Chalcone plant extracts for use in therapy

Claim 2

Use according to claim 1 in which the chalcone is an extracted from a natural source, preferably from a Glycyrrhiza species.

Claim 3

Use according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the chalcone has the general formula I: in which the groups R 2 to R 6 and R 12 to R 16 may be the same or different and each represents hydrogen, C 1-24 alkyl, C 1-24 alkenyl, or OR 10 where R 10 is hydrogen, C 1-24 alkyl, C 1-24 alkenyl, a glycoside or oligosaccharide joined by O-glycosidic bond, C 1-24 -alkanoyl, or C 1-24 -alkenoyl, and wherein adjacent R groups in the A ring or the B ring can be joined to make five or six membered rings with the carbon atoms to which they are attached, optionally including an etheric or lactam linkage, and optionally including unsaturation; R 1 and R 11 are each selected from hydrogen, hydroxyl, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 1-6 alkenyl and C 1-6 alkenoxy or may be joined to form a ring, optionally a ring fused with the chalcone B ring, which ring has five or six carbon atoms and may include additional (to the B ring) ethylenic unsaturation provided that: i) at least one of R 12 and R 14 is OR 10 ; and ii) where either R 12 or R 14 is selected from hydrogen, alkyl or alkenyl, both R 2 and R 4 is OR 10 .

Claim 4

Use according to claim 3 in which, where two adjacent R groups are joined to form a five or six membered ring with the carbon atoms to which they are attached, they generally represent -O-CH 2 -O-, -O-(CH 2 )- 2 , -O-CH=CH-, -O-C(CH 3 ) 2 -CH=CH, -O-C(CH 3 ) 2 -CHOH-CH 2 -, -O-CO-(CH 2 )- 2 .

Claim 5

Use according to claim 3 in which R 1 = R 2 = R 3 = R 5 = R 6 = R 11 = R 13 = R 15 = R 16 = H and R 4 = R 12 = R 14 = OH.

Claim 6

Use according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the chalcone has the general formula II in which R 1 and R 11 are each selected from hydrogen, hydroxyl, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 1-6 alkenoxy or may be joined to form a ring, optionally a fused ring with the chalcone B ring, which ring has five or six carbon atoms and may include additional ethylenic unsaturation; R 22 represents hydrogen or C 1-6 alkyl; R 23 represents hydrogen, hydroxyl, C 1-6 -alkyl, C 1-6 -alkenyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 1-6 alkenyloxy, C 1-6 alkanoyloxy, C 1-6 alkenyoyloxy, O-glycoside; R 24 is hydrogen or a C 1-6 alkyl group; R 25 is hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkenyl; or R 23 and OR 24 are joined to form -O(CH 2 )n-O-, in which n is 1 or 2; R 32 is hydrogen, hydroxyl, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkenyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 1-6 alkenyloxy, O-glycoside or O-oligosaccharide; R 33 is hydrogen or C 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkenyl; and R 34 is hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, a glycoside or oligosaccharide; or R 33 and R 34 may together form a straight or branched alkylene or alkenylene whereby a five or six membered heterocyclic ring is formed;

Claim 7

Use according to claim 6 in which R 22 is methyl; R 23 is hydrogen or hydroxyl; and R 1 , R 11 , R 24 , R 25 , R 33 and R 34 are each hydrogen.

Claim 8

Use according to claim 7 in which the chalcone is licochalcone B or echinatin.

Claim 9

Use of an extract of Glycyrrhiza in the manufacture of a composition for use in a method of treatment of psoriasis.

Claim 10

Use according claim 9 in which the extract is obtainable by a multistep process including a) a first step in which Glycyrrhiza is extracted with a polar solvent having a dielectric constant of less than 5; b) a second step in which the solids remaining after step a are contacted with a relatively polar solvent, having a dielectric constant higher than that of the first solvent and preferably more than 5; and c) a further step of recovering the solutes in the solution obtained in step b) in solid or more concentrated solution or dispersion form.

Claim 11

Use according to claim 9 or claim 10 in which the Glycyrrhiza is G.glabra.

Claim 12

Use according to any preceding claim in which the composition is for topical administration to skin affected by psoriasis.