EP4655370A1

EP4655370A1 - A cleaning composition for reducing malodour

Info

Publication number: EP4655370A1
Application number: EP23838002.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Samiran Mahapatra; Srilaxmi Venkata Medepalli; Ramya SAMPATH KUMAR
Original assignee: Unilever Global IP Ltd; Unilever IP Holdings BV
Current assignee: Unilever Global IP Ltd; Unilever IP Holdings BV
Priority date: 2023-01-25
Filing date: 2023-12-21
Publication date: 2025-12-03
Also published as: WO2024156450A1; CN120584172A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning composition preferably for cleaning fabric which ensures that the fabric so cleaned is substantially free of malodour. This is achieved using a composition comprising a pectin and a surfactant wherein the pectin has a degree of methyl esterification higher than 52.5 wt%.

Description

A CLEANING COMPOSITION FOR REDUCING MALODOUR

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cleaning composition for reducing malodours, more particularly to a laundry composition that delivers this benefit.

Background of the Invention

Washing fabrics, also known as laundering or simply as laundry, makes up one of the main chores that people undertake routinely. For this, people have been relying on cleaning compositions. Typically, a fabric is washed by contacting it with a detergent composition either in neat or diluted form, rinsing the fabric one or more times with water; and finally, drying it. In the washing step, the fabric is cleaned by mechanically agitating it using the hands and/or by using suitable cleaning means e.g. a brush, in so-called hand-wash method. Alternatively, in so-called machine-wash method, a fabric is cleaned by mechanical agitations carried out by a machine. In either case, a step of soaking the fabric, in a neat or diluted detergent composition, may be carried out for a desired duration e.g. 30 to 60 minutes. The step of drying may also be carried out by using machines; or simply by exposing the fabric to air, and if possible, under the sun.

Drying of the fabric may be carried out in a machine at high temperature (e.g. 50 to 80 °C) with flow of air in which case the step may be carried out for half hour to about two hours. This is considered as fast drying in which case the high temperature ensures quick removal of water and inactivation of residual odour causing microorganisms. Machine drying is energy intensive and is popular only in cold and rainy countries where there is continuous supply of power to run such machines. In hot countries like in the tropical areas with high amount of sunshine the washed fabric is dried in the sun on clotheslines. Such a drying process often taken several hours. Depending on the season e.g. the rainy season or when outdoor space is not available for drying the fabric in the sun, the drying is much slower and may sometimes take two or three days to dry. Under such drying conditions, the clothes acquire a dank odour. Including a fabric treatment composition (containing high amount of perfume) during the rinse step does not seem to solve the problem to an adequate amount.

The present inventors in seeking to solve the above problems have hit upon specific type of high methyl esterified pectin which when used in a composition for cleaning fabric, provides for reducing malodour even when it is dried under slow drying conditions, after the cleaning and rinsing steps.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for a cleaning composition especially for cleaning fabric that provides malodour benefits on the washed fabric especially when they are dried under slow drying conditions or could only be dried to a high moisture content.

Summary of the Invention

The first aspect of the present invention relates to a fabric cleaning composition for reducing malodour comprising

(i) 0.1 to 15 wt% of one or more pectins, wherein the pectins have a degree of methyl esterification higher than 52.5 wt%; and

(ii) a surfactant; wherein the pectins have a molecular weight of between 50kDa and 1000kDa

Another aspect of the present invention relates to method of reducing malodour from a fabric surface comprising the step of cleaning the surface with a composition of the first aspect, preferably diluted with water.

Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to use of the composition of the first aspect for the purpose of minimizing odour from the fabric surface cleaned with said composition.

Detailed Description of the Invention

These and other aspects, features and advantages will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description and the appended claims. For the avoidance of doubt, any feature of one aspect of the present invention may be utilised in any other aspect of the invention. The word “comprising” is intended to mean “including” but not necessarily “consisting of” or “composed of.” In other words, the listed steps or options need not be exhaustive. It is noted that the examples given in the description below are intended to clarify the invention and are not intended to limit the invention to those examples per se. Similarly, all percentages are weight/weight percentages unless otherwise indicated. Except in the operating and comparative examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers in this description indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction, physical properties of materials and/or use are to be understood as modified by the word “about”. Numerical ranges expressed in the format "from x to y" are understood to include x and y. When for a specific feature multiple preferred ranges are described in the format "from x to y", it is understood that all ranges combining the different endpoints are also contemplated.

The present invention relates to a cleaning composition preferably a laundry composition for reducing malodour comprising 0.1 to 15 wt% of one or more pectins, wherein the pectins have a degree of methyl esterification of 50% or higher.

Pectin is a common polysaccharide found in many plants in nature. Various sources of pectin are available, including apples, citrus peel, gooseberries, quince, pears and plums. Pectin for use in the present invention may be from any of the above sources, more preferably from citrus peel, apple or sugar beet, or mixtures thereof. Pectin consists predominantly of a-D galacturonic acid units, but also contains some amount of neutral sugars such as rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, galactose and glucose.

The percentage of galacturonic acid units is therefore the amount of galacturonic acid groups present relative to the total amount of the pectin. The galacturonic acid content of a sample can be determined by methods known in the art, such as for example the Saeman hydrolysis method (Englyst and Cummings (Analyst, 109(7), 937-942 (1984), Filisetti-Cozzi and Carpita (Analytical Biochemistry, 197, 157-162 (1991)).

Galacturonic acid typically has the following repeat unit structure:

It is possible to esterify galacturonic acids on the carboxylic acid group. The percentage of esterified units is called the degree of esterification (DE). The degree of esterification can be determined according to methods known in the art, such as the base titration method (Shultz, 1965) as proposed by the Food Chemical Codex (FCC (1981). 3rd ed., (1981) National Academy of Science, Washington, DC), quantification of methanol released during de-esterification using gas chromatography (GC) (Walter et al. (1983), Journal of Food Science, 48: 1006-10070), colorimetry (Hou et al. (1999), Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sincia, 40:115-119), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (Levigne S., et al. (2002), Food Hydrocolloids 16: 547-550), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (Rosenbohm et al. (2003) Carbohydrate Research, 338: 637-649) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) (Williams et al. (2003), Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry, 51 : 1777-1781).

A method to separate pectin into fractions with different DE is described, for example, by Strom, et al. (2005), Carbohydrate Polymers, Volume 60, Issue 4, 20 June 2005, Pages 467-473.

In nature, the carboxylic groups are typically methylated to varying degrees to provide pectin methyl esters. The number fraction of carboxylic acid groups methylated is known as the degree of methyl esterification.

The pectin used in the composition of the present invention has a degree of methyl esterification higher than 50 wt%, more preferably 52.5 wt% or higher, further more preferably 55 wt% or higher, yet more preferably 57.5 wt% or higher and yet further more preferably 60 wt% or higher, and most preferably 62.5wt% or higher.

The pectin used according to the invention has a molecular weight of higher than 50kDa, preferably higher than 100kDa, more preferably higher than 150 kDa. Typical upper limits of pectin molecular weights are of the order of 1000kDa, more preferably 800kDa. Thus, the pectin for use in the composition of the invention has a molecular weight of between 50 kDa and 1000kDa.

The molecular weight of the pectin used in the present invention is determined using Triple Detection Size Exclusion Chromatography (TD-SEC)

The analysis is conducted using the Malvern OMNISEC system. The complete OMNISEC system consists of OMNISEC RESOLVE (chromatography module) and OMNISEC REVEAL (detectors module). Using multi-detector technologies, it combines refractive index, absorbance, light scattering and viscometer detectors to measure concentration, molecular weight and other parameters. The data are analysed using the OMNISEC software.

Depending on the molecular weight of the polysaccharide, appropriate aqueous cndolumns such as the A6000 and A7000 set of columns and the corresponding guard columns are used. Depending on the nature of the polysaccharide to be analysed (whether they have anionic, neutral or cationic functional groups), routinely used eluents of choice are demineralised water containing 0.02wt% Na azide as the preservative or buffer solutions such as Na or Li nitrate (0.05-0.1M), buffered to the appropriate pH range using NaOH or acetic acid. Polysaccharides with hydrophobic functionality can be analysed using 10-20% MeOH.

Depending on the molecular weight range of the polysaccharides, typical sample solutions are prepared at 0.5mg/ml and then filtered using 0.45pm Nylon filters prior to dispensing into sample vials. The eluent is filtered using a 0.2 pm Nylon filter. The flow rate throughout all runs is typically at 1 ml/min; the detector and column oven temperatures are set to 40°C.

The detector calibration is carried out using a narrow molecular weight standard to calculate the detector offsets, the detector constants for all detectors and the band broadening and tailing corrections. The calibration is performed using a standard of known concentration, molecular weight, dispersity and intrinsic viscosity; in this case the narrow molecular weight standard of choice usually is a Pullulan standard material.

A verification standard is also run with every sequence. This standard is usually a broad (polydisperse) standard, whose properties are known and can be measured. This independently verifies that the calculation method has been correctly calibrated. For polysaccharide analyses, a Dextran 73KDa material is chosen.

For accuracy (and also to allow for the possibility of sample impurities being present), a fixed dn/dc method is used to calculate the molecular weight data for all samples assuming a dn/dc of 0.147.

The composition of the invention is suitable for use in laundry, for example for use in laundering clothes in a washing machine or for laundering clothes by hand in a bowl, bucket or other receptacle.

The cleaning composition of the invention may be in the form of a liquid, solid, powder, pastille, bead or paste. Preferably, it is in the form of a liquid.

If the cleaning composition is a liquid then it may be either aqueous or non-aqueous. Furthermore, if it is non-aqueous it may preferably be in the form a single unit dose product.

Examples of liquid cleaning compositions of the invention are laundry detergent compositions that include heavy-duty liquid laundry detergents for use in the wash cycle of automatic washing machines, as well as liquid fine wash and liquid colour care detergents such as those suitable for washing delicate garments (e.g. those made of silk or wool) either by hand or in the wash cycle of automatic washing machines.

The composition of the invention comprises pectin, wherein the level of pectin is from 0.1 to 15 wt%, more preferably 0.2 to 12 wt%, more preferably 0.5 to 10 wt%, more preferably 0.7 to 8 wt% and most preferably from 1 to 5 wt%.

The cleaning composition of the invention is preferably used for cleaning fabric which may therefore comprise one or more surfactants. The surfactant may be selected from one or more of an anionic, nonionic and amphoteric surfactant.

Anionic Surfactant are described in Anionic Surfactants Organic Chemistry (Surfactant Science Series Volume 56) edited By H.W.Stache (Marcel Dekker 1996).

Preferably, the composition comprises from 1 to 80% wt. anionic surfactant based on the total weight of composition. Non-soap anionic surfactants for use in the invention are typically salts of organic sulphates and sulphonates having alkyl radicals containing from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms, the term “alkyl” being used to include the alkyl portion of higher acyl radicals. Examples of such materials include alkyl sulphates, alkyl ether sulphates, alkaryl sulfonates, alphaolefin sulfonates and mixtures thereof. The alkyl radicals preferably contain from 10 to 18 carbon atoms and may be unsaturated. The alkyl ether sulphates may contain from one to ten ethylene oxide or propylene oxide units per molecule, and preferably contain one to three ethylene oxide units per molecule. The counterion for anionic surfactants is generally an alkali metal such as sodium or potassium; or an ammoniacal counterion such as monoethanolamine, (MEA) diethanolamine (DEA) or triethanolamine (TEA). Mixtures of such counterions may also be employed.

The compositions according to the invention may include alkylbenzene sulfonates, particularly linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) with an alkyl chain length of from 10 to 18 carbon atoms. Commercial LAS is a mixture of closely related isomers and homologues alkyl chain homologues, each containing an aromatic ring sulphonated at the “para" position and attached to a linear alkyl chain at any position except the terminal carbons. The linear alkyl chain typically has a chain length of from 11 to 15 carbon atoms, with the predominant materials having a chain length of about C12. Each alkyl chain homologue consists of a mixture of all the possible sulphophenyl isomers except for the 1 -phenyl isomer. LAS is normally formulated into compositions in acid (i.e. HLAS) form and then at least partially neutralized in-situ.

Some alkyl sulphate surfactant (PAS) may be used, such as non-ethoxylated primary and secondary alkyl sulphates with an alkyl chain length of from 10 to 18.

Also commonly used in laundry liquid compositions are alkyl ether sulfates having a straight or branched chain alkyl group having 10 to 18, more preferably 12 to 14 carbon 30 atoms and containing an average of 1 to 3EO units per molecule. A preferred example is sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) in which the predominantly C12 lauryl alkyl group has been ethoxylated with an average of 3EO units per molecule.

The alkyl ether sulphate may be provided in a single raw material component or by way of a mixture of components. Preferred anionic surfactants also include the C16/18 alkyl ether sulphates. Preferred anionic surfactants also include rhamnolipids. Mixtures of any of the above described materials may also be used.

Preferably, the composition of the invention comprises from 1 to 80% wt. non-ionic surfactant based on the total weight of composition. Suitable non-ionic surfactants include polyoxyalkylene compounds, i.e. the reaction product of alkylene oxides (such as ethylene oxide or propylene oxide or mixtures thereof) with starter molecules having a hydrophobic group and a reactive hydrogen atom which is reactive with the alkylene oxide. Such starter molecules include alcohols, acids, amides or alkyl phenols. Where the starter molecule is an alcohol, the reaction product is known as an alcohol alkoxylate. The polyoxyalkylene compounds can have a variety of block and heteric (random) structures. For example, they can comprise a single block of alkylene oxide, or they can be diblock alkoxylates or triblock alkoxylates. Within the block structures, the blocks can be all ethylene oxide or all propylene oxide, or the blocks can contain a heteric mixture of alkylene oxides. Examples of such materials include Cs to C22 alkyl phenol ethoxylates with an average of from 5 to 25 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alkyl phenol; and aliphatic alcohol ethoxylates such as Cs to Cis primary or secondary linear or branched alcohol ethoxylates with an average of from 2 to 40 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol.

A preferred class of additional nonionic surfactant for use in the invention includes aliphatic Cs to Cis, more preferably C12 to C15 primary linear alcohol ethoxylates with an average of from 3 to 20, more preferably from 5 to 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol. The alcohol ethoxylate may be provided in a single raw material component or by way of a mixture of components. A further preferred non-ionic surfactant class are the C is Alcohol ethoxylates.

A further preferred non-ionic surfactant class is the methyl ester ethoxylates, wherein the alkyl chain preferably comprises C to C aliphatic hydrocarbons, with an average of from 6 to 14 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, more preferably 8 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol. A further class of non-ionic surfactants are the alkyl poly glycosides. Mixtures of any of the above described materials may also be used. Preferably, the selection and amount of total surfactant is such that the composition is isotropic in nature.

A composition of the invention may contain one or more amphoteric (such as zwitterionic surfactants), preferably wherein if present, the amphoteric surfactant is present at a level of from 0.1 to 15 wt.%, preferably from 0.5 to 10 wt.%, more preferably from 1 to 5 wt.% and is preferably selected from alkyl betaines and the alkyl sulphobetaines (sultaines), more preferably carbobetaines and lauramine oxide.

Further specific amphoteric surfactants include alkyl amine oxides, alkyl amidopropyl betaines, alkyl glycinates, alkyl carboxyglycinates, alkyl amphoacetates, alkyl amphopropionates, alkylamphoglycinates, alkyl amidopropyl hydroxysultaines, acyl taurates and acyl glutamates.

The amphoteric surfactant preferably comprises alkyl radicals containing from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms preferably selected from C12, C14, C16, C18 and C18: 1 , the term “alkyl” being used to include the alkyl portion of higher acyl radicals. Mixtures of any of the above described materials may also be used.

A composition of the invention may comprise an effective amount of one or more enzyme preferably selected from the group comprising, peroxidases, proteases, xylanases, xantanase, lipases, phospholipases, esterases, cutinases, carrageenases, mannanases, pectate lyases, keratinases, reductases, oxidases, phenoloxidases, lipoxygenases, ligninases, pullulanases, tannases, pentosanases, malanases, p-glucanases, arabinosidases, hyaluronidase, chondroitinase, laccase, tannases, amylases, nucleases (such as deoxyribonuclease and/or ribonuclease), phosphodiesterases. Preferably the composition comprises from 0.05 to 5 wt.%, more preferably from 0.1 to 4 wt.%, more preferably from 0.5 to 3 wt.% of an enzyme. The enzyme is preferably selected from one or more of a protease, amylase, mannanase, lipase, pectate lyase, laccase, phosphodiesterase.

Examples of preferred enzymes are sold under the following trade names Purafect Prime®, Purafect®, Preferenz® (IFF), Savinase®, Progress® Uno, Pectawash®, Mannaway®, Lipex ®, Lipoclean ®, Stainzyme®, Stainzyme Plus®, Natalase ®, Mannaway ®, Amplify ® Xpect ®, (Novozymes), Biotouch (AB Enzymes), Lavergy ® (BASF).

Compositions of the invention preferably comprises from 0.1 to 10 wt.% of a rheology modifier.

A composition of the invention may comprise one or more polymeric thickeners. Suitable polymeric thickeners for use in the invention include polymeric gums, polycarboxylate polymers, more preferably polyacrylate polymers, more preferably hydrophobically modified alkali swellable emulsion (HASE) copolymers. Exemplary HASE copolymers for use in the invention include linear or crosslinked copolymers that are prepared by the addition polymerization of a monomer mixture including at least one acidic vinyl monomer, such as (meth)acrylic acid (i.e. methacrylic acid and/or acrylic acid); and at least one associative monomer. The term “associative monomer” in the context of this invention denotes a monomer having an ethylenically unsaturated section (for addition polymerization with the other monomers in the mixture) and a hydrophobic section. A preferred type of associative monomer includes a polyoxyalkylene section between the ethylenically unsaturated section and the hydrophobic section. Preferred HASE copolymers for use in the invention include linear or crosslinked copolymers that are prepared by the addition polymerization of (meth)acrylic acid with (i) at least one associative monomer selected from linear or branched C8-C40 alkyl (preferably linear C12-C22 alkyl) polyethoxylated (meth)acrylates; and (ii) at least one further monomer selected from C1-C4 alkyl (meth) acrylates, polyacidic vinyl monomers (such as maleic acid, maleic anhydride and/or salts thereof) and mixtures thereof. The polyethoxylated portion of the associative monomer (i) generally comprises about 5 to about 100, preferably about 10 to about 80, and more preferably about 12 to about 60 oxyethylene repeating units.

Compositions of the invention may have their rheology further modified by use of one or more external structurants which form a structuring network within the composition. Examples of such materials include hydrogenated castor oil, polysaccharides other than the pectin claimed in the first aspect of the invention, microfibrous cellulose and citrus pulp fibre. The presence of an external structurant may provide shear thinning rheology and may also enable materials such as encapsulates and visual cues to be suspended stably in the liquid. Mixtures of the above described materials may also be used.

The claimed rheology modifier is preferably selected from polyacrylate polymers, polycarboxylate polymers, hydrogenated castor oil derivatives, polycarboxylate polymers, polysaccharides other than pectin claimed in the first aspect of the present invention, microfibrous cellulose, polymeric gums, and mixtures thereof.

Compositions of the invention preferably comprise from 0.05 to 8 wt.%, more preferably from 0.1 to 5 wt.%, more preferably from 0.5 to 2 wt.% of a sequestrant. Compositions of the invention may also optionally contain organic detergent builder or sequestrant material. Examples include the alkali metal, citrates, succinates, malonates, carboxymethyl succinates, carboxylates, polycarboxylates and polyacetyl carboxylates. Specific examples include sodium, potassium and lithium salts of oxydisuccinic acid, mellitic acid, benzene polycarboxylic acids, and citric acid. Other examples are DEQUEST™, organic phosphonate type sequestering agents sold by Monsanto and alkanehydroxy phosphonates.

Preferably the sequestrant is selected from HEDP (1-Hydroxyethylidene-1 ,1-diphosphonic acid), DTPMP (diethylenetriamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid)), EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) , MGDA (Methylglycinediacetic Acid and Trisodium Salt thereof) , GLDA (glutamic acid N,N-diacetic acid or tetra sodium salt thereof) or citric acid.

As used herein the terms fragrance and perfume are used interchangeably.

Preferably the laundry composition comprises a fragrance, preferably wherein the fragrance is included between 0.001 and 2.0wt%, more preferably 0.01 and 1.5wt% and most preferably 0.1 and 1.0wt%. Preferably the fragrance comprises greater than 50wt% biodegradable materials, more preferably greater than 60wt% biodegradable materials, more preferably greater than 70wt% biodegradable materials, more preferably greater than 80wt% biodegradable materials, more preferably greater than 90% biodegradable materials and most preferably the fragrance consists of 100wt% biodegradable materials.

Preferably the fragrance comprises at least one note (compound) from: alpha-isomethyl ionone, benzyl salicylate; citronellol; coumarin; hexyl cinnamal; linalool; pentanoic acid, 2-methyl-, ethyl ester; octanal; benzyl acetate; 1 ,6-octadien-3-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, 3-acetate; cyclohexanol, 2-(1 ,1- dimethylethyl)-, 1 -acetate; delta-damascone; beta-ionone; verdyl acetate; dodecanal; hexyl cinnamic aldehyde; cyclopentadecanolide; benzeneacetic acid, 2-phenylethyl ester; amyl salicylate; beta-caryophyllene; ethyl undecylenate; geranyl anthranilate; alpha-irone; beta-phenyl ethyl benzoate; alpa-santalol; cedrol; cedryl acetate; cedry formate; cyclohexyl salicyate; gammadodecalactone; and, beta phenylethyl phenyl acetate.

A composition of the invention may contain optional ingredients to enhance performance and I or consumer acceptability. Examples of such ingredients include anti-foams, fluorescers, shading dyes, preservatives, anti-microbials (e.g. bactericides), foam boosting agents, polyelectrolytes, anti-shrinking agents, anti-wrinkle agents, anti-oxidants, sunscreens, anti-corrosion agents, drape imparting agents, anti-static agents, ironing aids, dyes I colorants, pearlisers and/or opacifiers and microcapsules. Each of these ingredients will be present in an amount effective to accomplish its purpose. Generally, these optional ingredients are included individually at an amount of up to 5% (by weight based on the total weight of the composition).

If an anti-foam is included it is preferably a fatty acid soap. Suitable fatty acids in the context of this invention include aliphatic carboxylic acids of formula RCOOH, where R is a linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl chain containing from 6 to 24, more preferably 10 to 22, most preferably from 12 to 18 carbon atoms and 0 or 1 double bond. Preferred examples of such materials include saturated C12-18 fatty acids such as lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid or stearic acid; and fatty acid mixtures in which 50 to 100% (by weight based on the total weight of the mixture) consists of saturated C12-18 fatty acids. Such mixtures may typically be derived from natural fats and/or optionally hydrogenated natural oils (such as coconut oil, palm kernel oil or tallow).

Another aspect of the present invention provides for a method of reducing malodour from a surface comprising the step of cleaning the surface with a composition of the first aspect preferably diluted with water. The surface is preferably that of a fabric desired to be cleaned or laundered.

A preferred embodiment is herein described. The laundry composition is added to a wash liquor, for example via the dispensing drawer of a washing machine, via a dosing ‘ball’ I ‘cap’ or simply by adding directly to the wash liquor. Fabrics to be laundered are also added to the wash liquor and the resulting combination of wash liquor and fabrics agitated. The wash liquor is subsequently drained and one or more rinsing steps undertaken, wherein clean water (i.e. water substantially free from a laundry composition) is then added to the fabrics. A final rinse step whereby a fabric conditioning composition is added to the rinse liquor may optionally be undertaken. After the final rinse the fabrics are drained of rinse liquor and drained in a conventional manner, for example by line drying or trying in a tumble dryer.

Yet another aspect of the invention, relates to use of the composition of the invention for the purpose of minimizing odour from the surface cleaned with the composition. The method or use of the composition as claimed in the present invention may be carried out in water of a particular hardness. “Hard water” is typically water which has a degree of 20 or greater French Hard units. In some instances, the water hardness can be much higher, for example 30 or 40 French Hard units. A usual upper limit is 50 degrees French Hard units in typical laundry processes. Common ranges for Hard Water are 20 - 40 or 30 - 40 degrees French Hard.

The invention will be further described with the following non-limiting examples.

Examples A-C and 1-3: Effect of degree of methyl esterification of the pectin samples on the maldour

Various samples of pection as given in Table - 1 having different degree of methyl esterification were used for studying malodour generation using the Sniff-test protocol as given below. The samples of pectin were obtained from CP Kelco from the UK.

Sniff test - protocol

Underarm bacteria collection

Underarm swab from each volunteer was collected before bath in 1ml of saline with 0.1% Triton X100. The pooled samples from multiple volunteers was extracted from the swabs from each sample twice and centrifuged to pellet down the cells. The supernatant was discarded, and pellet was resuspended in original volume of fresh saline with 0.1 % Triton X100. The bacterial number in the pooled pellet was enumerated by serial dilution and plating before the test. Usually, the underarm bacteria correspond to 10⁶ cells/ml. The pellet was serially diluted to approximately 10²-10³ cells/ml were used for the in-vitro assay and 10⁵ to 10⁶ cells/ml for the dank malodour assay.

Swatch setup for odour

10 x 10 cm² swatches were autoclaved for the assay. 340|JL (extracted mixed culture) of above is mixed with 100pL of 0.5% mucin + 35pL 0.5% tryptone + 25pL of 0.5% BSA. Out of the above mix, 200pL of the inoculum is spiked on a sterile swatch and allowed to adsorb for 15min. 0.5% of each of the pectin solutions were added on to each of the swatches respectively. The swatch with the bacteria is transferred to a sterile glass bottle with 7ml of 38FH water (water contains Ca+ ions, Mg++ ions, Na+ and HCO , and Cl’ ions). The bottle is incubated at 37°C for 48 - 72 hours and then taken for odour evaluation.

Odour evaluation

The odour evaluation was done by sniffing the opened glass bottles either by a trained or naive panel. Scores range between 5 and 0. Maximum odour being 5 and 0 representing no malodour. The scores are summarized in the table - 1 below

Table -1

The data in table -1 above indicates that using pectin having a high degree of methyl esterification (Examples 1 to 3) delivers low malodour (score of less than 2.5) as compared to using pectin with low degree of methyl esterification (Examples A to C).

Claims

1. A fabric cleaning composition for reducing malodour comprising

2. A composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pectins comprise higher than 60 wt% galacturonic acid content.

3. A composition as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein the pectin is sourced from apples, citrus peel, gooseberries, quince, pears, plums and sugar beet, more preferably from citrus peel, apple or sugar beet, or mixtures thereof.

4. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the surfactant is selected from one or more of an anionic, nonionic and amphoteric surfactant.

5. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, additionally comprising an enzyme, preferably from 0.05 to 5 wt.%.

6. A composition as claimed in claim 5 wherein the enzyme is selected from one or more of a protease, amylase, mannanase, lipase, pectate lyase, laccase, or phosphodiesterase.

7. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a rheology modifier, preferably from 0.1 to 10 wt.%

8. A composition as claimed in claim 7 wherein the rheology modifier is selected from polyacrylate polymers, polycarboxylate polymers, hydrogenated castor oil derivatives, polysaccharides other than said pectin, microfibrous cellulose, or polymeric gums.

9. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a sequestrant preferably from 0.05 to 8 wt.%

10. A composition as claimed in claim 9 wherein the sequestrant is selected from HEDP, DTPMP, EDTA, MGDA, GLDA or citric acid.

11. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in the form of a liquid, solid, powder, pastille, bead or paste.

12. A method of reducing malodour from a fabric surface comprising the step of cleaning the surface with a composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims preferably diluted with water.

13. Use of the composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 11 for the purpose of minimizing odour from the fabric surface cleaned with said composition.