Link:  Pharm/Biotech Resources

Title:  Chewing gum composition for effectively eliminating nicotine accumulated in a human body

United States Patent:  6,958,143

Issued:  October 25, 2005

Inventors:  Choi; Jin Hwan (Seoul, KR); Roh; Hoe Jin (Seoul, KR); Lee; Ki Jeong (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Park; Cheon Ho (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Rha; Chan Su (Seoul, KR)

Assignee:  Tongyang Confectionery Co. (Seoul, KR)

Appl. No.:  224450

Filed:  August 21, 2002

Disclosed is a chewing gum composition capable of eliminating nicotine component from the body of a person chewing the chewing gum. Such a chewing gum composition functions to convert the nicotine produced in a human body after smoking to cotinine and to discharge the cotinine into urine. Accordingly, by chewing the chewing gum of the present invention, not only nicotine can be eliminated from the body, but also the incidence of cancer due to nicotine can be largely reduced.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a chewing gum composition for eliminating nicotine, and more particularly to such a composition capable of eliminating the nicotine component from the body of a person chewing the chewing gum.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Nicotine is known as a toxic material contained in large quantities in tobacco, which stimulates or paralyzes the central nervous system and peripheral nerves and contracts blood vessels. In particular, N-nitrosamine, a metabolic product of nicotine is known as a strong carcinogen (Eugene et al., Carcinogenesis, 20: 133-137, 1999) and carcinogenic activities have been reported in about 200 kinds of N-nitrosamines until recently.

Besides N-nitrosamine, cotinine, another metabolic product of nicotine, and keto acid and hydroxy acid, other metabolic products of nicotine can act as competitive inhibitors which disturb the conversion path of nicotine to carcinogenic N-nitrosamine by aid of cytochrome P₄₅₀, an enzyme existing in the liver and the like. If, therefore, the conversion path of nicotine to cotinine can be activated so as to increase the production of cotinine and simultaneously an activity of enzyme participating in the production of nitrosamine can be inhibited, nicotine accumulated in a human body by smoking can be effectively eliminated and thus cancer due to nicotine will be prevented.

Quercetin, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), catechin and so forth have been reported as materials capable of eliminating such nicotine, but there have never been cases of producing foods, especially chewing gums using these materials.

Meanwhile, natural substances separated from plants or fruits have been used for the purpose of disease treatment since several thousands years ago. In particular, many kinds of herb medicines have been utilized for treatment of patients in the Orient for a long time, but active compositions or physiologic mechanism of action of them have never been scientifically studied.

It is known that, for those who always ingest fresh fruit and vegetables, there is a little probability of getting cancer such as heart diseases, lung cancer, esophagus cancer, larynx cancer and so forth, and this is attributable to the fact that unique compositions contained in the foods which they ingest have antioxidant actions and competitive inhibition actions against specific carcinogenic enzymes

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The inventors have reached completion of the present invention by developing a chewing gum containing materials with nicotine-eliminating activities on the way of studying methods for effectively eliminating nicotine accumulated in a human body due to smoking, reducing production of carcinogens, and aiding people to succeed in abstention from smoking by minimizing the intensity and the period of abstinence symptoms appearing when they quit smoking.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a chewing gum composition for eliminating nicotine, which exhibits a function of converting nicotine produced in a human body due to smoking to cotinine and discharging it into urine.

To achieve this object, the present invention provides a chewing gum composition comprising 0.01 to 10% by weight of material with nicotine-eliminating activity; 50 to 89% by weight of saccharide; and 10 to 40% by weight of chewing gum base, all based on the total weight of the composition.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The chewing gum composition of the present invention can be preferably produced in such a way that saccharide syrup is further added to the composition in an amount of 0.01 to 20% by weight.

The chewing gum composition of the present invention may also be produced in a manner that at least one agent selected from the group consisting of flavor, stabilizer, pigment, emulsifier, and brightener is further added to the composition.

Now, the chewing gum composition in accordance with the present invention will be described in detail.

The chewing gum composition of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises 0.01 to 10% by weight of material with nicotine-eliminating activity, 50 to 89% by weight of saccharide and 10 to 40% by weight of chewing gum base, all based on the total weight of the composition.

Although quercetin, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) or catechin, all of which are well-known as materials with nicotine-inhibiting activity in the art, is generally used as the material with nicotine-eliminating activity, it is preferred to use a extract of mixture of green tea, mulberry leaf, gingko nut, licorice, dried orange peel, apple, lemon and celery (hereinafter referred to as "extract of 8-species mixture").

The extract of 8-species mixture can be separated by crushing apple, lemon and celery, squeezing out their juices, putting green tea, mulberry leaf, gingko nut, licorice and dried orange peel into a liquid mixture of the juices, and extracting a extract of mixture from the liquid mixture at a temperature of 50 to 150° C., preferably 100° C. for 1 to 8 hours, preferably for 4 hours an filtering the extract.

The nicotine-eliminating material is preferably added to the chewing gum composition of the present invention in an amount of 0.01 to 10% by weight and is more preferably added to the composition in an amount of 1% by weight.

The saccharide such as sugar, glucose, isomalt or xylitol is added to the chewing gum composition of the present invention so as to have a sweet taste. In order to have a suitable sweet taste, the saccharide is preferably added to the composition in an amount of 50 to 89% by weight and is more preferably added to the composition in an amount of 65% by weight.

The chewing gum base is preferably added to the chewing gum composition of the present invention in an amount of 10 to 40% by weight and is more preferably added to the composition in an amount of 25% by weight. This content range of the chewing gum base is preferred because problems of poor conglomeration, cleavage and fracture in forming the chewing gum may arise if the chewing gum base is added to the composition in an amount of below 10% by weight and texture feel of the chewing gum is too tough if the chewing gum base is added to the composition in an amount of above 40% by weight.

Saccharide syrup can be further added to the chewing gum composition of the present invention in order to soften physical properties of the chewing gum and cause the chewing gum to be conglomerated well. Preferably, the saccharide syrup used in the composition is selected from the group consisting of sortitol 80, starch syrup, maltitol syrup and sorbitol syrup, and is more preferably added to the composition in an amount of 0.01 to 20% by weight.

Also, the chewing gum composition of the present invention may be produced in a manner that, in addition to the saccharide syrup, at least one agent selected from the group consisting of flavor, stabilizer, pigment, emulsifier, and brightener is further added to the composition.

Flavor is added to the composition in order to make the smell of the chewing gum appealing and any one selected from the group consisting of mint flavor, fruit flavor and herb flavor can be used, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The flavor is preferably added to the composition in an amount of less than 5% by weight because a problem of excessive intense perfume may arise if the flavor is added to the composition in an amount of above 5% by weight.

In addition, stabilizer such as gum arabic, gelatin or konjac carrageenan can be added to the chewing gum composition of the present invention. The stabilizer, which is also called as a thickening agent, is material helpful in not only increasing stickiness and emulsification stability of food, but also preserving freshness and form of food from changes during processing heating or storage. Also, it is usually added in order to enhance the eating feel or touch feel. In the present invention, the stabilizer is preferably added to the composition in an amount of less than 10% by weight because the stabilizer in an amount of above 10% by weight may give rise to a nasty smell and bad taste problems.

Additionally, natural pigment such as gardenia blue color, gardenia yellow color, caramel color or grape skin extract color or artificial coloring agent can be further added to the chewing gum composition of the present invention for visual effect. Note that the kind of the added pigment or coloring agent is not limited thereto and the pigment or coloring agent is preferably added to the composition in an amount of less than 5% by weight.

Emulsifier such as sucrose esters of fatty acid or lecithin can be also added to the chewing gum composition of the present invention. The emulsifier is generally added so as to evenly disperse the flavor in a sugar solution at the production of chewing gum and is preferably added to the composition in an amount of less than 10% by weight. This content range of the emulsifier is preferred because a nasty smell or bad taste problems may arise if the emulsifier is added in an amount above 10% by weight.

Moreover, brightener such as carnauba wax or shellac can be further added to the chewing gum composition of the present invention. The brightener, having an intention of adding brightness to the chewing gum and thus giving visual superiority to the final produced chewing gum, is preferably added to the composition in an amount of less than 2% by weight.
 

Claim 1 of 11 Claims

1. A chewing gum composition for effectively eliminating nicotine accumulated in a human body, comprising:

(a) 0.01 to 10% by weight of material with nicotine-eliminating activity which is an extract of a mixture composed of green tea, mulberry leaf, gingko nut, licorice, dried orange peel, apple, lemon and celery;

(b) 50 to 89% by weight of saccharide; and

(c) 10 to 40% by weight of chewing gum base, all based on the total weight of the composition.

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