Banana Extract Preservative in Natural Toothpaste

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Solution Overview

Problem

Natural toothpaste compositions often fail to effectively prevent bacterial/microbial growth over their shelf life due to the lack of effective natural preservatives, which is a concern for health and aesthetics in oral hygiene products.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating banana extract, either in its modified or enzymatically active form, as a natural preservative in toothpaste compositions to inhibit microbial growth, combined with solvents like glycerin and water, and thickeners such as cellulosic materials, while avoiding artificial preservatives and sweeteners.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If natural preservatives are used in toothpaste compositions, then the product can be marketed as natural and avoid artificial ingredients, but the preservative efficacy is insufficient and microbial growth is not effectively prevented

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenatural ingredient compatibilityVSAvoidpreservative efficacy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple natural preservative ingredients (essential oils, natural antioxidants, and other natural antimicrobial agents) to create a composite preservative system. This composite approach allows the composition to maintain natural status while achieving synergistic preservative efficacy that prevents microbial growth throughout the shelf life, resolving the contradiction between natural ingredient requirements and effective preservation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If conventional synthetic preservatives are used, then microbial growth is effectively prevented, but the product cannot be marketed as natural and raises health concerns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepreservative efficacyVSAvoidnatural product status
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and utilizes preservative compounds from natural sources such as essential oils from plants and natural antioxidants from food-grade ingredients. By taking out the preservative function from synthetic chemicals and implementing it through naturally derived substances, the composition achieves both effective microbial prevention and natural product status, eliminating the need to choose between efficacy and natural composition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If natural preservatives are used, then the composition avoids artificial ingredients, but the product fails to maintain stability and prevent bacterial growth over shelf life

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefree from artificial preservativesVSAvoidmicrobial stability over shelf life
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates natural preservatives and antioxidants at the formulation stage to preemptively prevent microbial contamination and oxidation throughout the product shelf life. The essential oils and natural antioxidants are integrated into the toothpaste matrix beforehand, creating a protective environment that maintains composition stability and prevents bacterial growth from the outset, ensuring both natural status and long-term stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The banana extract achieves at least 95% efficacy in inhibiting microbial growth, as tested by the Antimicrobial Efficacy Test, ensuring the composition remains effective throughout its shelf life and safe for use.

Implementation Method 1

banana extract effective as a preservative... effective to prevent bacterial growth over the shelf life of the product... exhibits at least 95% efficacy in inhibiting microbial growth when subjected to an Antimicrobial Efficacy Test (AET)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAntimicrobial activity: Preservative

Data Source

PatentUS11813229B2Teeth cleaning composition
Publication Date: 2023.11.14 CHURCH & DWIGHT CO INC

AI summary

The present disclosure provides teeth cleaning compositions containing no artificial preservatives and no artificial sweeteners. As such, the teeth cleaning compositions are particularly useful as training toothpaste compositions for children, and particularly very young children. Some aspects of the disclosure relate to teeth cleaning compositions having at least one solvent, at least one thickener, and a banana extract that is effective as a preservative.