Dry Flowable Plant Extract Granules for Rapid Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powdered plant extracts for urinary tract infections often self-agglomerate and form lumps upon dispersion in water, leading to reduced dissolution rates and unsightly foam, making them unsuitable for drinking solutions.
Innovation Solution
A dry flowable composition comprising powdered plant extracts, a carrier mixture of water-soluble sugars or sugar alcohols, and a separating agent, along with a surfactant, which prevents agglomeration and ensures rapid dissolution without foam formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If powdered plant extracts are dispersed in water, then dissolution occurs, but self-agglomeration and lump formation reduce dissolution rates and create sediments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a carrier mixture comprising water-soluble substances (sugars, sugar alcohols, or polyols) as an intermediary medium. This carrier mixture prevents direct contact between plant extract particles, thereby preventing self-agglomeration and lump formation while facilitating complete dissolution in water.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite granule structure combining plant extract with water-soluble carrier substances in specific ratios (1:1 to 10:1 weight ratio of extract to carrier). This composite formulation ensures the extract particles remain dispersed and soluble, preventing sedimentation while maintaining therapeutic efficacy.
2Productivity
If powdered plant extracts are dispersed in water, then dissolution occurs, but foam formation is unsightly and affects dosing accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The water-soluble carrier mixture acts as a mediator that controls the dissolution process, allowing plant extract to dissolve gradually without sudden release that would generate foam. The carrier substances modulate the dissolution kinetics to prevent harmful foam formation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If high amounts of water-insoluble carrier substances are used, then granule stability is improved, but the granules become unsuitable for dissolution in water due to insoluble components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the solubility parameter of the carrier mixture by selecting only water-soluble substances (sugars, sugar alcohols, polyols). This parameter change ensures both granule stability during storage and complete dissolution in water during use, eliminating the contradiction between stability and solubility.
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 composition allows for complete and rapid dissolution of powdered plant extracts in cold water within 30-40 seconds with minimal foam, overcoming the issues of agglomeration and sedimentation, making it suitable for urinary tract infection treatment and prevention.
Implementation Method 1
a surfactant; wherein the sugar and/or sugar alcohol is selected from glucose, fructose, mannose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, isomalt, or mixtures thereof
Implementation Method 2
a carrier mixture comprising a water-soluble substance selected from a sugar and/or sugar alcohol
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a dry flowable composition comprising granules of a plant extract, for instance a birch leaf extract or a solidago leaf extract. The granules further comprise a carrier mixture formed from at least one sugar and/or sugar alcohol, a separating agent and optionally a surfactant. The granules exhibit improved dissolution behaviour of the plant extract and are thus suited for oral consumption in the form of drinking solutions. For this purpose, the granules may either be dissolved as such or preferably combined with further excipients selected from edible acids, pH-modifying agents, sweeteners, flavours and/or anti-foaming agents to form a dry flowable composition. The dry flowable composition may for instance be used in the treatment and/or prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs) such as cystitis.