# US 10,946,056 B2 · Inhibition of formation of amyloid b-protein fibrils using cactus mucilage extracts

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- Number: US 10,946,056 B2
- Document ID: US10946056B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/502,850
- Filed: 2019-07-03
- Published: 2019-10-31
- Granted: 2021-03-16
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-16
- Assignees: University of South Florida
- Applicants: Norma A. Alcantar; David Morgan; Zeinab Veisi; Leonid Breydo; Vladimir N. Uversky; Ryan G. Toomey; Tunan Peng; Eva Stephanie Lobbens
- Inventors: Norma A. Alcantar; David Morgan; Zeinab Veisi; Leonid Breydo; Vladimir N. Uversky; Ryan G. Toomey; Tunan Peng; Eva Stephanie Lobbens
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10946056B2

## CPC

- A61K 36/33: Cactaceae (Cactus family), e.g. pricklypear or Cereus
- A61M 5/14276: {specially adapted for implantation}
- A61P 25/28: for treating neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system, e.g. nootropic agents, cognition enhancers, drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia
- A61K 2236/00: Isolation or extraction methods of medicinal preparations of undetermined constitution containing material from algae, lichens, fungi or plants, or derivatives thereof, e.g. traditional herbal medicine
- A61K 2236/15: involving mechanical treatment, e.g. chopping up, cutting or grinding
- A61K 2236/39: Complex extraction schemes, e.g. fractionation or repeated extraction steps
- A61K 2236/53: Liquid-solid separation, e.g. centrifugation, sedimentation or crystallization
- 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)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- A61P: SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS

## Abstract

A method of slowing progression of an amyloid disease by administration of cactus mucilage extract from Opuntia ficus-indicia is presented. Both gelling and non-gelling cactus mucilage extracts were found to induce changes in the secondary structures of the amyloid beta peptides thus interfering with formation of Aβ fibrils and aggregation of Aβ fibrils into plaques.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of inhibiting formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in a patient suffering from an amyloid disease comprising:
obtaining plant mucilage extract from Opuntia ficus-indica wherein the plant mucilage extract is gelling extract, non-gelling extract or a combination thereof;
wherein the gelling extract is formed by steps comprising:
obtaining cactus pads;
dicing and boiling the cactus pads;
liquidizing the cactus pads and adding a base to neutralize the liquidized cactus pads;
centrifuging the liquidized cactus pads into a liquid fraction and a solid precipitate;
collecting the solid precipitate;
adding sodium hexametaphosphate to the solid precipitate and mixing;
filtering the solid precipitate;
resuspending the solid precipitate in deionized water to form a suspension;
lowering the pH of the suspension;
precipitating a mucilage precipitate from the suspension;
resuspending the mucilage precipitate with water and adjusting the pH until the mucilage precipitate dissolves; and
filtering the dissolved mucilage precipitate to form the gelling extract;
wherein the non-gelling extract is formed by steps comprising:
obtaining cactus pads;
dicing and boiling the cactus pads;
liquidizing the cactus pads and adding a base to neutralize the liquidized cactus pads;
centrifuging the liquidized cactus pads into a liquid fraction and a solid precipitate;
collecting the liquid fraction;
adding sodium chloride to the liquid fraction and mixing;
filtering the liquid fraction to form a filtrate;
adding acetone or isopropanol to the filtrate to form a mucilage precipitate;
washing the precipitate; and
drying the precipitate to form the non-gelling extract; and
administering a therapeutically effective amount of the plant mucilage extract to the patient;
wherein administration of the plant mucilage disrupts aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) fibrils into plaques.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising combining the plant mucilage extract with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier prior to administration to the patient.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plant mucilage extract is the combination of the gelling extract and the non-gelling extract.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the amyloid disease is Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plant mucilage extract is administered to a central nervous system of the patient.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the plant mucilage extract is administered to the central nervous system of the patient through a pump implanted in the patient.

### Claim 7

A method of slowing progression of Alzheimer's disease in a patient suffering therefrom comprising:
obtaining plant mucilage extract from Opuntia ficus-indica wherein the plant mucilage extract is gelling extract, non-gelling extract or a combination thereof;
wherein the gelling extract is formed by steps comprising:
obtaining cactus pads;
dicing and boiling the cactus pads;
liquidizing the cactus pads and adding a base to neutralize the liquidized cactus pads;
centrifuging the liquidized cactus pads into a liquid fraction and a solid precipitate;
collecting the solid precipitate;
adding sodium hexametaphosphate to the solid precipitate and mixing;
filtering the solid precipitate;
resuspending the solid precipitate in deionized water to form a suspension;
lowering the pH of the suspension;
precipitating a mucilage precipitate from the suspension;
resuspending the mucilage precipitate with water and adjusting the pH until the mucilage precipitate dissolves; and
filtering the dissolved mucilage precipitate to form the gelling extract;
wherein the non-gelling extract is formed by steps comprising:
obtaining cactus pads;
dicing and boiling the cactus pads;
liquidizing the cactus pads and adding a base to neutralize the liquidized cactus pads;
centrifuging the liquidized cactus pads into a liquid fraction and a solid precipitate;
collecting the liquid fraction;
adding sodium chloride to the liquid fraction and mixing;
filtering the liquid fraction to form a filtrate;
adding acetone or isopropanol to the filtrate to form a mucilage precipitate;
washing the precipitate; and
drying the precipitate to form the non-gelling extract; and
administering a therapeutically effective amount of the plant mucilage extract to the patient;
wherein administration of the plant mucilage extract disrupts formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) fibrils and aggregation of the Aβ fibrils into plaques to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease in the patient.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising combining the plant mucilage extract with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier prior to administration to the patient.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the plant mucilage extract is administered to a central nervous system of the patient.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the plant mucilage extract is administered to the central nervous system of the patient through a pump implanted in the patient.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the plant mucilage extract is the combination of the gelling extract and the non-gelling extract.