United States Patent:  5,948,439

Assignee:  Farmo-Nat Ltd. (Ashkelon, IL)

Filed:  October 31, 1997

An effervescent granule for the release and efficient dispersion of a herbal preparation in water. Also provided is a method of making the phytomedicated granule and a method of using the granule. The granule of the present invention is particularly efficient for the dispersion of a herbal preparation which includes an essential oil, although herbal preparations including an herbal extract can also be used.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided an effervescent granule, including: (a) a pharmaceutically effective amount of a herbal medication; (b) an acid; and (c) a base capable of releasing carbon dioxide upon reaction with the acid when contacted with water. Preferably, the acid is selected from the group consisting of tartaric acid and citric acid. Alternatively and preferably, the acid is a mixture of tartaric acid and citric acid. More preferably, the tartaric acid and the citric acid are present in a ratio of about 2:1 by weight. Also preferably, the base is selected from the group consisting of sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate and potassium bicarbonate. More preferably, the base is sodium bicarbonate. Most preferably, the acid is a mixture of citric acid and tartaric acid, and the sodium bicarbonate, the citric acid and the tartaric acid are present in a ratio of about 3.44:1:2 by weight.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of releasing and evenly dispersing a medication in water, including the steps of: (a) providing an effervescent granule, the granule including: (i) a pharmaceutically effective amount of a herbal medication as the medication; (ii) an acid; and (iii) a base capable of releasing carbon dioxide upon reaction with the acid; and (b) placing the granule in water, such that the medication is released upon reaction of the acid and the base.

Hereinafter, the term "herbal medication" can include one or more herbal extracts, one or more essential oils, or a combination of both.

Herbal extracts are extracts of plant materials. Preferably, herbal extracts are a tincture of botanical materials, which are prepared by contacting botanical material with a solvent ›British Herbal Pharmacopeia, Peter R. Bradley, ed., British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983; and British Herbal Compendium, Peter R. Bradley, ed., British Herbal Medicine Association, 1992!. The solvent can be aqueous or organic, or a combination thereof. Acceptable organic solvents include, but are not limited to, glycerin, propylene glycol or alcohol, or a combination thereof. The most preferred solvents are hydroalcoholic solvents as defined in British Herbal Pharmacopeia and Compendium. The botanical material can include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following species: Plantago (Plantago major), Hypericum (Hypericaceae perforatus), Echinacea (Coneflower) (Echinaceae species such as Echinaceae angustifoliae radix and Echinaceae purpurea), Baptisia, Calendula, Myrrh, Phytolaca, Salvia, Catechu black, Krameria, Tsuga, Rosmarinus, Styrax, Crataegus, Glycerrhiza (Glycerrhiza glabra), Angelica, Krameria, Matricaria, Mallow and Sage. Propolis is the resinous substance found in beehives. Although strictly speaking Propolis is not a botanical material, extracts of this material are prepared in a substantially similar manner as extracts of the plant materials and are hereinafter included in the term "herbal extract".

Although essential oils can also be described as a "herbal extract", generally such oils are considered to be a separate entity from the tinctures described above. As used herein, the term "herbal extract" refers to a tincture as described previously. An essential oil is a volatile mixture of esters, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones and terpenes, which can be prepared from botanical materials or plant cell biomass from cell culture. Examples of essential oils include, but are not limited to, oil of cinnamon, prepared from the dried bark of the roots of Cinnamomum zeyloriaceae, cajeput oil, eucalyptus oil, prepared from the fresh leaves and branches of various species of Eucalyptus, such as E. globulus; fennel oil, prepared from dried ripe fruit of Foeniculum vulgare; geranium oil, prepared from the aerial parts of Pelargonium species; girofle oil, lavander oil, prepared from fresh flowering tops of Lavandula species such as Lavandula officinalis; lemon oil, obtained from the fresh peel of Citrus limon; spearmint oil, prepared from the overground parts of fresh flowering Mentha species, such as M. spicata; myrte oil, origano oil, pine oil, rosemary oil, prepared from tops or leafy twigs of Rosmarinus officinalis; sarriette oil, thyme oil, prepared from the leaves and flowering tops of Thymus vulgaris; juniper oil, melissa oil, borneal oil, matricaria oil, cupressus oil and tea-tree oil, obtained from the leaves of Melaleuca olternifolia.

Claim 1 of 17 Claims

1. A formulation of an effervescent granule, comprising:

(a) a pharmaceutically effective amount of a herbal medication;

(b) an acid;

(c) a base capable of releasing carbon dioxide upon reaction with said acid when contacted with water; and

(d) a soap,

wherein said soap is sodium lauryl sulfate.

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