A novel mouth freshener
Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a novel mouth freshener comprising maize, catechu and lime and optionally comprising fine natural flavoring materials, which tastes and is as persistent in mouth as areca nut (supari), therefore a perfect alternative to supari and a method of preparing the same. The present invention provides a healthy alternative to supari in the field of mouth fresheners, which almost exactly tastes and is almost equally persistent in mouth as supari and therefore overcoming all the side effects of supari.
Background
Arecanut is the fourth most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world. Approximately 600 million people use arecanut in varying forms - raw ripe nuts to processed nuts in various combinations, especially with tobacco. Arecanut has been consumed in various preparations like Paan, Vettalai paaku, Surti, Pan Masala (), Gutkha, Supari, Khaini, Naswaar, Zardaa, Mawa, Mishri, Pin Lang, Buyo, Gudaku, Lao-hwa (Taiwan), Mainpuri, Tamol, etc. This habit is practiced commonly in central, southern, and southeast Asia and is now also emerging in Western countries. Recently new information on medical, biochemical, and psychological correlates of use of areca nuts have been reported. Several deleterious effects on oral and general health are now linked to use of the nuts. The consumption of areca nut has been strongly linked to the development of oral submucous fibrosis (a potentially malignant disorder of the
oral cavity) and a high incidence of oral cancer in the Indian subcontinent and among Indian immigrants.
Consumption of areca nut has also been linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and asthma. Excessive long-term use of betel nut and betel quid has been associated with a number of health-related issues and problems such as discolouration of teeth and gums, sometimes turning reddish-brown, mouth ulcers and gum disease, oral sub mucous fibrosis and oral cancers, peptic ulcers, increased risk of heart disease, etc. the risk of developing health problems increases when the betel quids include tobacco.
Various efforts continuously have been made to replace supari with a healthy substitute such as Palm dates in the form of sweet supari. A large number methods have been developed to reduce the sweetness of dates and to make them as hard as supari in order to effectively replace the use of supari as a mouth freshener and in all its preparations. Only to a certain extent the sweetness of dates could have been reduced but none of the methods were successful in making it as hard as supari and therefore was never accepted by the consumers as a replacement of supari.
The present subject matter relates to a mouth freshener which is natural, herbal and non-toxic in origin thus overcomes the side effect of areca nut and can effectively replace arecanut in all its consumable forms. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel mouth freshener includes maize which has been processed to taste
almost exactly like areca nut and is as persistence in mouth as arecanut therefore a possible healthy replacement of arecanut.
Statement of Invention
The present invention provides a novel mouth freshener comprising maize, catechu and lime and optionally comprising fine natural flavoring materials, which tastes and is as persistent in mouth as areca nut (supari), therefore a perfect alternative to supari and a method of preparing the same has been disclosed.
The invention relates to a novel mouth freshener comprising 500 - 1000 w/w maize, 40-160 w/w catechu and 15-60 w/w lime in a 1000gm of the mouth freshener. The invention also discloses to a method of preparation of the novel mouth freshener comprising:
i. Cutting of maize and removal of testae and / or husk from it.
ii. Treat maize from step (i) with 100 ml solution of catechu and lime in 300 ml
of water for 1.5 to 2 hours; iii. Drying the composition of step (ii) in oven at 70 - 120°C for 2 - 2 14 hours.
The novel mouth freshener disclosed in the current invention can be used in place of areca nut as it exactly resembles with areca nut in terms of its peculiar taste, hardness, persistence in mouth, appearance and texture like a cut / processed supari,.
Detailed Description
The present invention relates to a novel mouth freshener comprising maize, catechu and lime and optionally comprising fine natural flavoring materials, which tastes and is as persistent in mouth as areca nut (supari), therefore a perfect alternative to supari and a method of preparing the same. The present invention provides a healthy alternative to supari in the field of mouth fresheners, which almost exactly tastes and is almost equally persistent in mouth as supari and therefore capable to effectively replace supari and overcome all the side effects of supari.
Maize or corn is a cereal crop that is grown widely throughout the world in a range of agroecological environments. More maize is produced annually than any other grain. The grains are rich in vitamins A, C and E, carbohydrates, and essential minerals, and contain 9% protein. They are also rich in dietary fiber and calories which are a good source of energy. Therefore mouth freshener comprising maize is natural, herbal and non-toxic and thus overcomes the side effect of areca nut.
The present invention provides a novel mouth freshener comprising maize, catechu and lime. Further it optionally comprises traditional fine natural flavoring materials. A 1000gram of the novel mouth freshener contains about 500 - 1000 w/w maize, about 40-160 w/w catechu and about 15-60 w/w lime.
The taste of the novel mouth freshener may further be refined by ingredients like mulethi (Licorice); cardamom; turmeric; cinnamon; coriander; fennel; nutmeg; menthol;;
saffron and perfumes/ or other traditionally used flavoring agents. Said ingredients may be added in an amount of about 0.50 - 0.90 w/w mulethi (Licorice); about 5.00 -9.00 w/w cardamom; about 5.00 - 9.00 w/w turmeric; about 1.50 - 2.50 w/w cinnamon; about 0.30 - 0.609 w/w coriander; about 2.50 - 4.50 w/w fennel; about 0.50 - 1.20 w/w of nutmeg; about 5.00 - 10.00 w/w menthol; about 5.00 - 10.00 w/w perfume; about 0.50 - 0.90 w/w saffron; and other flavoring materials traditionally used in the preparations of mouth fresheners.
The novel mouth freshener can be prepared by a method comprising the steps of:
1. Cutting of maize and removal of testae and/or husk from it.
2. Treat maize from step (i) with 100 ml solution of catechu and lime in 300 ml of water for 1.5 to 2 hours;
3. Drying the composition of step (ii) in oven at 70 - 120°C for 2 - 2 1/4 hours.
The processed mouth freshener of the present invention ideally should have water content in the range of about 3.5 - 4.5%.
The step (i) of the above disclosed method comprises soaking maize in water for 15 minutes; drying in oven for 20 minutes at 120°C followed by cutting and separation of episperm or testae and/or husk in husk separator. The catechu and lime solution of step (ii) comprises about 10-40 w/w catechu; about 3-10 w/w lime and about 50 -90 w/w of water in 100 ml of solution.
The novel mouth freshener may further be treated with 10 grams menthol and 10 grams perfume to make it more palatable. Followed by adding about 155 gram mixture of about 40 - 160 w/w catechu; about 15-40 w/w lime; about 0.5 - 1.5 w/w saffron; about 0.5 - 1.5 w/w mulethi (Licorice); about 5-15 w/w cardamom; about 5-15 w/w turmeric; about 2.0 - 3.0 w/w cinnamon; about 0.3 - 0.7 w/w coriander; about 3-6 w/w fennel and about 0.6 - 1 w/w nutmeg to enhance the flavors of the appearance and flavors of the novel mouth freshener.
The novel mouth freshener as disclosed in the current invention can replace areca nut effectively in all its consumable forms as it possess all the characteristic features of supari like its peculiar taste, hardness, persistence in mouth, appearance and texture like a cut / processed supari.
The novel mouth freshener of the present invention can be used directly and as a constituent in other mouth freshener products and in all the forms where areca nut can be used.
Examples
1000gm OF NOVEL MOUTH FRESHNER CONTAINS
INGREDIENTS QUANTITY (w/w) EFFECTIVE RANGE
1)MAIZE 800 500 TO 1000
2)CATECHU (KATTHA) 100 40 TO 160
3)LIME 25 15 TO 60
4)MULETHI 0.83 0.50 TO 0.90
5)CARDAM0M 8.33 5.00 TO 9.00
6)TURMERIC 8.33 5.00 TO 9.00
7)CINNAM0N 2.25 1.50 TO 2.50
8)C0RIANDER 0.42 0.30 TO 0.609
9)FENNEL 3.33 2.50 TO 4.50
10)NUTMEG 0.67 0.50 TO 1.20
11)MENTH0L 8.33 5.00 TO 10.00
12)PERFUME 8.33 5.00 T010.00
13)SAFFR0N 0.83 0.50 TO
0.90
14)WATER 33.34 25 TO
While the present subject matter has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

We Claim:
1. A novel mouth freshener comprising of 500 - 1000 w/w maize, 40-160 w/w catechu and 15-60 w/w lime in a 1000gram of the mouth freshener.
2. A novel mouth freshener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mouth freshener further comprises fine natural flavoring materials.
3. A novel mouth freshener as claimed in claim 1 and 2 wherein the fine natural flavoring materials may be selected from the group of mulethi (Licorice); cardamom; turmeric; cinnamon; coriander; fennel; nutmeg; menthol; saffron and perfume / or other traditional flavoring agents.
4. A novel mouth freshener as claimed in claim 3 wherein the fine natural flavoring materials comprises 0.50 - 0.90 w/w mulethi (Licorice); 5.00 - 9.00 w/w cardamom; 5.00 - 9.00 w/w turmeric; 1.50 - 2.50 w/w cinnamon; 0.30 - 0.609 w/w coriander; 2.50 - 4.50 w/w fennel; 0.50 - 1.20 w/w of nutmeg; 5.00 - 10.00 w/w menthol; 5.00 - 10.00 w/w perfume; 0.50 - 0.90 w/w saffron; 25 - 40 w/w water.
5. Method of preparation of the novel mouth freshener as claimed in claim 1, comprising:
i. Cutting of maize and removal of testae and/or husk, ii. Treat maize from step (i) with 100 ml solution of catechu and lime in 300 ml of water for 1.5 to 2 hours;
iii. Drying the composition of step (ii) in oven at 70 - 120°C for 2 - 2 ½ hours.
6. The process as claimed in claim 5 wherein the water content in the mouth freshener is 3.5 - 4.5%.
7. The process as claimed in claim 5 wherein step (i) comprises soaking maize in water for 15 minutes; drying in oven for 20 minutes at 120°C and separation of testae and/or husk in husk separator.
8. The process as claimed in claim 5 wherein catechu and lime solution of step (ii) comprises 10-40 w/w catechu; 3-10 w/w lime and 50 - 90 w/w of water in 100 ml of solution.
9. The process as claimed in claim 5-8 wherein in the novel mouth freshener further add 10 grams menthol and 10 grams perfume.
10. The process as claimed in claim 5-8 wherein in the novel mouth freshener further add about 155 gram mixture of 40 - 160 w/w Catechu; 15 - 40 w/w Lime; 0.5 - 1.5 w/w saffron; 0.5 - 1.5 w/w mulethi (Licorice); 5-15 w/w cardamom; 5-15 w/w turmeric; 2.0 - 3.0 w/w cinnamon; 0.3 - 0.7 w/w coriander; 3-6 w/w fennel and 0.6 - 1 w/w nutmeg.
11. The novel mouth freshener as claimed in any of the preceding claim its use as a substitute of areca nut (supari).