| Composition comprising pharmaceutical/nutraceutical agent and a bio-enhancer obtained from glycyrrhiza glabra -> Monitor Keywords |
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Composition comprising pharmaceutical/nutraceutical agent and a bio-enhancer obtained from glycyrrhiza glabraRelated Patent Categories: Drug, Bio-affecting And Body Treating Compositions, Plant Material Or Plant Extract Of Undetermined Constitution As Active Ingredient (e.g., Herbal Remedy, Herbal Extract, Powder, Oil, Etc.), Containing Or Obtained From Leguminosae (e.g., Legumes Such As Soybean, Kidney Bean, Pea, Lentil, Licorice, Etc.)Composition comprising pharmaceutical/nutraceutical agent and a bio-enhancer obtained from glycyrrhiza glabra description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060057234, Composition comprising pharmaceutical/nutraceutical agent and a bio-enhancer obtained from glycyrrhiza glabra. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention provides novel compositions containing extracts and compounds obtained from the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra, useful as bio-enhancers and bioavailability facilitators for a variety of molecules including anti-infective, anti-cancer agents and nutritional compositions. This invention also relates to a method for enhancing the biological availability, proficiency and effectivity of drugs, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and other related compounds including amino acids, vitamins and other nutritional elements and ions. The present invention has direct implication in drastically reducing the dosage of antibiotics, drugs and anti-cancer agents while increasing the efficiency of absorption of nutritional elements. [0002] 1. Background of the Invention [0003] Since the invention of penicillin in 1928 by Alexander Flemming and their wider availability in the 1940s, further variants of existing and new antibiotics have been on the trial. Compared to the situation in 1954 when two million pounds of antibiotics were produced in the US, the present figure exceeds 50 million pounds. Antibiotics work either by killing bacteria (bacteriocidal) or by inhibiting growth (bacteriostatic) and their bioactivities have transformed human ability to treat many infectious diseases that previously were considered certain killers. It is estimated that globally humans consume above 250 million doses of antibiotics annually and 20%-50% of that use is unnecessary depending on the class of antibiotic. Further, widespread use of antibiotics promotes spread of antibiotic resistance many a times leading to multiple drug resistance. The total amount of antibiotic in the given dosage used for treatment of an infection generally is much higher than what is actually required to control a given population of parasite in the infected individual. This is so because all antibiotic given to the patient in a therapy does not reach the target site. This may be due to (i) lower absorption in the gut membrane when taken orally (ii) restrictive uptake by the target microbe or (iii) operation of efflux pump leading to indiscriminate extrusion of the antibiotics or therapeutic molecules. Thus, large portions of the drugs we apply are wasted and only a miniscule percentage is being targeted to the infective microbes. But even worse part is that the unutilized drug/antibiotic amount remains as a load in the body and environment. This then acts as a selection pressure, facilitating emergence of drug resistance in parasites leading to their predominance in the niche and ultimately resulting into failure of antibiotics against resistant infections. Additionally, such a situation leads to side effects, illness and reduction in life expectancy being more acute in the older population. One of the ways that has been feasible to reduce drug dosage is the occurrence of synergism between different therapeutic agents. However, even in such a situation if both the molecules have the antibiotic property, the problem of continued selection pressure on microbes is still likely to continue. Therefore, the need is for molecules, which by themselves are not microbicidal but when present with a drug or active molecule, enhance its activity and availability (bioenhancers). These molecules by their presence will not exert any selection pressure for the mutants to emerge resistant against them and on the other hand could reduce the dosage of antibiotics or drugs so that their ill effects are minimized. This way resistance development process will be substantially delayed ultimately leading to enhanced life-span of the novel and existing antibiotics. Such drug/molecule facilitators should have novel properties like non-toxic to humans, animals or plants, should be effective at a very low concentration in a combination, should be easy to formulate and most importantly enhance uptake/absorption and activity of the drug molecules. This can lead to development of judicious and strategic concentrations of antibiotics with specific bioenhancers to improve availability of the drug right up to the target for effectively controlling the infectious organisms. [0004] The present invention was the result of planned experiments to provide a novel method for improving activity and bioavailability of antibiotics, drugs and other molecules using a plant glycoside "Glycyrrhizin" in different formulations. [0005] The bioavailability of nutrients and enhancement of antibiotics/drugs effectivity is relevant to human, plant as well as animal health and thus the compositions and methods of the invention are also intended to be used in agriculture and veterinary practice. [0006] 2. Description of Related Art [0007] Use of ayurvedic preparation "trikatu" dates back to the period between the seventh century B.C. and the sixth century A.D., which is a Sanskrit word meaning three acrids. It refers to a combination of three elements namely, black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.), long pepper (Piper longum Linn.) and ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.). It is believed that the use of "trikatu", and its constituents individually as well as collectively, enhances the bioavailability of a number of drugs. In specific studies carried out on animals as well as human volunteers, it was noted that the active component responsible for the increase in bioavailability of various drugs was piperine (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,616,593 and 5,972,382). Till today, thus, the known documented bio-availability enhancer is piperine and a series of inventions related to this compound have been described by several prior art investigators. Though the compound piperine has been reported to be enhancing the bioavailability of drugs, nutrients and vitamins, still a proper formulation for the combination is yet to come to the market. Beside this, the compound piperine being an alkaloid would find restricted use for the reasons of its typical action. [0008] The Applicants sought to provide a non-alkaloid molecule capable of bio-enhancing the availability of anti-infective, nutritional and anti-cancer compounds like `taxol` produced by the yew tree in microscopic amounts. [0009] The Applicants screened a large number of the available extracts and known compounds in the laboratory at the Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, U.P., India (CIMAP), particularly those, which by themselves did not exhibit any antibacterial property. After extensive experimentation, it was found that out of 70 pure compounds tested, only one plant compound `glycyrrhizin`, a glycoside enhanced the killing activities of different antibiotics on three diverse kinds of bacteria including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Mycobacterium smegmatis. The compound is generally isolated from the roots and stolon of the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra and is a known sweetener and hepatoprotective drug. [0010] Licorice (the extract from the root of the plant) is used to flavor foods, tobacco, drinks, medicines and sweets. It has expectorant action to treat bronchitis and can reduce inflammation, allergies, asthma, gastritis, peptic ulcers, rheumatism, and sore throat. It helps the liver to detoxify drugs and is used for treatment of liver disease. Licorice strengthens the immune system, stimulates the adrenal gland, and is diuretic and laxative. Licorice from roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra, contains glycyrrhizin, which is 50 times sweeter than sugar. Primary uses for licorice include treatment for peptic ulcers and stomach ailments, respiratory and intestinal passages. Licorice makes a wonderful expectorant expelling mucus from the chest area. [0011] The compound when studied by the Applicants also showed enhancement in the activity of known azole class antifungal agents like clotrimazole against infectious fungal strain of Candida albicans. More important was the obvious enhancement in the cell division inhibitory activity against the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. [0012] Accordingly, the Applicants have sought to increase the absorption of anti-infective, nutritional and anti-cancer compounds by the body and increase their utilization by the body by providing novel compositions containing extracts from the plant glycyrrhiza glabra. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION [0013] The main object of the invention is to provide novel compositions comprising extracts and compounds from the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra useful as a bioenhancer and capable of improving or enhancing the bio-availability of drugs such as antibiotics, anti-infective agents and of nutritional compounds. [0014] Another object of the invention is to provide compositions comprising extracts and compounds from the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra useful as bio-enhancers and bioavailability facilitators, thus enabling effective transport of drugs and molecules across biological membranes to reach target sites. [0015] Still another object is to provide methods for enhancing the bio-availability of drugs molecules and nutritional to the target site in the body. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0016] Accordingly, the invention provides novel compositions containing extracts and compounds from the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra useful as bio-enhancers and bio-availability facilitators for drugs and molecules such as antibiotics, anti-infective agents, anti-cancer agents and for nutritional compounds. The invention also provides methods for enhancing the availability of drugs, molecules and nutritional compounds to effectively reach the target site in the body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0017] Accordingly, the invention provides a composition comprising an effective amount of an extract or compound obtained from the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra and useful as a bio-enhancer and bioavailability facilitator together with a therapeutically effective amount of one or more nutraceuticals, antibiotics, anti-infective agents and anti-cancer agents. [0018] In an embodiment, the composition contains an extract from the leaves, stem, roots or stolon of Glycyrrhiza glabra, glycyrrhizic acid or glycyrrhizin, or a combination thereof [0019] In still another embodiment, glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhizic acid are obtained from the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra. [0020] In yet another embodiment, the anti-infective agents are selected from anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-tuberculosis agents. Continue reading about Composition comprising pharmaceutical/nutraceutical agent and a bio-enhancer obtained from glycyrrhiza glabra... 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