Non-digestible sugar-coated products and process

Abstract

A method and composition are provided for coating a component to achieve colon-targeted delivery. A component is coated with a fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate such as a inulin, fructo-oligosaccharide or neosugar. The coated component is orally administered to a monogastric animal. The non-digestible coating causes the composition to pass through the stomach and small intestine without being degraded, and delivers the component to the colon where the coating is digested by microbial fermentation and the component is released.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of delivering a component to the colon of an animal comprising: 
 coating the component with a fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate; and    orally administering the coated component to the animal.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate is fructan.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the fructan has an average degree of polymerization in the approximate range of 2 to 60.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the fructan has an average degree of polymerization in the approximate range of 2 to 20.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the fructan has an average degree of polymerization in the approximate range of 2 to 10.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate is fructo-oligosaccharide.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate is neosugar.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the component is one or more of a mineral, vitamin, drug, bacteria, yeast, immune stimulator, nutrient, nutraceutical, electrolyte, chelated mineral, mold, enzyme, energy-providing compound, antibody, or acid.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the component is bacteria from the genus Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the component is a nutraceutical.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the component is an enzyme.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the component is an immune stimulator.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the component is a drug.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate is utilized as an energy source by Bifidobacterium species, but not by Salmonella species.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate is utilized as an energy source by Lactobacillus species, but not by  Escherichia coli.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the coating step comprises applying powdered fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate with a liquid to form a thin film coating on the component.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising repeating the step of applying the powdered fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate and liquid to achieve a multi-layered coating.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the coating step comprises combining the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate with a liquid to form a mixture and atomizing and spraying the mixture on the component to form a thin film coating on the component.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising repeating the step of applying the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate and liquid mixture to achieve a multi-layered coating.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  comprising coating the component with fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate and one or more flavoring agent.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the component is a bacteria.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the bacteria is from the genus Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria.  
     
     
         23 . A coated component made in accordance with the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         24 . A method of delivering a component to the colon of an animal comprising: 
 coating the component with one or more prebiotics; and    orally administering the coated component to the animal.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the prebiotic is a fructose-based oligosaccharide, peptide, protein, or lipid that is not digested or absorbed in a stomach or small intestine, but is fermented by bacteria present in the colon.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  comprising coating the component with a mixture of two or more prebiotics.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein one of the prebiotics is fructo-oligosaccharide.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24  comprising coating the component with a mixture of one or more prebiotic and one or more flavoring agent.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the component is one or more of a mineral, vitamin, drug, bacteria, yeast, immune stimulator, nutrient, nutraceutical, electrolyte, chelated mineral, mold, enzyme, energy-providing compound, antibody, or acid.  
     
     
         30 . A composition for colon-targeted delivery comprising: 
 one or more components to be delivered to the colon; and    a fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate coating surrounding the component.    
     
     
         31 . The composition of  claim 30  wherein the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate is fructo-oligosaccharide.  
     
     
         32 . The composition of  claim 30  wherein the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate is inulin.  
     
     
         33 . The composition of  claim 30  wherein the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate is neosugar.  
     
     
         34 . The composition of  claim 30  wherein the coating further comprises a flavor enhancing agent.  
     
     
         35 . The composition of  claim 30  wherein the component is one or more of a mineral, vitamin, drug, bacteria, yeast, immune stimulator, nutrient, nutraceutical, electrolyte, chelated mineral, mold, enzyme, energy-providing compound, antibody, or acid.  
     
     
         36 . The composition of  claim 35  wherein the component is one or more beneficial bacteria from the genus Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria.  
     
     
         37 . A composition for colon-targeted delivery comprising: 
 one or more components to be delivered to the colon; and    a coating of one or more prebiotics surrounding the component, wherein at least one of the prebiotics is a fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate.    
     
     
         38 . A method of masking the flavor of a component to be administered orally to an animal comprising coating the component with combination of a fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate and a flavoring agent.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate is fructo-oligosaccharide, inulin, or neosugar.  
     
     
         40 . A method of enhancing the flowability of a component comprising coating the component with a fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the fructose-based non-digestible carbohydrate is fructo-oligosaccharide, inulin, or neosugar.