Use of hydroxycarboxylic acids to enhance therapeutic effects of topical compositions for fungal infections and pigmented spots.

Claim 2

Use of the composition of claim 1, wherein said agent is a member selected from the group consisted of: clotrimazole, candicidin; griseofulvin, hydroquinone and its monomethyl and benzyl ethers; ketoconazole, miconazole, nystatin, flucytosine, amphotericins and tolnaftate.

Claim 3

Use of the composition of claim 1 or 2 wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid is hydroxymonocarboxylic acid having the following chemical structural formula: R₁(CR₂OH) m (CH₂) n COOH wherein R₁, R₂=H, alkyl, aralkyl or aryl group of saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain or cyclic form, having 1 to 25 carbon atoms. m=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 or 9 n=0 or a numerical number up to 23 present as free acid, lactone or salt form, and as optically active or inactive isomer such as D, L, and DL forms; the hydrogen atom attached to the carbon atom may be substituted by a nonfunctional F, Cl, Br, I, or S atom or a lower alkyl or alkoxy saturated or unsaturated radical, having 1 to 9 carbon atoms.

Claim 4

Use of the composition of claim 3 wherein said hydroxymonocarboxylic acid is a member selected from the group consisted of 2-hydroxyacetic acid; 2-hydroxypropanoic acid; 2-methyl 2-hydroxypropanoic acid; 2-hydroxybutanoic acid; phenyl 2-hydroxyacetic acid; phenyl 2-methyl 2-hydroxyacetic acid; 3-phenyl 2-hydroxypropanoic acid; 2,3-dihydroxypropanoic acid; 2,3,4-trihydroxybutanoic acid; 2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxypentanoic acid; 2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxyhexanoic acid; 2-hydroxydodecanoic acid; 2,3,4,5,6,7-hexahydroxyheptanoic acid; diphenyl 2-hydroxyacetic acid; 4-hydroxymandelic acid; 4-chloromandelic acid; 3-hydroxybutanoic acid; 4-hydroxybutanoic acid; 2-hydroxyhexanoic acid; 5-hydroxydodecanoic acid; 12-hydroxydodecanoic acid; 10-hydroxydecanoic acid; 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid; 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoic acid; 2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanoic acid; 3-hydroxy-4-methoxymandelic acid; 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid; 2-hydroxy-2-methylbutanoic acid; 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl) lactic acid; 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) lactic acid; hexahydromandelic acid; 3-hydroxy-3-methylpentanoic acid; 4-hydroxydecanoic acid; 5-hydroxydecanoic acid; aleuritic acid.

Claim 5

Use of the composition of claim 3 wherein said lactone is an intermolecular or intramolecular lactone including linear acid polymer, ribonolactone, gluconolactone, galactonolactone, gulonolactone and mannonolactone.

Claim 6

Use of the composition of claim 1 or 2 wherein said compound is a keto or hydroxyketomonocarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of pyruvic acid, hydroxypyruvic acid, hydroxypyruvic acid phosphate, methyl pyruvate, ethyl pyruvate, propyl pyruvate, isopropyl pyruvate, phenyl pyruvic acid, methyl phenyl pyruvate, ethyl phenyl pyruvate, propyl phenyl pyruvate; formyl formic acid, methyl formyl formate, ethyl formyl formate, propyl formyl formate, benzoyl formic acid, methyl benzoyl formate, ethyl benzoyl formate, propyl benzoyl formate, 4-hydroxybenzoyl formic acid, 4-hydroxyphenyl pyruvic acid, and 2-hydroxyphenyl pyruvic acid.

Claim 7

Use of the composition of claim 1 or 2 wherein said compound is a hydroxydicarboxylic acid having the following chemical structural formula: wherein m=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, or 9 n=0 or a numerical number up to 23 present as free acid, lactone or salt form, and as optically active or inactive D, L, and meso isomer; hydrogen atom attached to the carbon atom may be substituted by a nonfunctional F, Cl, Br, I, or S atom or a lower alkyl or alkoxy saturated or unsaturated radical, having 1 to 9 carbon atoms.

Claim 8

Use of the composition of claim 7 wherein said hydroxydicarboxylic acid is a member selected from the group consisted of 2-hydroxypropanedioic acid; 2-hydroxybutanedioic acid; erythraric acid; threaric acid; arabiraric acid; ribaric acid; xylaric acid; lyxaric acid; glucaric acid; galactaric acid; mannaric acid; gularic acid; allaric acid; altraric acid; idaric acid; talaric acid; 2-hydroxy-2-methylbutanedioic acid.

Claim 9

Use of the composition of claim 7 wherein said lactone is an intermolecular or intramolecular lactone including saccharic acid, 1,4-lactone.

Claim 10

Use of the composition of claim 1 or 2 wherein said compound is a hydroxycarboxylic acid having the following formula: R (OH) m (COOH) n Wherein m,n = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 or 9 R= alkyl, aralkyl or aryl group of saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain or cyclic form, having 1 to 25 carbon atoms, present as free acid, lactone or salt form.

Claim 11

Use of the composition of claim 10 wherein said acid is a member selected from the group consisting of citric acid, isocitric acid, agaricic acid, quinic acid, citramalic acid, glucuronic acid, glucuronolactone, galacturonic acid, galacturonolactone, uronic acids, uronolactones, asorbic acid, dihydroascorbic acid, dihydroxytartaric acid, 1-hydroxy-1-cyclopropanecarboxylic acid, 5-hydroxylysine, 3-hydroxy-2-aminopentanoic acid; 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid, 4-hydroxy-2, 2-diphenylbutanoic acid, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric acid and ester, lactone or salt forms thereof, and as an optically active or inactive D, L, DL or meso isomer; the hydrogen atom attached to the carbon atom may be substituted by a nonfunctional F, Cl, Br, I or S atom or a lower alkyl or alkoxy saturated or unsaturated radical having 1 to 9 carbon atoms.

Claim 12

Use of the composition of claim 10 wherein the lactone is an inter or intramolecular lactone.

Claim 13

Use of the composition of claim 1 or 2 wherein said compound is selected from the group consisting of: Citramalic acid, Diphenyl 2-hydroxyacetic acid (benzilic acid), 2-phenyl 3-hydroxypropanoic acid (tropic acid), aleuritic acid, ribonic acid, ribonoloactone, 2,3,4-trihydroxybutanoic acid, 2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxypentanoic acid, 2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxyhexanoic acid, 2-hydroxylauric acid, 2,3,4,5,6,7-hexahydroxyheptanoic acid, 4-hydroxymandelic acid, 4-chloromandelic acid, 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanoic acid, 3-hydroxy-4-methoxymandelic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid, 3-(3-hyroxphenyl) lactic acid, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) lactic acid, hexahydromandelic acid, 3-hydroxy-3-methylpentanoic acid, 1-hydroxy-1-cyclopropane carboxylic acid, 4-hydroxybutanoic acid, 2-hydroxyhexanoic acid, 5-hydroxylauric acid, 12-hydroxylauric acid, 10-hydroxydecanoic acid, 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 4-hydroxydecanoic acid, 5-hydroxydecanoic acid, and 4-hydroxy-2, 2-diphenylbutanoic acid as a free acid or salt form.

Claim 14

Use of the composition of any of claims 1 to 13 wherein the topical dermatologic agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone and hydroquinone monoether including menomethyl and monobenzyl ether.

Claim 15

Use of the composition of claim 14 wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acids and related ketocarboxylic acid and ester, lactone or salt forms thereof include glycolic acid, benzilic acid, tropic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, isocitric acid, citramalic acid, tartronic acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, galactonic acid, alpha hydroxyisobutyric acid, phenyllactic acid, mandelic acid, atrolactic acid, gluconolactone, galactonolactone, ribonic acid, ribonolactone, pantoic acid, pantolactone, pantothenic acid, alpha hydroxybutyric acid, Beta hydroxybutyric acid, quinic acid, pyruvic acid, phenyl pyruvic acid, methyl pyruvate, ethyl pyruvate, ascorbic acid, benzoyl formic acid, methyl benzoyl formate, and ethyl benzoyl formate.

Claim 16

Use of the composition of any of claims 1 to 13 wherein the topical dermatologic agent is an antifungal agent.

Claim 17

Use of the composition of any of claims 1 to 4 wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid is glycolic acid.

Claim 18

Use of the composition of any of claims 1 to 4 wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid is lactic acid.

Claim 19

Use of the composition of claim 10 wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid is citric acid.

Claim 20

Use of the composition of claim 13 wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid is gluconolactone.

Claim 21

Use of the composition of claim 7 wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid is tartaric acid.