Treatment of pain and fever

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of treating, decreasing, or preventing pain or fever comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a composition comprising the inventive compounds.

1 - 208 . (canceled)  
     
     
         209 . A method of treating pain and/or fever comprising administering to the subject in need thereof a composition comprising an effective amount of a compound having the formula An, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or an oxidation product thereof:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein 
 n is an integer from 2 to 18, such that there is at least one terminal monomeric unit A, and one or a plurality of additional monomeric units;  
 R is 3-(α)—OH, 3-(β)—OH, 3-(α)-O-sugar, or 3-(β)-O-sugar;  
 bonding between adjacent monomers takes place at positions selected from the group consisting of 4, 6 and 8;  
 a bond of an additional monomeric unit in position 4 has alpha or beta stereochemistry;  
 X, Y and Z are selected from the group consisting of monomeric unit A, hydrogen, and a sugar, with the proviso that as to the at least one terminal monomeric unit, bonding of the additional monomeric unit thereto is at position 4 and optionally Y=Z=hydrogen;  
 the sugar is optionally substituted with a phenolic moiety;  
 wherein the subject is a human or a veterinary animal.  
 
     
     
         210 . The method of  claim 209 , wherein the compound is a polymeric compound of the formula A n  or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein R is 3-(α)—OH or 3-(β)—OH, and X, Y and Z are selected from the group consisting of monomeric unit A or hydrogen.  
     
     
         211 . The method of  claim 210  wherein the subject is a human.  
     
     
         212 . The method of  claim 211 , wherein n is 2 to 13.  
     
     
         213 . The method of  claim 211 , wherein n is 2 to 12.  
     
     
         214 . The method of  claim 210 , wherein the adjacent monomers bind at positions (4β→6).  
     
     
         215 . The method of  claim 210 , wherein the adjacent monomers bind at positions (4β→6) and/or (4β→8).  
     
     
         216 . The method of  claim 210 , wherein the polymeric compound is selected from the group consisting of: dimer EC-(4β→8)-EC, dimer EC-(4β→6)-EC, trimer [EC-(4β→8)] 2 -EC, trimer [EC-(4β→6)] 2 -EC, tetramer [EC-(4β→8)] 3 -EC, pentamer [EC-(4β→8)] 4 -EC, and pentamer [EC-(4β→8)] 3 -EC-(4β→6)-EC, wherein EC is a monomeric unit epicatechin.  
     
     
         217 . The method of  claim 216 , wherein the subject is a human.  
     
     
         218 . The method of  claim 216 , wherein the subject is a veterinary animal.  
     
     
         219 . The method of  claim 210 , wherein the composition is a pharmaceutical composition.  
     
     
         220 . The method of  claim 210 , wherein the composition is a dietary supplement.  
     
     
         221 . The method of  claim 210 , wherein the composition is a food.  
     
     
         222 . The method of  claim 221 , wherein the composition is a pet food.  
     
     
         223 . The method of  claim 210 , wherein the composition is a beverage.  
     
     
         224 . The method of  claim 209 , wherein the compound is administered orally.  
     
     
         225 . The method of  claim 210 , wherein the compound is administered orally.  
     
     
         226 . The method of  claim 210 , wherein the composition is a confectionary.  
     
     
         227 . The method of  claim 210 , wherein the composition is a chocolate.  
     
     
         228 . The method of  claim 225 , wherein the compound is provided as a cocoa extract.  
     
     
         229 . The method of  claim 225 , wherein the compound is provided as a cocoa extract fraction.  
     
     
         230 . The method of  claim 225 , wherein the compound is provided as a cocoa solid.  
     
     
         231 . The method of  claim 230 , wherein the cocoa solid is a cocoa powder.  
     
     
         232 . The method of  claim 230 , wherein the cocoa solid is a non-alkalized cocoa solid.  
     
     
         233 . The method of  claim 230 , wherein the cocoa solid comprises a conserved level of the compound.  
     
     
         234 . The method of  claim 230 , wherein the cocoa solid is a CP-cocoa solid.  
     
     
         235 . The method of  claim 211 , wherein the human suffers from pain.  
     
     
         236 . The method of  claim 211 , wherein the human suffers from fever.  
     
     
         237 . The method of  claim 211 , wherein the human suffers from a headache.  
     
     
         238 . The method of  claim 237 , wherein the headache is a migraine headache.  
     
     
         239 . A method of treating pain and/or fever comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a composition comprising an effective amount of a compound selected from the group of catechin, epicatechin, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and an oxidation product thereof, wherein the subject is a human or a veterinary animal.  
     
     
         240 . The method of  claim 239 , wherein the compound is epicatechin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.  
     
     
         241 . The method of  claim 239 , wherein the compound is epicatechin.  
     
     
         242 . The method of  claim 241 , wherein the subject is a human.  
     
     
         243 . The method of  claim 241 , wherein the compound is administered orally.  
     
     
         244 . The method of  claim 243 , wherein the compound is provided as a cocoa extract.  
     
     
         245 . The method of  claim 243 , wherein the compound is provided as a cocoa extract fraction.  
     
     
         246 . The method of  claim 243 , wherein the compound is provided as a cocoa solid.  
     
     
         247 . The method of  claim 246 , wherein the cocoa solid is a cocoa powder.  
     
     
         248 . The method of  claim 246 , wherein the cocoa solid is a non-alkalized cocoa solid.  
     
     
         249 . The method of  claim 246 , wherein the cocoa solid comprises a conserved level of epicatechin.  
     
     
         250 . The method of  claim 246 , wherein the cocoa solid is a CP-cocoa solid.  
     
     
         251 . The method of  claim 242 , wherein the human suffers from pain.  
     
     
         252 . The method of  claim 242 , wherein the human suffers from fever.  
     
     
         253 . The method of  claim 242 , wherein the human suffers from a headache.  
     
     
         254 . The method of  claim 253 , wherein the headache is a migraine headache.