Thymol and totarol antibacterial composition

The present application is a U.S. national stage entry under 35 U.S.C. §371 of Patent Cooperation Treaty Patent Application No. PCT/US2011/65024, filed Dec. 15, 2011, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to antibacterial compositions.

Control of bacteria in products and on surfaces where products are used is an ongoing challenge. For example, E. coli is a challenging bacterium to control. Compared to gram positive bacteria, E. coli is a gram negative bacterium having an additional outer membrane and higher amounts of peptidoglycan in the cell wall. This is what makes E. coli more challenging to control. While some materials are known to provide some antibacterial effect, it is desired to develop improvements in these materials. One such improvement would be to provide bacterial kill while using less material.

An antibacterial composition comprising thymol and totarol. This combination is synergistic for these two materials such that a lesser amount of either can be used.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

An antibacterial composition comprising thymol and totarol. The combination of thymol with totarol provides synergistic effect, which requires less of either material as compared to each material alone. The synergistic effect is effective against gram negative bacteria, such as E. coli , and gram positive bacteria, such as S. aureus.

Synergism is found when the fractional inhibitory concentration, which is calculated below, is found to be less than or equal to 0.75.

In certain embodiments, the weight ratio of thymol to totarol is 5:1 to 1:5. In other embodiments, the weight ratio is 3.21:1 to 1:3.21 or 1.56:1 to 1:1.56. In other embodiments, the weight ratio of thymol to totarol is one of 5:1, 1:5, 3.21:1, 1:3.21, 1.56:1, 1:1.56, or 1:1.

In the 1.56:1 to 1:1.56 range, the combination of thymol and totarol is synergistic for both the gram negative bacteria E. coli and the gram positive bacteria S. aureus.

In certain embodiments, the amount of thymol in the composition is 0.0001 to 2% by weight of the composition. In other embodiments, the amount is 0.0001 up to 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, or 0.1% by weight of the composition. In other embodiments, the amount is 0.0001 up to 0.5, 1, 1.5, or 2% by weight. In other embodiments, the amount is 0.0001 to 1% or 0.0001 to 0.5% by weight of the composition. In another embodiment, the amount is 0.5% by weight.

In certain embodiments, the amount of totarol in the composition is 0.0001 to 2% by weight of the composition. In other embodiments, the amount is 0.0001 up to 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, or 0.1% by weight of the composition. In other embodiments, the amount is 0.0001 up to 0.5, 1, 1.5, or 2% by weight. In other embodiments, the amount is 0.0001 to 1% or 0.0001 to 0.5% by weight of the composition. In another embodiment, the amount is 0.5% by weight.

This antibacterial combination of thymol and totarol is useful in personal care, oral care, and home care compositions. Examples of personal care compositions include, but are not limited to, body wash/shower gel, liquid hand cleanser, bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, antiperspirant/deodorants, and cosmetics. Examples of oral care compositions include, but are not limited to, dentifrices, toothpastes, tooth powders, prophylaxis pastes, mouth rinses, lozenges, gums, gels, paints, confectionaries, and denture cleaners. Examples of home care compositions include, but are not limited to, dish liquids, dish pastes, hard surface cleaners, fabric conditioners, and laundry detergents.

In certain embodiments, the thymol and totarol can be present in a body wash/shower gel, liquid hand cleanser, or shampoo in which each of these compositions include a surfactant. The thymol and totarol can also be included in a soap (fatty acid soap), which can be in the shape of a bar soap.

Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC)

Serial dilutions of the active are combined with tryptic soy broth and 0.1 optical density of bacteria in a 96 well plate. The optical density of the mixture is measured after 16-24 hours at 37° C. An increase in optical density represents bacterial growth. The plate is analyzed to determine the minimum concentration needed to inhibit growth of bacteria. Numbers are reported in ppm. The MIC values are determined for thymol and totarol against E. Coli and S. aureus . The MIC dose response assay is conducted just as the MIC, however, one active's concentration is kept constant and the other active's concentration follows a two-fold serial dilution.

Fractional Inhibition Concentration (FIC)

The MIC values are also determined for thymol in the presence of totarol to determine the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration (FIC). This calculation accounts for the fractional activity of thymol and totarol within a MIC test.

F ⁢ ⁢ I ⁢ ⁢ C = MIC ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ ( A ) ⁢ ⁢ in ⁢ ⁢ mixture MIC ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ A ⁢ ⁢ alone + Mic ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ ( B ) ⁢ ⁢ in ⁢ ⁢ mixture MIC ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ B ⁢ ⁢ alone

such that:

As can be seen from the table, the combination of thymol to totarol is synergistic for the gram negative bacteria E. coli in a 5:1 ratio to a 1:5 ratio. Also, when varying the ratio of thymol to totarol closer to 1:1, there is a broad spectrum synergistic activity against both the gram negative and the gram positive bacteria.

As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by referenced in their entireties. In the event of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and that of a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

Unless otherwise specified, all percentages and amounts expressed herein and elsewhere in the specification should be understood to refer to percentages by weight. The amounts given are based on the active weight of the material.