Reduced-odor thiol compositions

Abstract

The present invention provides compositions for and methods of delivering a therapeutically-effective dose of a malodorous, sulfide or disulfide group-containing compound, for example glutathione (reduced) and/or glutathione disulfide, in a vehicle that is effective to reduce the unpleasant odor and/or taste of the compound. The invention further provides methods for reducing the amount of oxidation occurring when sulfide group-containing compounds, such as glutathione, are incorporated into sugar and or sugar-free hard candies without subjecting the glutathione to thermal and or moisture degradation where degradation is expressed as oxidation. The invention further provides vehicle compositions including the protected sulfide group-containing compounds and their use as medicaments. The sulfide group-containing compounds are protected from degradation by their dispersion into fats, oils, and/or fractionated or partially hydrogenated oils prior to their blending into the vehicle.

1 . A method for diminishing an unpleasant smell or taste of a thiol compound, comprising:
 blending a thiol compound into a fluidized fat or oil to produce a blend having a diminished unpleasant smell or taste of the thiol compound.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thiol compound is glutathione, glutathione disulfide, ascorbate-2-phosphate, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, derivatives of any of the foregoing, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts of any of the foregoing, in any combination. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fluidized fat or oil is a vegetable oil, mineral oil, animal fat, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fat or oil is partially or fully hydrogenated. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the vegetable oil is canola oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, coconut oil, Paramount C, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blending occurs in fluidized fat or oil at a temperature of about 40° C. to about 90° C. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thiol compound comprises about 20 to about 70 percent by weight of the blend and the fats or oils comprise about 80 to about 30 percent by weight of the blend. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thiol compound is provided as a powder having a particle size range of about 5 to about 500 microns. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fluidized fat or oil is essentially anhydrous. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thiol compound is glutathione, the oil or fat is Paramount C, the ratio of glutathione to Paramount C is from about 55:45 to about 45:55, the glutathione is provided as a powder having a particle size range of about 80 to about 120 microns, and the blending occurs at about 70° C. 
     
     
         11 . A method for preventing oxidation of thiol groups in thiol compounds, comprising:
 blending a thiol compound for which oxidation is to be prevented into a fluidized fat or oil; and   preventing the oxidation of the thiol compound.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the thiol compound is glutathione, ascorbate-2-phosphate, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, derivatives of any of the foregoing, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts of any of the foregoing, in any combination. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the fluidized fat or oil is a vegetable oil, mineral oil, animal fat, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the fat or oil is partially or fully hydrogenated. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the vegetable oil is canola oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, coconut oil, Paramount C, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the blending occurs in fluidized fat or oil at a temperature of about 40° C. to about 90° C. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the thiol compound comprises about 20 to about 70 percent by weight of the blend and the fats or oils comprise about 80 to about 30 percent by weight of the blend. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the thiol compound is provided as a powder having a particle size range of about 5 to about 500 microns. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the fluidized fat or oil is essentially anhydrous. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the thiol compound is glutathione, the oil or fat is Paramount C, the ratio of glutathione to Paramount C is from about 55:45 to about 45:55, the glutathione is provided as a powder having a particle size range of about 80 to about 120 microns, and the blending occurs at about 70° C. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 dividing the blend into aliquots; and   storing the aliquots in essentially airtight containers.   
     
     
         22 . A method for preparing a thiol compound-containing composition having reduced sulfur odor and flavor, comprising:
 Blending a thiol compound into a fluidized fat or oil to produce a blend;   Adding the blend to a composition in preparation;   Completing the preparation of the composition to produce a prepared thiol compound-containing composition having reduced sulfur odor and flavor.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the thiol compound is glutathione, glutathione disulfide, ascorbate-2-phosphate, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, derivatives of any of the foregoing, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts of any of the foregoing, in any combination. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the fluidized fat or oil is a vegetable oil, mineral oil, animal fat, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the fat or oil is partially or fully hydrogenated. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the vegetable oil is canola oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, coconut oil, Paramount C, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the blending occurs in fluidized fat or oil at a temperature of about 40° C. to about 90° C. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the thiol compound comprises about 20 to about 70 percent by weight of the blend and the fats or oils comprise about 80 to about 30 percent by weight of the blend. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the thiol compound is provided as a powder having a particle size range of about 5 to about 500 microns. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the fluidized fat or oil is essentially anhydrous. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the composition further comprises a carbohydrate. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the carbohydrate is sucrose, glucose, xylose, ribose, maltose, galactose, dextrose, fructose, corn syrup, hydrogenated glucose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, polydextrose, isomalt, maltitol, sorbitol, lactitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, linuline, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the composition further comprises one or more sucrose derivatives, one or more amino acid-based sweeteners, one or more dipeptide sweeteners, saccharin and salts thereof, one or more acesulfame salts, one or more cyclamates, one or more steviosides, one or more dihydrochalcone compounds, thaumatin, glycyrrhizin, aspartame, neotame, alitame, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the composition further comprises a flavoring. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the flavoring is spearmint oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, oil of wintergreen, lemon oil, orange oil, grape oil, lime oil, grapefruit oil, apple essence, strawberry essence, cherry essence, pineapple essence, banana essence, raspberry essence, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the composition further comprises one or more drugs, one or more therapeutic or diagnostic compounds, one or more nutritional supplements, one or more botanicals, one or more herbal extracts, one or more antioxidants, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the prepared thiol compound-containing composition has a residual water content of about 5% or less by weight. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the thiol compound is glutathione, the oil or fat is Paramount C, the ratio of glutathione to Paramount C is from about 55:45 to about 45:55, the glutathione is provided as a powder having a particle size range of about 80 to about 120 microns, the blending occurs at about 70° C., the carbohydrate is isomalt, and the residual water content is about 3.5% or less. 
     
     
         39 . A thiol compound-containing composition having reduced sulfur odor and flavor, comprising: a blend comprising a thiol compound dispersed into a fat or oil. 
     
     
         40 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the thiol compound is glutathione, glutathione disulfide, ascorbate-2-phosphate, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, derivatives of any of the foregoing, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts of any of the foregoing, in any combination. 
     
     
         41 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the fat or oil is a vegetable oil, mineral oil, animal fat, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         42 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the fat or oil is partially or fully hydrogenated. 
     
     
         43 . The composition of  claim 41 , wherein the vegetable oil is canola oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, coconut oil, Paramount C, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         44 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the thiol compound comprises about 20 to about 70 percent by weight of the blend and the fats or oils comprise about 80 to about 30 percent by weight of the blend. 
     
     
         45 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the composition further comprises a carbohydrate. 
     
     
         46 . The composition of  claim 45 , wherein the carbohydrate is sucrose, glucose, xylose, ribose, maltose, galactose, dextrose, fructose, corn syrup, hydrogenated glucose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, polydextrose, isomalt, maltitol, sorbitol, lactitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, linuline, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         47 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the composition further comprises one or more sucrose derivatives, one or more amino acid-based sweeteners, one or more dipeptide sweeteners, saccharin and salts thereof, one or more acesulfame salts, one or more cyclamates, one or more steviosides, one or more dihydrochalcone compounds, thaumatin, glycyrrhizin, aspartame, neotame, alitame, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         48 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the composition further comprises a flavoring. 
     
     
         49 . The composition of  claim 48 , wherein the flavoring is spearmint oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, oil of wintergreen, lemon oil, orange oil, grape oil, lime oil, grapefruit oil, apple essence, strawberry essence, cherry essence, pineapple essence, banana essence, raspberry essence, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         50 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the composition further comprises one or more drugs, one or more therapeutic or diagnostic compounds, one or more nutritional supplements, one or more botanicals, one or more herbal extracts, one or more antioxidants, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         51 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the composition has a residual water content of about 5% or less by weight. 
     
     
         52 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the composition is a medicament. 
     
     
         53 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the medicament is a cough drop or lozenge. 
     
     
         54 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the composition is a hard candy. 
     
     
         55 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the composition is a soft candy. 
     
     
         56 . The composition of  claim 39 , wherein the composition is a hard candy, the thiol compound is glutathione, the oil or fat is Paramount C, the ratio of glutathione to Paramount C is from about 55:45 to about 45:55, the glutathione has a particle size range of about 80 to about 120 microns, the carbohydrate is isomalt, and the residual water content is about 3.5% or less.