Process for preparing granules comprising an active substance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9974323-B2
Application number	US-201214352631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2012
Priority date	Oct 21, 2011
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to granules comprising an active substance, obtained by spray-drying an emulsion comprising said active substance, solid particles, water and a water-soluble biopolymer having a molecular weight below 100 KDa. The invention further relates to a process for obtaining such granules and to products containing them.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for preparing granules, the process comprising the steps of:
a) preparing an oil-in-water emulsion comprising
i. a free, non-emulsified active substance selected from the group consisting of a flavour and a fragrance;
ii. a water soluble biopolymer having a molecular weight below 100 KDa and devoid of emulsifying properties, and is present in an amount of from 10 to 70% by weight, relative to the total weight of the emulsion;
iii. solid particles that are insoluble in water and hydrophilic; and
iv. water;
wherein the emulsion is free of emulsifiers; and

b) spray-drying the emulsion obtained in step a) so as to obtain granules;
wherein no emulsifier is added at any step of the process.

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the active substance comprises at least 90% by weight, relative to the total weight of the active substance, of compounds having a log P of at least 1.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the flavour is used in an amount of from 5 to 67% by weight, relative to the total weight of the emulsion.

4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the water soluble biopolymer is a polysaccharide, oligosaccharide or disaccharide and is used in an amount of from 30 to 55% by weight, relative to the total weight of the emulsion.

5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the solid particles have an average diameter of at most 3 μm.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the solid particles are selected from the group consisting of
silicon oxides;
metal oxides, hydroxides, salts of inorganic or organic acids and their mixtures;
silver nanoparticles;
magnesium and aluminium silicates;
latexes;
dietary fibers;
yeast cells;
humic acid;
enteric polymers; and
crystals of fats or fatty acids.

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the solid particles are silica particles.

8. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the solid particles are used in an amount of from 0.1 to 30% by weight, relative to the total weight of the emulsion.

9. A process according to claim 1 wherein the ratio of solid particles to active substance is ranging between 1:1 and 1:30.

10. A process according to claim 1 wherein at least 5% by weight of the active agent having a vapour pressure of at least 0.007 Pa at 25° C.

11. A process according to claim 1 wherein the solid particles are in contact with the active substance.

12. A process according to claim 1 wherein the solid particles form a three phase contact angle, measured through the aqueous phase at an interface of water and oil at the particle surface, that is between 10 and 90 degrees.

13. A process according to claim 1 wherein the granules have a particle size of at least 10 μm to 750 μm.

14. A process according to claim 1 wherein the granules have a particle size of at least 20 μm to 300 μm.

Assignees

• Firmenich & Cie

Inventors

• Beaussoubre Pascal
• Bouquerand Pierre-Etienne
• Meyer François
• Thiebaut Nathalie
• Wong Kenneth

Classifications

• A23L27/13

  from citrus fruits · CPC title

• A61K8/73 Primary

  Polysaccharides · CPC title

• A23L27/11

  obtained by solvent extraction · CPC title

• C11D11/02

  Preparation in the form of powder by spray drying · CPC title

• A61K8/0225 Primary

  Granulated powders · CPC title