US-12622925-B2 - Edible enterosorbents used to mitigate acute exposures to ingestible environmental toxins following outbreaks, natural disasters and emergencies

Abstract

An edible enterosorbent containing a treated enterosorbent, wherein the treated enterosorbent comprises a parent sorbent that has been acid and/or lecithin treated, and wherein the treated sorbent is operable for adsorption of one or more toxins from a gastrointestinal tract of a living being when introduced thereto, such that a bioavailability of and exposure of the living being to the one or more toxins is decreased. Methods of making and utilizing the edible enterosorbent are also provided.

Inventors

• Timothy D PHILLIPS
• Meichen WANG

Assignees

• TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20190820

Claims (4)

1. 1 . A method for reducing exposure to acute ingestible toxins in a living being, comprising: (a) administering an edible enterosorbent composition to the gastrointestinal tract of the living being at risk of acute toxin exposure, wherein the composition comprises: (i) an acid-treated montmorillonite mineral selected from montmorillonite clay, sodium montmorillonite clay, or calcium montmorillonite clay, wherein the mineral is pre-treated with a strong acid to enhance toxin-binding sites, has a particle size less than 80 microns, and is free from detectable levels of total tetra-dioxin above 0.024 pg/L, total penta-dioxin above 0.025 pg/L, and total hexa-dioxin above 0.039 pg/L; and (ii) lecithin in an amount of >2% to 75% by weight, capable of up to 100% cation exchange capacity; (b) selecting one or more acute ingestible toxins to be reduced from the group consisting of pentachlorophenol, benzo[a]pyrene, lindane, diazinon, aldicarb, linuron, industrial solvents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, phenol, benzene, toluene, pyrene, naphthalene, 2,4-D, 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, atrazine, glyphosate, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, paraquat, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid, bisphenol A, bisphenol S, dibutyl phthalate, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, dieldrin, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 77, PCB 126, PCB 153, PCB 157, PCB 154, PCB 155), trifluralin, or combinations thereof; (c) waiting a period of time; and (d) repeating step (a) until exposure to the selected acute ingestible toxins is reduced; wherein the edible enterosorbent composition binds the selected acute ingestible toxins with a maximum binding capacity (Qmax) or distribution coefficient (Kd) greater than that of the montmorillonite mineral alone, as determined by reduced microbe colony forming units, improved hydra morphology scale (0 to 10, where 10 is normal and 0 is disintegrated), or both.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of: combining the edible enterosorbent composition with a means for introducing into the edible enterosorbent composition into the gastrointestinal tract of the living being, wherein the edible enterosorbent composition is combined with one or more of a group selected from: water, flour, feed, foodstuffs, pills, or a combination thereof.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of: introducing the edible enterosorbent composition at an inclusion level in a range of from about 0.0005% to about 0.10% as a percentage of daily food intake per gram.
4. 4 . A method for reducing acute ingestible toxin exposure risk from an environment contaminated with toxins, comprising: (a) introducing an edible enterosorbent composition into a toxin contaminated environment, wherein the composition comprises: (i) an acid-treated montmorillonite mineral selected from montmorillonite clay, sodium montmorillonite clay, or calcium montmorillonite clay, wherein the mineral is pre-treated with a strong acid to enhance toxin-binding sites, has a particle size less than 80 microns, and is free from detectable levels of total tetra-dioxin above 0.024 pg/L, total penta-dioxin above 0.025 pg/L, and total hexa-dioxin above 0.039 pg/L; and (ii) lecithin in an amount of >2% to 75% by weight, configured to enhance cation exchange capacity; (b) selecting one or more acute ingestible toxins to be reduced from the group consisting of: pentachlorophenol (PCP); benzo[a]pyrene (BaP); lindane; diazinon; aldicarb; linuron; industrial solvents; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP); Phenol; Benzene; Toluene; Pyrene; BFF; Naphthalene; 2,4 D; 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNP); Atrazine; Glyphosate; Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT); Paraquat; α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA); Bisphenol A (BPA); Bisphenol S (BPS); Dibutyl phthalate (DBP); di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP); Dieldrin; Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); PCB 77; PCB 126; PCB 153; PCB 157; PCB 154; PCB 155; Trifluralin; or combinations thereof; or combinations thereof; (c) waiting a period of time; and (d) repeating step (a) until the acute ingestible toxin exposure risk in the environment is reduced; wherein the edible enterosorbent composition binds the selected acute ingestible toxins with a maximum binding capacity (Qmax) or distribution coefficient (Kd) greater than that of the montmorillonite mineral alone, as determined by reduced microbe colony forming units, a hydra morphology scale graded from 0 to 10 (where 10 is normal and 0 is disintegrated), or both.

Description

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH This invention was made with government support under Grant No. P42 ES0277704 awarded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund hazardous Substance Research and Training Program (NIEHS SRP). The government may have certain rights in the invention. RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to a U.S. Provisional Application 62/719,924 filed on Aug. 20, 2018 with the same title. JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENTS Not Applicable. SEQUENCE LISTING Not Applicable. BACKGROUND People and animals can be unintentionally exposed to mixtures of hazardous mycotoxins, environmental chemicals and microbes by contaminated water, food and feed supplies following natural and man-made disasters. Mycotoxin contamination of food and feed has a major impact on agriculture and health. The mycotoxin problem is a concern worldwide, but especially in semitropical and tropical areas that encompass 4.5 billion people and their animals, where mold growth and production of mycotoxins are high. Importantly, a large portion of the US is within this zone. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by various fungi, which are widespread and cause problems, especially during extended periods of heat and drought. Among these mycotoxins, aflatoxin and zearalenone (ZEN) are most commonly found in animal feed and human food, such as cereal crops including corn, barley, oats and wheat, and produce significant adverse effects on agriculture and health (Grant, P. G., & Phillips, T. D., 1998; Lemke, S. L., & Phillips, T. D., 1998). Symptoms caused by aflatoxin and ZEN include growth stunting, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, liver toxicity, reproduction defects and cancer. Global warming favors drought and mold growth, thus enhancing the threat of mycotoxin contamination of the food supply during outbreaks and emergencies. Thus, natural and man-made disasters (such as hurricanes and floods) can significantly mobilize environmental chemical contaminants, expose humans and animals to contaminated soil/sediment and threaten the safety of municipal drinking water and food sources. A major challenge associated with these disasters and emergencies is the protection of: 1) vulnerable communities and neighborhoods, 2) first responders, and 3) those involved in management and cleanup of contaminated sites. Multiple classes of organic chemicals such as industrial solvents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and plasticizers have been prioritized by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) as important hazardous substances. The enterosorbent composition of this invention is broad-acting and useful for adsorption of one or more toxins from an environment or a gastrointestinal tract of a living organism. Examples used herein show how benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), pentachlorophenol (PCP), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP), lindane, glyphosate, diazinon, aldicarb, linuron, trifluralin, PCBs, bisphenol A (BPA), were studied as representative chemicals in each class based on their wide distribution and importance. BaP is a well-known environmental pollutant and a human and animal carcinogen, which is commonly found at contaminated sites and largely distributed in Africa because of the local burning methods (Johnson, N. M. et al., 2009). PCP is widespread and persistent and a highly toxic anthropogenic organochlorine pesticide. It is classified as a possible carcinogen to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (Zheng, W. et al., 2012). PCP was banned for the purchase and use by general public but is still used in industries. 2,4,6-TCP has been commonly used as a pesticide and wood preservative (Hameed, 2007). It is reported that exposure to 2,4,6-TCP may increase the risk of behavioral impairment in children and is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. These chlorophenol compounds are persistent in the environment and can be commonly detected in rivers, ponds and soils (Gao, et al., 2008). Lindane is a hexachlorocyclohexane that is widely used to treat scabies and pediculosis. It is persistent and undegradable, and thus tends to bioaccumulate in the food chain Glyphosate is the most used organophosphorus pesticide to control weeds. Glyphosate is used as a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant, and acts by inhibiting the plant enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase. Approximately 90% of transgenic crops are glyphosate-resistant and the amount is growing at a steady peace. Diazinon is an organophosphorus insecticide, which has been widely and effectively used throughout the world with applications in agriculture and horticulture for controlling insects. Its toxicity is due to the inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholine esterase. Aldicarb is an acutely toxic insecticide that belongs to the carbamate class. The toxicity of carbamate insecticides, as well as organophosphorus compounds, is due t