viscous solutions, dispersions or gels. Gums are classified as natural and modified. Natural gums include seaweed extracts, plant extrudates, gums from seed or root, and gums obtained by microbial fermentation. Modified (semisynthetic) gums include cellulose and starch derivatives and certain synthetic gums such as low methoxyl pectin, propylene glycol alginate, and carboxymethyl and hydropropyl guar gum (Gums in
Encyclopedia Chemical Technology
4
th
Ed. Vol. 12, pp842-862, J. Baird, Kelco division of Merck). See also Carbohydrate Chemistry for Food Scientists (Eagan Press—1997) by R. L. Whistler and J. N. BeMiller, Chap 4, pp63-89 and Direct Food Additives in Fruit Processing by P. Laslo, Bioprinciples and Applications, Vol1, Chapter II, pp313-325 (1996) Technomie publishing.
Some of these gums, such as xanthan gum (E 415, CEE number), gellan gum (E416), guar gum (E412), locust bean (E410) and tragacanth (E413) are widely used alone or in combinations in many food applications (Gums in ECT 4
th
Ed., Vol. 12 pp842-862, J. Baird, Kelco division of Merck). In particular, guar gum is often used in food as a thickener and a binder of free water in sauces and salad dressings. Guar gum is also used as a binder of free water and stabiliser in ice cream and frozen desserts. Free water in ice cream mix causes a grainy texture, ice crystals, poor meltdown properties and poor heat-shock resistance in the finished ice cream. The incorporation of a stabiliser containing guar gum in quantities up to about 0.3% of the ice cream mix yields a smooth-textured, chewy product with slow-melting down properties and good heat shock resistance. It is also particularly suitable for flash pasteurisation because of its rapid hydration properties. Other food items that can be stabilised with guar gum because of its ability to bind water, are frozen foods, cheeses, pie fillings, icings and pet foods. Other examples include: algin gums are known to be used in sherbet, canned and fabricated food, tragacanth gums used in salad dressings, xanthan for dairy products and beverages. Gellans are found in icing, frosting and dairy products and locust bean and agar in ice creams.
The specificity of these food gums is that they give a high to very high viscosity solution when hydrated in water. Some of these gums such as guar, algin, arabic, karaya, methyl cellulose locus bean gums are also used in the paper industry and chosen for their high affinity for cellulosic fibres (Industrial gums by R. L. Whistler and J. N. BeMiller (Academic Press—1973). Their potential to flocculate clays and other inorganic materials such as calcium salts, are used in other applications such as water treatment. The high viscosity of these food gums is desirable for all the above mentioned food and other applications.
However, it has been surprisingly found that these food gums adsorb strongly onto the cotton fibers of the fabric, thereby gluing the stains/soils on the fabric. This even when the gum is present at a very low level in the food compositions, such as 0.01% to 5%, more usually between 0.01% to 0.8%.
It has been also surprisingly found that the capability of these food gums to flocculate clays results in the dinginess and yellowing of the fabric. This is particularly important since, the overall performance of a detergent is judged by not only its ability to remove soils and stains but also its ability to prevent redeposition of the soils, or the breakdown products of the soils or of any insoluble salt, on the article washed. Redeposition effects results in the articles being coated in an unseemly film, appearing streaked or being covered in visible spots which remain intact at the end of the wash process. These residues build up on the fabric leading to dinginess and yellowing.
As can be seen from the above, there is a continuous need to formulate laundry detergent compositions which provide excellent overall cleaning performance. Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a laundry detergent composition which delivers superior cleaning and whiteness performance benefits, especially excellent food stain/soil removal, dingy cleaning and whiteness maintenance.
The above objective has been met by formulating laundry detergent compositions comprising a saccharide gum degrading enzyme.
It has been surprisingly found that the laundry detergent composition of the present invention comprising a saccharide gum degrading enzyme, provides excellent food stain/soil removal, dingy cleaning and whiteness maintenance resulting from the hydrolysis of the food saccharide gums binding food or clays stains/soils to cotton fabrics. It has been further found that the performance of the laundry detergent compositions of the present invention is enhanced by the addition of selected surfactants, another enzyme, a builder and/or a bleach system.
GB2-169-393 describes a method for removing cellulose contaminant and other vegetable contaminants from fabrics, using the conventional machinery and equipment of dye-house and finishing mills by treatment with an enzymatic preparation containing cellulolytic and pectinolytic enzymes that allow for a reduction of H
2
SO
4
concentration below 2% during fabric carbonisation.
WO96/06532 relates to a composition capable of killing or inhibiting growing microbial cells by means of a basic protein or peptide of biological origin, e.g. protamine or protamine sulphate. For certain bacteria or fungi, these composition furhter comprise an oxidoreductase or cell-wall degrading enzyme such as an endoglycosidase type II, a lysozyme and/or a chitinase.
WO95/35362 describes to cleaning compositions, including laundry, dishwashing and especially household cleaning compositions, comprising cell wall degrading enzymes having pectinases and/or hemicellulases and optionally cellulases. These compositions are particularly suitable for removing stains of vegetable origin and soil and dirt having a similar structure. These pl

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