Abstract:
The use of at least an  Irvingia gabonensis  extract, in particular  Irvingia gabonensis  seeds, as active agent(s) for preparing a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical product for topical use on the skin and/or superficial body growth, the extract being present between 0.05% and 50.00% by weight.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns the field of cosmetology and pharmacology, in particular cutaneous and capillary applications, and relates to the use of at least one  Irvingia gabonensis  extract in a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical product for the skin and/or the superficial body growths and to a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical product containing such extract(s). 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       Irvingia gabonensis  (also known as the wild mango tree) is a tree which is prevalent in the rain forests of Central and West Africa and of which the oblong fruit has a hard stone surrounded by fibrous, edible flesh and containing two seeds resembling almonds. 
     These seeds, which are crushed and mixed with water, pepper or other condiments, are widely used in Africa as a thickener in the preparation of soups. 
     The chemical composition of the Irvingia seed is as follows, according to the literature (see OL OKE, Nutrition reports international, 1978, vol. 17 No. 3, 293-297 and ONYECHI E. N., Food Chemistry, 1995, 53.2, 173-175): 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 proteins: 
                 8.8-10.6% 
               
               
                   
                 lipids: 
                 55-62.2% 
               
               
                   
                 carbohydrates: 
                 19.2-19.6% 
               
               
                   
                 fibers: 
                 8.2% 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The oil of  Irvingia gabonensis  seeds, which is solid at ambient temperature, contains, in particular, 55 to 59% of myristic acid and 35 to 36.3% of lauric acid. 
     The potential use of Irvingia fat in the preparation of margarine, kitchen oil, soap and pharmaceutical products has been mentioned. This fat has been investigated, in particular, for the preparation of suppositories or as a lubricant for granules or tablets. 
     Furthermore, the use of  Irvingia gabonensis  polysaccharides as thickeners or as sources of carbohydrates for diabetics in food products and as thickeners or binders in the pharmaceutical industry has been mentioned. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Now the inventors of the present invention have unexpectedly and surprisingly found that, apart from their known thickening properties, the extracts of  Irvingia gabonensis , in particular the polysaccharide fractions of  Irvingia gabonensis , could be used directly in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products for external application and had immediate properties which were more varied and quantitatively greater than the polysaccharides already used at present in cosmetic or pharmaceutical products, namely moisturising, film-forming, softening and restructuring properties. 
     Similarly, it has been found that the lipidic or fatty fraction could also be used in such products and had particular properties such as good chemical stability and weak colouring. 
     Thus, the general object of the present invention is to use at least one  Irvingia gabonensis extract as active agent(s) for the preparation of a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical product for topical use for the skin and/or the superficial body growths, this or these extract(s) preferably being obtained from the seeds of the  Irvingia gabonensis  tree. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     According to a first embodiment of the invention, the extract used consists of the polysaccharide fraction of the seeds, optionally in the form of crude polysaccharide extract. 
     According to a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the extract used consists of a part of the polysaccharide fraction of the seeds, optionally in the form of a purified polysaccharide. 
     In this case, the polysaccharide fraction or the polysaccharide is preferably extracted from the seeds of the  Irvingia gabonensis  tree by water or aqueous solutions with a neutral, alkaline or acidic pH. 
     Finally, according to a third embodiment of the invention, the extract used can consist of the lipidic or fatty fraction of  Irvingia gabonensis  seeds alone or associated with the polysaccharide fraction or a part of the polysaccharide fraction of said seeds. 
     The processes for obtaining and preparing the various extracts of  Irvingia gabonensis  mentioned above lie within the general knowledge of a person skilled in the art in the field of cosmetology and pharmacology. 
     Various possible processes for obtaining extracts from  Irvingia gabonensis  seeds, in particular fat and polysaccharides, used in the context of the present invention will be described hereinafter as non-limiting embodiments. 
    
    
     EXAMPLE 1 
     950 grams of  Irvingia gabonensis  seeds are firstly crushed then extracted for one hour at ambient temperature in 3 liters of hexane. 
     After decantation for one night at ambient temperature, the hexane phase is removed, filtered and concentrated in a rotating evaporator. 
     After oven drying, 415.6 grams of a pale yellow solid oil are obtained. 
     One liter of solvent is then added to the reactor and extraction is repeated for 2 hours at 45° C. All the extract is filtered and the filtrate treated as hereinbefore: 182.7 grams of oil are thus obtained. 
     The residue is extracted again in 2.50 liter of hexane for 2 hours at 45° C. and is treated as before: 84.4 grams of oil are finally obtained. 
     The total crude oil yield of this process is 71.8%. 
     The crude  Irvingia gabonensis  oil can be refined and deodorised by conventional techniques known to a person skilled in the art to yield a white, perfectly odourless solid oil. 
     The residue which is insoluble in hexane is a beige powder representing 260 grams, that is 27% by weight relative to the total initial seed. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     100 grams of residues which are insoluble in hexane and are obtained by the process described in example 1 are homogenised in 1.5 liters of distilled water. 
     Extraction is then carried out for 3 hours at 70° C. 
     After cooling, the viscous suspension is centrifuged for 15 minutes at 5,000 g. 
     The supernatant liquid is filtered over a nylon cloth in order to retain a slight lipidic layer. 
     790 ml of beige viscous supernatant liquid containing 3.9% of dry extract are thus collected and constitute the crude polysaccharides. 
     These polysaccharides are precipitated in fibre form by addition with stirring into two volumes of absolute ethanol. 
     These fibres are recovered by filtration, spin dried, washed in ethanol, then in acetone and finally dried in air then in an oven at 40° C. 
     15.1 grams of polysaccharides are thus obtained, that is a yield of 4.1% by weight relative to the total original seed. 
     EXAMPLE 3 
     100 grams of seeds are crushed then extracted in 2 liters of water for 2 hours at 50° C. 
     The solution is cooled to 30° C. then centrifuged for 15 minutes to 5,000 g. 
     The upper phase (layer of fat) is eliminated, the aqueous phase is filtered over cloth and 1.55 liters of supernatant are collected. 
     The supernatant is again centrifuged and the polysaccharides are then precipitated in two volumes of absolute ethanol then treated as in example 2. 
     4.2 grams of polysaccharides are thus obtained, that is a yield of 4.2% relative to the total original seed. 
     The extracts of  Irvingia gabonensis  seeds obtained, in particular, by any one of the above-described processes, in particular the polysaccharides, will be used in preparations for the care of the skin and superficial body growths as emollient, smoothing, repairing, moisturising and elasticising agents. 
     Said polysaccharides could be used in crude or purified form, in anhydrous form or in the form of aqueous solutions incorporated in a wide variety of cosmetic forms such as lotions, hydrogels, oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions, microemulsions, skin care products, hair care products, etc. 
     The present invention also relates to a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical product for external use for the skin and/or the superficial body growths, characterised in that it contains between 0.05% and 50.00% by weight of one or more extracts of  Irvingia gabonensis  seeds. 
     According to a particular embodiment of the invention, said cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical product can advantageously consist of a treatment composition containing between 0.05% and 15.00% by weight of one or more extracts of  Irvingia gabonensis  seeds. 
     Various cosmetic or dermatological products or preparations containing one or more extracts of  Irvingia gabonensis  seeds will be described hereinafter as non-limiting examples of practical embodiments of the invention. 
     EXAMPLE 1 
     A cosmetic product according to the invention in the form of a hair rinsing emulsion could have a composition by weight, for example, made up of the following fractions A and B as mentioned hereinafter. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Fraction A: 
                   
               
               
                   
                 glycerol stearate (and) Ceteareth 20 
                 5.00% 
               
               
                   
                 lipidic Irvingia gabonensis extract 
                 1.00% 
               
               
                   
                 seeds (prepared by the process of example 1) 
               
               
                   
                 Fraction B: 
               
               
                   
                 dimethicone propyl PG betaine 
                 3.00% 
               
               
                   
                 trimonium Behen chloride 
                 1.00% 
               
               
                   
                 distilled water 
                 90.00%  
               
               
                   
                 fragrance 
                 qsp 
               
               
                   
                 preservative 
                 qsp 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The process for the preparation and manufacture of the aforementioned emulsion essentially involves, after mixing the components thereof, separately heating the fractions A and B to about 70° C., mixing and homogenising these two fractions and finally stirring the resultant mixture until it cools at ambient temperature. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     A cosmetic product according to the invention in the form of a moisturising body lotion (oil-in-water) could have, for example, a composition by weight consisting of the following fractions A and B as indicated hereinafter: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Fraction A: 
                   
               
               
                   
                 trilaureth phosphate-4 
                 1.00% 
               
               
                   
                 polyglycerol stearate-2 PEG-4 
                 4.00% 
               
               
                   
                 paraffin oil 
                 3.00% 
               
               
                   
                 cetostearyl isononanoate 
                 4.00% 
               
               
                   
                 lipidic Irvingia gabonensis extract 
                 4.00% 
               
               
                   
                 seeds (prepared by the process of example 1) 
               
               
                   
                 isopropyl isostearate 
                 4.00% 
               
               
                   
                 antioxidant 
                 qsp 
               
               
                   
                 Fraction B: 
               
               
                   
                 carbomer 
                 0.30% 
               
               
                   
                 citric acid 
                 0.25% 
               
               
                   
                 glycerine 
                 3.00% 
               
               
                   
                 NaOH(N) 
                 1.50% 
               
               
                   
                 distilled water 
                 74.50%  
               
               
                   
                 preservative 
                 qsp 
               
               
                   
                 polysaccharide Irvingia gabonensis extract 
                 3.00% 
               
               
                   
                 seeds (prepared by the process of example 2) 
               
               
                   
                 fragrance 
                 qsp 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The process for preparing and producing the aforementioned moisturising lotion essentially involves mixing the components of the fatty fraction A and heating them to 70° C., adding the Carbomer to them, mixing the other components of the aqueous fraction B and heating them to 70° C., pouring fraction B into Fraction A and stirring the mixture until it cools to ambient temperature and, finally, homogenising the resultant emulsion. 
     EXAMPLE 3 
     A cosmetic product according to the invention in the form of a moisturising emollient smoothing cream (oil-in-water) for the skin could have, for example, a composition by weight made up of the following fractions A, B and C as indicated hereinafter. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Fraction A: 
                   
               
               
                   
                 glycerol stearate (and) Steareth-25 (and) 
                 8.00% 
               
               
                   
                 Ceteth-20 (and) stearyl alcohol 
               
               
                   
                 stearyl alcohol 
                 1.00% 
               
               
                   
                 caprylic/capric acid triglyceride 
                 3.00% 
               
               
                   
                 stearoxylic dimethicone 
                 3.00% 
               
               
                   
                 lipidic Irvingia gabonensis extract 
                 3.00% 
               
               
                   
                 seeds (prepared by the process in example 1) 
               
               
                   
                 Fraction B: 
               
               
                   
                 glycerol 
                 3.00% 
               
               
                   
                 polysaccharide Irvingia gabonensis extract 
                 2.00% 
               
               
                   
                 seeds (prepared by the process in example 2) 
               
               
                   
                 distilled water 
                 77.00%  
               
               
                   
                 Fraction C: 
               
               
                   
                 fragrance 
                 qsp 
               
               
                   
                 preservative 
                 qsp 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The process for the preparation and production of the aforementioned cream essentially involves mixing and heating the fatty fraction A to 90° C., preparing the aqueous fraction B by stirring at 75° C., pouring the fraction A into the fraction B with turbine stirring, adding the fraction C, stopping turbine stirring at about 50° C. and carrying out planetary stirring until it cools at ambient temperature.