WO2000071145A1

WO2000071145A1 - Composition for recovering from a hangover and for preventing brain cell damage

Info

Publication number: WO2000071145A1
Application number: PCT/KR1999/000316
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hee Jung Kim; Yeong Chul Park
Original assignee: Hee Jung Kim
Priority date: 1999-05-24
Filing date: 1999-06-19
Publication date: 2000-11-30
Also published as: AU4398299A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel composition for recovering from a hangover due to alcohol and for preventing brain cell damage, and the preparation method therein. The present composition comprises Ginkgo biloba extract and taurine, wherein the amounts of said Ginkgo biloba extract and taurine are preferably in the range of 0.01-10.0 % by weight and 0.01-10.0 % by weight per 1 ml of composition, respectively. Further, the present composition can optionally contain at least one or more of the matters selected from sugar, Ostrea gigas extract and/or Amomum villosum extract. The composition can be beverage, in tablet form or in granular form by conventional pharmaceutical preparation methods.

Description

COMPOSITION FOR RECOVERING FROM A HANGOVER AND FOR PREVENTING BRAIN CELL DAMAGE

Technical Field The present invention relates generally to the recovery from drunken conditions and to the prevention of brain cell damage, and especially to novel compositions used to recover from a hangover by alcohol and to prevent brain cell damage, and to a process to produce the composition therein.

Background Art

A hangover is a physical pain of the human body after one has drunk alcohol m excess. A hangover involves the mam symptoms such as a headacne with vomiting, a stomachache and a brash of sour stomach, etc. Intestinal brash and the like which are caused by excessive secretion of gastric juices, that is, gastric hyperacidity due to ethanol itself, can be improved and restored by internal use of antacid. However, a headache due to a hangover is generally known to result from acetaldehyde as the metabolite of alcohol.

Acetaldehyde, principle, affects nerve cells in the cerebrum and the cerebellum and so on, and recently, is known to be accumulated m a large amount withm the cerebellum. Additionally, the anesthetic effect of ethyl alcohol is so strong that it makes one feel no headache, even though acetaldehyde is produced while drinking wine. However, it has been found that the headache caused by acetaldehyde does not occur until the ethanol level m blood is lowered, followed by a decrease in anesthetic effect. Acetaldehyde, in particular, causes the contraction of cerebral blood vessels and allows the blood flow rate to decrease so that it consequently causes severe pain.

Further, cerebral cells generate ATPs (abbr. of "adenos e triphosphate" ) only from saccharides, compared to the cells in other areas of tne body that use carbohydrates, fats and saccharides to produce ATPs as an energy source. Ethanol reduces the level of blood sugar so that the pain grows worse by the deficiency of energy. Oxidative stress caused by ethanol and acetaldehyde has been disclosed to occur if antioxidant materials cells which are required to eliminate free radicals generated during the energy metabolism are decreased. In other words, free radicals increase during the process of the metabolism of ethanol and derive oxidation of the glutathion (GSH) which shows the strongest antioxidation effect among different antioxidation enzymes and/or substances m cells.

The exhaustion of GSH results m the non- equilibrium between mtra-cellular pro-oxidants and anti-oxidants, followed by the increase of oxidative stress. Consequently, oxidative stress makes free radicals combine with acromolecules such as mtra- cellular proteins, lipids to compose cell membranes, etc. so that it allows the inactivation of enzymes to be increased and leads to the destruction of cell membranes, and then, leads to diseases.

Besides alcohol, the human body is exposed to various toxic materials contained m contaminated environments and can metabolize them to produce narmful free radicals. The free radicals can induce brain cells damage and cause serious brain disease such as Alzheimer's disease.

It has been disclosed that the function of conventional medicines or beverages for recovering from a hangover is mostly based on the decomposition of ethanol and the detoxification of the liver. However, since a liver suffering from a hangover cannot recover unless at least three (3) days have passed after drinking, it may substantially be impossible to restore or recover the damaged liver. Prior known medicines or beverages for recovering from a drunken condition have slightly shown the visual effect of the improvement because the liver has no nerve cells to sense the symptoms from the nangover.

Therefore, m order to recover from symptoms such as headaches subsequently derived from drinking alcohol, it should be important to primarily restore the normal functioning of the brain rather than the liver.

"Ginkgo biloba extract" has been used to treat asthma or bronchitis as a Chinese medicine m China for a long time, and recently, it has been known that the extract of ginkgo leaves is on the market m the areas of Europe and Asia as a medical agent to treat senile peripheral neuropathy (or peripheral nerve disorder) , cerebrovascular disorder and/or asthma.

Taurine is an important suostance m the human body. Octopuses, squids, shrimps and clams are known to contain large amounts of taurine. It has been known that taurine can protect the liver, help one recover from fatigue, protect one's eyesight, and prevent and treat stomach ulcers and duodenum ulcers. In order to solve the problems of prior art and of enhancing the effect of removing headaches due to hangovers, the present inventor studied the method to remove acetaldehydes inducing the headaches, thereby finding that the contents of the acetaldehydes m blood can be effectively reduced by combining acetaldehydes with taurine to form complexes, further, using the blood circulation effect of "Gmgko" and thus accomplishing the present invention.

In addition, the inventor has achieved the protection of cerebral oxidative damage caused by ethanol and acetaldehyde.

Furthermore, the inventor has confirmed through experiments that the composition according to the present invention has a significant effect preventing brain cell damage due to exposure to various harmful materials .

Disclosure-, of the Invention The primary ob ect of the present invention is to provide new compositions to restore and recover the body from drunken conditions due to alcohol.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new pharmaceutical compositions to prevent bram cell damage.

In order to accomplish the object above, the present invention relates to a medicine or a composition comprising "Ginkgo biloba extract" and "Taurine" for recovering from a hangover.

Further, the composition above may contain sugar, Ostrea gigas and Amomum villosum.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a graphic representation of the effect of taurine ("Tau") m reducing acetaldehyde ("AcH") m blood.

Fig. 2 is a graphic representation of the relation between the amount and the reaction of AcH and Tau.

Fig. 3 shows the analysis result of the structure of the AcH + Tau complex by GC mass.

Fig. 4 is a graphic representation of the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract ( "Gbe" ) and Tau to the peroxidation of ethanol-denved lipids.

Fig. 5 is a graphic representation of the effects of Gbe and Tau to the carbonylation of ethanol-denved protein.

Fig. 6 is a graphic representation of the effects of Gbe + Tau on headaches induced by wme.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

The compositions of the present invention for recovering from a hangover and for preventing bram cell damage comprise Ginkgo biloba extract and taurine.

Ginkgo biloba extract contained in the composition can improve the antioxidative effect resistant to tne damage by ethanol-denved oxidation and facilitate the cerebrovascular circulation to remove acetaldehyde as the metabolite of ethanol in the cerebral blood vessels. Taurine contained m the present composition generates a complex withm the acetaldehyde excluded from the bram and blood vessels so that it prevents the acetaldehyde along with hemokmesis to flow back into the bram. The composition according to the present invention may preferably include 0.01-10.0wt% Ginkgo biloba extract and 0.01-10.0wt% taurine per 100 ml of the composition.

The method to produce the composition of the present invention is illustrated by the following descriptive matter and the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Ginkgo biloba extract is on the market or is directly obtained from ginkgo leaves by the processes of extracting the leaves and filtering and drying the supernatant .

The present composition can be prepared by adding Ginkgo biloba extract and Taurine into edible water, admixing them at room temperature and further adding known and acceptable additives such as preservatives and flavorings m sufficient amounts to produce the desired effect.

Further, the said composition may optionally and/or totally contain sugar, Ostrea gigas extract or Amomum villosum extract.

Sugar can smoothly provide ATPs as the energy source removed by ethanol.

Also, Ostrea gigas extract which functions as an antacid to protect against intestinal brash owing to acid indigestion can be obtained by heating oyster shells. Alternatively, Ostrea gigas extract may be on a market or directly obtained from oyster shells by the processes of extracting, filtering and drying Known m the art .

Amomum villosum extract from a ginger geneic nut which functions as a constipant to prevent diarrhea and effects to remove intestinal gas may be on a market or directly obtained by the known methods of extracting, filtering and drying it.

The more preferable composition of the present invention optionally includes at least one or more of the following ingredients: 0.1-30 wt.% sugar, 0.01-10 wt.% Ostrea gigas extract and/or 0.01-10 wt.?: Amomum villosum extract per 100ml of the composition, together with Ginkgo biloba extract and Taurine.

The pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention may be manufactured by 0.01-10.0 wt% Ginkgo biloba extract and 0.01-10 wt% taurine per each tablet together with other conventional additives such as diluent, binder, etc. by conventional pharmaceutical preparation. The pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention may be manufactured to be in a granular form preparation.

The inventor has experimentally confirmed that the compositions according to the present invention significantly reduce the concentration of aldehyde in blood compared to that of alcohol-treated group and prevent oxidative damage of bram cells.

Therefore, the results show that the compositions according to the present invention protect bram cells from oxidative damage as well as help m the recovery from a hangover. For a better understanding of the present invention, reference should be made but not limited to the following examples with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Example 1

A drinkable beverage composition is prepared by mixing the following ingredients m 1 liter of edible water :

Ingredients Contents

Ginkgo Diloba extract lg (powder)

Taurine 15g

Pineapple flavoring 0.25mg

Peach flavoring 0.25mg

Lemon flavoring 0.30mg Orange flavoring 0.30mg

Sodium Benzoate 0.05g

Citric acid O.lg

Example 2 A drinkable beverage composition is prepared by mixing the following ingredients m 1 liter of edible water:

Ingredients Contents

Ginkgo biloba extract 3g (powder)

Taurine lg

Sugar 15g

Ostrea gigas extract 30g (powder)

Amomum villosum extract 30g (powder)

Pineapple flavoring 0.25mg

Peach flavoring 0.25mg Lemon flavoring 0.30mg

Orange flavoring 0.30mg

Sodium Benzoate 0.05g

Citric acid 0.2g Examp l 3

A driniable beverage composition is prepared by mixing the following ingredients m 1 liter of edible water:

Ingredients Contents

Ginkgo biloba extract 2g

(powder)

Taurine lOg

Ostrea gigas extract 30g (powder)

Amomum villosum extract 30g

(powder)

Pineapple flavoring 0.25mg

Peach flavoring 0.25mg Lemon flavoring 0.30mg

Orange flavoring 0.30mg

Sodium Benzoate O.lg

Citric acid 0. lg

Example 4 Tablets according to the composition of the invention are prepared by conventional pharmaceutical preparation methods with the following ingredients:

Ingredients Contents

Ginkgo biloba extract 2g (powder)

Taurine 5g

Starch 68g

Magnesium Stearate 20g Talc 5g

Total lOOg 7100 tablets

Example 5 ; The reduction of acetaldehyde concentration in blood by taurine

1) Oxidation damage of bram tissue was measured in rats 8 hours after oral administration of 2 ml of 25% ethanol at intervals of 30 minutes. 1 hour before sacrificing the animals, a 15mg/kg body weight dosage of taurine and 1.5mg/kg body weight of Ginkgo biloba extract was administered. Also, damage of brain tissue by oxidative stress was measured in a control group by sacrificing rats 30 minutes after oral administration of 2 ml of 10% acetaldehyde. Each group comprised 4 to 6 rats and the brain tissue of the sacrificed rats was preserved in liquid nitrogen. Within 3 days after sacrificing the rats, lg of brain tissue was sampled and homogenized in 3 m of 1.15% KCl buffer. Homogenized samples were centrifuged for 10 min. at 800 rpm at 4 ^°C and supernatant was used as a sample for measurement. Samples obtained by the said procedure were analyzed by gas chromatography (Hewlett-Packard, U.S.A.) and the results are described in the graph of Fig. 1. Fig 1. shows that acetaldehyde concentration in the blood for the taurine-treated group is 0.0013% whereas that for the acetaldehyde-control group is 0.012%. Therefore, acetaldehyde concentration in the blood was lowered ten times by administering taurine. 2) In order to confirm that the concentration of acetaldehyde was lowered due to the complex with taurine, taurine and acetaldehyde were mixed in a test tube and the mixture was analyzed by gas chromatography. 1ml of 0.5% and 1% acetaldehyde were mixed with 50mg, 25 mg, 12.5 mg, 6.25 mg, 3.125 mg of taurine in test tubes, respectively and the concentration of the complex in the mixture was measured.

As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, concentration of acetaldehyde was lowered and that of the complex increased depending on the increase in the amount of taurine. The chemical structure of the complex is assumed to have functional groups of propanoic acid, 2-methyl and octyl ester by analysis of gas chromatography. Example 6 : The effect on oxidative stress

The effect of Ginkgo biloba extracts and taurine on a bram intoxicated by ethanol and its primary metabolite, acetaldehyde, was tested. Lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation by oxidative stress m the brain tissue of rats were measured after twice orally administering 2ml of 25% ethanol at intervals of 30 mm. The Lowry method was used m the quantitative analysis of protein the bram tissue.

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show the results of the above experiment. As shown m the said Figures, oxidative damage (amount of TBARS ( thiobarbituric acid-reacting substance) and amount of protein carbonyl group) m the bram tissue of the rats sacrificed 6 hours after administering ethanol increased 25-30% in comparison to the normal control group. However, the damage was significantly decreased in the Ginkgo biloba extracts- treated and/or the taurme-treated group.

Example 7 : The effect on headaches induced by ethanol

The composition, according to said Example 1, was administered to 40 men and women, m age ranging from their twenties to their fifties, suffering headaches the next morning after drmkmg and the result is shown in Fig. 6. The composition was administered on an empty stomach the next morning after drmkmg. 33 out of 40 persons (83%) recovered from their headaches.

Various modifications of the compositions and processes of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure. Unless otherwise stated, inventions may be carried out and embodied in the absence of elements, constituent composition components and/or process steps and/or parameters not specifically disclosed or excluded herein.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A beverage composition for recovering from a hangover and for preventing bram cell damage, comprising Ginkgo biloba extract and taurine.

2. The beverage composition according to Claim 1, wherein said composition comprises 0.01-10.0 wt.% Ginkgo biloba extract and 0.01-10.0 wt.% taurine per 100m£ (milliliter) of composition.

3. The beverage composition according to Claim 1, wherein said composition further optionally comprises at least one or more of the materials selected from sugar, Ostrea gigas extract and/or Amomum villosum extract .

4. The beverage composition according to Claim 3, wherein said composition comprises 0.1-30 wt.% sugar, 0.01-10.0 wt.% Ostrea gigas extract and 0.01-10.0 wt.% Amomum villosum extract.

5. A pharmaceutical composition for recovering from a hangover and for preventing bram cell damage, comprising Ginkgo biloba extract and taurine.

6. The pharmaceutical composition according to Claim 5, wherein it is in tablet form.

7. The pharmaceutical composition according to Claim 5, wherein it is in granular form.