PROCESS FOR PREPARING A PRODUCT COMPRISING GUAR-GUM

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a product comprising guar-gum present in the form of particles, and possessing a sustained swelling in an aqueous suspension, whereby pulverulent guar-gum flour is provided with a solution consisting of water:solvent in the relationship 60:40 to 0:100, and comprising a compound of the group consisting of film forming fatty acids, film forming polymers, and ethyl cellulose, and whereby the solvent is an organic solvent hav­ ing ability in dissolving said organic film forming compounds, while creating a particle agglomerate having a size of less than 3 mm, but substantially above 0.5 mm.

Description: Technical field The present invention relates to a process for preparing a product comprising guar-gum in the form of particles having a sustained swelling in an aqueous suspension thereof. The object of the present invention is to obtain a process by means of which guar-gum in the form of particles are obtained, which have a sustained swelling in an aqueous suspension thereof, in order to provide a safe administration by means of a drinkable, low viscous suspension. Background of the invention. It is previously known to administer guar-gum to humans for several different purposes. Thus guar-gum, which swells in an aqueous suspension, can be used as an agent for overweight persons by reducing the feeling of hunger, which is provoked when they are on a low caloric diet, and can thus act as a weight reducing agent. One side effect of a low caloric diet is very often obstipation, as of all bulk-free products. Guar-gum thereby has, as all bulk fiber products, a positive impact on the prevention of obstipation. It has also been shown that guar-gum has a positive impact on the lowering of blood cholesterol, so called LDLC, low density lipid cholesterol, i.e., the so called bad cholesterol without thereby changing HDLC-high density lipid cholesterol. The term guar-gum means above, and in the following the preground endospermium of grains of the guar plant, Cyanopsis tetragonslobus, L. taub. (fam. Leguminosae). This is a white-yellowwhite, almost odorless powder. Chemically it is a hydrocolloide polysaccharide, galactomannan, with a high molecular weight. It is related to galactopyranose comprising mannopyranose units bound via glucosidic linkages, 75% being galatomannan. Further, it has turned out that guar-gum has an impact on the glucose in the intestinal tract, which delays its absorption into the blood circulartion system, meaning that persons suffering from diabetes, preferably may have guar-gum, and thereby lower the sugar load. In order to be able to administer guar-gum it is necessary that the product does not swell and gel as fast as ordinary guar flour, as this may lead to undesired side effects in the form of stopping plugs in the eoesophagus, or in the gastrointestinal tract, or one may obtain a unpalatable, jelly product, which most people regard as difficult to administer -to drink. Description of the present invention. It has now surprisingly been shown possible to be able to solve this problem, and to obtain a well acting product by menas of the present invention, which is characterized in that powderous guar-gum is provided with a solution consisting of water: solvent in a relationship of 60:40 - 0:100, and comprising a compound from the group consisting of film forming substances of fatty acids, film forming polymers, and ethyl cellulose, and whereby the solvent is an organic solvent with an ability of dissolving said organic film forming compounds, while creating particle aggregates having a size below 3 mm, but substantially above 0.5 mm. Further characteristics are evident from the accompanying claims. The term film forming fatty acids means fatty acids having 14-20 carbon atoms, preferably stearic acid, and palmitic acid. The term film forming polymer relates to anionic, cationic, and nonionic polymers such as cellulose acetate phtalate, polyvinyl acetate phtalate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate phtalate, shellac, zein, methacrylic acid-methacrylic acid methylester copolymer (Eudragite R L, S), acrylic acid-methacrylic acid esters (Eudragite R RS,RL), dimethyl amino ethyl methacrylate-neutral methacrylic acid esters copolymers (Eudragite R E). The term organic solvent above relates to a solvent which dissolves said organic film forming agents, and which solvents are normally used within the foodstuff and the pharmacentical industries. Such solvents are lower alkanols having 1-4C, such as ethanol, isopropanol, lower ketones, such as acetone, methylethyl ketone, chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as methylchloride, lower aromatic compounds having 6-8 C such as benzene, xylene, toluene. The powderous starting material has suitably a particle size of less than 100 mesh (150 µm), preerably less than 150 mesh (100 µm). The particle agglomeration - the granulation - is preferably carried out in an intensive mixer, or preferably in a continous mixer (NICASYSTEM MIXER), whereby the powderous guar-gum product is provided with said solution in an amount of 300-800 ml per kg guar-gum flour. The solution contains normally 2-30% by weight of said organic film forming agent, more typically 6-9 % by weight. The process provides the powderous guar-gum particles with a coating of said organic substance during simultaneous agglomeration - granulation. Then the product is dried, preferably in a fluidized bed, or heating cabinet on trays. This agglomeration - granulation - accoring to the present process gives a final product, 100% < 3 mm, <5%<0.5 mm, which has a jelling time of >5 min but <30 min typically 10 - 15 min in a standardized test, 10 g of guar-gum product in 150 ml H₂0 at 20°C (6.25 % solution). It has also turned out that the product of the present process possesses less side effects than known guar-gum products by causing a lower frequency of flatulence and diarrhoea. In spite of the treatment in accordance with the present invention a good inhibition of glucose, and a reduction of low density lipid cholesterol (LDLC) are obtained. Example 1 98.2 kg of guar-gum flour, particles size <100 µm, were provided with a solution consisting of water: isopropanol (azeotropic mixture 12:88) in an amount of 28.5 kg, wherein 9.18 kg of ethyl cellulose of the quality N7-N50 were dissolved. The guar flour was moistured in a wet mixer (NICASYSTEM MIXER) momentarily, and dried to a residual H₂O content of <8% by weight in a fluidized bed drier for 30 min, whereupon the right fraction was sieved off, 0.5<a<3 mm. Example 2 Example 1 was repeated with the difference that shellac was used as a film forming agent, and the solvent consisted of ethanol:acetone (50:50, 13 kg of each). Example 3 Example 1 was repeated with the difference that cellulose acetate phtalate was used as film forming agent, and the solvent consisted of ethanol:acetone (50:50, 13 kg of each). Example 4 Example 1 was repeated with the difference that the film forming agent consisted of a cationic film former, Eudragite R E, i.e. a polymer of dimethyl amino ethylmethacrylate-neutral methacrylic acid esters, and the solvent consisted of acetone isopropanol (40:60). Example 5 Example 1 was repeated with the difference that the film forming agent consisted of a nonionic film former, Eudragite R RS, i.e. an acrylic acid-methacrylic acid ester copolymer, and that the solvent consisted of methylene chloride:isopropanol (40:60). All products above had a jelling time of about 15 min in the above given standardized test.

Claims: Process for the preparation of a product comprising guar-gum present in the form af particles and showing a sustained swelling in an aqueous suspension characterized in that a powderous guar-gum flour is provieded with a solution consisting of water:solvent in the relationship 60:40 to 0:100, and comprising a compound of the group consisting of film forming fatty acids, film forming polymers, and ethyl cellulose, and whereby the solvent consists of an organic solvent with an ability of dissolving said organic film forming compounds, while forming particle agglomerates having a size of less than 3 mm, but substantially above 0.5 mm. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the solvent is a lower alkanol having 1 to 4C, lower ketone, chlorinated lower hydrocarbon, and/or lower aromatic compund having 6 to 8 C. Process according to claim 2, characterized in that the solvent is methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, and/or tert-butanol. Process according to claim 2, characterized in that the solvent is methylethyl ketone, and/or acetone. Process according to claim 2, characterized in that the solvent is methylene chloride. Process according to claim 2, characterized in that the solvent is benzene, xylene, and/or toluene. Process according to claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the solvent is ethanol and acetone, or isopropanol and acetone. Process according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that solvent is isopropanol and methylene chloride. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the starting guar-gum flour has a particle size of less than 150 µm (100 mesh), preferably <100 µm. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the film forming polymer is an anionic, cationic and/or nonionic polymer of the group consisting of cellulose acetate phtalate, polyvinyl acetate phtalate, hydroxypropyl metylcellulose acetate phtalate, shellac, zein, methacrylic acid-methacrylic acid methyl ester copolymer, acrylic acid-methacrylic acid ester copolymers, dimethyl amino ethyl methacrylate-neutral methacrylic acid ester copolymers.

Inventors: APPELGREN, CURT HENRY
Applicants: ABIGO MEDICAL AKTIEBOLAG
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A23L1
IPC codes: A23L1, A23L2