Preservation of Ergothioneine

Abstract

Compositions comprising ergothioneine and a trimethylamine absorber are provided. Also provided are methods for preventing, reducing or minimizing the fishy, amine odor, due to trimethylamine, that is associated with the processing and/or storage of a preparation containing ergothioneine, by combining with the ergothioneine, during processing or prior to storage, a trimethylamine absorber in an amount sufficient to prevent the detection of any trimethylamine odor by the human nose. A method is further provided for ameliorating the methylamine odor associated with an aqueous ergothioneine-containing preparation after it has developed a fishy trimethylamine odor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aqueous-containing topical, cosmetic or pharmaceutical composition having a neutral to acidic pH and comprising greater than 20 μM (w/v) ergothioneine and at least one trimethylamine absorber comprising a weak acid, wherein the ergothioneine and the trimethylamine absorber are present in the composition in amounts sufficient such that trimethylamine gas released from the ergothioneine during storage of the composition at room temperature is converted by the trimethylamine absorber to a form which cannot volatilize. 
     
     
         2 . The aqueous-containing composition of  claim 1 , wherein the weak acid has an acid dissociation constant (K a ) of between about 1.8×10 −16  and 55.5. 
     
     
         3 . The aqueous-containing composition of  claim 2 , wherein the weak acid is an organic acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, ascorbic acid, citric acid, formic acid, heptanoic acid, hexanoic acid, lactic acid, octanoic acid, oxalic acid, pentanoic acid, propanoic acid, uric acid, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The aqueous-containing composition of  claim 3 , wherein the weak organic acid is citric acid. 
     
     
         5 . The aqueous-containing composition of  claim 2 , wherein the weak acid is an inorganic acid selected from the group consisting of boric acid, carbonic acid, chromic acid, hydrocyanic acid, hydrofluoric acid, nitrous acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The aqueous-containing composition of  claim 1 , wherein the weak acid and the ergothioneine are present in the composition in a ratio of greater than 1:1. 
     
     
         7 . The aqueous-containing composition of  claim 6 , wherein the weak acid and the ergothioneine are present in the composition in a ratio of in the range of from about 1:1 to about 6:1. 
     
     
         8 . The aqueous-containing composition of  claim 7 , wherein the weak acid and the ergothioneine are present in the composition in a ratio of in the range of from about 2:1 to about 4:1. 
     
     
         9 . The aqueous-containing composition of  claim 1 , wherein ergothioneine is present at a concentration of greater than 20 mM (w/v). 
     
     
         10 . The aqueous-containing composition of  claim 1 , which is in the form of a solution, a suspension or an emulsion.