# US 8,771,660 B2 · Method of screening for a damp-dry malodor inhibitor and method of evaluating damp-dry malodor inhibitor by microbial production of 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,660 B2 - Document ID: US8771660B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/823,851 - Filed: 2011-09-01 - Published: 2013-08-15 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-21 - Assignees: Kao Corporation - Applicants: Asako Mitani; Hiromi Kubota; Yu Niwano; Kohei Takeuchi; Atsushi Tanaka; Noriko Yamaguchi - Inventors: Asako Mitani; Hiromi Kubota; Yu Niwano; Kohei Takeuchi; Atsushi Tanaka; Noriko Yamaguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771660B2 ## CPC - C12Q 1/025: {for testing or evaluating the effect of chemical or biological compounds, e.g. drugs, cosmetics (antimicrobial activity C12Q1/18)} - C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES ## Abstract A method of screening a damp-dry malodor inhibitor, containing the steps of: bringing microorganisms having a 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid production capacity into contact with a test substance in the presence of a sebaceous dirt component, detecting the production of a damp-dry malodor-causing substance by the microorganisms, and thereby selecting a test substance having a damp-dry malodor inhibitory function; and a method of evaluating a damp-dry malodor inhibitor, containing the steps of: bringing microorganisms having a 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid production capacity into contact with a test substance in the presence of a sebaceous dirt component, detecting the production of a damp-dry malodor-causing substance by the microorganisms, and thereby evaluating the damp-dry malodor inhibitory function of the test substance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of screening for a test substance that is a damp-dry malodor inhibitor, comprising the steps of: bringing microorganisms that produce 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid into contact with the test substance in the presence of a sebaceous dirt component; detecting production of 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid by the microorganisms; and selecting a test substance that decreases production of 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid as a damp-dry malodor inhibitor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of screening a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 1, wherein the sebaceous dirt component is an anteiso fatty acid. ### Claim 3 A method of evaluating whether a test substance is a damp-dry malodor inhibitor, comprising the steps of: bringing microorganisms that produce 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid into contact with the test substance in the presence of a sebaceous dirt component; detecting the production of 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid by the microorganisms; and evaluating the test substance as a damp-dry malodor inhibitor if the test substance decreases production of 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of evaluating a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 3, wherein the sebaceous dirt component is an anteiso fatty acid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of screening a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 1, wherein the microorganisms and the test substance are added to a fabric product that contains the sebaceous dirt component, to bring the microorganisms and the test substance into contact with each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of screening a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 5, wherein the fabric product is a cotton fabric product that has been used. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of screening a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 1, wherein the microorganisms and the test substance are brought into contact with each other in a solution or solid containing the sebaceous dirt component. ### Claim 8 The method of screening a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim l, wherein the microorganisms comprise at least one microbial strain from a genus selected from the group consisting of Moraxella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Sphingomonas, Cupriavidus, Ralstonia, Psychorobacter, Serratia, Escherichia, Staphylococcus, Burkholderia, Saccaromyces and Rhodotorula. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of screening a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 8, wherein the microorganisms comprise at least one microbial strain from a species selected from the group consisting of Moraxella sp., Moraxella osloensis, Acinetobacter radioresistens, Acinetobacter junii, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Psychrobacter pacificensis, Psychrobacter glacincola, Sphingomonas yanoikuyae, Ralstonia sp., Saccaromyces cerevisiae, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Rhodotorula slooffiae, Cupriavidus oxalaticus and Burkholderia cepacia. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The method of evaluating a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 3, wherein the microorganisms and the test substance are added to a fabric product that contains the sebaceous dirt component, to bring the microorganisms and the test substance into contact with each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of evaluating a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 10, wherein the fabric product is a cotton fabric product that has been used. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The method of evaluating a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 3, wherein the microorganisms and the test substance are brought into contact with each other in a solution or solid containing the sebaceous dirt component. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The method of evaluating a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 3, wherein the microorganisms comprise at least one microbial strain from a genus selected from the group consisting of Moraxella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Sphingomonas, Cupriavidus, Ralstonia, Psychorobacter, Serratia, Escherichia, Staphylococcus, Burkholderia, Saccaromyces and Rhodotorula. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of evaluating a damp-dry malodor inhibitor according to claim 13, wherein the microorganisms comprise at least one of microbial strain from a species selected from the group consisting of Moraxella sp., Moraxella osloensis, Acinetobacter radioresistens, Acinetobacter junii, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Psychrobacter pacificensis, Psychrobacter glacincola, Sphingomonas yanoikuyae, Ralstonia sp., Saccaromyces cerevisiae, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Rhodotorula slooffiae, Cupriavidus oxalaticus and Burkholderia cepacia.