Homogenous solid matrix cotaining vegetable proteins

Abstract

The invention provides a homogenous solid matrix composition, enabling an improved dispersion of and bitter taste masking of hydrophobic, bioactive ingestibles, of at least low water solubility comprising: (a) at least 10 % w/w vegetable proteins; (b) lecithin; and (c) at leaset one ingestible bioactive compound of at least low water solubility.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A homogeneous solid matrix composition, enabling an improved dispersion of and bitter taste masking of hydrophobic, bioactive ingestibles, of at least low water solubility comprising: 
 (a) at least 10% w/w vegetable proteins;    (b) lecithin; and    (c) at least one ingestible bioactive compound of at least low water solubility.    
     
     
         2 . A composition of  claim 1 , comprising lecithin and said ingestible bloactive compound in relative amounts of 1:3 to 3:1,  
     
     
         3 . A composition of  claim 1 , comprising lecithin and said ingestible bioactive compound in relative amounts of 1:1.  
     
     
         4 . A composition of  claim 2 , wherein the ratio of vegetable protein to the combined amounts of lecithin and ingestible bioactive compound is between 20:1 to 1:2.  
     
     
         5 . A composition of  claim 2 , wherein the ratio of vegetable protein to the combined amounts of lecithin and ingestible bioactive compound is between 4:1 to 1:1.  
     
     
         6 . A composition of  claim 1 , wherein said ingestible bioactive compound has a water solubility of less then 0.5 mg/ml at 25° C.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said vegetable proteins are selected from isolated and concentrated soybean proteins, containing at least 50% protein wherein the average MW of said proteins is larger then 25K Dalton.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said vegetable proteins are selected from isolated and concentrated soybean proteins, containing at least 60% proteins and said proteins are non-denatured.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said vegetable proteins are soybean proteins, containing at least 60% proteins and having a nitrogen solubility index (NSI) of at least 20%.  
     
     
         10 . composition of  claim 1 , wherein said vegetable proteins are soybean proteins, containing at least 70% proteins and wherein the average MW of said proteins is larger then 25K Dalton and the NSI thereof is higher then 20%.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said vegetable proteins are selected from the group consisting of concentrated and isolated proteins of: corm potatoes, wheat, peanuts, beans, rice, sesame, barley, sunflower, canola and rapeseed.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein ingestible bioactive compound is selected from the group consisting of a drug, a nutrient, a vitamin, a food supplement and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         13 . A composition of  claim 1 , wherein said ingestible bioactive compound is an herbal extract containing low water soluble ingredients.  
     
     
         14 . A method for preparing the composition of  claim 1 , wherein lecithin is swollen in water in a ratio of between about 1:2 to 1:10 and said ingestible bioactive compound is added until complete solubilization, vegetable protein is then added with additional water to produce granulation dough, whereafter, the wet mass is granulated and dried.  
     
     
         15 . A method of  claim 14 , wherein said wet mass is further diluted with water and spray dried.  
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the wet granulation is extruded through a screen having openings of 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm and spheronized in a spheronizer.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein said ingestible bioactive compound is a bitter tasting compound and homogeneous particles and taste masking are obtained.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 14 , in which the wet granulation is prepared and formed into spheres, utilizing a high shear granulator to form taste-masked spheres.  
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the limiting step for the ingestible bioactive compound release is the proteins gasto-intestinal digestion and decomposition of the matrix.  
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein ingestible bioactive compound is released over period of one to three hours in the gastrointestinal tract.  
     
     
         21 . A composition of  claim 1 , which is further coated or encapsulated.  
     
     
         22 . A core compound encapsulated with the homogenous matrix of  claim 1 , in fluidized bad or spray drying process.