Larch Larix occidentalis and Arabinogalactan:Anti-Metastatic and Immune Stimulant natural source.

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Application Case Study:Beverage compositions comprising arabinogalactan and defined minerals.

Western Larch Extract D-Arabinogalacatan Arabinogalactan Extract CAS 9036-66-2 Larix occidentalis Nutt L-arabinofuranose unit or 3-O-(beta-L-arabinopyranosyl)-alfa-L-arabinofuranosyl units photo picture image Summary of the Invention
 The present invention is directed to beverage compositions comprising:
 a) a first component which is arabinogalactan; and

 b) a second component comprising one or more minerals selected from the group consisting of zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, selenium, iodine, and fluorine. The present compositions are useful to provide beverage compositions which deliver adequate levels of water soluble dietary fiber and important minerals without affecting the product appearance, product taste, and mineral bioavailability. At the same time, the compositions herein deliver the benefits of fiber, one or more of the defined minerals, and/or provide other health benefits, including fighting infection, promoting healthy bacteria, and providing a desired dietary fiber benefit. These and other benefits of the present invention are described herein.

 Background of the Invention

 Beverage compositions are important for a variety of consumer benefits, for example, hydration, refreshment, energy, relaxation and, of course, nutritive benefits. Mineral supplementation is common in the field of beverage compositions. For example, it is quite common to deliver fruit juices supplemented with calcium or other essential minerals for various nutritive purposes. However, mineral stability can be a serious problem when formulating beverage compositions with minerals, causing such formulation to be either unfeasible or unacceptable due to insolubility and, ultimately, instability of the desired mineral supplement. In such beverage compositions, the mineral will ultimately settle to the bottom of a container which holds the composition. For example, Barey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,190, assigned to Systems Bio-Industries, issued Feb. 2, 1999, discloses compositions used for stabilizing non-milk, acidic beverages. Barey further discloses that, in addition to the stabilizing compositions described therein, additional mechanisms such as complexing agents are essential wherein calcium is introduced to the composition. It would therefore be quite desirable to provide a composition suitable for stabilizing minerals which avoid the problems known in the art, as exemplified by Barey.

 It is additionally well-known that delivery of adequate levels of dietary fiber and minerals is a challenge that remains to be solved. For instance, providing a composition containing one or more minerals (e.g., calcium) and one or more soluble dietary fibers (e.g., pectin or psyllium) causes problems such as gelling, increased viscosity, flocculation, separation, and decreased mineral bioavailability.

 An additional problem related to mineral-supplementation of beverage compositions relates to problematic organoleptic properties associated with such minerals, such as significant off-flavors. Such problems are readily apparent to the consumer and will often preclude the consumer from ingesting a mineral-supplemented composition. It would therefore be additionally desirable to provide a composition which overcomes these problems.

 Quite surprisingly, the present inventors have discovered that the above described problems are overcome through combination of a fiber known as arabinogalactan with one or more minerals. This arabinogalactan fiber is useful for providing a dietary fiber benefit to the consumer, as well as additional benefits in the field of immune function. It is therefore quite exciting that this fiber may be used not only to provide these benefits, but to overcome problems associated with mineral and fiber interactions, stabilization of minerals, and organoleptic properties of these minerals. In addition, use of a fiber to attempt this purpose would ordinarily result in increased viscosity and likely unacceptability of the final beverage product. However, it has further been found that the arabinogalactan fiber is not precluded from use due to any problems associated with viscosity. In fact, the beverage compositions of the present invention provide excellent viscosity which is acceptable to the consumer. This and other benefits of the present invention are described herein.

 Detailed Description of the Invention

 Publications and patents are referred to throughout this disclosure. All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.

 All percentages and ratios are calculated by weight unless otherwise indicated. All percentages and ratios are calculated based on the total composition unless otherwise indicated.

 All component or composition levels are in reference to the active level of that component or composition, and are exclusive of impurities, for example, residual solvents or by-products, which may be present in commercially available sources.

 Referred to herein are trade names for components including various ingredients utilized in the present invention. The inventors herein do not intend to be limited by materials under a certain trade name. Equivalent materials (e.g., those obtained from a different source under a different name or reference number) to those referenced by trade name may be substituted and utilized in the methods herein.

 In the description of the invention various embodiments and/or individual features are disclosed. As will be apparent to the ordinarily skilled practitioner, all combinations of such embodiments and features are possible and can result in preferred executions of the present invention.

 The methods herein may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of any of the elements as described herein.

 First Component

 The first component of the present compositions is arabinogalactan. Arabinogalactan is a polysaccharide which varies in molecular weight from low molecular weight polymers to large macromolecules. Arabinogalactan is also commonly referred to as larch gum, larch wood sugar, galactoarabinan, L-arabino-D-galactan, and stractan. Arabinogalactan is obtained from several plant and tree sources including, for example, the genus Larix (also referred to as Larex) which may contain up to about 35% of arabinogalactan within the total heartwood of some species. See Stout,"Larch Arabinogalactan", Industrial Gums , R. L. Whistle Ed., Academic Press, New York, pp. 307-310 (1959). Preferably, the arabinogalactan used herein is derived from tree sources of the genus Larix, particularly the species referred to as the Western larch ( Larix occidentalis ). Non-limiting examples of arabinogalactan sources include the Western larch ( Larix occidentalis ), Tamarack (also referred to as the Eastern larch, Larix larcicina ), Alpine larch ( Larix lyallii ), European larch ( Larix decidua ), Mongolian larch ( Larix dahurica ), Japanese larch ( Larix leptolepis ), and Siberian larch ( Larix siberica ). Numerous other trees, woody plants and root crops also contain arabinogalactan as part of their cell wall. For example, other suitable sources of arabinogalactan include hemlock, black spruce, douglas fir, cedar, juniper, sugar maple, radishes, carrots, onions, soy bean, and green coffee beans. Additionally, arabinogalactan is found in botanicals, for example, echinacea and mistletoe.

 The structure of arabinogalactan has been extensively studied. See e.g., Timell, Adv. Carbohydrate Chem., Vol. 20, pp. 409-483 (1965). Arabinogalactan is a polysaccharide containing beta-(1,3)-linked galactan backbone with side chains containing arabinose and galactose residues, and often other minor residues. Preferably, the ratio of arabinose residues to galactose resides is from about 0.1:1 to about 1:1. Arabinogalactan includes naturally occurring or synthetic arabinogalactan, portions of arabinogalactan (such as degradation products), and chemically or biochemically modified arabinogalactan or portions thereof (as described below). Preferably, the arabinogalactan is a naturally occurring arabinogalactan, isolated from one or more natural sources. As also used herein "refined arabinogalactan" means arabinogalactan having a purity greater than about 95%, preferably greater than about 99%. Refined arabinogalactan of greater than about 95% purity, and even greater than about 99% purity, for example LAREX UF and LARACARE A200) is commercially available from (for example) Larex International, Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A.

 In a preferred embodiment, the molecular weight of arabinogalactan is from about 1,000 to about 2,500,000, more preferably from about 6,000 to about 300,000, even more preferably from about 10,000 to about 100,000, and most preferably from about 10,000 to about 50,000. Molecular weight may be assessed by standard means including, for example, size exclusion liquid chromatography.

 Non-limiting examples of preferred, commercially available sources of arabinogalactan include LAREX UF, LARACARE A200, IMMUNENHANCER (CAS No. 9036-66-2), CLEARTRAC, FIBERAID, and AC-9, all commercially available from (for example) Larex International, Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A.

 Arabinogalactan is water soluble over a wide range of temperatures. The arabinogalactan molecule likely has a spherical shape when dissolved in water. Increasing concentrations of arabinogalactan have been found to lower the interfacial tension between water and mineral oil. Arabinogalactan remains soluble even at high concentrations, resulting in stable, low viscosity solutions.

 Modified arabinogalactan is also useful in the present invention, and is within the definition of arabinogalactan as is used herein. Such modified arabinogalactan includes lipidated arabinogalactan which is described in Richards, WO 98/22512, assigned to the University of Montana, published May 28, 1998. In such example, lipidated arabinogalactan refers to a naturally occurring arabinogalactan covalently attached to a lipophilic group. Preferred lipophilic groups include long chain (i.e., at least about 8 carbon atoms) hydrocarbon groups. Other lipophilic groups include steroids, terpenes, fat soluble vitamins, phytosterols, terpenoids, phospholipids, glycerols, and natural or synthetic fats. The lipophilic group may be attached directly to the natural arabinogalactan or via a linking group. Other non-limiting examples of modified arabinogalactans include those described in Mak et al., WO 99/55736, assigned to Larex, Inc., published Nov. 4, 1999 (referred to as "arabinogalactan derivatives").

 Various methods have been developed for recovering arabinogalactan from natural sources. Typically, arabinogalactan is recovered from tree sources (e.g., a tree of the genus Larix) by chipping or grinding the wood and extracting it with water or dilute acidic solutions. The arabinogalactan extract obtained from the wood may be purified to obtain a highly refined arabinogalactan solution required in various commercial uses. Particularly preferred, although non-limiting, processes for obtaining arabinogalactan from natural sources are set forth in Price et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,098, assigned to the University of Montana, Larex International, Inc., and Crown Iron Works Co., issued May 26, 1998, as well as Adams et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,969, assigned to Larex International, Inc., issued May 26, 1992. For example, the fibrous natural material is compressed in the substantial absence of any added solvent to product a liquid exudate and a "first" pressed product. The "first" pressed product may be impregnated with, for example, an aqueous solvent, to recover a liquid pressate and a "second" pressed product. Using this process, a substantially pure arabinogalactan exudate can be produced. Example 1 of Price et al. sets forth a non-limiting example demonstrating extraction of arabinogalactan from Western larch.

 The compositions of the present invention preferably comprise from about 0.0001% to about 75% arabinogalactan, more preferably from about 0.001% to about 50% arabinogalactan, still more preferably from about 0.001% to about 15% arabinogalactan, even more preferably from about 0.01% to about 10% arabinogalactan, and most preferably from about 0.1% to about 5% arabinogalactan, all by weight of the composition. Alternatively, the compositions preferably comprise from about 0.1 milligrams to about 40 grams of arabinogalactan, more preferably from about 500 milligrams to about 5 grams of arabinogalactan, all per single dose (i.e., serving size) of the composition.

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Reference:

citations1.Larch Larix occidentalis and Arabinogalactan:Anti-Metastatic and Immune Stimulant natural source.
citations2.United States Patent 6703056

last edit date:20th,June.2009.