NO764179L - - Google Patents

Description

"Edible product, as well as method for

manufacture thereof."

The present invention relates to edible products

which contains a combination of certain sugar alcohols as a main sweetener, the use of the combination of such sugar alcohols as a non-cariogenic main sweetener in edible products and a method for producing the sweetener.

Scientific research has made it clear that ordinary sugar, i.e. sucrose, has a decisive influence on the presence of caries. In this connection, it is known that when ordinary sugar breaks down, it results in the formation of acid in the film layer on the teeth. This results in a lowering of the pH, and calcium hydrogen phosphate dissolves from the enamel if the pH drops below approx. 5.5. The result of this is the formation of cavities in the teeth. On the other hand, it is a fact that increased pH, namely pH that exceeds approx. 5.5, results in the precipitation of calcium hydrogen phosphate on the tooth surfaces, which results in a possible remineralization where holes have already formed as a result of acid attack. The higher the pH, at least up to approx. 8, the greater the precipitation of calcium hydrogen phosphate. Thus, maximum remineralization of the tooth enamel takes place at a pH of approx. 8.

However, it must be noted that the pH of approx. 5.5 in the dental film is not in any way a specific limit, since raising the pH

above this limit, which every chemist knows, does not immediately eliminate all hydrogen phosphate ions so that it results in a positive effect in the form of remineralization. As can be seen from the titration curve for phosphoric acid (see for example Latimer, Hilde-brand, Reference Book of inorganic Chemistry, third edition,

New York, page 231) there is always an equilibrium between dihydrogen phosphate ions and hydrogen phosphate ions around said pH value. This naturally also means that all precautions that lead to an increase in pH will have a positive effect on the dental film, even if

it is well above the pH value of approx. 5.5.

With the above findings as a background, it is motivated to

find other naturally occurring types of sugar and sub-

seek their odontological effects. In organic chemistry, various sugars have been known for a number of years, e.g. a. fructose, sorbitol and xyliftol. A substitute for sucrose must, however,

time to the greatest extent possible have similar sweetness, the same pleasant taste and must be practically odorless. It is of course also crucial that the replacement has normal metabolic reaction pathways in the organism and must therefore not result in abnormal blood and urine values when administered in large quantities.

It is known, especially from certain Finnish surveys

carried out at the Odontological Institute in Turku, that the sugar alcohol xylitol is a highly preferred non-cariogenic sugar. It thus appears that the use of >(ylitol as a sweetener instead of sucrose significantly reduces the caries frequency. When compared with the result using sorbitol as a sweetener, it has been found that xylitol is less cariogenic than sorbitol.

Considering the fact that xylitol is an expensive sugar on

however, due to high production costs, it has not been possible to replace the cheaper sugars to the desired extent.

US patent 3,291,079 describes a moisturizing A sweetener for use in oral hygiene preparations which are characterized by containing at least approx. 5% by weight xylitol. In ' ' ' example I, what is described is a preparation which i.a. contains

xylitol and sorbitol in a weight ratio of 5:11.9. In Example II, the weight ratio is 10:7. The preparation described in the aforementioned patent is said to prevent caries and retain moisture so that clogging of an open toothpaste tube is prevented. Said US patent is, however, completely silent as regards the effect of the preparation on pH

in the dental film. This is naturally to be expected, since a preparation for oral hygiene cannot primarily be expected to have any

effect on the pH of the tooth film due to the fact that the duration of the contact is always very short. As will be clear to those skilled in the art, the influence on the state of the dental film of the properties of the sweetener will be much more significant in connection with the administration of edible products that will come into contact with saliva for a longer period of time. This is especially the case when it comes to the so-called stimulants, i.e. candy of various kinds. ISLAND Y/ h

In connection with investigations carried out on preparations containing both xylitol and sorbitol in terms of their behavior in contact with human saliva, a very surprising discovery has been made. It has thus been found that the content of xylitol can be significantly reduced while the pH is maintained high in the dental film during prolonged contact between the preparation and the teeth. It is known that the hexol sorbitol breaks down under a certain acid formation when it comes into contact with saliva, which will be shown in more detail later and thereby affects the teeth in an unfavorable way when it is administered orally. The surprising discovery in connection with the experiments carried out is the fact that only a relatively small amount of xylitol will eliminate this unfortunate effect of the sorbitol.

Although the invention is not bound by any theory, it appears that the xylitol prevents the breakdown of sorbitol by the cariogenic bacterial strain streptococcus mutans. The inhibitory effect of the xylitol seems to be due to the introduction of sorbitol-degrading enzymes rather than direct inhibition of introduced enzymes.

The present invention provides new and improved edible products comprising as the main sweetener sorbitol and a sorbitol-stabilizing amount of xylitol. Said sorbitol-stabilizing amount is suitably up to approx. 50% by weight based on the combined weight of sorbitol and xylitol, and a particularly preferred upper limit is approx. 25% by weight. When it comes to the lower limit for the percentage of xylitol, a practical minimum quantity is at least approx. 1 wt% and a particularly preferred weight ratio between xylitol and sorbitol is approx. 1:30 to approx. 1:6.

Among edible products according to the invention, so-called stimulants, i.e. sweets of various kinds, especially chewing gums, are preferred.

The invention also provides for the use of xylitol and sorbitol in combination as a non-cariogenic main sweetener in edible products, the combination comprising sorbitol and a sorbitol-stabilizing amount of xylitol.

Furthermore, the invention provides a method for the production of a sweetening, non-cariogenic preparation which comprises mixing sorbitol and a sorbitol-stabilizing amount of xylitol of/up to approx. 50% by weight of the combined weight of sorbitol and xylitolV The amount of xylitol\Lies appropriately within the range approx. 1 to approx. 25% by weight on the same basis..

An aim of the invention is thus to provide a non-cariogenic sweetener which can replace sucrose and other similar sweeteners and which does not have the harmful effects of sucrose on the teeth. Another object of the invention is to provide edible products that contain such a sweetener as the main sweetener. Another object of the invention

is to provide edible products containing sorbitol in combination with a sorbitol stabilizing amount of xylitol.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method for producing such a sweetening, non-cariogenic preparation. Another object of the invention is to use xylitol and sorbitol in combination as a non-cariogenic main sweetener in edible products.

Other objects of the invention will appear from what follows, and even more objects will be self-evident to the person skilled in the art.

The invention thus includes edible products with sorbitol and a sorbitol-stabilizing amount of xylitol as the main sweetener. In the description, the term "edible products" shall include all kinds of products which are intended to be taken orally and which contain a sweetener, i.e. have a sweet taste. Such products include desserts, bakery products, sweets, artificial juices, etc. Products of particular interest are so-called stimulants, such as e.g. various kinds of sweets, i.e. stickiness, pastilles, chocolate, candy, marmalade, chewing gum, etc. Products of the chewing gum type are of particular interest for obvious reasons, since such products are in contact with saliva for a long time and have a long residence time in the mouth. It should be noted that although chewing gum is not usually swallowed, it is considered to be of the edible type and thus covered by the invention.

In this patent, the term "a sorbitol-stabilizing amount" when referring to the amount of xylitol used in the product refers to the amount of xylitol that prevents significant degradation of the sorbitol when it comes into contact with saliva. This minimum amount which provides sorbitol stabilization can be easily calculated from case to case by practical tests and no absolute lower limit for the xylitol fraction can thus be given. In general, however, the xylitol content based on the combined weight of sorbitol and xylitol should exceed approx. 1% by weight and suitably be at least approx. 3% by weight.

As already indicated, the present invention can be particularly applied to edible products which have a long residence time in the oral cavity when they are consumed. Chewing gum is a good example of such products, and other examples are tablets of various kinds. Among products in which the present invention can be used, various types of so-called quasi-medical products can also be mentioned, such as e.g. cough syrup, cough elixirs or syrups, etc. Such products are often taken at bedtime, i.e. after the teeth have been brushed, and will thus cause a long-term effect on the dental film.

Quite generally, in this patent, long-term effects in connection with extended residence times for products that are taken orally mean periods of at least a few minutes. It should be understood by the person skilled in the art that the contact time for the product in question is not only decisive for the resulting effect on -tsa«^^$TO&n, but naturally also on the physical nature of the product. When, for example, a tough and sticky caramel or crack is eaten, the harmful effect of the product will last much longer than the time it takes to consume the product as such.

In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by means of examples. These examples should only be illustrations and should not be considered limitations. Some of the examples are described in connection with the accompanying drawings, where: Fig. 1 shows pH as a function of the time human saliva acts on different types of sugar and sugar combinations; Fig. 2 shows a corresponding diagram of pH as a function of time when using only sorbitol and sorbitol together with xylitol according to the invention and for comparison purposes only sucrose and sucrose plus xylitol; Fig. 3 shows pH as a function of the percentage of xylitol

in a sorbitol/xylitol mixture when used in chewing gum; and

Fig. 4 shows the pH in feaia-nrr^EmeFfc, before and after chewing a

chewing gum according to the invention.

In the examples below, all figures relating to percentage content indicate percentages by weight, unless otherwise stated.

Example 1

The experiments are carried out by growing in vitro in a test tube containing a normal meat extract (DIFCO broth), which does not result in acid formation, and human saliva in the form of a mixture from three people, which thus contains the cariogenic bacteria strain Streptococcus mutans. The test solutions are incubated at 37°C

and sterilized, after which the pH is measured after different times.

In the 1 experiments, 1 ml of 70% sorbitol solution is used and 1

ml of 50% sucrose solution, and to 10 ml of broth containing 0.1

ml of human saliva (90.10 3 organisms per ml) together with respectively sorbitol and sucrose, different amounts of 50% xylitol solution are added. The pH is measured after 16 hours, and the results are indicated in the diagram in figure 1, where the xylitol fraction in percent is also indicated.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the addition of 3.5% xylitol already results in essentially prevented acid formation compared to the acid formation that occurs when only sorbitol is used. For the sake of comparison, the result is also shown when pure sugar is used, i.e. sucrose, and as can be seen from the diagram, the pH in this case is reduced to approx. 4.5.

Example 2

The procedure in this example is the same as

described in example 1, and Figure 2 shows the results of experiments carried out with only sorbitol, with sorbitol plus xylitol (weight ratio xylitol-sorbitol approx. 5:12) and only sucrose and sucrose plus xylitol (weight ratio approx. 1:1) .

As can be seen from the diagram in Figure 2, the combination sorbitol-^ylitol results in a drastic inhibition of acid formation compared to sorbitol alone. Furthermore, the diagram shows that xylitol does not have a significant effect on acid formation due to the presence of sucrose.

Example 3

Production of ice chocolate

An ice-chocolate mixture is made from the following ingredients:

2 eggs

360 g sorbitol (100% pure)

40 g xylitol

60 g of cocoa

1 piece of vanilla pod, ground

350 g coconut fat

These ingredients are mixed well so that they form a heterogeneous mixture which is distributed in suitable plastic containers for storage in a refrigerator. The resulting product has an advantageous appearance and a good taste."

Example 4

Sweet porous ( sponqe) cake

A mixture is made from the following components:

3 eggs

112 g sorbitol (100% pure)

13 g xylitol

4 g lemon juice

225 g wheat flour

12 g baking powder

100 g of water

The ingredients are mixed well so that a mass is formed that has a thick but liquid consistency. The mixture is poured into a baking tin and baked in an oven so that the cake is formed. The resulting cake has an advantageous consistency and a good taste.

Example 5

Currant syrup

Mix the following ingredients well:

1 kg of blackcurrants

1 kg of water

200 g sorbitol (100% pure)

10 g xylitol

0.5 g sodium benzoate

When it is to be used, the syrup is diluted with water (approx. 1:4 by volume) so that a tasty blackcurrant drink is formed.

Example 6

Crack that can be chewed

The following ingredients are mixed well so that a tough mass is formed:

200 g sorbitol (100% pure)

10 g xylitol

125 g "double cream"

20 g of cocoa

10 g of butter

50 g chopped almonds

After hardening, the mixture is divided into suitable pieces with a chewy consistency when chewed, and with a pleasant taste.

Example 7

Hard candy

Mix the following ingredients well:

The mixture is heated to boiling so that a tough mass is formed, which is shaped into pieces of candy, for example by pouring the mass into molds. The obtained hard candies have a good taste.

Example 8

Pills

A tablet mixture is prepared from the following ingredients:

The resulting mixture is poured into starch forms so that tablets with a good taste and favorable consistency are formed.

Example 9

Chewing gum

A chewing gum mixture is produced based on

the following ingredients:

Mix the ingredients well by kneading at approx. 50°C and extruded onto and rolled into strips which are cut into suitable pieces.

The resulting chewing gum is very tasty and has a pleasant consistency when chewed.

The chewing gum from the above example is subjected to testing and compared with a conventional chewing gum that does not contain xylitol. This conventional chewing gum is made in the same way as described above, except that no xylitol is added and that the amount of sorbitol powder is increased accordingly to 52%. In order to determine the minimum amount of xylitol in chewing gum that results in the desired pH increase, different chewing gum mixtures were made in which the ratio between xylitol and sorbitol was varied.

Figure 3 shows the film plaque pH as a function of the percentage of xylitol (based on the combined weight of xylitol and sorbitol). The diagram is obtained by measuring film (plaque) pH after chewing 10 pieces of chewing gum according to the invention, while the measurement is carried out approx. 10 minutes after chewing the last piece of gum. As will be seen from the diagram, plaque pH begins to increase at a percentage of xylitol of approx. 3.5 and that the pH, after a rather rapid increase, reaches a constant level which is essentially independent of further increases in the xylitol content. This is a very surprising discovery that was not at all foreseeable by the person skilled in the art. In practice, this finding means that the significantly cheaper sugar alcohol sorbitol can replace a large part of the xylitol without resulting in any significant change in the film (>laque) pH compared to the use of only xylitol.

Figure 4 shows a comparison between chewing gums that contain xylitol as in example 9 described above and chewing gums that exclude xylitol, with the amount of sorbitol being increased accordingly. On the left of the diagram is the plaque pH before the start / of chewing, while on the right of the diagram is the plaque pH / 10 minutes after chewing the last piece of gum out of 10 chewed in a day.

In Figure 4, the dashed lines refer to xylitol-containing chewing gum, while the solid lines refer to xylitol-free chewing gum. The reason why the starting pH in the films varies is that different individuals show different pH in the dental film depending on different oral bacterial conditions. It appears from the diagram that the individuals who have a high initial pH in the dental film will have a greater reduction in plaque pH when they use xylitol-free chewing gum, while the individuals who have a lower initial pH in the dental film are not significantly affected in terms of plaque pH when chewing xylitol-free gum. Regardless of the starting pH in the dental film, however, chewing xylitol-containing chewing gum always results in an improvement, as the final pH in the film is always significantly higher than that obtained after chewing a chewing gum that does not contain xylitol.

The sweetening power of the preparation according to the invention, when it is based only on the xylitol-sorbitol combination, seems to be of the same order of magnitude as for ordinary sugar. The preparation can thus be used as a complete replacement for sugar in conventional sweets, such as e.g. the above mentioned types of sweets. The amount used is in no way critical and only depends on the desired degree of sweetness in the product in question. In other respects, the preparation can be used in essentially the same way as ordinary sugar. L

<^one. it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preparations and methods shown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will be self-evident to the person skilled in the art, and the invention shall therefore only be limited by the scope of the subsequent claims.

Claims (20)

1. Edible product, characterized in that it contains sorbitol and a sorbitol-stabilizing amount of xylitol as the main sweetener. 2. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that said sorbitol-stabilizing amount amounts to approx. 50% by weight based on the combined weight of sorbitol and xylitol. 3. Product according to claim 2, characterized in that said sorbitol-stabilizing amount amounts to approx. 25% by weight. 4. Product according to claim 3, characterized in that said sorbitol-stabilizing amount is at least approx. 1% by weight. 5. Product according to one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the xylitol weight ratio: sorbitol is approx. 1:30 to approx. 1:6. 6. Product according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that it is in the form of a stimulant. 7. Product according to claim 6, characterized in that the stimulating agent is chewing gum. 8. Product according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that it is in the form of a candy. 9. Use of xylitol and sorbitol in combination as a non-cariogenic main sweetener in edible products, said combination comprising sorbitol and a sorbitol-stabilizing amount of xylitol. 10. Use according to claim 9, characterized in that the edible product is a stimulant. 11. Use according to claim 10, characterized in that the stimulating agent is a chewing gum. 12. Use according to claim 9, characterized in that the edible product is a candy. 13. Use according to one of claims 9-12, characterized in that said sorbitol-stabilizing amount is up to approx. 50% by weight based on the combined weight of sorbitol and xylitol. 14. Use according to claim 13, characterized in that said sorbitol stabilizer is up to approx. 25% by weight. 15. Use according to claim 14, characterized in that said sorbitol-stabilizing amount of xylitol is at least approx. 1% by weight. 16. Use according to one of claims 9-15, characterized in that the weight ratio xylitol: sorbitol is approx. 1:30 to approx. 1:6. 17. Method for producing a sweetening, non-cariogenic preparation, characterized in that sorbitol and a sorbitol-stabilizing amount of xylitol, preferably up to approx. 50% by weight of the combined weight of sorbitol and xylitol, is mixed to form the desired preparation. 18. Method according to claim 17, characterized in that up to approx. 25% xylitol by weight as sorbitol-stabilizing substance. 19. Method according to claim 17, characterized in that at least approx. 1% by weight xylitol as sorbitol stabilizing agent. 20. Method according to one of claims 17-19, characterized in that xylitol and sorbitol are used in a weight ratio within the range of 1:30 to 1:6.