Microemulsions carrying antioxidants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12256752-B2
Application number	US-201917276110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2019
Priority date	Sep 14, 2018
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

In each of its various embodiments, the present invention discloses microemulsions that carry antioxidants.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microemulsion comprising:
(i) a plant-based antioxidant, wherein the plant-based antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of green tea extract, mint extract, rosemary, apple, acerola, olive, curcumin, phenolic acids, phenolic diterpenes, flavonoids, volatile oils, limonene, and combinations of any thereof;
(ii) water;
(iii) at least one surfactant, wherein the at least one surfactant includes lecithin;
(iv) mono/diglycerides from medium chain triglycerides;
(v) ascorbic acid present in a range between 2 and 10 percent by weight;
(vi) mixed tocopherols; and
(vii) a non-polar solvent,
wherein a weight ratio of the mixed tocopherols to the lecithin in the microemulsion is within a range between 1:4 and 1:1.

2. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the plant-based antioxidant is water soluble.

3. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the plant-based antioxidant is oil soluble.

4. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the at least one surfactant is a single surfactant of lecithin.

5. The microemulsion of claim 1 , further comprising a co-surfactant.

6. The microemulsion of claim 1 , further comprising an organic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, lactic acid, and combinations of any thereof.

7. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the non-polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of a vegetable oil, medium chain triglycerides, and combinations thereof.

8. The microemulsion of claim 5 , wherein the co-surfactant is selected from the group consisting of mono and diglycerides, polysorbates, sorbitan esters, polyglyceril esters, sucrose esters, alkyl polyglucosides, alkyl polyglycosides, polaxmers, pluronics, ethoxylated fatty acids, ethoxylated monoglycerides, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol esters, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), quillaja, rhamnolipids, sophorolipids, sucrose esters, polyglycerol esters, saponins, derivatives of any thereof, and combinations of any thereof.

9. The microemulsion of claim 1 , further comprising at least one chelator.

10. The microemulsion of claim 9 , wherein the at least one chelator is selected from the group consisting of ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid, citric acid, phytic acid, phospholipids, flavonoids, and combinations of any thereof.

11. A method of preventing or slowing oxidation in a food/feed product or food/feed ingredient, the method comprising incorporating the microemulsion of claim 1 with the food/feed product or the food/feed ingredient.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the food/feed product or the food/feed ingredient comprises an oil or a fat.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plant-based antioxidant is present in the food/feed product or the food/feed ingredient at a concentration of between about 100 ppm and 4000 ppm.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising mixing a chelator with the food/feed product, the food/feed ingredient, the microemulsion, or combinations of any thereof.

15. A process of loading a microemulsion with an antioxidant, the process comprising:
mixing a plant-based antioxidant with water, thus producing an aqueous phase;
mixing a non-polar solvent with (i) at least one surfactant, (ii) mono/diglycerides from medium chain triglycerides, (iii) ascorbic acid, and (iv) mixed tocopherols, thus producing a non-polar phase; and
mixing the aqueous phase with the non-polar phase, thus producing the microemulsion;
wherein the plant-based antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of green tea extract, mint extract, rosemary, apple, acerola, olive, curcumin, phenolic acids, phenolic diterpenes, flavonoids, volatile oils, limonene, and combinations of any thereof;
wherein the at least one surfactant includes lecithin,
wherein the ascorbic acid is present in the microemulsion in a range between 2 and 10 percent by weight, and
wherein a weight ratio of the mixed tocopherols to the lecithin in the microemulsion is within a range between 1:4 and 1:1.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising mixing an organic acid with the antioxidant and the water.

17. The method according claim 15 , wherein the at least one surfactant comprises lecithin and a co-surfactant.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the non-polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of a vegetable oil, medium chain triglycerides, and combinations thereof.

19. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the plant-based antioxidant is present in a range between 10 and 40 percent by weight.

Assignees

• Archer Daniels Midland Co

Inventors

• Baseeth Shireen
• Matlock Mark
• Swinehart Kirby
• Wicklund Lori

Classifications

• A23B2/729

  Organic compounds; Microorganisms; Enzymes · CPC title

• A23D7/011

  Compositions other than spreads · CPC title

• A23L29/10

  containing emulsifiers · CPC title

• A23B2/733 Primary

  Compounds of undetermined constitution obtained from animals or plants · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title