# US 12,109,295 B2 · Cosmetic compositions comprising low molecular weight silk fibroin

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- Number: US 12,109,295 B2
- Document ID: US12109295B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/287,058
- Filed: 2019-10-08
- Published: 2021-12-09
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-23
- Assignees: Conopco, Inc.
- Applicants: Conopco, Inc.
- Inventors: Han Cao; Hong Chen; Xin Chen; Amitava Pramanik; Zhengzhong Shao; Jinrong Yao; Weizheng Zhou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109295B2

## CPC

- A61K 8/64: Proteins; Peptides; Derivatives or degradation products thereof
- C07K 14/43586: {from silkworms}
- A61Q 5/002: {Preparations for repairing the hair, e.g. hair cure}
- A61Q 5/02: Preparations for cleaning the hair
- A61Q 5/12: Preparations containing hair conditioners
- A61K 2800/805: Corresponding aspects not provided for by any of codes A61K2800/81 - A61K2800/95
- 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)
- C07K: PEPTIDES (peptides in foodstuffs A23; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs, working-up proteins for foodstuffs A23J; preparations for medicinal purposes A61K; peptides containing beta-lactam rings C07D; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, C07D; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type C07D519/02; macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units in their molecules, i.e. when the preparation does not provide for a specific; but for a random sequence of the amino acid units, homopolyamides and block copolyamides derived from amino acids C08G69/00; macromolecular products derived from proteins C08H1/00; preparation of glue or gelatine C09H; single cell proteins, enzymes C12N; genetic engineering processes for obtaining peptides C12N15/00; compositions for measuring or testing processes involving enzymes C12Q; investigation or analysis of biological material G01N33/00)
- A61Q: SPECIFIC USE OF COSMETICS OR SIMILAR TOILETRY PREPARATIONS

## Abstract

The invention relates to a cosmetic composition comprising a low molecular weight silk fibroin and a cosmetically acceptable carrier; wherein said low molecular weight silk fibroin comprises at least 85 parts by weight peptides of molecular weight less than 2500 Da, where amino acid sequence of at least 50 wt % of said peptides is GAGY, GAGAGAGY, GAGVGAGY or AWSSESDF and where said silk fibroin is produced by a process comprising the steps of: (i) mixing an aqueous solution comprising 0.01 to 20 wt % of a high molecular weight silk fibroin of weight average molecular weight 6 to 100 KDa with ochymotrypsin at temperature of 25 to 45° C., under pH of 6 to 9 for 4 to 24 hours; where ratio of said high molecular weight silk fibroin to said ochymotrypsin in said solution is from 100:1 to 300:1 parts by weight: (ii) inactivating excess ochymotrypsin and separating the inactivated α-chymotrypsin from reaction mixture of step (i); and (ill) drying said reaction mixture to obtain said low molecular weight silk fibroin; wherein said composition comprises 0.1 to 10% by weight of the low molecular weight silk fibroin.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cosmetic composition comprising a low molecular weight silk fibroin and a cosmetically acceptable carrier;
wherein:
said low molecular weight silk fibroin comprises:
peptides of molecular weight less than 2500 Da, where the amino acid sequence of at least 50 wt % of said peptides is GAGY, GAGAGAGY, GAGVGAGY or AWS SESDF;
tyrosine and its mole fraction in said low molecular weight silk fibroin is not less than 10 mol %; and
is produced by a process comprising the steps of:
(i) mixing an aqueous solution comprising 0.01 to 20 wt % of a high molecular weight silk fibroin of weight average molecular weight 6 to 100 KDa with α-chymotrypsin at temperature of 25 to 45° C., under pH of 6 to 9 for 4 to 24 hours, where ratio of said high molecular weight silk fibroin to said α-chymotrypsin in said solution is from 100:1 to 300:1 parts by weight;
(ii) inactivating excess α-chymotrypsin and separating the inactivated α-chymotrypsin from reaction mixture of step (i); and,
(iii) drying said reaction mixture to obtain said low molecular weight silk fibroin;
said composition comprises 0.1 to 10 wt % by weight of the low molecular weight silk fibroin and includes any product applicable to the human body for improving appearance, cleansing, odor control, or general aesthetics.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cosmetic composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein solubility of said low molecular weight silk fibroin in water is from 11 to 42 g/100 g water.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cosmetic composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hair care composition is a shampoo.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cosmetic composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the composition comprises 0.1 to 5% by weight of said low molecular weight silk fibroin.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method of modifying at least one internal feature of hair fibres comprising of topically applying the cosmetic composition of claim 1 to hair.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method of modifying at least one surface characteristic of hair fibres comprising of topically applying the cosmetic composition of claim 1 to hair.