Title:  Uses of oil bodies

United States Patent:  6,146,645

Assignee:  Sembiosys Genetics Inc. (Calgary, CA)

Filed:  May 27, 1998

The present invention provides novel emulsion formulations which comprise oil bodies. The invention also provides a method for preparing the emulsions and the use of the emulsions in various domestic and industrial compositions. The emulsions are especially suited for the preparation of food products, personal care products, pharmaceutical products and industrial products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to novel emulsion formulations which contain oil bodies. The emulsion formulations of the subject invention are obtainable in non-toxic and food grade forms. In addition, the emulsion formulations are advantageously prepared from an oil body preparation which is creamy in texture and thus may be readily applied in a variety of domestic and industrial applications. The present inventors have found that the oil body fraction of living cells is useful in the formulation of a variety of novel emulsion-based food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and industrial products. Broadly stated, the present invention provides an emulsion formulation comprising washed oil bodies derived from a cell.

The invention also provides methods for preparing the emulsion formulations and the use of the emulsion formulations in various domestic and industrial compositions.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for preparing emulsion formulations comprising: 1) obtaining oil bodies from a cell; 2) washing the oil bodies; and 3) formulating the washed oil bodies into an emulsion.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the washed oil body preparation is obtained from plant seeds, including seeds obtainable from rapeseed, soybean, maize and sunflower. Accordingly, the invention provides a method for preparing the emulsion formulations from plant seeds comprising:

(a) grinding plant seeds;

(b) removing solids from the ground seeds;

(c) separating the oil body phase from the aqueous phase;

(d) washing the oil body phase to yield a washed oil body preparation;

(e) formulating the washed oil body preparation into an emulsion.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a liquid phase is added to the seeds prior to or following grinding of the seeds.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, formulating the emulsion (e) comprises adding a liquid phase to the washed oil body preparation.

The emulsions of the present invention can be used in a wide range of applications including in the preparation of food and feed products, pharmaceutical products, personal care products, and industrial products. The emulsion formulation of the present invention is especially suited for the preparation of food-grade products as it is non-toxic, creamy in texture and biodegradable.

Claim 1 of 31 Claims

We claim:

1. A method for preparing an emulsion formulation comprising:

(1) obtaining oil bodies from a cell;

(2) washing the oil bodies to obtain a washed oil body preparation comprising intact oil bodies; and

(3) formulating the washed oil body preparation into an emulsion.

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