# US 10,441,603 B2 · Synergistic prebiotic composition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,603 B2 - Document ID: US10441603B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/512,951 - Filed: 2014-09-30 - Published: 2017-09-14 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-30 - Assignees: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Applicants: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Inventors: David William Koenig; Michael Andrew Zawadzki; Cathleen Mae Uttecht; Jeffrey Janne Johnson; David Andrew Moline; Rebecca Ann Vongsa; Amy Lynn Vanden Heuvel; YoungSook Kim; SangHa Park; Jessica Caroline Rogers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441603B2 ## CPC - A61K 31/733: Fructosans, e.g. inulin - A61K 9/7007: {Drug-containing films, membranes or sheets (A61K9/0041, A61K9/0043, A61K9/006, A61K9/0063 take precedence)} - A61K 31/19: Carboxylic acids, e.g. valproic acid (salicylic acid A61K31/60) - A61K 31/191: having two or more hydroxy groups, e.g. gluconic acid - A61K 31/194: having two or more carboxyl groups, e.g. succinic, maleic or phthalic acid - A61K 31/702: Oligosaccharides, i.e. having three to five saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic linkages - A61K 45/06: Mixtures of active ingredients without chemical characterisation, e.g. antiphlogistics and cardiaca - A61K 47/26: Carbohydrates, e.g. sugar alcohols, amino sugars, nucleic acids, mono-, di- or oligo-saccharides; Derivatives thereof, e.g. polysorbates, sorbitan fatty acid esters or glycyrrhizin - A61P 1/00: Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system - A61P 17/00: Drugs for dermatological disorders - A61P 43/00: Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00 - A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D) - A61P: SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS ## Abstract The present invention relates to prebiotic compositions and formulations comprising an α-hydroxy acid and salts thereof, such as lactic, glycolic, citric, tartaric or malic acid and a prebiotic agent, such as inulin, fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS), lactulose, galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS), raffinose, stachyose, isomalto-oligosaccharide, and xylo-oligosaccharide. Prebiotic compositions of the present invention provide a surprisingly synergist prebiotic effect and may be administered in several forms to a user, such as by application to a premoistened wiping substrate or dry bath tissue. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A prebiotic wipe comprising a wiping substrate and a prebiotic composition disposed thereon, the prebiotic composition comprising from about 0.5 to about 2.0 percent, by weight of the prebiotic composition, a prebiotic agent selected from the group consisting of inulin, fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS), lactulose, galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS), raffinose, stachyose, isomalto-oligosaccharide, and xylo-oligosaccharide, from about 0.01 to about 1.0 percent, by weight of the prebiotic composition, α-hydroxy acid and water, wherein the weight ratio of the α-hydroxy acid to the prebiotic agent is from about 1:100 to about 1:200 and the wipe comprises from about 500 to about 1,500 mg of the prebiotic agent and from about 10 to about 50 mg of the α-hydroxy acid per square meter of wiping substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The prebiotic wipe of claim 1 wherein the pH of the prebiotic composition is from about 4.0 to about 6.0. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The prebiotic wipe of claim 1 wherein the α-hydroxy acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, lactic acid, methyllactic acid, phenyllactic acid, malic acid, mandelic acid, glycolic acid, tartronic acid, tartaric acid and gluconic acid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The prebiotic wipe of claim 1 further comprising a digestible saccharide selected from the group consisting of lactose, glucose and galactose. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The prebiotic wipe of claim 1 wherein the prebiotic composition comprises from about 89 to about 99 percent, by weight of the composition, water and the composition has a pH from about 4.0 to about 6.0. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The prebiotic wipe of claim 1 wherein the wiping substrate is a nonwoven material selected from the group consisting of meltblown, coform, spunbond, airlaid, hydroentangled nonwovens, spunlace, bonded carded webs, and laminates thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The prebiotic wipe of claim 1 wherein the wiping substrate is a tissue web having a basis weight greater than about 10 grams per square meter and a bulk greater than about 3 cubic centimeters per gram. ### Claim 8 A prebiotic wet wipe comprising a wipe substrate and a liquid prebiotic composition disposed thereon, the prebiotic composition comprising: (a) water, (b) from about 500 to about 1,500 mg of a prebiotic agent selected from the group consisting of inulin, fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS), lactulose, galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS), raffinose, stachyose, isomalto-oligosaccharide, and xylo-oligosaccharide, per square meter of the wipe substrate; (c) from about 10 to about 50 mg of an α-hydroxy acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, lactic acid, methyllactic acid, phenyllactic acid, malic acid, mandelic acid, glycolic acid, tartronic acid, tartaric acid, and gluconic acid, per square meter of the wipe substrate; (d) a surfactant, and (e) a humectant, wherein the weight ratio of the α-hydroxy acid to the prebiotic agent is from about 1:100 to about 1:200. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The prebiotic wipe of claim 8 wherein the surfactant is non-ionic and the humectant is selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, glycerin, dipropylene glycol, glyceryl polymethracrylate and glyceryl polymethracrylate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The prebiotic wipe of claim 8 wherein the prebiotic composition comprises from about 0.1 to about 10 percent the prebiotic agent, from about 0.01 to about 1 percent the α-hydroxy acid, from about 0.1 to about 1 percent the surfactant, and from about 0.1 to about 2 percent the humectant, where all percentages are weight percentages based upon the weight of the prebiotic composition.