Rice dextrin oral rehydration solution

Abstract

An improved oral rehydration solution comprising a mixture of rice dextrin and required electrolytes is provided. The functionality of the rice dextrin in oral rehydration solutions is superior to glucose in infants with chronic diarrhea.Iadd., .Iaddend.resulting in lower stool output and enhanced water retention .Iadd.during the initial six hours of therapy.Iaddend.. Rice dextrin also has a polymer profile which provides more readily available glucose than corn dextrin or rice flour. There is also provided a process for clarifying solutions of rice dextrin which involves a first filtration at 35° C. and 50° C. and a second filtration at temperatures above 80° C. using filter aid and activated carbon.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An improved oral rehydration solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrate wherein the improvement comprises using rice dextrin as the carbohydrate component, said rice dextrin having a glucose polymer profile of from 50 to 90% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose . .unit.!. .Iadd.units.Iaddend., and having a protein or other particulate content of no more than one tenth of one percent. 
     
     
       2. The oral rehydration solution of claim 1 having from 55 to 80% short chain glucose polymers. 
     
     
       3. The oral rehydration solution of claim 1 having from 65 to 75% glucose units. 
     
     
       4. A process for clarifying rice dextrin comprising the steps of (a) filtering the solubilized rice carbohydrate fraction obtained from rice flour by enzymatic hydrolysis at neutral pH using filter aid at 35° C. to 50° C.; and then   (b) subjecting the filtrate to a second filtration using filter aid and activated carbon at temperatures above 80° C.   
     
     
       5. The process of claim 4 wherein the clarified rice dextrin has a glucose polymer profile of from 50 to 90% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units, and having a protein or other particulate content of no more than one tenth of one percent. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 4 where the pH of the second filtrate is adjusted to 4.0-4.8 and spray dried to provide rice dextrin having a glucose polymer profile of from 50 to 90% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units. 
     
     
       7. The process of claim 4 where the pH of the second filtrate is adjusted to 4.5 and spray dried to provide rice dextrin having a glucose polymer profile of from 50 to 90% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units. 
     
     
       8. A method for treating diarrhea which comprises administering to a patient in need of such treatment an oral rehydration solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrate wherein said carbohydrate is rice dextrin having a glucose polymer profile of from 50 to 90% short chain glucose polymer of 2 to 6 glucose units, and having a protein or other particulate content of no more than one tenth of one percent. .Iadd. 
     
     
       9.  An oral rehydration solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrates, wherein said carbohydrate material comprises rice dextrin short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.10. The oral rehydration solution of claim 9 wherein the glucose polymer profile of the rice dextrin comprises from 50 to 90% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.11. The oral rehydration solution of claim 9 wherein the glucose polymer profile of the rice dextrin comprises from 55 to 80% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.12. The oral rehydration solution of claim 9 wherein the glucose polymer profile of the rice dextrin comprises from 65 to 75% 
     
     
        short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.13.  A method for treating diarrhea which comprises administering to a patient in need of such treatment an oral rehydration solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrates, wherein said carbohydrate comprises rice dextrin short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.14. The method of claim 13 wherein the glucose polymer profile of the rice dextrin comprises from 50 to 90% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.15. The method of claim 13 wherein the the glucose polymer profile of the rice dextrin comprises from 55 to 80% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.16. The method of claim 13 wherein the glucose polymer profile of the rice dextrin comprises from 65 to 75% short chain 
     
     
        glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.17.  A method of treating dehydration which comprises administering to a patient in need of such treatment an oral rehydration solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrates, wherein said carbohydrate material comprises rice dextrin short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.18. The method of claim 17 wherein glucose polymer profile comprises from 50 to 90% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.19. The method of claim 17 wherein the glucose polymer profile comprises from 55 to 80% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.20. The method of claim 17 wherein the glucose polymer profile comprises from 65 to 75% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.21. The method of claim 17 wherein the oral rehydration solution comprises a protein or other particulate content of no more than one tenth of one 
     
     
        percent..Iaddend..Iadd.22.  A method for preventing dehydration which comprises administering to a patient in need of such treatment an oral rehydration solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrates, wherein said carbohydrate material comprises rice dextrin short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.23. The method of claim 22 wherein the glucose polymer profile comprises from 50 to 90% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.24. The method of claim 22 wherein the glucose polymer profile comprises from 55 to 80% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.25. The method of claim 22 wherein the glucose polymer profile comprises from 65 to 75% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.26. The method of claim 22 wherein the oral rehydration solution comprises a protein or other particulate content of 
     
     
        no more than one tenth of one percent..Iaddend..Iadd.27.  A method for maintenance of hydration which comprises administering to a patient in need of such treatment an oral rehydration solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrates, wherein said carbohydrate material comprises rice dextrin short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.28. The method of claim 27 wherein the glucose polymer profile comprises from 50 to 90% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.29. The method of claim 27 wherein the glucose polymer profile comprises from 55 to 80% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.30. The method of claim 27 wherein the glucose polymer profile comprises from 65 to 75% short chain glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.31. The method of claim 27 wherein the oral rehydration solution comprises a protein or other particulate content of no more than one tenth of one 
     
     
        percent..Iaddend..Iadd.32.  The clarified rice dextrin material comprising a glucose polymer of 2 to 6 glucose units which, when in the form of a liquid composition, comprises a protein or other particulate content of no 
     
     
        more than one tenth of one percent..Iaddend..Iadd.33.  A process for clarifying rice dextrin, which clarified rice dextrin is useful for preparing an oral rehydration solution, comprising the step of filtering an aqueous admixture comprising solubilized rice dextrin until the protein content of said rice dextrin is reduced to no more than one tenth of one percent said filtering step being carried out at elevated temperatures..Iaddend..Iadd.34. The process of claim 4 wherein the clarified rice dextrin comprises a glucose polymer having a profile comprising from about 50 to 90% glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose 
     
     
        units..Iaddend..Iadd.35.  The process of claim 4 wherein the clarified rice dextrin comprises a glucose polymer having a profile comprising from 55 to 80% glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend..Iadd.36. The process of claim 4 wherein the clarified rice dextrin comprises a glucose polymer having a profile comprising from 65 to 75% glucose polymers of 2 to 6 glucose units..Iaddend.