Ligneous plant-derived heteropolysaccharides for use in treatment of urologic symptoms and diseases

Abstract

The present invention relates to preventing and/or treating urologic diseases and symptoms in humans or domestic animals. The present invention relates also to preventing and/or treating pain in the pelvic area. The invention relates to use of a heteropolysaccharide composition isolated from ligneous plants and comprising hemicelluloses, mainly glucomannans, but also xylans and pectic polysaccharides, as well as fractions, subgroups or mixtures of these, as pharmaceutical preparations, food additives and food products.

1 . A ligneous plant-derived composition comprising heteropolysaccharides for use in the treatment of at least one urologic symptom or disease in a human or animal subject. 
     
     
         2 . The composition according to  claim 1 , comprising hemicellulose and/or pectic compounds. 
     
     
         3 . The composition according to  claim 1  n a form of a water-extract. 
     
     
         4 . The composition according to  claim 1  in a form of an isolated carbohydrate composition. 
     
     
         5 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein galactoglucomannans (GGMs) constitute at least 50% of the total carbohydrate content of the composition. 
     
     
         6 . The composition according to  claim 5 , wherein GGMs constitute at least 80% of the total carbohydrate content of the composition. 
     
     
         7 . The composition according to  claim 1  any one of  claims 1  to  6 , comprising oligosaccharides with two to ten sugar units selected from the group consisting of mannose, glucose, galactose and xylose sugar units. 
     
     
         8 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the symptom is selected from the group consisting of increased daytime urinary frequency, nocturia, urinary incontinence, urinary urgency, intermitted urine stream, slow urine stream, split-ting or spraying of the urine stream, prolonged micturition hesitancy, straining and terminal dribble, incomplete bladder emptying, post-micturition dribble, abdominal pain, pelvic pain, genitourinary pain, bladder pain, urethral pain, vulval pain, vaginal pain, scrotal pain, and perineal pain. 
     
     
         9 . The composition according to  claim 8 , wherein the human or animal subject suffers from a disease or a condition selected from the group consisting of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, hemorrhagic cystitis, overactive bladder, chronic nonbacterial prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, benign prostate hyperplasia, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma, urothelial cell carcinoma, and testicular cancer. 
     
     
         10 . The composition according to  claim 1  obtainable by a water-extraction method selected from the group consisting of batch extraction, flow-through extraction, and hot-water extraction, with or without ethanol precipitation. 
     
     
         11 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a composition according to  claim 1  and a pharmaceutically suitable carrier. 
     
     
         12 . A food or animal feed product comprising a composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A natural product comprising a composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A method of treating at least one urologic symptom or disease in a human or animal subject in need thereof by administering an efficient amount of a ligneous plant-derived composition comprising heteropolysaccharides to said subject. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said composition comprises hemicellulose and/or pectic compounds. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said composition is in a form of a water-extract. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said composition is in a form of an isolated carbohydrate composition. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein galactoglucomannans (GGMs) constitute at least 50% of the total carbohydrate content of the composition. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein GGMs constitute at least 80% of the total carbohydrate content of the composition. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said composition comprises oligosaccharides with two to ten sugar units selected from the group consisting of mannose, glucose, galactose and xylose sugar units. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said at least one symptom is selected from the group consisting of increased daytime urinary frequency, nocturia, urinary incontinence, urinary urgency, intermitted urine stream, slow urine stream, split-ting or spraying of the urine stream, prolonged micturition hesitancy, straining and terminal dribble, incomplete bladder emptying, post-micturition dribble, abdominal pain, pelvic pain, genitourinary pain, bladder pain, urethral pain, vulval pain, vaginal pain, scrotal pain, and perineal pain. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the human or animal subject suffers from a disease or a condition selected from the group consisting of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, hemorrhagic cystitis, overactive bladder, chronic nonbacterial prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, benign prostate hyperplasia, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma, urothelial cell carcinoma, and testicular cancer.