Microemulsion delivery systems for water-based beverages
AssigneeQuicksilver Scientific, Inc.
InventorsChristopher W. Shade, Steven Tieu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Microemulsion beverages are described where hydrophobic liquid droplets are distributed in a continuous hydrophilic liquid phase. The described microemulsion beverages may be thought of as modified oil-in-water (MOIHW) microemulsions, where both the “oil” and “water” phases of the microemulsion are modified. The oil phase droplets of the MOIHW microemulsion are modified with alcohol and can solubilize oil-soluble species, including cannabis extracts. The polar continuous “water” phase of the MOIHW microemulsion is modified with a sugar or sugar alcohol.
Claims61
A high-water content beverage composition for oral consumption by a human subject, the composition comprising:
- an oil-soluble species;
- and
- a modified oil-in-water microemulsion including a modified oil phase and a modified polar continuous phase,
- where the oil-soluble species is solubilized in the modified oil phase, the modified oil phase comprising a phospholipid, a polyethylene glycol derivative, an oil, and ethanol,
- where the modified polar continuous phase comprises a sugar or sugar alcohol and water, and
- where the high-water content beverage comprises at least 95% water by weight,
- where the polyethylene glycol derivative is chosen from a polyethylene glycol modified vitamin E, tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate 1000 (TPGS), polysorbate 60, polysorbate 80, and combinations thereof,
- where a ratio of the phospholipid to the polyethylene glycol derivative is 1:1.6 to 1:4 by weight,
- where a ratio of the oil to the ethanol is from 1:1.5 to 1:3 by weight,
- where the sugar or sugar alcohol is chosen from sucrose, cane sugar, pure maple syrup, glycerol, and combinations thereof, and
- where the composition is ingestible and edible.
A method of forming a high-water content beverage composition for oral consumption by a human subject, the method comprising:
- combining a phospholipid, a polyethylene glycol derivative, an oil, and ethanol to form an alcohol-lipid mixture;
- combining a sugar or sugar alcohol and a first aliquot of water to form a modified polar continuous phase;
- combining an oil-soluble species with the alcohol-lipid mixture and the modified polar continuous phase at atmospheric pressure to form an intermediate low-water content modified oil-in-water microemulsion;
- combining the intermediate low-water content modified oil-in-water microemulsion with a second aliquot of water;
- and
- providing the high-water content beverage,
- where the polyethylene glycol derivative is chosen from a polyethylene glycol modified vitamin E, tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate 1000 (TPGS), polysorbate 60, polysorbate 80, and combinations thereof,
- where the sugar or sugar alcohol is chosen from sucrose, cane sugar, pure maple syrup, glycerol, and combinations thereof,
- where a ratio of the phospholipid to the polyethylene glycol derivative is 1:1.6 to 1:4 by weight in the alcohol-lipid mixture, and
- where a ratio of the oil to the ethanol is from 1:1.5 to 1:3 by weight in the alcohol-lipid mixture.
A method of delivering an oil-soluble species to the bloodstream of a human subject, the method comprising:
- introducing orally to a human subject a high-water content beverage, the high-water content beverage comprising:
- an oil-soluble species, and
- a modified oil-in-water microemulsion including a modified oil phase and a modified polar continuous phase,
- where the oil-soluble species is solubilized in the modified oil phase, the modified oil phase comprising a phospholipid, a polyethylene glycol derivative, an oil, and ethanol,
- where the polyethylene glycol derivative is chosen from a polyethylene glycol modified vitamin E, tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate 1000 (TPGS), polysorbate 60, polysorbate 80, and combinations thereof,
- where a ratio of the phospholipid to the polyethylene glycol derivative is 1:1.6 to 1:4 by weight, and
- where a ratio of the oil to the ethanol is from 1:1.5 to 1:3 by weight,
- where the modified polar continuous phase comprises a sugar or sugar alcohol and water,
- where the sugar or sugar alcohol is chosen from sucrose, cane sugar, pure maple syrup, glycerol, and combinations thereof, and
- where the high-water content beverage comprises at least 95% water by weight;
- and
- delivering the oil-soluble species to the bloodstream of the human subject,
- where within 40-minutes of the introducing the high-water content beverage, the human subject has an oil-soluble species blood concentration in excess of one ppb when the high-water content beverage composition includes 3 mg of the oil-soluble species.
A high-water content, visually clear, and shelf-stable beverage composition for oral consumption by a human subject, the composition comprising:
- a cannabinoid extract;
- a phospholipid;
- a polyethylene glycol derivative, where the polyethylene glycol derivative is chosen from a polyethylene glycol modified vitamin E, tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate 1000 (TPGS), polysorbate 60, polysorbate 80, and combinations thereof,
- where a ratio of the phospholipid to the polyethylene glycol derivative is 1:1.6 to 1:4 by weight:
- an oil;
- ethanol, where a ratio of the oil to the ethanol is from 1:1.5 to 1:3 by weight;
- a sugar or sugar alcohol, where the sugar or sugar alcohol is chosen from sucrose, cane sugar, pure maple syrup, glycerol, and combinations thereof;
- and
- at least 95% water by weight, where the beverage composition is ingestible and edible.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.