Butyrate-Containing Triglycerides for Masking Bitterness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dietary sources of butyrate, such as butyric acid and tributyrin, have unpleasant organoleptic properties like bitterness and cheesy aromas, making their oral administration difficult for promoting protective immunity and treating bacterial or viral infections.
Innovation Solution
Development of butyrate moiety containing triglycerides with improved organoleptic properties, specifically designed to have reduced gastric lipolysis and enhanced delivery of butyric acid, using compounds like 1,3-dibutyryl-2-palmitoylglycerol and combinations thereof, for use in nutritional compositions and dietary supplements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If butyric acid or tributyrin is used as a dietary source of butyrate, then butyrate delivery is achieved, but unpleasant organoleptic properties (bitterness and cheesy aroma) occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses triglyceride molecules as intermediary carriers to deliver butyrate. The butyrate is esterified with glycerol to form tributyrin or mixed triglycerides, which mask the unpleasant taste and odor of free butyric acid. These triglyceride carriers are then hydrolyzed in the gastrointestinal tract to release butyrate in a controlled manner, providing both masked organoleptic properties and effective butyrate delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical form of butyrate from free acid to esterified forms (triglycerides). This parameter change transforms butyric acid into tributyrin or mixed butyrate-containing triglycerides, which have fundamentally different organoleptic properties - eliminating the harsh taste and odor while maintaining the ability to deliver butyrate through gastrointestinal hydrolysis.
2Quantity of substance
If tributyrin is used as a butyrate source, then butyrate is released through gastric lipolysis, but rapid gastric lipolysis limits efficacy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates mixed triglycerides with non-uniform composition, where butyrate moieties are distributed among long-chain fatty acid chains. This local quality variation - having some butyrate groups and some long-chain fatty acid groups in the same triglyceride molecule or mixture - allows differential digestion rates. The long-chain fatty acids provide structural stability while butyrate groups are selectively hydrolyzed and absorbed in the intestine, improving butyrate delivery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite triglyceride structures combining butyrate moieties with long-chain fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic acids). This composite approach creates molecules that exhibit properties of both components - the stability and slow digestion of long-chain triglycerides combined with the butyrate-releasing capability of tributyrin, thereby improving overall efficacy while controlling release kinetics.
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
These triglycerides provide effective delivery of butyric acid with improved taste and odor profiles, reducing bitterness and cheesy smells, thus facilitating better absorption and efficacy in promoting protective immunity against bacterial and viral infections.
Implementation Method 1
Under hydrolysis conditions such as those occurring during digestion, tributyrin is potentially a source of three moles of butyric acid per mole of tributyrin
Implementation Method 2
the efficacy of tributyrin is potentially limited by its rapid gastric lipolysis
Data Source
AI summary
Use of a compound having the formula (1) (2) (3) (4) or, or combinations thereof, for providing a source of butyrate with improved organoleptic properties wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 are independently a long chain fatty acid having between 16 and 20 carbons for use in promoting immune response and/or preventing and/or treating bacterial and/or viral infections.