Patent Picks—Açai Palm Anti-aging, Sea Fennel and Tomato Healing, Ginger Antioxidant and More

By: Rachel L. Grabenhofer

Posted: November 27, 2012

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This solution results in a lip-based product such as lipstick that is substantive, does not pool on the lips, is easy to spread and has effective amounts of actives to moisturize the lips; treat dry, chapped or cracked lips; and reduce or prevent the appearance of lip wrinkles. Described is an anhydrous lipstick comprising Portulaca pilosa extract, sunflower oil, jojoba esters, mango butter and tocopherol in a dermatologically acceptable carrier comprising glyceryl behenate/eicosadioate.

Process for obtaining saponin-rich components from the Araliaceae family
US Pat Application 20120296073
Publication date: Nov. 22, 2012
Assignee: Bangor University

This patent explains that a variety of plant extracts are commonly used in numerous medicinal and industrial applications and one class of useful compounds obtainable from plants are saponins. Saponins are so named due to their ability to form stable, soap-like foams at low concentrations (Latin sapo = soap); this ability was used as a quantitative assay of saponins, and forms the basis of much literature on the subject.

Described here is a process of obtaining a saponin-rich component from a plant of the Araliaceae family. This process involves: a) treating a portion of the plant with an extraction solvent in which the saponin-containing compounds are soluble; and b) treating the extract obtained therefrom to remove fatty acid residues such as petroselinic acid, vaccenic acid and palmitoleic acid. If the portion of plant consists essentially of whole ripe fruit of Hedera helix, it would be expected that these three acids would each be present in an amount of 20-40% w/w as the free acid or an ester thereof, especially a glycerol triester of one or more of these acids. This crude fatty acid component may find utility as a biofuel such as biodiesel, a dietary additive, a nutraceutical, a cosmetic base, a lubricant, or feedstock for industrial processes, for example, the manufacture of surfactants.

Combinations of ginger and sophora extracts having synergistic antioxidant effects
US Patent 8313783
Publication date: Nov. 20, 2012
Assignee: The Dial Corp.