Use of an active ingredient combination that contains hydroxystilbene for preventing and/or treating diseases

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of a combination of active ingredients, selected from resveratrol and piceatannol precursors and functional derivatives thereof, in addition to the use of the stereoisomeric forms of said ingredients, in the form of salts or phenol respectively, for producing an agent for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases, whose occurrence and/or progress is associated with an increased IL-6 serum level and/or whose occurrence and/or progress can be treated by a dose of a selective oestrogen receptor .beta. (ER-β) agonist.

1 . The use of a hydroxystilbene-containing active ingredient combination comprising at least two compounds selected from precursors of resveratrol and piceatannol, or functional derivatives thereof; and the stereoisomeric forms thereof, in each case in the form of their salts or in the phenol form, for producing a composition for preventing and/or treating disorders whose development and/or progression is associated with an elevated serum IL-6 level and/or whose development and/or progression can be treated by administering a selective estrogen receptor β ERβ agonist. 
     
     
         2 . The use of  claim 1 , wherein the disorder is
 a) depression and anxiety,   b) migraine,   c) chronic inflammatory disorders,   d) tumorigenesis and/or inhibition of tumor progression for endocrine-dependent and/or—independent tumors, or   e) prostate cancer and/or of LUTS.   
     
     
         3 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient combination includes a) a total hydroxystilbene content of more than 90% by weight; and/or b) a total content of glycosidic resveratrol and piceatannol precursors of more than 76% by weight, and/or c) an aglycone content of less than 5% by weight; and/or d) a content of less than 0.5% by weight of anthraquinone and/or anthraquinoids. 
     
     
         4 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hydroxystilbene components of the active ingredient combination is chemically synthesized or can be isolated from plants. 
     
     
         5 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient combination substantially comprises rhaponticin and deoxyrhaponticin. 
     
     
         6 . The use as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the active ingredient combination substantially comprises rhaponticin and deoxyrhaponticin in a ratio of about 10:1 to 1:10 by weight. 
     
     
         7 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient combination comprises rhaponticin, deoxyrhaponticin, and rhapontigenin and/or deoxyrhapontigenin. 
     
     
         8 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient combination is substantially free of aglycone derivatives of rhaponticin and deoxyrhaponticin. 
     
     
         9 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient combination substantially consists of approximately
 60-70% by weight rhaponticin   30-40% by weight deoxyrhaponticin   0-2% by weight trans-rhapontigenin   0-2% by weight deoxyrhapontigenin.   
     
     
         10 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient or the active ingredient combination can be obtained from plants of the genus  Rheum  spp,  Astragalus  spp,  Cassia  spp or  Picea  spp. 
     
     
         11 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein where the active ingredient or the active ingredient combination is obtainable from roots and/or other plant parts of Rheum rhaponticum. 
     
     
         12 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , further in combination with at least one further active ingredient which is suitable for the prevention and/or treatment of said disorder and differs from compounds as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the composition is selected from chemically synthesized, biotechnologically produced, herbal and homeopathic medicaments, other medicinal plant preparations, dietary supplements and dietetic food products. 
     
     
         14 . A dosage form comprising in a pharmaceutically or dietetically acceptable carrier an active ingredient or an active ingredient combination as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . The use of an active ingredient combination as claimed in  claim 1  for reducing the IL-6 serum level and/or for activating ERβ in vitro or in vivo. 
     
     
         16 . A composition comprising a dosage form as defined in  claim 14 .