Plant husbandry – Process
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-12
2001-12-04
Campell, Bruce R. (Department: 1661)
Plant husbandry
Process
C504S115000, C504S136000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324785
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a novel, non-destructive technique for separation of organic compounds from the roots of plants
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, it has been found that there are many organic compounds produced in nature that are as yet completely unknown to man. Researchers in various fields have an interest in isolating and characterizing such compounds and determining whether they have utility in particular areas of interest.
One particularly rich source of organic compounds of this type is the roots of plants. Both herbaceous and woody plants generate organic compounds in their roots. These compounds, often referred to as bioactive phytochemicals, perform a number of functions on behalf of the plant. These functions are primarily protective of the plant against threats such as, inter alia, bacteria, fungi, other plants and insects. The nature of the chemicals produced by a particular plant reflects not only the identity of the plant, but, to a great degree, the environment to which that plant is adapted.
In the natural functioning of the plant, bioactive phytochemicals are contained both within the body of the root and in a mucilaginous sheath formed about the exterior of the root. The nature of the mucilaginous sheath is not completely known, but is believed to be made up of hydrated polysaccharides and mucopolysaccharides. In fact, the great significance of the mucilaginous sheath with respect to the functioning of the bioactive phytochemicals has only recently been realized.
Interest in such compounds is particularly strong in the pharmaceuticals field. Pharmaceutical researchers are especially interested, not only for the possible pharmaceutical activity of such compounds per se, but also for their possible utility as lead compounds for derivatization into other pharmacologically active forms. A substantial amount of effort has been applied to finding and recovering these organic compounds from nature for study.
Presently practiced techniques for recovering organic compounds from plant roots generally involve removing the roots from the remainder of the plant, reducing the roots to a smaller particle size and subjecting the small particle residue to a standard extraction process using conventional organic solvents. This technique, although it is effective in recovering the desired materials, has several drawbacks.
One serious drawback of currently practiced techniques is that the plant is completely destroyed in the process. This is an economic drawback since it now becomes necessary to replace the plant, which can only be done by growing another plant—a time-consuming and sometimes uncertain undertaking. Further, some of the plants that are used are somewhat rare and it is environmentally undesirable for them to be destroyed.
Another drawback of the current process is that, since the process involves solvent extraction, it may be necessary to employ more than one solvent in order to extract all the species present in a candidate plant root system. This can be a problem if the solvents being used are not compatible or if they otherwise require the extraction process to be carried out in more than one step.
It is the object of this invention to provide a novel and improved technique for separating organic compounds from the roots of plants. It is a particular objective of the invention to provide a technique for separating organic compounds from the roots and from the mucilaginous sheath associated with the roots of plants without destroying the plant from which the compounds are removed.
In accordance with this invention, it has been found that when a plant root system with the mucilaginous sheath surrounding the said root system intact or substantially intact, is placed in an aqueous medium containing an enzyme or a mixture of enzymes, the mucilaginous sheath is attacked by the enzyme(s) and the organic compounds within the sheath are liberated into the aqueous medium.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention to be described herein is a process for separating organic compounds from the root system of a plant, which process comprises immersing the root system of the plant, having the mucilaginous sheath surrounding said root system intact or substantially intact, in an aqueous medium containing one or more enzymes under conditions sufficient to break down the mucilaginous sheath, whereby organic compounds contained within the sheath are liberated into the aqueous medium.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
One of the advantages of the invention, as stated above, is that it can be carried out in a non-destructive manner. That is to say, it is not necessary to treat the plant in such a way that it is destroyed in the course of removing the desired organic compounds therefrom as is the case with presently known bioactive phytochemical separation techniques. The root system of the plant can be placed in the aqueous medium for the enzyme treatment and, following the enzyme treatment, the plant can be replaced in its growth medium. The mucilaginous sheath is rapidly regrown, usually within a matter of days, and the plant can be subjected to the enzyme treatment again.
The invention will be described with particular emphasis on its application to herbaceous plants but it will be understood that it can also be applied to woody plants as well.
A plant to be used in the practice of the invention can be grown in any medium in which plants are normally grown and to which the specific plant under consideration is amenable to growth. Thus it can be grown, e.g., hydroponically or aeroponically or in dirt or in potting soil mixtures. Any plant found in nature can thus be a candidate for use in the process since all plants generate specific compounds to perform necessary protective functions against specific agents from which protection is required.
In the practice of the invention, it is preferred that the plant be grown either hydroponically or aeroponically. Most preferably, the plant will be grown hydroponically. If the plants is grown in a medium that is neither aeroponic nor hydroponic, ie., in a solid medium, it is necessary to clean all or substantially all of the growing medium from the root system prior to immersion in the aqueous enzyme containing-medium. This can be done by rinsing, but an extra handling step is thus required. Any extra handling step increases the likelihood of damaging the plant so that it cannot be returned to its growing medium for continued growth and reuse. Moreover, when a plant is returned to a solid growing medium, its resumption of growth is much slower and less certain than when it is returned to an aeroponic or hydroponic environment.
As stated above, the preferred growth medium for plants to be employed in the invention is a hydroponic medium. An aqueous medium for hydroponic cultivation of herbaceous plants typically consists essentially of undistilled tap water containing a water soluble plant food. The specific concentrations of ingredients must be maintained within a range in which the plant will not be damaged. Typically a plant food having a nitrogen/phosphorus/potash composition can be used. The characteristics of the plant food and the concentration of the food in the medium will, of course be determined case-by-case based on consideration of the particular plant being grown.
In a hydroponic growth medium, the plant does not encounter the threats to its well-being that are encountered in nature. Thus, it has little or no stimulus to generate the protective bioactive phytochemicals that are of interest in this invention. In order to simulate the conditions that the plant would have experienced in nature, the hydroponically grown plant is exposed to one or more elicitor compounds prior to the enzyme treatment. These are compounds that can imitate the challenges that the plant might have encountered in nature and thereby stimulate the plant to generate the bioactive phytochemical that would have responded to that threat in nature.
The exposure to the elicitor compound is typically continued for a time of abou
Alexander W. S.
Bell Kent L.
Campell Bruce R.
PharmaLeads, Inc.
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