Title:  Method for combating summer eczema and malanders

United States Patent:  6,589,571

Issued:  July 8, 2003

Inventors:  Koniger; Helmut (Dresselstrasse 33, Munchen, DE 81827)

Appl. No.:  961553

Filed:  September 20, 2001

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a method for combating summer eczema caused by gnats of the species Culicoides pulicolaris and malanders in non-human mammals with a composition for external application which contains components of plants of the species Equisetum.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The task of the invention is to provide a method for combating summer eczema caused in humans and mammalian animals by the gnat species Culicoides pulicularis as well as the malanders that occurs in hoofed animals.

This task is solved by a method for therapeutic treatment of a mammal which suffers from summer eczema caused by gnats of the species Culicoides pulicularis and malanders, especially from the cosmetic consequences or is at risk to suffer from it, which includes the following: application of a certain composition which contains components of plants of the genus Equisetum to mammals which suffer from summer eczema caused by gnats of the species Culicoides pulicularis or is at risk to suffer from it.

Surprisingly, it was found that the composition used according to the method of the invention ameliorates or eliminates within a short period of time the itching of summer eczema and the chafing that is caused by the itching in horses, and, in addition to that, it stops summer eczema and heals it. The animals become quiet again and the hair is growing again in the places where it fell out.

The species Equisetum arvense or Equisetum hiemale are preferred in the area of healing and cosmetics.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As a starting material for the composition used for the method according to the invention, which contains components of the plants of the genus Equisetum, numerous pharmaceutical preparations of the plant are possible. For example, one can use powdered, finely cut, freeze-dried, spray-dried components or a juice or an oily, pasty, syrup-lie preparation, preferably in an aqueous-alcoholic extract of the plant. These preparations are either available commercially or their production can be derived by the expert (see, for example, Paul Heinz List and Peter C. Schmidt, "Technology of Plant Drug Preparation," Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgellschaft mbH, Stuttgart, 1984).

Particularly preferred as a starting material containing the active ingredient Equisetum arvense for the compositions to be used in the method of the present invention is a horsetail herb fluid extract 1:1 (v/v) with the extracting agent being 30% (v/v) aqueous ethanol which is commercially available from Chemische Fabrik Dr. Hetterich K G, Fuerth, Germany (in the following: Extracutum Equiseti fluidum 1:1). This extract is prepared as follows:

The drug in the form of air-dried (in the shadow) horsetail herb (Equiseti herba) is cut into pieces of 6 cmx6 cm and is filled into a high-grade steel percolator of a suitable size. The extraction medium is prepared by mixing 50 parts by eight of 96% (v/v) ethanol with 150 parts by weight of extraction grade water (which corresponds to 30% (v/v) aqueous ethanol). The exhaustive percolation of the drug by means of the extraction medium is conducted at ambient temperature and ambient pressure 2 to 3 parts by weight of extraction medium, depending upon the amount of the charge and the speed of percolation are required for 1 part by weight of drug. The fluid extract is then stored at below or at 15^oC. for 5 days to sediment suspended and clouding particles. The extract is filtered, and concentrated below or at 50^oC. in a high vacuum to the end concentration of 1 part extracted drug to 1 part extraction medium.

Another preferred starting material for the composition used in the inventive method is the juice which is squeezed from the fresh herb of Equisetum arvense.

These preparations can represent partly the composition of the invention as such, for example, the juice from Equisetum, which is naturally also a composition, can be applied as such onto a skin area to be treated. However, as a rule, the pharmaceutical preparations are brought into a galenic form, which is suitable for external application, with the aid of one or several carriers, and these preparations can be powders, salves, creams, gels, lotions, emulsions, solutions, for example, applicable as a spray and sprays with propellant (aerosols). The usual carriers and additives known to the expert are used. The preparation of such galenic forms are known in the field and have been widely published in the literature (see, for example, Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mack Publishing Company, Easton, Pa., 1990).

The preparation which is suitable for external application may also contain liposomes with or without the enclosed active ingredient. The method of addition of liposomes and the inclusion of active ingredients into liposomes is known to the expert and does not have to be explained here further.

In this invention, highly hypoallergenic preparations in the form of a cream, lotion, salve or a spray with or without propellant are especially preferred.

In such galenic forms, the Equisetum components (optionally without carriers) are usually contained in a concentration of 0.001 to 99 weight %, more commonly at 0.01 to 50 weight %, preferably from 0.01 to 20 weight % and most preferably from 1 to 10 weight % based on the composition, with the remainder being carriers and other additives and optionally other active ingredients, however, with the exclusion of essential oils, in particular, lavender oil.

Claim 1 of 7 Claims

I claim:

1. A method for the therapeutic treatment of a non-human mammal which suffers from summer eczema caused by a gnat of the species Culicoides pulicularis or from malanders, as well as for the prevention thereof and treatment of cosmetic consequences thereof, wherein said non-human mammal is treated by applying a composition designed for external application, which contains components of plants of the genus Equisetum and does not contain any added essential oils, and wherein said components consist of an extract from Equisetum arvense obtainable by a process comprising the steps of (a) cutting dried herb of Equisetum arvense (Equiseti herba) into pieces of about 6 cmx6 cm and placing said pieces in a percolator; (b) preparing an extraction medium by mixing 1 part by weight of 96% (v/v) ethanol with 3 parts by weight of water; (c) exhaustively percolating said pieces with said extraction medium, to obtain an extract of Equisetum arvense; (d) storing said extract for 5 days at or below 15^oC. (e) filtering said extract; and (f) concentrating this extract at or below a temperature of 50^oC. in a high vacuum.

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