Reduced-odor thiol compositions

Abstract

The present invention provides compositions for and methods of delivering a therapeutically-effective dose of a malodorous, sulfide or disulfide group-containing compound, for example glutathione (reduced) and / or glutathione disulfide, in a vehicle that is effective to reduce the unpleasant odor and / or taste of the compound. The invention further provides methods for reducing the amount of oxidation occurring when sulfide group-containing compounds, such as glutathione, are incorporated into sugar and or sugar-free hard candies without subjecting the glutathione to thermal and or moisture degradation where degradation is expressed as oxidation. The invention further provides vehicle compositions including the protected sulfide group-containing compounds and their use as medicaments. The sulfide group-containing compounds are protected from degradation by their dispersion into fats, oils, and / or fractionated or partially hydrogenated oils prior to their blending into the vehicle.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to compositions for and methods of delivering a therapeutically-effective dose of a malodorous, sulfide (thiol) or disulfide group-containing compound, for example glutathione (reduced) and / or glutathione disulfide, in a vehicle that is effective to reduce the unpleasant odor and / or taste of the compound. The invention further relates to methods for reducing the amount of oxidation occurring when sulfide group-containing compounds, or thiols, such as glutathione, are incorporated into sugar and or sugar-free hard or soft candy vehicles.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Glutathione (L-α-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine; GSH) is a well-known tri-peptide thiol found in virtually all cells. Glutathione disulfide (GSSG) is the oxidized dimer of glutathione. Glutathione functions to reduce the disulfide linkages of proteins and other molecules, as an antioxidant, and is an essential compound in the gamma-glutamyl cycle, which is thought to eff...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides methods for reducing the unpleasant smell and taste of thiol compounds by blending them into a fluidized fat or oil. The thiol compounds can be glutathione, glutathione disulfide, ascorbate-2-phosphate, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, or derivatives or pharmaceutically acceptable salts of any of these compounds. The blending process involves blending the thiol compound into a fluidized fat or oil at a temperature of about 40 to about 90 degrees C. The thiol compound can be provided as a powder with a particle size range of about 5 to about 550 microns. The blended fat or oil has a reduced sulfur odor and flavor. The invention also provides methods for preventing oxidation of thiol groups in thiol compounds. The blended fat or oil can be stored for later use by dividing it into aliquots and storing it in airtight container. The blended fat or oil can be used to prepare thiol compound-containing compositions with reduced sulfur odor and flavor. The composition can also contain other ingredients such as carbohydrates, sweeteners, and flavorings. The residual water content of the composition should be about 5% or less by weight."

Problems solved by technology

Thiol-containing compounds, however, are notorious for their unpleasant odor and taste and so the use of thiol compounds such as glutathione in oral and nasal formulations has not been well received.

Furthermore, the sulfurous taste and smell of thiol compounds like glutathione increases with the amount of oxidation.

However, such compounds are highly prone to oxidative degradation.

This fact prevents the easy incorporation of thiol compounds into oral or nasal vehicles in highly reduced form.

Glutathione cannot be added to a candy product vehicle during production in a water solution do to its instability in water.

The thiol compounds tend to become oxidized during the product preparation phase and are thus not available in the final product to the patient in their more effective, highly reduced form.