Food additives having enlarged concentration of phenolics extracted from fruits, and process of obtaining the same

Abstract

Plant phenolics are extracted from macerated fruits and vegetables, particularly from apple peels and apple cores, by agitating the macerated fruit material with an organic solvent that is acceptable in the food processing industry. After extraction and removal of the bulk of the solid fruit material the solvent is concentrated by distillation to provide a crude concentrate. Undissolved solids are separated from the crude concentrate the liquid portion of which is mixed with a carrier and spray dried to provide a solid concentrate of plant phenolics. Solids which had been removed from the crude concentrate are agitated with water to provide, after filtration, a clear aqueous concentrate of plant phenolics. The solid and liquid concentrates obtained in this manner are used as food supplements, and as additives to beverages and other food items, to provide the beverage or food item with a quantity of plant phenolics which is at least comparable to and which may exceed the plant phenolic contents of natural apple juice.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A nutritional product selected from a group consisting of a food additive or food supplement, the product comprising: 
 an extract of a fruit or vegetable having a concentration of plant phenolics which is equal to or is greater than approximately 1000 mg of gallic acid equivalent per liter (GAE/l) when the extract is a liquid, or includes approximately 0.2 per cent by weight or more gallic acid equivalents of plant phenolics when the extract is a solid.    
     
     
         2 . The nutritional product in accordance with  claim 1  which comprises an extract of apples.  
     
     
         3 . The nutritional product in accordance with  claim 1  which is a liquid aqueous solution of the plant phenolics.  
     
     
         4 . The nutritional product in accordance with  claim 1  which is a solid.  
     
     
         5 . The nutritional product in accordance with  claim 4  which also comprises a carrier selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, rice dextrin, modified starch and edible gums.  
     
     
         6 . The nutritional product in accordance with  claim 3  having a concentration of plant phenolics which is equal to or is greater than approximately 10,000 mg of gallic acid equivalent per liter (GAE/l).  
     
     
         7 . The nutritional product in accordance with  claim 4  that includes approximately 1.0 per cent by weight or more gallic acid equivalents of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         8 . The nutritional product in accordance with  claim 2  which is an aqueous solution and has a concentration of plant phenolics which is equal to or is greater than approximately 10,000 mg of gallic acid equivalent per liter (GAE/l).  
     
     
         9 . The nutritional product in accordance with  claim 2  which is a solid and includes approximately 1.0 per cent by weight or more gallic acid equivalents of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         10 . The nutritional product in accordance with  claim 9  which comprises a carrier selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, rice dextrin, modified starch and edible gums.  
     
     
         11 . An extract of apple peels and cores which is a food additive or food supplement and has a concentration of plant phenolics which is equal to or is greater than approximately 1000 mg of gallic acid equivalent per liter (GAE/l) when the extract is a liquid, or includes approximately 0.2 per cent by weight or more gallic acid equivalents of plant phenolics when the extract is a solid.  
     
     
         12 . The extract in accordance with  claim 11  which is an aqueous solution.  
     
     
         13 . The extract in accordance with  claim 12  that has a concentration of plant phenolics which is equal to or is greater than approximately 10,000 mg of gallic acid equivalent per liter (GAE/l).  
     
     
         14 . The extract in accordance with  claim 12  that has a concentration of plant phenolics which is equal to or is greater than 28,000 mg of gallic acid equivalent per liter (GAE/l).  
     
     
         15 . The extract in accordance with  claim 11  which is a solid.  
     
     
         16 . The extract in accordance with  claim 15  that includes approximately 1.0 per cent by weight or more gallic acid equivalents of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         17 . The extract in accordance with  claim 15  further comprising a carrier selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, rice dextrin, modified starch and edible gums.  
     
     
         18 . The extract in accordance with  claim 17  that includes approximately 1.0 per cent by weight or more gallic acid equivalents of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         19 . A food product comprising a beverage to which the extract in accordance with  claim 11  has been added in quantity sufficient to provide the beverage with approximately 100 mg GAE per liter or greater concentration of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         20 . A solid food product to which the extract in accordance with  claim 11  has been added in quantity sufficent to provide a single serving of the food product with approximately 5 to 20 mg gallic acid equivalent of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         21 . A food supplement adapted for oral administration to humans, comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and plant phenolics extracted from a fruit or vegetable, a unit dose of the supplement comprising the plant phenolics in a quantity which is equivalent to 5 mg or more of gallic acid.  
     
     
         22 . The food supplement in accordance with  claim 21  that comprises plant phenolics extracted from apples.  
     
     
         23 . The food supplement in accordance with  claim 21  that comprises plant phenolics extracted from apple peels and cores.  
     
     
         24 . A process for extracting plant phenolics from a fruit or vegetable, the process comprising the steps of: 
 macerating the fruit or vegetable into particles;    extracting the fruit or vegetable particles with an organic solvent acceptable in the food processing industry by agitating the particles with the organic solvent;    after extraction separating the bulk of the particles from the organic solvent comprising extracted plant phenolics;    concentrating the organic solvent comprising the extracted phenolics by distillation to approximately one tenth or less of its original volume to obtain a crude concentrate of plant phenolics; and    removing solid material from the crude concentrate to obtain a stock concentrate of plant phenolics.    
     
     
         25 . The process in accordance with  claim 24  further comprising the step of reducing the stock concentrate to dryness to provide a solid concentrate of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         26 . The process in accordance with  claim 24  further comprising the step of agitating the solid material removed from the crude concentrate with water to provide an aqueous solution having insoluble suspended particles, and removing the water insoluble suspended particles from the resulting aqueous solution to provide a clear aqueous concentrate of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         27 . The process in accordance with  claim 25  further comprising the step of agitating the solid material removed from the crude concentrate with water to provide an aqueous solution having insoluble suspended particles, and removing the water insoluble suspended particles from the resulting aqueous solution to provide a clear aqueous concentrate of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         28 . The process in accordance with  claim 25  further comprising the step of adding a carrier selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, rice dextrin, modified starch and edible gums to the stock concentrate before reducing the concentrate to dryness.  
     
     
         29 . The process in accordance with  claim 26  further comprising the step of combining the clear aqueous concentrate of plant phenolics with the stock concentrate and thereafter reducing the combined concentrates to dryness to provide a solid concentrate of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         30 . The process in accordance with  claim 29  further comprising the step of adding a carrier selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, rice dextrin, modified starch and edible gums to the combined concentrates before reducing the combined concentrates to dryness.  
     
     
         31 . A process for extracting plant phenolics from apples, the process comprising the steps of: 
 macerating apple peels;    extracting the macerated apple peels with an organic solvent acceptable in the food processing industry by agitating the fruit or vegetable with the organic solvent;    after extraction separating the bulk of the macerated apple peels from the organic solvent comprising extracted plant phenolics;    concentrating the organic solvent comprising the extracted phenolics by distillation to approximately one tenth or less of its original to obtain a crude concentrate of plant phenolics; and    removing solid material from the crude concentrate to obtain a stock concentrate of plant phenolics.    
     
     
         32 . The process in accordance with  claim 31  further comprising the step of reducing the stock concentrate to dryness to provide a solid concentrate of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         33 . The process in accordance with  claim 31  further comprising the step of agitating the solid material removed from the crude concentrate with water to provide an aqueous solution having insoluble suspended particles, and removing the water insoluble suspended particles from the resulting aqueous solution to provide a clear aqueous concentrate of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         34 . The process in accordance with  claim 32  further comprising the step of agitating the solid material removed from the crude concentrate with water to provide an aqueous solution having insoluble suspended particles, and removing the water insoluble suspended particles from the resulting aqueous solution to provide a clear aqueous concentrate of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         35 . The process in accordance with  claim 32  further comprising the step of adding a carrier selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, rice dextrin, modified starch and edible gums to the stock concentrate before reducing the concentrate to dryness.  
     
     
         36 . The process in accordance with  claim 33  further comprising the step of combining the clear aqueous concentrate of plant phenolics with the stock concentrate and thereafter reducing the combined concentrates to dryness to provide a solid concentrate of plant phenolics.  
     
     
         37 . The process in accordance with  claim 36  further comprising the step of adding a carrier selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, rice dextrin, modified starch and edible gums to the combined concentrates before reducing the combined concentrates to dryness.  
     
     
         38 . The process in accordance with  claim 31  wherein the organic solvent is ethyl acetate.  
     
     
         39 . The process in accordance with  claim 36  wherein the organic solvent is ethyl acetate.  
     
     
         40 . The process in accordance with  claim 37  wherein the organic solvent is ethyl acetate.  
     
     
         41 . The process in accordance with  claim 31  wherein in the step of macerating apple peels and apple cores are macerated and wherein in the step of extracting the macerated apple peels and cores are extracted.