Filler for oral pouch, and oral pouch comprising same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a filler, comprising an active material, for an oral pouch, the filler comprising large particles having a diameter of at least 400 μm, medium particles having a diameter of 200 to less than 400 μm, small particles having a diameter of 50 to less than 200 μm, and fine particles having a diameter of less than 50 μm, wherein the large particles are included at 20 wt% or less relative to the total weight of the filler, and the fine particles are included at 5 wt% or less relative to the total weight of the filler.

Description

Filler for oral pouch and oral pouch containing same

[0001] The present invention relates to a filler for an oral pouch and an oral pouch containing the same.

[0002] Oral pouches are intended for use in the oral cavity of users to allow the absorption of active substances such as nicotine. Pouch-type oral products, such as snus, are manufactured and packaged in an appropriate form using pouch packaging materials, containing granules containing active substances such as nicotine. Consumers place the pouch-type product between the gums and upper lip in the mouth, and can experience a sense of satisfaction as the active substances are absorbed over a period of time. The dissolution characteristics of these active substances are the most crucial characteristics of oral products, and while they can be controlled by the characteristics of the pouch material, they can also be affected by factors such as the composition of the filler and the manufacturing method.

[0003] Therefore, research is required to develop more effective release characteristics of active substances, including nicotine, from oral pouch fillers.

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a filler for oral pouches having excellent dissolution characteristics of active substances by controlling the particle size and mixing ratio of the filler.

[0005]

[0006] However, the problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a filler for an oral pouch comprising an active substance,

[0008] Contains large particles having a diameter of 400 ㎛ or more, medium particles having a diameter of 200 ㎛ or more and less than 400 ㎛, small particles having a diameter of 50 ㎛ or more and less than 200 ㎛, and fine particles having a diameter of less than 50 ㎛,

[0009] The above particles are included in an amount of 20 wt% or less based on the total weight of the filler,

[0010] A filler for an oral pouch is provided, wherein the fine particles are contained in an amount of 5 wt% or less based on the total weight of the filler.

[0011]

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an oral pouch is provided, comprising a filler for the oral pouch and a packaging material surrounding the filler.

[0013] By using the present invention, the dissolution characteristics of the active substance in the oral pouch are excellent, so that the oral pouch consumer can quickly recognize the active substance and feel satisfied during use, and an oral pouch filler can be provided in which most or all of the applied active substance can be dissolved within a certain period of time (about 20 minutes).

[0014]

[0015] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present invention or the composition of the invention described in the claims.

[0016] Below, embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the embodiments may be modified in various ways, and the scope of the patent application is not limited or restricted by these embodiments. It should be understood that all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives to the embodiments are included within the scope of the patent application.

[0017] The terms used in the examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood to not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0018] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0019] In addition, when describing with reference to the attached drawings, identical components will be assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the drawing numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. When describing embodiments, if a detailed description of a related known technology is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiment, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0020] Additionally, in describing components of an embodiment, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms.

[0021] Components included in one embodiment and components with common functions will be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless otherwise stated, the descriptions given in one embodiment can be applied to other embodiments, and detailed descriptions will be omitted to the extent of overlap.

[0022] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components.

[0023]

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a filler for an oral pouch comprising an active substance,

[0025] Contains large particles having a diameter of 400 ㎛ or more, medium particles having a diameter of 200 ㎛ or more and less than 400 ㎛, small particles having a diameter of 50 ㎛ or more and less than 200 ㎛, and fine particles having a diameter of less than 50 ㎛,

[0026] The above particles are included in an amount of 20 wt% or less based on the total weight of the filler,

[0027] A filler for an oral pouch can be provided, wherein the above fine particles are included in an amount of 5 wt% or less based on the total weight of the filler.

[0028] The filler for an oral pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention can realize excellent dissolution characteristics of an active substance present in the pouch by including the above-described composition.

[0029] Effective dissolution characteristics of pouch-type products mean that, from the consumer's perspective, rapid recognition or satisfaction is required due to the dissolution of active substances during use, and at the same time, all applied active substances must be dissolved within a certain period of time. For example, in the case of a mini-sized pouch-type product, the size is 30 mm × 12 mm and the weight is 0.3 to 0.5 g, and it may be desirable for the active substance to be dissolved within about 20 minutes of use. More specifically, it may be desirable to implement a dissolution rate of about 20% for the initial 4 minutes and a dissolution rate of about 80% for 20 minutes.

[0030]

[0031] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the ratio of large particles among the particles included in the filler for an oral pouch exceeds 20%, the initial moisture penetration effect is excellent, which can result in a rapid dissolution effect of active substances such as nicotine, but the dissolution rate over time is delayed, so it is preferable that the filler be included in an amount of 20% by weight or less relative to the total weight of the filler, and more preferably, it may be included in an amount of 15% by weight or less.

[0032] In addition, when the proportion of fine particles among the particles included in the filler exceeds 5 wt%, the initial moisture penetration effect is low, which may result in slow dissolution of active substances such as nicotine, but the dissolution rate over time becomes faster, so it is preferable that it is included in an amount of 5 wt% or less relative to the total weight of the filler, and more preferably, it may be included in an amount of 2 wt% or less.

[0033] Meanwhile, among the particles included in the filler, the content of medium particles may be greater than that of small particles. In this case, the dissolution rate of the filler may be better than when the content of small particles is greater than that of medium particles.

[0034] In addition, the average particle size of the filler for oral pouches according to one embodiment of the present invention may be 150 to 400 μm, preferably 200 to 350 μm, and more preferably 250 to 300 μm. If the average particle size is less than the lower limit, the manufacturing workability may be reduced due to the fine powder in the pouch packaging step, and it may not be easy for saliva to be initially absorbed during use of the pouch. Conversely, if the average particle size exceeds the upper limit, the active ingredient such as nicotine inside the particles may be delayed in being eluted during use of the pouch.

[0035]

[0036] A filler for an oral pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention may include, in addition to an active substance, a bulking agent, a flavoring agent, a sweetener, a pH regulator, a binder, and the like.

[0037] The above active substance is a substance that can be absorbed through the oral mucosa or gums, and specifically, may include nicotine, vitamins, caffeine, amino acids, salts or derivatives thereof, and preferably, may include nicotine. The nicotine may be synthetic nicotine and / or a nicotine extract from a tobacco plant.

[0038] In particular, when applying a nicotine salt or the like as an active substance, a pH adjuster may be applied to provide an alkaline environment during use of the product to generate free nicotine. Specific examples of the pH adjuster include metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, metal carbonates such as sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium sesquicarbonate (Na3H(CO3)2).

[0039] The bulking agent may include cellulose, sugar alcohols, non-tobacco plant materials, etc., and the cellulose includes microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, etc., and specific examples thereof include microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, etc. In addition, specific examples of the sugar alcohol include isomalt, erythritol, sorbitol, arabitol, ribitol, maltitol, dulcitol, iditol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, etc. Furthermore, examples of the non-tobacco plant materials are not particularly limited and may include coconut shells, vegetable fibers, tea, herbs, coffee, fruits, etc.

[0040] The above flavoring agent is also referred to as a "flavoring agent" and refers to any aromatic substance capable of changing the sensory characteristics associated with an oral product. The flavoring agent may be a natural flavoring agent or a synthetic flavoring agent, and specific types may include, but are not limited to, vanilla, coffee, chocolate / cocoa, cream, mint, spearmint, menthol, peppermint, wintergreen, eucalyptus, lavender, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, cascarilla, sandalwood, honey, ginger, anise, sage, licorice, lemon, orange, apple, peach, lime, cherry, strawberry, etc.

[0041] The above sweetener may be a natural sweetener or an artificial sweetener, and specific types thereof include, but are not limited to, fructose, sucrose, glucose, maltose, mannose, galactose, lactose, stevia, honey, sucralose, isomaltose, maltodextrin, saccharin, and aspartame.

[0042] The above binder may include at least one selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), sodium alginate, xanthan gum, guar gum, gellan gum, and gum arabic.

[0043] In addition, the oral pouch filler according to one embodiment of the present invention may additionally include a moisturizer, an antioxidant, a preservative, etc., depending on the intended use and need, in addition to the composition described above.

[0044]

[0045] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an oral pouch can be provided, comprising a filler for an oral pouch as described in detail above and a packaging material surrounding the filler.

[0046] The above oral pouch packaging material is safe for the human body, can retain saliva well, has a certain strength to prevent tearing, and has sealing properties. The material of the oral pouch packaging material may be a nonwoven type or a woven type, preferably a nonwoven type. Unlike the woven type, the nonwoven type has fibers that are entangled, so there is no longitudinal or transverse direction, and the cut edges may not fray.

[0047] The packaging material for the above oral pouch may specifically include cellulose fibers and thermoplastic material fibers.

[0048] At this time, the cellulose fiber may include not only cellulose but also cellulose-based fibers, and the cellulose-based fibers may include at least one of natural cellulose-based fibers or artificial cellulose-based fibers.

[0049] In addition, the natural cellulose fiber may include at least one selected from the group consisting of seed hair fiber, bark fiber, leaf fiber, and wood fiber (pulp). For example, the seed hair fiber may include cotton, bombax cotton, kapok, etc. For example, the bark fiber may include hemp, flax, jute, ramie, paper mulberry, paper mulberry, etc. For example, the leaf fiber may include Manila hemp, New Zealand hemp, etc. For example, the wood fiber (pulp) may include at least one of softwood pulp and hardwood pulp depending on the type and characteristics of the tree, and for example, may include coniferous fiber, broadleaf fiber, etc.

[0050] The man-made cellulosic fiber may include at least one of regenerated cellulose fibers or semi-synthetic fibers. Examples of regenerated cellulose fibers include viscose, rayon, and polyurethane. Examples of semi-synthetic fibers include acetate rayon. Rayon may include not only rayon but also rayon-based fibers that complement the shortcomings of rayon. Examples of rayon-based fibers include Tencel, Lyocell, and Modal.

[0051] Meanwhile, the thermoplastic material fiber may include at least one selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyethylene, polylactic acid, polypropylene, polyethersulfone, and polyethylene terephthalate, and by including the thermoplastic material fiber, the packaging material for the oral pouch may be heat-sealable.

[0052]

[0053] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0054]

[0055] Example

[0056] 1. Manufacturing Example 1: Manufacturing of Filler for Oral Pouch

[0057] A solid filler material containing nicotine salt, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) as a binder, MCC as a filler, and maltitol was prepared, and a particle size control solution was prepared by mixing menthol, peppermint oil, and alcohol.

[0058] While stirring the above-prepared solid filler material, the particle size control solution was sprayed onto the solid filler material.

[0059] Afterwards, a granulation process was performed by high speed mixing, and then drying was performed at low temperature (50°C) for 3 hours to obtain a filler.

[0060] The above-mentioned manufactured filler was classified into large particles (400 ㎛ or more), medium particles (200 ㎛ or more and less than 400 ㎛), small particles (50 ㎛ or more and less than 200 ㎛), and fine particles (less than 50 ㎛), and a final filler for oral pouches was manufactured as in Examples 1 to 6 of Table 1 below.

[0061]

[0062] 2. Manufacturing Example 2: Packaging material for oral pouch and manufacturing of oral pouch

[0063] First, cellulose fibers (viscose rayon, soft fiber) were refined and then mixed with thermoplastic material fibers (PE / PP) and water to produce a dispersion. The dispersion was transferred to a paper machine, dehydrated, and dried to ultimately produce a packaging material for oral pouches containing the cellulose fibers and thermoplastic material fibers in a weight ratio of 6:4.

[0064] Afterwards, 350 mg of the filler manufactured in the above Manufacturing Example 1 was sealed with the above packaging material (25 mm × 15 mm) to manufacture a mini-sized oral pouch.

[0065]

[0066] 3. Experimental Example: Evaluation of Dissolution Characteristics

[0067] For the oral pouches of Examples 1 to 6 manufactured in Manufacturing Example 2 above, the nicotine release rate (%) was measured by time zone. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0068]

[0069]

[0070] Comparing Examples 1 and 2, it can be seen that Example 1 has a high proportion of fine particles and a low average particle size, whereas Example 2 has a high proportion of large particles and a low proportion of fine particles. This shows that Example 2 has a high dissolution level in the early stages of oral pouch use, but nicotine dissolution over time tends to be lower than that of Example 1.

[0071] In addition, when comparing Examples 3 and 4, the average particle size of the granules is similar, but it can be confirmed that the proportion of fine particles is higher in the case of Example 3, and the data on the dissolved nicotine in Example 3 is lower overall than in Example 4.

[0072] Meanwhile, Example 5 has a high ratio of large particles, so it can be confirmed that the nicotine elution level is high at the beginning of use, but the elution speed is delayed over time.

[0073] Comparing Examples 4 and 6, in which the proportion of large particles is 20 wt% or less and the proportion of fine particles is 5 wt% or less, it can be seen that the proportion of medium particles is higher than the proportion of small particles in Example 6, and the data on the elution nicotine shows that the elution level is the best not only at the beginning of use but also over time.

[0074]

[0075] Although the embodiments described above have been described with limited drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various technical modifications and variations can be applied based on the above. For example, appropriate results can still be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. are combined or combined in a different manner than described, or are replaced or substituted with other components or equivalents.

[0076]

[0077] Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims also fall within the scope of the claims described below.

Claims

1. In a filler for oral pouch containing an active substance, Contains large particles having a diameter of 400 ㎛ or more, medium particles having a diameter of 200 ㎛ or more and less than 400 ㎛, small particles having a diameter of 50 ㎛ or more and less than 200 ㎛, and fine particles having a diameter of less than 50 ㎛, The above particles are included in an amount of 20 wt% or less based on the total weight of the filler, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the above fine particles are contained in an amount of 5 wt% or less based on the total weight of the filler.

2. In paragraph 1, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the above-mentioned large particles are contained in an amount of 15 wt% or less based on the total weight of the filler.

3. In paragraph 1, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the fine particles are contained in an amount of 2 wt% or less based on the total weight of the filler.

4. In paragraph 1, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the content of the above-mentioned particles is greater than the content of the small particles.

5. In paragraph 1, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the active substance comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of nicotine, vitamins, caffeine, salts thereof, and derivatives thereof.

6. In paragraph 1, The above filler comprises one or more bulking agents selected from cellulose, sugar alcohol and non-tobacco plant materials, The cellulose comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, and carboxymethylcellulose, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of isomalt, erythritol, sorbitol, arabitol, ribitol, maltitol, dulcitol, iditol, mannitol, xylitol, and lactitol.

7. In paragraph 1, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the filler comprises one or more flavorings selected from the group consisting of vanilla, coffee, chocolate / cocoa, cream, mint, spearmint, menthol, peppermint, wintergreen, eucalyptus, lavender, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, cascarilla, sandalwood, honey, ginger, anise, sage, licorice, lemon, orange, apple, peach, lime, cherry and strawberry.

8. In paragraph 1, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the filler comprises at least one sweetener selected from the group consisting of fructose, sucrose, glucose, maltose, mannose, galactose, lactose, stevia, honey, sucralose, isomaltose, maltodextrin, saccharin, and aspartame.

9. In paragraph 1, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the filler comprises at least one pH adjusting agent selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium sesquicarbonate (Na3H(CO3)2).

10. In paragraph 1, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the filler comprises at least one binder selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), sodium alginate, xanthan gum, guar gum, gellan gum, and gum arabic.

11. In paragraph 1, A filler for an oral pouch, wherein the filler further comprises at least one of a moisturizer, an antioxidant, and a preservative.

12. An oral pouch comprising a filler for an oral pouch as described in paragraph 1 and a packaging material surrounding the filler.

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