WO2000025612A1

WO2000025612A1 - Smoking products containing antioxidants

Info

Publication number: WO2000025612A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/025548
Authority: WO
Inventors: Theodore Hersh; Rebecca Hersh
Original assignee: Thione International, Inc.
Priority date: 1998-11-03
Filing date: 1999-10-29
Publication date: 2000-05-11
Also published as: US6138683A; EP1135036A4; IL142930A; CN1338902A; HK1042632A1; AU1333500A; EP1135036A1; CA2349241A1; JP2002528107A; IL142930A0; AU768297B2

Abstract

A composition for inclusion within a quantity of smokeless tobacco. The composition of antioxidants is capable of reducing free radical damage to the oro-pharyngeal cavity of a user resulting from consumption of smokeless tobacco. The composition includes L-glutathione and a source of selenium.

Description

SMOKING PRODUCTS CONTAINING ANTIOXIDANTS

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention deals with the combination of various

synergistic antioxidants, enzymatic co-factors, such as selenium-containing

compounds and amino acids in appropriate delivery vehicles employed in

what is commonly referred to as "smokeless tobacco" as a means of

preventing or ameliorating signs and symptoms and complications to the oro-

pharyngeal cavity from damage by such products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tobacco is a substance consisting of the dried leaves and stems of

the plant Nicotiana tabacum which contains the addictive drug nicotine. The

plant is native to North America but is now grown worldwide. Tobacco

abuse has been identified as the single most preventable cause of disease,

morbidity and mortality. Tobacco contains and produces many toxic

chemicals and free radical species. There are three principal ways to

consume tobacco: smoking, chewing and dipping and snuffing. Fifty million

Americans smoke, and countless others are affected by tobacco smoke, the

so-called secondary or passive smokers. Children of smokers breathe this

second-hand smoke and have more respiratory problems than children of

non-smokers. Non-smoking spouses and co-workers of smokers have a

greater frequency of heart disease than true non-smoker controls. Smokeless tobacco is used by as many as fourteen million individuals

and has a detrimental effect on the oral cavity plus systemic effects from

buccal mucosal absorption of nicotine and other injurious chemicals. There

is a growing use of smokeless tobacco in adolescents and young adults.

Chewing loose leaf tobacco and "dipping" moist, ground snuff tobacco are

common uses of tobacco without smoking. "Snuffing" that is "snorting" dry

powdered tobacco into the nasal passageways is rarely used in this country.

Health risks from smokeless tobacco are still very significant and it is not a

substitute for smoking. The alarming growth of use of smokeless tobacco

by 10-1 2 year old users has brought on a massive educational campaign by

the National Cancer Institute.

Because of the oro-pharynx's access to the environment, like the skin

to oxygen and ultraviolet radiation, the structures of the oral cavity may be

damaged by inhaled, ingested or chewed noxious substances and gaseous

and particulate materials, as well as injuries by endogenous processes, such

as inflammatory reactions and by drugs (xenobiotics). Reactive oxidizing

species, as induced by inhaled and chewed tobacco, ozone and nitrous oxide

are important factors in generating free radicals and inducing inflammatory

reactions.

Leukoplakia, a tobacco induced white patch on the buccal mucosa, as

found in smokers, is a localized irritation due to direct contact of smoked or

smokeless tobacco and it is directly related to the frequency and years of tobacco abuse. Although leukoplakia is a benign oral lesion, it has a

malignant potential, requiring a biopsy of the lesion to rule out cancer.

Leukoplakia may regress or resolve completely when use of tobacco

products is discontinued. Adequate oral examinations by primary physicians

and dentists is paramount to reduce smoke induced mouth and tooth

pathology.

Over 30,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity are diagnosed

annually, accounting for two to four percent of all new cancers. Oral cancer

kills 8,000 patients each year and only half of these cases diagnosed

annually have a five year survival. The great majority of these patients are

users of tobacco products. Other risk factors include alcohol abuse,

nutritional deficiencies and poor oral hygiene.

In addition, tobacco contributes to other oral symptoms or pathologies

of the mouth, gingiva and teeth. Tobacco may cause halitosis, may numb

the taste buds, and interfere with the smell and taste of food. It may stain

teeth and contribute to dental caries. Smokers have more dental tartar

(calculus) than non-smokers. Tobacco is associated also with gingivitis,

with severe periodontal (gum) disease and tooth loss. Acute necrotizing

ulcerative gingivitis ("trench mouth") is a destructive, painful inflammatory

condition occurring mainly in tobacco abusers.

Besides leukoplakia, another generalized whitish hue on the buccal

mucosa represents oral submucous fibrosis. This disease occurs mainly in India and is a chronic, progressive premalignant condition. The etiology is

chronic chewing of tobacco or of the areca nut or both. The fibrosis

(scarring) results in restriction of mouth opening and involves the palates,

tonsillar fossa, buccal mucosa and underlying muscle. Associated with this

condition is also oro-pharyngeal carcinoma, with a high frequency in India

and associated in 70% of cases with chewing tobacco. Smokeless tobacco

and areca nut usage is also common in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Java and

in these individuals and Indian immigrants to the United States and United

Kingdom.

The deleterious effects of tobacco abuse are well known and

regulatory agencies as well as the public constantly react to these scientific

and epidemiologic evidences. Tobacco is indeed a worldwide public health

hazard accounting for significant morbidity and mortality.

Cells subjected to oxidative stress resulting from the consumption of

smokeless tobacco may severely affect cellular function and cause damage

to membrane lipids, to proteins, to cytoskeletal structures and to DNA. Free

radical damage to DNA has been measured as formation of single-strand

breaks, double-strand breaks and chromosomal aberrations. Cells exposed

to ionizing radiation and cigarette smoke have also been demonstrated to

have an increased intracellular DNA damage, hence the frequency of oro-

pharyngeal, esophageal, and pulmonary carcinomas in tobacco users. There have been studies of the effects of smokeless tobacco on

inflammation and on gingival crevicular levels of prostaglandin E2 and

interleukins. Placing a quantity of smokeless tobacco on the buccal mucosa

increased the levels of these molecules and there was marked inflammation

as a result. It was found that the reaction in the alveolar mucosa was more

severe than in the gingiva and ranged from erythema to ulceration

supporting the conclusion that smokeless tobacco adversely affects

periodontal tissue.

Studies have shown that Maras Powder, a type of smokeless tobacco

used in Turkey, affects the micro-nuclei of buccal mucosal cells in habitual

users. This provides evidence of the genotoxic effects of smokeless

tobacco and its link to oral cancer. Further, it has been shown that

smokeless tobacco extracts activate the complement system in in vitro tests

using normal human serum. Loose leaf chewing tobacco and dry and moist

snuff were studied. The studies showed that these three types of tobacco

activated the complement pathway, thus it was postulated that such

products provide for putative mechanisms for initiating inflammation in the

oral mucosa. The inflammation reaction, in turn, generates countless free

radicals which cause further damage to gingival tissues and oral mucosal cell

DNA. More recently, it has been demonstrated that nicotine is cytoxic to

human primary periodontal ligament and gingiva fibroblast cultures. It was

thus concluded that nicotine is a definite risk factor in the progression of periodontal disease. Interestingly, epidemiological studies carried out in

Sweden strongly suggest that beer and liquor consumption confer a strong

risk factor for oral snuff to induce oral cancers.

The ubiquitous non-enzymatic thiol tripeptide, glutathione (GSH),

plays a vital function in maintaining the integrity of the reactive oxygen

species-free radical sensitive cellular components. This is accomplished

through its direct role as an antioxidant, in its reduced (GSH) form, as well

as a cofactor. GSH has been detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In

cells, GSH is oxidized in this process to GSSG, but its cellular concentrations

for antioxidant activity is maintained in equilibrium by the enzyme

glutathione reductase, consuming NADPH as the source of reducing

equivalents. Under states of GSH depletion, including malnutrition and

severe oxidative stress, as in smoking and/or chewing tobacco, cells may

become injured and die.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention involves the inclusion of an antioxidant defense

system incorporated within smokeless tobacco. The present application

utilizes synergistic antioxidants delivered when smokeless tobacco is

consumed to prevent and ameliorate free radical damage induced by such

products to the oro-pharynx of the user. The invention in its broadest terms

comprises glutathione in its reduced form and co-ingredients for regenerating

and synergistically working with the reduced form of the glutathione, the latter ingredient comprising selenium preferably as a selenoamino acid such

as selenomethione or selenocysteine. As further optional ingredients, it is

contemplated that the compositions include ascorbic acid and/or one of its

derivatives, a sulphur containing amino acid such as L-cysteine, L-taurine

and/or L-methionine, alpha tocopherol and vitamins A. Other antioxidants

such as those from green tea and grape seed extracts as known in this

industry, may be included as optional ingredients for their antioxidant

properties.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Without being bound to any particular theory, it is noted that reduced

glutathione is employed in protecting cells against oxidative stress by itself

being oxidized. Thus, L-glutathione must act in combination with other

enzyme systems in order to be reduced so that it may renew its role as a

free radical scavenger. GSH functions also coordinately with the enzyme

glutathione peroxidase which requires selenium as a cofactor to exert its

biologic antioxidant function. Selenium compounds have been shown to

scavenge oxygen-centered radicals m vivo with reduced glutathione through

glutathione peroxidase. It is believed that selenium-GSH peroxidase

catalyzes toxic hydrogen peroxidase in the presence of reduced glutathione.

This reaction reduces glutathione to oxidized glutathione GSSG. In turn, the

GSSG is reduced back to GSH by the enzyme glutathione reductase thereby

maintaining abundant cellular GSH to scavenge free radicals anew. Further, glutathione and selenium act synergistically in vivo as they

are both constituents of the same enzymatic systems. GSH serves as a

specific donor substrate while selenium, provided from alimentary sources or

locally from intra-oral and topically applied preparations of selenium, or

selenoamino acids, provides the prosthetic group of GSH peroxidase.

Selenium enhances levels of glutathione peroxidase by enzyme induction.

The glutathione and selenium antioxidant functions are intrinsically related

since by keeping the peroxidase in action, the GSH and selenium contribute

to the removal of the dismutation product of free oxygen radicals, namely,

hydrogen peroxide. In a broad sense, GSH and selenium modulate free

radical chains initiated or sustained by hydroperoxides. Selenium is used in

the present invention for its role as an antioxidant as well as its

anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic properties.

It is contemplated that the synergistic antioxidant complex be

dispersed in a quantity of smokeless tobacco such as chewing tobacco and

snuff. The antioxidant complex can be dispersed as an aqueous emulsion or

included in micro encapsulated liposomes to be released as the smokeless

tobacco product is consumed. The active ingredients can also be protected

by incorporating them in glycospheres and nanospheres. Such vehicles for

oral and dermatological uses are well known in the cosmetic and

pharmaceutical industries. Liposomes are lecithin spheres that form an oil

protective membrane around the active ingredient composition of the present invention. The liposome-entrapped active ingredients travel from the

tobacco product and are delivered to the oral cavity where locally they exert

both their preventive and therapeutic functions to neutralize the various

reactive oxygen and other free radical species. In addition, the antioxidants

may also be absorbed as usual by the buccal mucosa for systemic use to

counteract further the free radicals generated by the tobacco products.

Loose leaf chewing tobacco is primarily air-cured tobacco, usually

treated with licorice and sugars. The antioxidant complex of this invention

can be introduced in the processing of tobacco when the flavors are

introduced. Instead of digestible sugars, the sweetener is preferably polyol

xylitol to help promote oral benefits. Sugars are fermented and thereby

cause dental caries and help increase the numbers of micro-organisms in the

oral cavity. Xylitol decreases the numbers of streptococcus mutans bacteria

in the mouth. Xylitol thereby helps reduce dental cavities and aids in the

inflammation in gingivitis and periodontitis caused by the putative bacterial

invaders. Plug tobacco is made from heavier grades of leaf from the top of

the plant and is free of stems. It is then immersed in mixtures of licorice

and sugars and pressed into a plug. It is at this stage of manufacturing that

the antioxidant complex of this invention would be introduced. The sugars

would be replaced by the polyol sweetener, xylitol. The plug is then covered

by a wrapper leaf and re-shaped, so that the plug may be placed by the

smokeless tobacco user between cheek and gum. The plug is ordinarily chewed in bites, thus rendering the therapeutic and preventative effects of

the antioxidant complex to scavenge and neutralize the free radicals

generated by the smokeless tobacco plug.

Twist or roll tobacco is made from cured burley and air-cured and fire-

cured leaves. These are flavored and twisted to resemble a rope. The

present antioxidants are introduced into the twist or roll after the fire-cured

process and the tobacco is cool and ready for flavorings.

Oral snuff, increasing in consumption in the United States, is made

from Kentucky and Tennessee fire-cured tobaccos, a process that requires

several weeks and multiple stages, plus, unlike the other smokeless types, it

undergoes fermentation. Dry snuff is then processed into a powder, wherein

the antioxidant complex of this patent application may be introduced, along

with flavor and aroma additives, including spices. The U.S. dry snuff which

is consumed orally is very similar to the European nasal snuff, to which the

antioxidant complex may also be added for its protective benefits.

It is noted that Unger and co-workers have taught therapeutic drug

delivery systems comprising gas filled liposomes which encapsulate an

active preparation in U.S. Patent No. 5,580,573 dated December 3, 1 996,

which is herein incorporated by reference. Earlier, Chakrabarti and associates

disclosed preparations comprising a lipid and a modified peptide using

liposomes as delivery vehicles. See U.S. Patent No. 5,380,531 dated

January 10, 1 995 which is also herein incorporated by reference. Knight and co-workers in U.S. Patent No. 5,049,388 dated Sept. 1 7, 1 991 which

is also herein incorporated by reference, disclosed small particle aqueous

aerosol droplets containing liposomes. The patentees taught the inclusion of

a drug or medication interacted within the liposome membrane so that

when the latter ruptures the active ingredient is not lost from the liposome.

The inventors teach various method of preparation of the active particles

contained within the liposome. Interacted liposome-drug combination

particles are used in small particle treatments.

The active ingredients of the present invention are as follows:

1 . L-glutathione in an amount 0.01 to 2.0%, most preferably 0.1 to

1 .0%.

2. A source of selenium such as L-selenomethionine or l-selenocysteine

at a concentration 0.001 to 1 .0%, most preferably 0.01 to 0.10%.

Optional Ingredients

3. L-cysteine and/or its ester, n-acetyl-l-cysteine in a range of 0.01 to

3.0%, most preferably from 0.1 to 1 .0% .

4. Vitamin C as ascorbic acid or as an ascorbyl palmitate or other

ascorbic acid esters alone or microencapsulated such as in liposomes

from 0.05 to 5.0%, preferably 0.1 to 3.0%, most preferably 0.5 to

1 .5%.

5. Vitamin E as a powder for dispersion as tocopherol acetate or

tocopherol succinate or other esters from 0.05 to 5.0%, preferably 0.1 to 3.0%, most preferably 0.5 to 1 .5%. Vitamin E may also be

used in liposomes at approximately the same dosages.

6. Vitamin A activity as beta-carotene or a retinyl palmitate or other

vitamin A stabilized esters in an amount between 0.05 to 5.0%,

preferably 0.1 to 3.0%, most preferably 0.5 to 1 .5% . Vitamin A

compositions may also be administered by being micro-encapsulated,

such as in liposomes.

7. As further optional ingredients the amino acids methionine and/or

taurine, as already noted, may be included each in concentrations of

at least approximately 0.01 to 3.0%, preferably 0.05 to 2.0%, most

preferably from 0.1 to 1 .0%.

In the most preferred embodiment of this invention the same

ingredients can be introduced in an aqueous solution within the tobacco

(chewable or snuff) with the following composition:

1 . L-glutathione, at least 0.01 to 2.0%, most preferably 0.1 to 1 .0% by

weight.

2. L-selenomethione from at least 0.001 to 1 .0%, most preferably 0.01

to 0.10%.

3. L-cysteine and/or its ester N-acetyl-L-cysteine from at least 0.01 to

3.0%, most preferably from 0.1 to 1 .0% .

4. Ascorbic acid or its esters at 0.05 to 5.0%, preferably 0.1 to 3.0%,

most preferably 0.5 to 1 .5% . 5. Vitamin E or one of its esters at 0.05 to 5.0%, preferably 0.1 to

3.0%, most preferably 0.5 to 1 .5%.

6. Vitamin A or one its esters at 0.05 to 5.0%, preferably 0.1 to 3.0%,

most preferably 0.5 to 1 .5%.

7. Amino acids, taurine and/or methionine, from 0.01 to 3.0%,

preferably 0.05 to 2.0%, most preferably from 0.1 to 1 .0%.

In one embodiment of this invention, optional ingredients, particularly

exogenous antioxidants may be added to the synergistic complex such as:

Japanese green tea (catechins) approximately 0.5% proauthouganidins approximately 0.2%

Co-enzyme Q approximately 1 .0%

N-acetyl-L-carnitine approximately 0.5%

In snuff, the active ingredients, that is the antioxidants of the this patent application, may be introduced as a dry powder, either as a mixture of antioxidants, or as a complex in protective liposomes, nanospheres or other acceptable delivery vehicles. This powder may be added in the final process of manufacturing chewing tobacco and snuff and may also contain suitable flavors or fragrances as not infrequently used in this industry.

Claims

I claim:

1 . A composition for inclusion within a quantity of smokeless

tobacco, such as chewing tobacco or snuff, for reducing free radical induced

damage to the oro-pharyngeal cavity of a user, said composition comprising

L-glutathione and a source of selenium.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein said source of selenium is

selected from the group consisting of selenoamino acids, selenomethionine

and selenocysteine.

3. The composition of claim 1 further comprising ascorbic acid as

a member selected from the group consisting of ascorbyl palmitate and

ascorbic acid esters.

4. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a member

selected from the group consisting of L-cysteine and N-acetyl-l-cysteine.

5. The composition of claim 1 further comprising vitamin E as a

member selected from the group consisting of tocopherol acetate and

tocopherol succinate.

6. The composition of claim 1 further comprising vitamin A.

7. The composition of claim 1 further comprising an amino acid

selected from the group consisting of methionine and taurine.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein said smokeless tobacco is

chewing tobacco.

9. The composition of claim 1 wherein said smokeless tobacco is

snuff.

10. The composition of claim 1 further comprising the inclusion of a

sweetener.

1 1 . The composition of claim 1 0 wherein said sweetener is xylitol.