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EP-4604746-B1 - ORAL PRODUCT COMPRISING THEOBROMINE

EP4604746B1EP 4604746 B1EP4604746 B1EP 4604746B1EP-4604746-B1

Inventors

  • Belz, Markus
  • Ellerichmann, Thomas
  • KÖNIG, Thorsten

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240912

Claims (14)

  1. An oral product for delivery of at least one active ingredient comprising or consisting of - a pouch defining a cavity and - a composition comprising the at least one active ingredient and a carrier, wherein the composition is within the cavity of the pouch and the at least one active ingredient is theobromine present in amounts of 1 % by weight to 50 % by weight of the composition and the carrier is cocoa bean nibs having a mean particle diameter of 10 µm to 5000 µm.
  2. The oral product according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier is present in amounts of 5 % by weight to 90 % by weight, in particular 20 % by weight to 80 % by weight, preferably 40 % by weight to 70 % by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.
  3. The oral product according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the carrier has a mean particle diameter of 100 µm to 500 µm, preferably 150 µm to 450 µm.
  4. The oral product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that theobromine is present in amounts of 5 % by weight to 30 % by weight, preferably 10 % by weight to 20 % by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.
  5. The oral product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composition comprises a pH regulating agent selected from the group consisting of carbonates, in particular sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), hydroxides, in particular sodium hydroxide (NaOH), acids, in particular citric acid, and salts thereof, fatty acids and salts thereof, and mixtures of at least two of the afore-said pH regulating agents.
  6. The oral product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composition comprises at least one further active ingredient besides theobromine selected from the group consisting of amino acids, in particular tryptophane, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, cannabinoids, cannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabigerol, theophylline, tetrahydrocannabinol, melatonin, vitamins and mixtures of at least two of the afore-said active ingredients.
  7. The oral product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composition comprises at least one humectant selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, polydextrose, fructooligosaccharide, honey, molasses and mixtures of at least two of the afore-said humectants.
  8. The oral product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composition comprises at least one compacting agent selected from the group consisting of CMC, polyvinylpyrrolidon, hydrocolloids, in particular xanthan gum, gum arabica or guar gum, pectine and mixtures of at least two of the afore-said compacting agents.
  9. The oral product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composition comprises at least one edible fatty molecule selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitate, palmitoleate, hydroxypalmitate, arachidic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, sodium stearat, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, hydroxyoctacosanyl hydroxystearate, oleate esters of long-chain, esters of fatty acids, fatty alcohols, esterified fatty diols, hydroxylated fatty acid, hydrogenated fatty acid, preferably saturated or partially saturated fatty acids, partially hydrogenated soybean, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, aliphatic alcohols, phospholipids, lecithin, phosphathydil cholin, triesters of fatty acids, coconut oil, hydrogenated coconut oil, cocoa butter; palm oil; fatty acid eutectics; mono and diglycerides, poloxamers, block-co-polymers of polyethylene glycol, polyesters and mixtures of at least two of the afore-said fatty molecules.
  10. The oral product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oral product, in particular the composition, comprises at least one additive compound, preferably selected from the group consisting of salts, flavours, spices, herbs, sugar, sugar substitutes, sweeteners, colours, preservatives and mixtures of at least two of the afore-said additive compounds.
  11. The oral product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composition comprises water, in particular present in an amount of 0,5 % by weight to 50 % by weight, in particular 2 % by weight to 40 % by weight, preferably 5 % by weight to 30 % by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.
  12. The oral product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pouch is in the form of at least one non-textile layer or at least one textile layer in particular in the form of at least one nonwoven fabric layer, at least one felt fabric layer, at least one knitted fabric layer or at least one woven fabric layer.
  13. The oral product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pouch is filled, coated, layered and/or penetrated by the composition.
  14. A method for producing an oral product according any of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps a) providing a pouch, b) providing a carrier, c) preparing a composition by adding theobromine to the provided carrier, d) filling, coating, layering and/or penetrating the provided pouch with the prepared composition, and e) closing the pouch, wherein the carrier is cocoa bean nibs and step c) is performed by - mixing the provided carrier with theobromine and/or - granulating the provided carrier in a dry granulation process, in particular by roller compaction, a wet granulation process, or a fluidized bed technology process and subsequently adding theobromine.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD AND PRIOR ART The present invention relates to an oral product for delivery of at least one active ingredient comprising theobromine and to a method for producing an oral product. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Coffee consumption is a widespread habit all over the world, and consumption of caffeine, preferably contained in coffee, is the most consumed stimulant in the world. Caffeine has a stimulant property on the human organism due to its relatively short-term and strong stimulating effect on the central nervous system, which, however, quickly wears off due to its relatively short half-life. Therefore, some alternatives to the consumption of caffeine became widely available, for example the consumption of theobromine. Examples for natural sources of theobromine are cocoa beans of the cocoa tree (ca. 1-2.5% theobromine), the nut of the cola tree (Cola) (ca. 0.1% theobromine), the leaves of the tea plant (ca. 0.05% theobromine) and the mate bush (ca. 0.1-0.2% theobromine). As a stimulating substance, theobromine is often confused with caffeine. Overall, the effect of theobromine on the human organism is comparable to that of caffeine with less impact. The stimulating effect of theobromine is more permanent and also milder. Document RU2604451 C2 disclose a oral product that can comprise cocoa beans as plant material. Because of the mild stimulating effect of theobromine in combination with low concentrations, the consumption of theobromine over its natural sources, e.g. cocoa or chocolate, is often not sufficient to feel a sufficient stimulating effect. Despite the progress already made in the development of oral products containing active ingredients, in particular nicotine and caffeine, there remains further need to improve the delivery of theobromine as an active ingredient in the categories of user experience, in particular easy to be used, sensory attractiveness, sufficient stimulating effect and a fast relief of a craving. The present invention addresses all of these points, as the inventive oral product allows a sufficient stimulating effect of theobromine, a comparatively fast release of theobromine and a subsequent faster uptake of theobromine by the mucosa directly into the blood stream, a superior sensory experience and an easy and low effort to produce the oral product. Furthermore, as another advantage of the oral product theobromine can be easily combined with any other active ingredients, in particular caffeine. OBJECT AND SOLUTION In view of the foregoing, the object underlying the present invention is therefore to make available an oral product which properly addresses the above-mentioned need. This object is accomplished by an oral product according to independent claim 1 and by a method according to claim 14. Preferred embodiments of the oral product are defined in the dependent claims 2 to 13. Further preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the present description. The subject-matter and wording, respectively of all claims is hereby incorporated into the description by explicit reference. According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to an oral product according to claim 1, in particular for delivery of at least theobromine comprising a pouch defining a cavity and a composition comprising at least theobromine as active ingredient and cocoa bean nibs as carrier. The carrier is cocoa bean nibs. Alternative carriers, not according to the invention include cocoa bean powder, coffee bean, cellulose, in particular microcrystalline cellulose, native cellulose or modified cellulose, plant fibres, in particular potato fibres, pea fibres, corn fibres, wheat fibres, apple fibres, coconut fibres, oat fibres or other plant fibres, polysaccharides, in particular native starches, resistant starches, modified starches or inulin, oligosaccharides, in particular maltodextrin or other oligosaccharides, polyols, in particular erythritol, maltitol, xylitol, mannitol or sorbitol and mixtures of at least two of the afore-said carriers. The at least one active ingredient is theobromine. The oral product for delivery of an active ingredient, consists of a pouch defining a cavity and a composition comprising the at least one active ingredient and a carrier. In other words, the active ingredient theobromine, is contained in the composition. The oral product, preferably the composition, is capable of releasing the active ingredient theobromine, without the need of chewing the oral product. Preferably, the oral product, in particular the composition, is capable of releasing the active ingredient theobromine, by contact with mucosa, saliva, water and/or aqueous solutions. The oral product may be at least partly, in particular only partly or preferably completely, biodegradable. An advantage of a biodegradable oral product is a reduced risk of environmental pollution from the oral product, as it allows for rapid degradation in the environment and a reduction of plastic waste. The