| PATENT ASSIGNEE'S COUNTRY | Germany |
| UPDATE | 05.00 |
| PATENT NUMBER | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT GRANT DATE | 16.05.00 |
| PATENT TITLE |
Protein extract from cereal gluten, preparation thereof and use thereof in hair care |
| PATENT ABSTRACT | The invention describes a protein extract in the form of an alcoholic extraction solution obtained from dried cereal gluten, which solution has been treated with glycerol and/or a short-chain alkanediol and evaporated under reduced pressure until the alcohol content is less than 5% by weight, preferably less than 1% by weight. This extract is outstandingly suitable for use in cosmetic preparations for care of damaged hair |
| PATENT INVENTORS | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT ASSIGNEE | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT FILE DATE | 06.03.98 |
| PATENT FOREIGN APPLICATION PRIORITY DATA | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT REFERENCES CITED | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT CLAIMS |
What is claimed is: 1. A process of preparing a protein extract, which comprises the steps of: (a) extracting dried cereal gluten under neutral conditions with an extraction medium comprising dilute alkanol so as to obtain a liquid extract comprising proteins, wherein the protein fraction of the extract consists essentially of prolamines; (b) removing solid residue from the resulting liquid extract so as to produce a liquid phase; (c) treating said liquid phase with a polyhydric alcohol selected from the group consisting of glycerol and a short chain alkanediol; (d) concentrating the resultant treated liquid phase under reduced pressure until the resultant liquid concentrate has an alkanol content of less than 5% by weight. 2. Process according to claim 1, wherein said cereal gluten comprises wheat gluten. 3. Process according to claim 2, wherein said extraction medium is employed in a ratio of 15:1 to 2:1 relative to said gluten. 4. Process according to claim 3, wherein said ratio is about 5:1. 5. Processing according to claim 2, wherein said extraction medium contains 50 to 90% of ethanol. 6. Process according to claim 5, wherein said extraction medium contains 60 to 70% of ethanol. 7. Process according to claim 2, wherein said extraction is for at least 48 hours at a temperature of 15 to 45.degree. C. 8. Process according to claim 7, wherein said temperature is about 20.degree. C. 9. Process according to claim 1, wherein said alkanol content is less than 1% by weight. 10. A protein extract in the form of a concentration obtained by a process according to claim 1. 11. A method of treatment of damaged hair, which comprises (1) preparing a protein extract by a process comprising: (a) extracting dried cereal gluten with an extraction medium comprising dilute alkanol so as to obtain a liquid extract; (b) removing solid residue from the resulting liquid extract so as to produce a liquid phase; (c) treating said liquid phase with a polyhydric alcohol selected from the group consisting of glycerol and a short chain alkanediol; (d) concentrating the resultant treated liquid phase under reduced pressure until the resultant liquid concentrate has an alkanol content of less than 5% by weight, and (2) applying said concentrate to said damaged hair. 12. A process of preparing a protein extract, which comprises the steps of: (a) extracting dried cereal gluten under neutral conditions with an extraction medium comprising dilute alkanol so as to obtain a liquid extract comprising proteins, wherein the protein fraction of the extract consists essentially of prolamines; (b) removing solid residue from the resulting liquid extract so as to produce a liquid phase; (c) treating said liquid phase with a polyhydric alcohol selected from the group consisting of glycerol and a short chain alkanediol; (d) concentrating the resultant treated liquid phase under reduced pressure until the resultant liquid concentrate has an alkanol content of less than 5% by weight, wherein the amount of protein contained in the resultant liquid concentrate consists essentially of native cereal proteins. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| PATENT DESCRIPTION |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention During the life cycle of a human hair, the hair structure is damaged to varying degrees as a result of mechanical stress, e.g. by combing or back-combing, or else as a result of chemical treatment, for example bleaching, colouring or perming. This damage impairs the surface properties of the hair, e.g. as regards gloss, suppleness or combability and generally reduces its strength. Damaged hair breaks more easily than undamaged hair. 2. Description of the Related Art It has been known for some time that protein hydrolysates, which can be prepared by degradation of native proteins, have hair care properties. These hydrolysates chiefly contain peptides having a molecular weight in the range from 2-3 kDa and can be obtained from various protein sources, for example from cereal gluten by degreasing the gluten and then extracting it under alkaline conditions. As an example, the commonly assigned WO-A 90/05521 describes a hydrolysate which is obtained from cereal gluten, preferably wheat gluten, in a multi-stage process, and which can be used, inter alia, in hair care products. According to this specification, the dried gluten is firstly degreased using a fat solvent and then extracted using aqueous ethanol which has been rendered alkaline using NH.sub.3. The extraction residue is discarded, and the liquid phase is cooled, if necessary under full vacuum, during which a protein product is precipated out which, after being separated off, forms a clear hydrolysate composition which, at room temperature, resembles honey. This composition can be conditioned and further processed for the desired purposes. Hydrolysates of this type are absorbed by the hair relatively uniformly and are to be found not only in the outer cell layer of scales (cuticula) of the hair, but also in the region of the fibrous shaft (cortex). Such behaviour is very desirable for the more preventive care of still largely undamaged hair. For hair which is already more severely damaged, on the other hand, a care reagent is to be aimed at which is able to recognize the damaged site, to position itself there specifically and to counter the effects of the damage. The object of the invention is to provide such a care reagent. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This object is achieved according to the invention with a protein extract in the form of an alcoholic extraction solution obtained from dried cereal gluten, which solution has been treated with glycerol and/or a short-chain alkanediol and evaporated under reduced pressure until the alcohol content is less than 5% by weight, preferably less than 1% by weight. A particularly advantageous protein extract is one which has been prepared by extracting the dried cereal gluten, preferably wheat gluten, using dilute short-chain alkanol, preferably ethanol, treating the liquid phase, following removal of the solid residue, with glycerol or, when required, a short-chain alkanediol, such as, for example, ethanediol or propanediol, and evaporating it under reduced pressure until the content of alkanol in the liquid phase has decreased to less than 5% by weight, preferably less than 1% by weight. Extraction is preferably carried out with 50-90%, preferably 60-70%, ethanol as extractant, the ratio of gluten to extractant being from 1:15 to 1:2, preferably 1:5, and at temperatures of 15-45.degree. C., preferably at 20.degree. C. The extraction time can be 0.25-48 h and is normally in the region of 15 h, depending on the equipment used. The protein content in the evaporated extract is 1-30% of protein, preferably 10% by weight of protein. The invention and its preferred embodiments differ from WO-A 90/05521 both in terms of processing and also as regards the product. For example, a non-degreased gluten is subjected to extraction, which causes a higher content of lipids, glycolipids and phospholipids in the extract. Furthermore, the extraction is not carried out in the alkaline range, but in the neutral range, meaning that hardly any hydrolysis takes place and that protein fractions having a totally different composition are produced. Moreover, the proteins do not precipitate out from the extract either, making it impossible to prevent readily soluble components from becoming enriched in the supernatant of the precipitation and being discarded with the supernatant. Finally, the product according to WO-A 90/05521 is a honey-like composition, which is difficult to handle and, if appropriate, must be diluted with ethanol/water and then tends to form precipitates thus severely restricting further use. The product according to the invention, on the other hand, is a clear solution which has a very long shelf-life and which can be incorporated into cosmetic preparations without problems. Moreover, it contains no, or at least less than 5%, ethanol which, in higher concentrations, can in certain circumstances undesirably lower the flashpoint and the viscosity of cosmetic preparations. It may be regarded as decisive that the protein extract according to the invention is not a protein hydrolysate, but essentially comprises the native cereal proteins (prolamines) (in the case of wheat therefore gliadin), which are virtually insoluble in water, compared with the hydrolysates, and whose main fraction has a molecular weight of 28-39 kDa. Surprisingly, it has now become evident that this product, differently from the hydrolysates, does not coat the hair with a uniform film and does not diffuse into deeper regions of the hair either, but binds primarily to damaged sites in human hair, particularly to split ends or to sections of hair damaged by combing or back-combing. The invention thus provides a care reagent suitable specifically for damaged hair. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The following examples illustrate the invention. |
| PATENT EXAMPLES | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT PHOTOCOPY | Available on request |
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