Use of rubusoside for reducing or suppressing certain unpleasant taste impressions

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of rubusoside and certain mixtures containing rubusoside, preferably the use of certain rubusoside-containing mixtures, in particular Rubus suavissimus extracts, for masking, reducing or suppressing a bitter, sour and/or astringent taste impression. The invention further relates to orally consumable preparations, comprising at least one bitter, sour and/or astringent-tasting substance and rubusoside or certain rubusoside-containing mixtures, preferably certain Rubus suavissimus extracts, a corresponding method of producing said preparations and a method for reducing or suppressing the bitter, sour and/or astringent effect of a bitter, sour and/or astringent-tasting substance. The invention further relates to certain flavoring compositions that are particularly effective for masking, reducing or suppressing a bitter, sour and/or astringent taste impression.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A mixture, comprising
 (a) rubusoside, and   (b) one or more phenolic compounds.   
     
     
         3 . The mixture of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more phenolic compounds is a polyphenol from an extract of a  Rubus  species. 
     
     
         4 . The mixture of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more phenolic compounds are selected from the group consisting of ellagic acid, gallic acid and flavonoids. 
     
     
         5 . The mixture of  claim 2  comprising:
 (a) 0.1 to 50 wt. % of rubusoside, 
 (b) 0.1 wt. % to 25 wt. % of one or more phenolic compounds, and 
 (c) optionally one or more orally consumable liquid diluents, 
 in each case relative to the total weight of the mixture. 
 
     
     
         6 . The mixture of  claim 3 , wherein the extract is obtained by a method comprising:
 a) obtaining a primary extract from leaves using an extractant at a temperature in a range from 0° C. up to a boiling point of the extractant at normal pressure,   b) optionally concentrating the primary extract,   c) obtaining a secondary extract by treating the primary extract with one or more adsorbents,   d) drying the secondary extract, and   e) optionally mixing the dried secondary extract with a diluent or a mixture of two or more diluents.   
     
     
         7 . The mixture of  claim 2 , wherein a weight ratio of constituent (a) to the total amount of the one or more phenolic compounds of constituent (b) is from 100:1 to 1:10, relative to the total weight of the mixture. 
     
     
         8 . The mixture of  claim 2  further comprising:
 one or more additional bitter-masking flavors and/or flavoring materials. 
 
     
     
         9 . The mixture of  claim 2 , wherein the amount of rubusoside is not sufficient to bring about a sweet taste impression that is greater than the sweet taste impression of a 1.5 wt. % aqueous sucrose solution. 
     
     
         10 . A pharmaceutical preparation for oral administration or a preparation serving for nutrition, oral hygiene, or please comprising the mixture of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         11 . An orally consumable preparation, comprising
 (i-a) 1-200 mg/kg rubusoside,   (i-b) one or more bitter, sour,. and/or astringent-tasting substances, in an amount which, in an orally consumable comparative preparation of otherwise identical composition but without constituent (i-a), tastes perceptibly bitter, sour, and/or astringent,
 wherein the amount of constituent (i-a) is sufficient to mask, reduce or suppress the bitter, sour,. and/or astringent taste impression of the bitter, sour, and/or astringent-tasting substance or substances, in comparison with the comparative preparation. 
   
     
     
         12 . The orally consumable preparation as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 (i-b) is present in an amount that is twice as high as or higher than
 a taste recognition threshold of the bitter, sour, or astringent-tasting substance or a lowest taste recognition threshold of the bitter, sour and/or astringent-tasting substance, when this imparts at least two or all of the taste impressions bitter, sour and astringent, if the preparation only contains one bitter, sour and/or astringent-tasting substance, 
   or
 a lowest taste recognition threshold of the bitter, sour and/or astringent-tasting substances, if the preparation contains more than one bitter, sour and/or astringent-tasting substance. 
   
     
     
         13 . The orally consumable preparation as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 (i-b) comprises one or more sour and optionally astringent-tasting substances in an amount which, in an orally consumable comparative preparation of otherwise identical composition but without constituent (i-a), tastes perceptibly sour and optionally additionally astringent.   
     
     
         14 . The orally consumable preparation as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 (i-b) comprises one or more sour and astringent-tasting substances selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, benzoic acid, glucuronic acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, quercitrin, gallic or ellagic acid esters of carbohydrates, pentagalloylglucose, galloylated catechins, galloylated epicatechins, proanthocyanidins, procyanidins, thearubigenin, gamma oryzanol, caffeic acid or esters thereof, and chlorogenic acid or isomers thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The orally consumable preparation as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising
 (ii) one or more additional bitter-masking flavors and/or flavoring materials, and optionally   (iii) one or more additional aroma substances, and optionally   (iv) one or more salivation-promoting flavors and/or flavoring materials, and optionally   (v) one or more auxiliary materials or carriers.   
     
     
         16 . The orally consumable preparation as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the preparation is a pharmaceutical preparation or a preparation serving for nutrition, oral hygiene or pleasure. 
     
     
         17 . The orally consumable preparation as claimed in  claim 11  further comprising:
 (ii) one or more additional bitter-masking flavors and/or flavoring materials selected from the group consisting of
 sodium salts, 
 hydroxyflavanones, 
 hesperetin or sodium salts thereof, 
 hydroxybenzoic acid amides, 
 hydroxyphenylalkanediones, 
 diacetyl trimers, 
 gamma-aminobutyric acid, 
 divanillins, 
 4-hydroxydihydrochalcones 
 deoxybenzoins, and 
 hydroxyflavans, 
 
 and optionally 
 (iv) one or more salivation-promoting flavors and/or flavoring materials. 
 
     
     
         18 . A method for masking, reducing or suppressing the bitter, sour and/or astringent effect of a compound, comprising mixing one or more compounds that can produce a bitter, sour and/or astringent effect in an oral cavity, with rubusoside
 in a ratio to one another such that the compound with a bitter, sour and/or astringent effect only produces this effect in attenuated form or not at all, when the mixture is placed in an oral cavity.   
     
     
         19 . A method for producing an orally consumable preparation as claimed in  claim 11  comprising:
 providing an orally consumable starting mixture comprising one or more bitter, sour and/or astringent-tasting substances in an amount such that said starting mixture tastes perceptibly bitter, sour and/or astringent, 
 providing rubusoside, and 
 mixing the rubusoside and the orally consumable starting mixture so that an amount of rubusoside is sufficient to mask, reduce or suppress the bitter, sour and/or astringent taste impression of the bitter, sour and/or astringent-tasting substance or substances, in comparison with the starting mixture. 
 
     
     
         20 . A flavoring composition comprising
 (i-a) 0.1 to 50 wt. % rubusoside   (i-b) 0.1 wt. % to 25 wt. % of one or more phenolic compounds,   (ii) one or more additional bitter-masking flavors and/or flavoring materials selected from the group consisting of eriodictyol, homoeriodictyol, hesperetin or sodium salts thereof, gamma-aminobutyric acid, divanillin, phloretin, and 3′,7-dihydroxy-4′-methoxyflavan,   (iii) one or more malodor-suppressing aroma substances selected from the group consisting of vanillin, ethylvanillin, 4-methoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, ethyl vanillin isobutyrate (=3-ethoxy-4-isobutyryloxybenzaldehyde), Furaneol® (2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone) or derivatives thereof, maltol or derivatives thereof, coumarin or derivatives thereof, gamma-lactones delta-lactones, methyl sorbate, diacetyl, 4-hydroxy-2(or 5)-ethyl-5(or-2)-methyl-3(2H)furanone, 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-cyclopentenone, 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone, fruit esters and fruit lactones 4-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, 1,1-dimethoxy-2,2,5-trimethyl-4-hexane, 2,6-dimethyl-5-hepten-1-al and phenylacetaldehyde,   (iv) optionally one or more salivation-promoting flavors and/or flavoring materials selected from the group consisting of 2E,4E-decadienoic acid-N-isobutyl amide (pellitorin), 2E,4Z-decadienoic acid-N-isobutyl amide (cis-pellitorin), 2Z,4Z-decadienoic acid-N-isobutyl amide, 2Z,4E-decadienoic acid-N-isobutyl amide, 2E,6Z,8E-decatrienoic acid-N-isobutyl amide (spilanthol), 2E,6Z,8E,10E-dodecatetraenoic acid-N-(2-methylpropyl)amide (alpha-sanshool) and 2E,4E,8Z,11Z-tetradecatetraenoic acid-N-(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl)amide (bungeanool),   (v) optionally one or more auxiliary materials or carriers selected from the group consisting of ethanol, 1,2-propylene glycol, vegetable oil triglycerides, triacetin and glycerol, and   (vi) one or more volatile aroma substances with a vapor pressure greater than or equal to 0.01 Pa at 25° C. where the malodor-suppressing aroma substances of constituent (iii) are excluded from the volatile aroma substances of constituent (vi), and   wherein the stated amounts refer in each case to the total weight of the flavoring composition.   
     
     
         21 . The mixutre of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more phenolic compounds is a polyphenol from an extract of a  Rubus suavissimus.