Essential oil particles with improved stability and compositions

Abstract

Agglomerated compositions comprising essential oils dispersed in a matrix, wherein the essential oils exhibit improved stability. Compositions comprising a methionine source and the agglomerated essential oil compositions are also provided, as well as methods for using such compositions to improve animal health and performance.

Description

Essential oil particles with improved stability and compositions Technical field This disclosure provides essential oil compositions. Background of the technique Essential oils are aromatic, oily liquids obtained from plant material. It has long been recognized that some essential oils have antimicrobial, antibacterial, antioxidant, and / or anti-inflammatory effects. However, the volatile aromatic compounds present in essential oils are chemically unstable and susceptible to oxidative deterioration, especially when exposed to oxygen, light, moisture, and heat. Similarly, the quality of a product fortified with these oils can deteriorate due to oxidative degradation, the formation of off-flavors and anomalous tastes, and the generation of free radicals. These changes negatively affect the stability during storage, biological activity, and sensory properties of essential oil-based products.Attempts have been made to stabilize and protect essential oils using functional coatings or encapsulation in shells. However, there remains a need for improved means of protecting essential oils, especially when they are intended for addition to animal feed or feed premixes. WO2018059732A1 discloses a particle containing at least one volatile substance, comprising a core comprising at least one matrix material, the at least one volatile substance, and at least one coating layer. A first coating layer is a non-confluent layer comprising at least one support material. Optionally, the non-confluent layer contains at least one hydrophobic substance. Optionally, the particle is surrounded by at least one confluent layer and / or one or more additional non-confluent layers. The disclosure also includes a process for producing the particle. Brief description of the invention The invention is set forth in the attached set of claims. One aspect of this disclosure provides a composition comprising a plurality of particles comprising at least two essential oils dispersed in a matrix, wherein the matrix comprises at least one binding agent comprising gum arabic, and the at least two essential oils consist of garlic oil and cinnamaldehyde, wherein the cinnamaldehyde is present in an amount of approximately 17.5% to approximately 21.5% by weight of the composition, the garlic oil is present in an amount of approximately 2.5% to approximately 3.1% by weight of the composition, the gum arabic is present in an amount of approximately 70% to approximately 75% by weight of the composition, and the matrix is ​​present in an amount of approximately 65% ​​to approximately 80% by weight of the composition.In general, the matrix comprises at least one binding agent in which the essential oils are dispersed or incorporated. The following section describes in more detail other aspects and iterations of disclosure. Brief description of the drawings FIG.1A shows the propionate level produced in a continuous culture system in the presence of MHA (left), agglomerated composition, agglutinated compound (right), or MHA+agglutinated compound (center). P=0.0014. FIG. 1B shows the level of butyrate produced in a continuous culture system in the presence of MHA (left), agglutinated compounds (right), or MHA+agglutinated compounds (center). P=0.0037. FIG. 1C shows the acetate level produced in a continuous culture system in the presence of MHA (left), agl. comp. (right), or MHA+agl. comp. (center). FIG.2A shows the acetate:propionate ratio produced in a continuous culture system in the presence of MHA (left), agglutinated comp. (right), or MHA+agglutinated comp. (center). P=0.0070. FIG. 2B shows the total level of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) produced in a continuous culture system in the presence of MHA (left), agl comp. (right), or MHA+agl comp. (center). P=0.0756. Detailed description of the invention The invention is set forth in the attached set of claims. This disclosure provides agglomerated compositions comprising essential oils dispersed in matrices so that the essential oils have improved stability and extended shelf life. (I) Compositions comprising essential oils One aspect of this disclosure provides compositions comprising essential oils dispersed in a matrix comprising one or more binding agents, as defined in the claims. In general, the essential oils exist as droplets incorporated into the matrix of the binding agent(s). Accordingly, the compositions disclosed herein may be described as agglomerated compositions comprising small particles of essential oil and small particles of binding agent, wherein the small particles are grouped (agglomerated) together into larger particles. In some embodiments, the essential oil compositions disclosed herein may be particulate, i.e., comprise a plurality of particles. In general, the essential oil compositions disclosed herein lack coatings, outer coverings, and / or hydrophobic layers. (I) (a) Essential oils Essential oils, also known as volatile oils or essential oils, are concentrated hydrophobic liquids containing volatile aromatic compounds obtained from the fruits, seeds, flowers, bark, stems, roots, leaves, or other parts of a plant. Essential oils are typically obtained by distillation (e.g., steam distillation), solvent extraction, mechanical expression, and / or cold pressing. The specific chemical compound that imparts the "essence" of the plant's fragrance can be isolated from the plant or chemically synthesized. The term "essential oil" generally refers to the specific chemical compound that makes up the essential oil, but it can also refer to the oil of the plant from which it was extracted. The compositions disclosed herein comprise at least two essential oils, and the at least two essential oils consist of garlic oil and cinnamaldehyde, as defined in the claims. The compositions disclosed herein comprise at least two essential oils, and the at least two essential oils consist of garlic oil and cinnamaldehyde, as defined in the claims. The at least two essential oils consist of cinnamaldehyde and garlic oil. In some embodiments, the ratio of cinnamaldehyde to garlic oil may be in the range of approximately 6:1 to approximately 8:1, or it may be approximately 7:1. The composition comprises approximately 17.5% to approximately 21.5% by weight of cinnamaldehyde and approximately 2.5% to approximately 3.1% by weight of garlic oil. In other embodiments, the composition may comprise approximately 18.5% to approximately 20.5% by weight of cinnamaldehyde and approximately 2.7% to approximately 2.9% by weight of garlic oil. In specific embodiments, the composition may comprise approximately 19.5% by weight of cinnamaldehyde and approximately 2.8% by weight of garlic oil. (I) (b) Matrix comprising binding agent The compositions disclosed herein also comprise a matrix comprising at least one binding agent in which the essential oils are dispersed or incorporated. As used herein, the term "binding agent" refers to any substance that produces binding force in agglomerated particles or forms bridges between the smaller particles of the agglomerated particle. Suitable binding agents include complex carbohydrates, proteins, or combinations thereof. The matrix comprises at least one binding agent comprising gum arabic, as defined in the claims. Non-limiting examples of additional suitable complex carbohydrates include agar, albizia gum, alginate, arabinoxylan, beta-glucan, locust bean gum, carrageenan, cellulose, cellulose derivative, chicle gum, chitosan, curdlan, damar gum, dextran, diutan gum, fenugreek gum, fucoidan, galactomannan, gellan gum, ghatti gum, glucomannan, guar gum, hakea gum, Gleditsia triacanthos gum, hupu gum, karaya gum, beech gum, lignin, locust bean gum, maltodextrin, mastic gum, pectin, pullulan, starch, modified starch (e.g., starch modified with octenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA)), tamarind gum, tara gum, tragacanth gum, welan gum, or xanthan gum.Suitable proteins include, without limitation, collagen, gelatin, milk protein, egg protein, pea protein, soy protein, wheat protein, zein protein, isolates or hydrolysates of any of the above, or modified versions of any of the above. The at least one binding agent comprises gum arabic, as defined in the claims. In some embodiments, the binding agent comprises gum arabic and maltodextrin, or gum arabic and modified starch. The amount of gum arabic present in the compositions is approximately 70% to approximately 75% by weight of the composition. In specific embodiments, the amount of gum arabic present in the compositions may be in the range of approximately 72% to approximately 73% by weight of the composition. (I) (c) Water The agglomerated compositions disclosed herein also comprise water. In general, the amount of water is less than approximately 10% by weight. In some embodiments, the amount of water may be in the range of approximately 2% to approximately 8%, or from approximately 4% to approximately 6%, provided that the total amount of essential oils, agglomerating agent(s), and water is equal to 100% by weight. (I) (d) Optional excipients In some embodiments, the agglomerated composition may comprise one or more optional excipients. Suitable excipients include antioxidants, surfactants, fillers, binders, or combinations thereof. In specific embodiments, the optional excipient may be an antioxidant. The antioxidant may be natural or synthetic. Non-limiting examples of suitable antioxidants include ascorbyl palmitate, ascorbyl stearate, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), 6-ethoxy-1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline (ethoxyquin), ethyl gallate, propyl gallate, tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), or combinations thereof. In other embodiments, the optional excipient may be a surfactant. The surfactant may be a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant, or a cationic surfactant. Non-limiting examples of suitable nonionic surfactants (including zwitterionic surfactants that have no net charge) include alcohol ethoxylates, alkylphenol ethoxylates (e.g., nonylphenyl ethoxylate), ethoxylated thiols, fatty acid ethoxylates, glycerol esters, hexitol esters, amine ethoxylates, alkylamide ethoxylates, and imide ethoxylates. Suitable anionic surfactants include, but are not limited to, alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, sulfated alkanolamides, glyceride sulfates, dodecylbenzenesulfonates, alkylbenzenesulfonates, alpha-olefin sulfonates, and sulfocarboxylic compounds. Non-limiting examples of suitable cationic surfactants include alkylamines, quaternary alkyl ammonium compounds, stearamines, and etheramines.In some embodiments, the surfactant may be any of those disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 9,169,203,9,902,690 or U.S. Publication No. 2017 / 0002295. In other additional embodiments, the optional excipient may be a filler. Suitable fillers include, without limitation, cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose ethers (e.g., ethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, etc.), cellulose esters (i.e., cellulose acetate, cellulose butyrate, and mixtures thereof), starches (e.g., maize starch, rice starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, and the like), modified starches, pregelatinized starches, phosphated starches, starch-lactose, starch-calcium carbonate, sodium carboxymethyl starch, glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, xylose, lactitol, mannitol, maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltodextrin, trehalose, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, calcium phosphate, calcium silicate, magnesium carbonate, and potassium oxide. magnesium, talc or combinations thereof. In additional embodiments, the optional excipient may be a binder. Non-limiting examples of suitable binders include starches (e.g., corn starch, potato starch, wheat starch, rice starch, and the like), pregelatinized starch, hydrolyzed starch, cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose derivatives (e.g., methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and the like), saccharides (e.g., sucrose, lactose, and the like), sugar alcohols (e.g., maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, polyethylene glycol, and the like), alginates (e.g., alginic acid, alginate, sodium alginate, and the like), gums (e.g., gum arabic, guar gum, gellan gum, xanthan gum, and the like), pectins, gelatin, C12-C18 fatty acid alcohols, and polyvinylpyrrolidone. (also called copovidone), polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohols, waxes (e.g., candelilla wax, carnauba wax, beeswax and the like) or combinations of any of the above. (I) (e) Physical form In specific embodiments, the agglomerated compositions are in particulate form and comprise a plurality of particles. In general, the plurality of particles has an average particle size less than approximately 1000 micrometers (µm). In various embodiments, the average particle size of the plurality of particles ranges from approximately 10 to approximately 500 µm, from approximately 50 µm to approximately 250 µm, or from approximately 100 µm to approximately 200 µm. In specific embodiments, the plurality of particles has an average particle size of approximately 150 µm. Examples The following examples illustrate various realizations of this disclosure. Example 1: Preparation of agglomerated composition A solution was prepared by dissolving 30 g of gum arabic in 60 g of water. To this, 8.6 g of cinnamaldehyde and 1.4 g of garlic oil were added, and a water / oil emulsion was prepared by mechanical stirring (i.e., a dispersing homogenizer). The emulsion was sprayed using a rotating disc atomizer (with an emulsion temperature of 75 °C, an inlet temperature of 180 °C, and an outlet temperature of 87 °C) into a spray vessel blown with hot air, and the resulting free-flowing powder, with an average particle size of 150 µm, was collected in a cyclone. The final product contained 72.7% gum arabic, 19.5% cinnamaldehyde, 2.8% garlic oil, and 5% water by weight. Example 2: Stability of the agglomerated composition The agglomerated compositions were mixed with either a commercial inorganic-based vitamin-mineral premix or a commercial organic-based vitamin-mineral premix, and the stability of cinnamaldehyde was monitored at regular intervals over 6 weeks. The results are presented in Table 1 below. Table 1. Percentage of cinnamaldehyde After 6 weeks, more than 80% of the cinnamaldehyde was still present. Example 3: Composition evaluation comprising methionine source and agglomerated composition A blended composition was prepared by mixing 965 kg of calcium salt of the hydroxylated analogue of methionine (i.e., MHA) and 35 kg of the agglomerated composition from Example 1. The performance of this blended composition was compared to that of MHA alone and the agglomerated composition alone in a single-flow continuous culture system. This system used forty-eight 2 L fermenters maintained at 39 °C and continuously stirred. Buffer solution (McDougall's buffer) and rumen fluid obtained from two fistulated Holstein cows fed a common diet (1460 mL) were added to each fermenter at a 1:2 ratio with a target inlet and effluent flow rate of 6% per hour. The fermenters were continuously purged with carbon dioxide to maintain an anaerobic environment. The fermenters were fed daily with 40 g of dry matter, divided into two feedings. These shots contained the individual components of the composition, as well as the mixture.The fermenters were run for a total of 10 days, with the first 7 days serving as an acclimatization period and the last 3 days as a sampling period. During sampling, effluent levels were recorded, and half of the effluent collected over the previous 24 h was taken as a subsample and frozen. These subsamples were collected for each fermenter and stored for analysis. The fermenter pH was measured before feeding (0 h) and at 0, 2, 4, and 8 h post-feeding. At 0, 2, 4, and 8 h post-feeding, a 10 ml sample was taken from each fermenter and frozen at -20 °C; subsequently, hourly samples were pooled for each fermenter during the collection period and analyzed. On day 10 of each fermenter trial, the contents of the fermenters were collected and stored at -20 °C for analysis.The fatty acid levels of the samples were analyzed using standard procedures. The blended composition improved fermentation by increasing volatile fatty acid levels (i.e., end products of ruminal fermentation) by 11% compared to MHA or 8.6% compared to the agglomerated composition (see FIG. 2B). More specifically, propionate (i.e., the substrate from which glucose is synthesized) increased by approximately 19% compared to MHA or 16% compared to the agglomerated composition (FIG. 1A), suggesting that the cow can synthesize more glucose and possibly more lactose, leading to increased milk yield. This increase in milk yield at higher lactose concentrations is due to lactose's role as an osmotic regulator for milk synthesis.

Claims

1. A composition comprising a plurality of particles comprising at least two essential oils dispersed in a matrix, wherein the matrix comprises at least one binding agent comprising gum arabic, and the at least two essential oils consist of garlic oil and cinnamaldehyde, wherein the cinnamaldehyde is present in an amount of approximately 17.5% to approximately 21.5% by weight of the composition, the garlic oil is present in an amount of approximately 2.5% to approximately 3.1% by weight of the composition, the gum arabic is present in an amount of approximately 70% to approximately 75% by weight of the composition, and the matrix is ​​present in an amount of approximately 65% ​​to approximately 80% by weight of the composition.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one binding agent further comprises a complex carbohydrate, a protein, or a combination thereof.wherein the complex carbohydrate is selected from agar, albizia gum, alginate, arabinoxylan, beta-glucan, locust bean gum, carrageenan, cellulose, cellulose derivative, chicle gum, chitosan, curdlan, damar gum, dextran, diutan gum, fenugreek gum, fucoidan, galactomannan, gellan gum, ghatti gum, glucomannan, guar gum, hakea gum, Gleditsia triacanthos gum, hupu gum, karaya gum, khaya gum, lignin, locust bean gum, maltodextrin, mastic gum, pectin, pullulan, starch, modified starch, tamarind gum, tara gum, tragacanth gum, welan gum, or xanthan gum, and the protein is selected from collagen, gelatin, milk protein, egg protein, pea protein, soy protein, protein of wheat, zein protein, isolates or hydrolysates of any of the foregoing, or modified versions of any of the foregoing.

3. Composition of claim 1 or 2,further comprising less than approximately 10% water by weight, wherein the total amount of the at least two essential oils, the matrix, and water is equal to 100% by weight.

4. Composition of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the composition comprises particles having an average particle size (diameter) of approximately 50 micrometers to approximately 250 micrometers.

5. Composition of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the composition further comprises an antioxidant, a surfactant, a filler, and / or a binder.

6. Composition of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the composition lacks coatings, outer coverings, and / or hydrophobic layers.

7. Composition of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein cinnamaldehyde and garlic oil are present in a ratio of approximately 7:1.