Extracts from plants of the moringaceae family and methods of making

Abstract

The present application is directed to materials and methods for producing extracts from a plant of the Moringaceae family having high concentrations of moringa isothiocyanates. The present disclosure is based in part on the discovery that the enzyme necessary to convert moringa glucosinolates (MGLs) into moringa isothiocyanates (MICs) (i.e., myrosinase) can be activated by simply injuring fresh leaves or sprouts of a plant of the Moringaceae family, without first subjecting the plant material to harsh conditions, such as harsh temperatures and drying conditions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of activating myrosinase present in a plant of the Moringaceae family comprising injuring fresh leaves or sprouts of the plant at a temperature of less than 100° C. for a time sufficient to activate myrosinase present in the plant. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the injuring step is performed at room temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the injuring comprises pressing, slicing, blending, rolling, juicing, pulverizing or grinding the fresh leaves or sprouts of the plant. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant of the Moringaceae family is a  M. oleifera  plant. 
     
     
         5 . A method of producing a plant composition comprising injuring fresh leaves or sprouts of a plant of the Moringaceae family at a temperature of less than 100° C. to produce the plant composition, wherein the plant composition comprises at least 0.1 wt %  moringa  isothiocyanates. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising separating solid leaves or sprouts from the plant composition. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the injuring is performed at room temperature. 
     
     
         8 . A plant composition produced by the method of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         9 . A method of producing an extract from a plant of the Moringaceae family comprising:
 contacting fresh injured leaves or sprouts of a plant of the Moringaceae family with an extraction fluid comprising water at a temperature of less than 100° C. to produce an extraction mixture; and   separating solid leaves or sprouts from the extraction mixture to produce the extract.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the contacting step is performed at room temperature. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the separating step is performed using a method selected from the group consisting of filtration, sedimentation, centrifugation, evaporation, reduced-pressure distillation, precipitation and adsorption. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising injuring the leaves or sprouts by pressing, slicing, blending, juicing, rolling, pulverizing or grinding the fresh leaves or sprouts. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of drying the extract. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the drying is performed by one or more methods selected from the group consisting air drying, spray drying, speed vacuum, rotoevaporation and lyophilization. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the extraction fluid comprises at least 95% water. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the solvent mixture comprises fresh leaves or sprouts to extraction fluid at a 1:5 (w/v) ratio. 
     
     
         17 . A method of producing an extract from a plant of the Moringaceae family comprising
 injuring fresh leaves or sprouts of the plant;   drying the injured fresh leaves or sprouts;   contacting dried injured leaves or sprouts with an extraction fluid comprising water at a temperature of less than 100° C. to produce an extraction mixture; and   separating solid leaves or sprouts from the extraction mixture to produce the extract.   
     
     
         18 . An extract produced by the method of  claim 9  or  claim 17 . 
     
     
         19 . The extract of  claim 18 , comprising at least 1%  moringa  isothiocyanates (MICs) per gram of fresh injured leaves or sprouts. 
     
     
         20 . The extract of  claim 18 , comprising at least 1.5% MICs per gram of fresh injured leaves or sprouts. 
     
     
         21 . The extract of  18 , wherein the MICs are selected from the group consisting of 4-[(α-L-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl] isothiocyanate (MIC-1) and 4-[(4′-O-acetyl-α-L-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl] isothiocyanate (MIC-4). 
     
     
         22 . The extract of  claim 18 , that comprises MIC-1 and MIC-4. 
     
     
         23 . A method for maintaining healthy body weight in a mammalian subject in need thereof comprising administering the extract of  claim 18  to the subject in need thereof in an amount sufficient to maintain a healthy body weight in the subject. 
     
     
         24 . A method for promoting a healthy metabolism in a mammalian subject in need thereof comprising administering the extract of  claim 18  to the subject in an amount sufficient to promote a healthy metabolism in the subject. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the subject is suffering from a metabolic disorder. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the metabolic disorder is selected from the group consisting of obesity, diabetes, satiety, endocrine deficiencies of aging, diabetes as a consequence of obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), diabetic dyslipidemia, hyperlipidemia, a cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the subject is suffering from type II diabetes. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the subject is suffering from obesity. 
     
     
         29 . A method for treating a mammalian subject suffering from a metabolic disorder comprising administering to the subject in need thereof the extract according to  claim 18  in an amount sufficient to treat the metabolic disorder. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the metabolic disorder is type II diabetes. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the metabolic disorder is obesity.