Antioxidant compositions and methods of using them

Claim 2

A material selected from water soluble extracts prepared from plant tissue, and fractions separable from said extracts by chromatography, wherein said tissue is obtained from a plant of the Order Chenopodiales said material having the first and second, and optionally also the third and/or the fourth of the following characteristics; namely: (1) it is an antioxidant; (ii) it is stable for an extended period of time, at least in the dry state, at ambient temperature and pressure; (iii) it is absorbed through the skin; (iv) it lowers the peroxide level of the skin.

Claim 3

A material according to claim 1, wherein said tissue is obtained from a member selected from the group consisting of Chenopodiaceae and Aizoaceae.

Claim 4

An antioxidant material according to claim 2, wherein the said plant tissue is constituted by fresh leaves and/or stems.

Claim 5

An antioxidant material according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said extracts are chromatographically separable on dextran which has been cross-linked with epichlorohydrin and has a pore size of 50-150 um, into fractions which are colored brown(A), yellow(B) and orange(C), and of which fraction A is is chromatographically purifiable on a substance which is either (1) a condensation product of cellulose with epichlorohydrin and triethanolamine having a copacity of 0.3 to 0.4 meg./g and a particle size 0.05-0.2. mm. or (ii) dextran which has been cross-linked with epichlorohydrin and has a pore size of 40-120um, to give a fraction (A₁) having an infrared spectrum with substantially the following features: broad band at 3300-3400 cm.⁻¹, strong band at 1650 cm.⁻¹, additional bands at 1730, 1540, 1250 and 1080 cm.⁻¹, weak bands at 2920, 1400 and 1150 cm.⁻¹, and fraction C being chromatographically separable on dextran which has been cross-linked with epichlorohydrin and has a pore size of 40-120 um, into fractions colored dark brown and yellow orange, and labelled C₁ and C₂ respectively.

Claim 6

An antioxidant material which comprises at least one substance selected from the group consisting of fractions A, A₁, B, C₁ and C₂, as defined in claim 4.

Claim 7

An antioxidant material which comprises a combination of at least two substances selected from the group consisting of fractions A, A₁, B, C₁ and C₂, as defined in claim 4.

Claim 8

An antioxidant material characterized by stability for an extended period of time at ambient temperature and pressure, at least in the dry state, which is obtainable by extraction of plant tissue from plants of the families selected from the group consisting of Chenopodiaceae (as defined herein) and Aizoaceae with water and subsequent fractionation by chromatographic methods, and having an infrared spectrum with substantially the features stated in any one of the following paragraphs (a) to (g), namely: (a) broad band at 3400 cm.⁻¹, strong bands at 1050 and 1650 cm.⁻¹, weak bands at 1250 and 1430 cm.⁻¹; (b) broad bands at 3400, 1640 and 1080 cm.⁻¹, additional bands at 1420, 1300 and 810 cm.⁻¹; (c) br-ld bands at 3400 and 1600 cm.⁻¹, strong band at 1390 cm.⁻¹, additional bands at 1070 and 820 cm.⁻¹; (d) broad band at 3300 cm.⁻¹, strong band at 1620 cm.⁻¹, additional bands at 1390, 1320, 1080 and 770 cm.⁻¹; (e) broad band at 3300-3400 cm.⁻¹, strong band at 1650 cm.⁻¹, additional bands at 1730, 1540, 1250 and 1080 cm.⁻¹, weak bands at 2920, 1400 and 1150 cm.⁻¹; (f) strong and broad bands at 3300, 1560 and 1130 cm. ⁻¹, medium band at 1400 cm.⁻¹, weak bands at 1350 and 1430 cm.⁻¹; (g) broad band at 3430 cm.⁻¹, strong bands at 1600, 1380 and 1150 cm.⁻¹.

Claim 9

An antioxidant material characterized by stability for an extended period of time at ambient temperature and pressure, at least in the dry state, which is obtainable by extraction of plant tissue from plants of the families selected from the group consisting of Chenopodiaceae (as defined herein) and Aizoaceae with water and subsequent fractionation by chromatographic methods, and having an infrared spectrum with substantially the features stated in any one of the following paragraphs (a) to (g), namely: (a) broad band at 3400 cm.⁻¹, strong bands at 1050 and 1650 cm.⁻¹, weak bands at 1250 and 1430 cm.⁻¹; (b) broad bands at 3400, 1640 and 1080 cm.⁻¹, additional bands at 1420, 1300 and 810 cm.⁻¹; (c) br-ld bands at 3400 and 1600 cm.⁻¹, strong band at 1390 cm.⁻¹, additional bands at 1070 and 820 cm.⁻¹; (d) broad band at 3300 cm.⁻¹, strong band at 1620 cm.⁻¹, additional bands at 1390, 1320, 1080 and 770 cm.⁻¹; (e) broad band at 3300-3400 cm.⁻¹, strong band at 1650 cm.⁻¹, additional bands at 1730, 1540, 1250 and 1080 cm.⁻¹, weak bands at 2920, 1400 and 1150 cm.⁻¹; (f) strong and broad bands at 3300, 1560 and 1130 cm. ⁻¹, medium band at 1400 cm.⁻¹, weak bands at 1350 and 1430 cm.⁻¹; (g) broad band at 3430 cm.⁻¹, strong bands at 1600, 1380 and 1150 cm.⁻¹.

Claim 10

A process for preparing a stable antioxidant material according to the preceding claims, which comprises the step of extracting plant tissue with water and optionally comminuting said tissue prior to or simultaneously with the extracting step.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 8, wherein said comminution is effected at a temperature within the range of from about 4° to about 100°C.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 9, wherein said temperature is about 25° C.

Claim 13

A process according to any of claims 8 to 10, which comprises the step of subjecting the thus obtaining aqueous extract to chromatographic fractionation.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 11, wherein said fractionation comprises chromatographically separating said extract on dextran which has been cross-linked with epichlorohydrin and has a pore size of 50-150 um, into fractions which are colored brown(A), yellow(B) and orange(C), and optionally effecting at least one of the following chromatographic purifications on said fractions, namely: chromatographically purifying fraction A on a condensation product of cellulose with epichlorohydrin and triethanolamine having a capacity of 0.3 to 0.4 meg./g and a particle size 0.05-0.2 mm., or on dextran which has been cross-linked with epichlorohydrin and has a pore size of 40-120um, to give a fraction(A₁) having substantially the following IR spectrum: broad band at 3300-3400 cm.⁻¹, strong band at 1650 cm.⁻¹, additional bands at 1730, 1540, 1250 and 1080 cm.⁻¹, weak bands at 2930, 1400 and 1150 cm.⁻¹; chromatographically separating fraction C on dextran which has been cross-linked with epichlorohydrin and has a pore size of 40-120 um, into fractions colored dark brown and yellow orange, and labelled C₁ and C₂ respectively.

Claim 15

A stable antioxidant material, which has been prepared by the process according to any of claims 8 to 12.

Claim 16

A composition of matter for therapeutic or cosmetic use, which comprises a stable antioxidant material as defined in any of claims 1 to 7 or 13, together with an inert diluent or carrier.

Claim 17

A composition according to claim 14, wherein the inert diluent or carrier is adapted for application to the skin.

Claim 18

A composition according to claim 15, wherein the inert diluent or carrier is cosmetically acceptable.

Claim 19

A composition according to either claim 14 or claim 16, wherein said composition contains from about 0.005 to about 5% by weight of said antioxidant material, based upon the total weight of the composition.

Claim 20

A composition according to any of claims 15 to 17, wherein said composition is in the form of a hydrophilic cream, a hydrophilic lotion, a hydrophobic cream or a hydrophobic lotion.

Claim 21

A composition according to any of claims 15 to 18, which comprises a local anaesthetic.

Claim 23

A composition according to claim 14, wherein the inert diluent or carrier is adapted for oral, rectal or parenteral administration.

Claim 24

A composition according to claim 21, wherein said stable antioxidant material is present in an amount such that the composition is suitable for the administrtion of about 20 to about 500 mg. said material per kg. weight of a subject.

Claim 25

A pharmaceutical composition for use in the inhibition of tumors, which comprises an amount within the range of about 20 to about 500 mg. of a stable antioxidant material according to any of claims 1 to 7 and 13, together with an inert diluent or carrier suitable for oral, parenteral or rectal administration.

Claim 26

A composition according to any of claims 21 to 23, which is in the form of an aqueous solution.

Claim 27

A foodstuff composition which comprises a foodstuff containing a free radical oxidizable substance, together with an amount of stable antioxidant material according to any of claims 1 to 7 and 13, sufficient to inhibit oxidation of the oxidizable substance.

Claim 28

A foodstuff composition according to claim 25, wherein said antioxidant material constitutes about 0.0001 to about 1.0% by weight of the composition.

Claim 29

A foodstuff composition according to claim 26, wherein said antioxidant material constitutes about 0.005 to about 0.1% by weight of the composition.

Claim 30

A foodstuff composition according to any of claims 25 to 27, wherein said oxidizable substance comprises one or more of the following, namely: fatty acids (saturated or unsaturated) and esters of fatty acids (saturated or unsaturated).

Claim 31

A foodstuff composition according to any of claims 25 to 28, which comprises one of more of the following, namely: flavones, carotenoids, tocopherols.

Claim 32

A stable antioxidant material according to any of claims 1 to 7 and 13, and substantially as hereinbefore described.

Claim 33

A process according to any of claims 8 to 12, and substantially as hereinbefore described.

Claim 34

A composition according to any of claims 14 to 19 or 21 to 24, and substantially as hereinbefore described.

Claim 35

A foodstuff composition according to any of claims 25 to 29, and substantially as hereinbefore described.