MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDE BASED OIL PHASE IN WATER MICROEMULSIONS

Abstract

The invention relates to an oil in water microemulsion comprising a water solubility agent composition designed for preparing a MCT based oil phase in water microemulsion. The water solubility agent composition is based on using sucrose ester as emulsifier and lecithin as co-emulsifier. The invention further relates to a method of emulsifying a MCT based oil phase to form an oil in water microemulsion, a food product comprising the MCT based oil phase in water microemulsion in diluted form and the use of a water solubility agent composition for dispersing an MCT based oil phase in water.

Claims

1. An oil in water microemulsion comprising: a. a medium chain triglyceride (MCT) based oil phase and b. a water solubility agent composition, characterized in that the water solubility agent composition comprises c. water as main solvent, d. a sucrose ester as main emulsifier, e. a lecithin as co-emulsifier in combination with the sucrose ester, f. a polyol as co-solvent in combination with water, g. a monosaccharide as emulsification energy barrier reduction agent, and h. a short to medium chain alcohol as stabilizer wherein the water solubility agent composition combines with the MCT based oil phase such that an oil in water microemulsion with the MCT based oil phase dispersed in water providing a d90 droplet size within the range of 10 to 100 nm is provided.

2. An oil in water microemulsion according to claim 1, wherein the MCT based oil phase comprises a plant-derived full spectrum cannabidiol (CBD) oil.

3. An oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 2, wherein a. the sucrose ester is at least one of sucrose oleate, sucrose laurate, sucrose palmitate, sucrose myristate sucrose stearate, sucrose mono-oleate, sucrose mono-laurate, sucrose mono-palmitate, sucrose mono-myristate and sucrose mono-stearate, and b. the short to medium chain alcohol is sorbitol or n-butanol.

4. An oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein a. the sucrose ester is sucrose mono-palmitate or sucrose laurate, b. the polyol is propylene glycol or glycerol, and c. the monosaccharide is fructose or glucose.

5. An oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the water solubility agent composition comprises: a. a further polyol, and b. a further monosaccharide, and wherein the polyol is propylene glycol, the further polyol is glycerol, the monosaccharide is fructose and the further monosaccharide is fructose or glucose.

6. An oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 5, the water solubility agent composition comprising: a. a further sucrose ester, wherein b. the short to medium chain alcohol is n-butanol, c. the sucrose ester is sucrose mono-palmitate, and the further sucrose ester is sucrose mono-laurate, and d. sucrose mono-palmitate and sucrose mono-laurate are comprised in a sucrose mono-palmitate to sucrose mono-laurate weight ratio within the range of 1 to 2.

7. An oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the plant-derived full spectrum CBD oil comprises a vegetable carrier oil and bound therein CBD and a full spectrum of oil bindable hemp plant extracts, in particular wherein the plant-derived full spectrum CBD oil is obtained by applying a full spectrum extraction technique to a hemp plant, the technique applied being one of CO.sub.2 extraction, distillation, liquid/liquid extraction, and liquid solid extraction.

8. An oil in water microemulsion according to claim 7, wherein the vegetable carrier oil is an MCT based oil, derived from sunflower and/or at least one of the fruits coconut, olive, avocado and grape.

9. An oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 2 to 8, wherein the plant-derived full spectrum CBD oil comprises less than 1% tetrahydrocannabiol (THC) by weight of the total weight of the full spectrum CDB oil and cannabinoids in a total concentration from about 10% to 70% by weight of the total weight of the full spectrum CDB oil.

10. An oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the microemulsion comprises: a. the water solubility agent composition comprising by weight of the total weight of the microemulsion: (a) 10% to 70% water, (b) 1% to 30% sucrose mono-palmitate, (c) 1% to 60% propylene glycol, (d) up to 20% glycerol, (e) 1% to 60% fructose or a combination of fructose and glucose, (f) up to 10% lecithin, (g) up to 2% of a short to medium chain alcohol, and b. 1% to 20% by weight of the total weight of the microemulsion of a plant-derived full spectrum CBD oil comprised by the MCT based oil phase.

11. An oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the microemulsion comprises sucrose ester and MCT based oil phase in a sucrose ester to MCT based oil phase weight ratio equal to or smaller than 1.

12. An oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the microemulsion comprises: a. the water solubility agent composition comprising by weight of the total weight of the microemulsion: (a) 24% to 30% water, (b) 8% to 14% sucrose mono-palmitate, (c) 20% to 26% propylene glycol, (d) 0.4% to 1% glycerol, (e) 0.4% to 1% fructose, (f) 3% to 9% lecithin derived from sunflower, (g) up to 2% butyl alcohol, and b. 7% to 13% by weight of the total weight of the microemulsion of a plant-derived full spectrum CBD oil comprised by the MCT based oil phase, wherein the full spectrum CBD oil comprises cannabinoids in a total concentration of 20% to 30% by weight of the total weight of the full spectrum CBD oil.

13. A method of preparing an oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 12, comprising the steps of: a. providing an MCT based oil phase as comprised by the microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 12, b. providing a first phase by combining water, polyol, monosaccharide, short to medium chain alcohol and sucrose ester into a containment under stirring at a temperature equal to or below 35° C., in particular below 25° C., c. providing a second phase by combining the MCT based oil phase and lecithin, and d. mixing the second phase into the first phase aiding stirring to form a clear microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 12.

14. A food product comprising an oil in water microemulsion according to any of claims 7 to 13 in diluted form, in particular wherein the diluted form relates to a total concentration of a. sucrose esters in the food product of up to about 0.001%, up to about 0.01%, up to about 0.1%, up to about 1% by weight of the total weight of the food product, and/or b. CBD in the food product up to about 0.001%, up to about 0.01%, up to about 0.1%, up to about 1% by weight of the total weight of the food product.

15. Use of a water solubility agent composition as comprised by the microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 12, for dispersing an MCT based oil phase, as comprised by the microemulsion according to any of claims 1 to 12, in water.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The preparation of a long-term stable MCT based oil phase in water microemulsion according to an embodiment of the invention is described below in more detail purely by way of example. In detail:

[0041] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary composition to be used for the preparation of a MCT based oil phase in water microemulsion and a food product;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIG. 1 shows as an example a formulation forming a microemulsion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Thereby “Lemon flavor Rez2020” and “CITRAL” are aroma oils, CBD oil is a plant-derived full spectrum CBD oil comprising cannabinoids, and “Butyl alcohol nat” is n-butanol/butyl acohol, a natural short chain alcohol. Typically, the microemulsion is prepared by simple stirring.

[0043] Preparation of a first phase is performed by combining water soluble agents into a stainless steel vessel or similar containment at room temperature (max 35° C.), equipped with a simple stirrer and comprises the steps of: [0044] Blending the solvents like water, propylene glycol, glycerol and if required, butyl alcohol; [0045] Dissolving the sucrose esters at preferably 30-35° C.; and [0046] Dissolving monosaccharide.

[0047] Preparation of a second phase is performed by combining oil soluble agents and comprises the step of: [0048] Blending to the MCT based oil phase lecithin, the plant-derived full spectrum CBD oil and optionally aroma concentrate like citral.

[0049] Preparation of the microemulsion is performed by adding The second phase to the first phase little by little whilst stirring. After a certain time, a clear microemulsion is forming. The stirring time is depending on various factors, like batch size, container shape, stirrer efficiency and diameter. Such factors have to be determined specifically, according to the technical setup.

[0050] After the clear microemulsion has formed, the stirring has to be continued for at least 15, in particular 20 more minutes, in order to obtain a statistically good energy dissipation, and ensure the entire volume is well treated. The as prepared microemulsion comprising the plant-derived full spectrum CBD oil can then be used to produce a food product. Therefore, the as-prepared microemulsion can serve as stock solution and is diluteable to a desired degree. For example, by diluting a certain amount of the microemulsion in a certain volume of drinking water a water—fortified with the desired plant derived substances at the desired concentration range—is obtainable. Furthermore, by diluting the stock solution a beverage concentrate, e.g. a dosage syrup is obtainable. Thereby, a beverage can comprise the MCT based oil phase up to a concentration of 1 g/L or a beverage concentrate can comprise the MCT based oil phase in a concentration up to 100 g/L.

[0051] Preparing a beverage comprising at least part of the microemulsion, acidic ingredients should preferably be added last, after the desired amount of microemulsion has been well dispersed in the beverage. This is due to the fact, that pH values below 2.5 my affect the emulsion causing sediments or destabilization of the emulsion. Same reasoning applies for alcoholic ingredients.