CA1303506C - Dry powdered germicide and healing composition containing allantoin and ascorbic acid - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

Nontoxic, dry, powdered germicide, and healing compositions are disclosed comprising allantoin, ascorbic acid and an inert powdered carrier.

Description

DRY POWDERED GERMICIDE AND HEALING COMPOSITIONS

The invention relates to non-toxic, germicide and healing compositions, and in particular, to such compositions which are adapted for topical application to dairy cattle and other domesticated farm animals.

Camfrey (Symphytum officinale) has been reported in old herbal books as ar back as 200 A.D. as a valuable medicinal herb to encourage epithelial formation in wounds, ulcers, and osteomyelitis. An evaluation of the plant by many investigators has disclosed that allantoin, a diureide of glyoxylic acid is the active ingredient found in the comfrey plant that increases the granulation of damaged tissue in the healing process.
Allantoin can also be formed by the oxidation of uric acid in most mammals except man and anthropoid apes.
Extensive use, however, oE the comfrey plant or oE its active ingredient, allantoin, has not been employed in either human medical treatment or in the area of veterinary medicine.

'` A principal objective of the present invention is to provide an effective germicide and healing composition which can be used in veterinary medicine, particularly as a sterile, topical dressing Eor inEections in dairy , ;:~

cattle and in treatiny burns, sores and cuts and abrasions ~n domesticated farm animals. An additional objective of the present invention is to provide a composition which is active in killing infec~ious microorganisms such as Staphylococcal and Streptococcal bacteria. A particular ob~ective of the present invention is to provide a non-toxic, ~opical dressing which kills many types of pathogenic bacteria on the surface of skin tissue while at the same time effecting a rapid healing of the damaged tissue. Another objective is to provide a non-toxic, germicide and healing composition which can be used as a topical dressing or application to dairy cattle in the prevention of mastitis.
The present invention provides a novel, non-toxic, germicide and healing composition comprising allantoin, ascorbic acid and an inert, powdered carrier. The present invention also provides a use of the composition for treating domesticated animals. The carrier can be any solid material which when applied in powdered form is inert to the skin and teats of dairy animals and other farm animals. The carri.er is preferably a member selected from the group consisting of talc, corn starch and mlxtures thereof. The concentratlon of the allantoin is yenerally from about 6 to 12~ by weiyht, and the concentration of ascorbic acid is generally from about 10~ to 20% by weight. The composition containing the allantoin, ascorbic acid and a carrier, such as talc and/or corn starch, in accordance with the present invention can be produced by simply mixing the separate ingredients together.
The present invention provides a dry composition in which the carrier is effective in holding the active ingreclients ,.t~
on the skin surface. The composition is pa`rticularly adapted to be '~ ' .

used during cold and wet winter months on the teats of cows. The dry composition is, of course, effective and advantageously used throughout the year. In the cold winter months, however, the dry composition is particularly advantacJeous. A wet composition applied to the teats of cows during wet and cold atmospheric conditions can cause chapping and frost damage of the teats. The dry composltion does not have any such deleterious effect, and a 90% or better reduction in bacteria numbers on the teats of cows treated with the dry composition c,an be achieved in only 30 minutes' treatment with the composition.
Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description which describe in particular, preferred embodiments of the invention representing the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.
In accordance with the invention, a non-toxic, germicide and healing composition is provided comprising ascorbic acid and a carrier comprising a member selected rom the yroup consistiny of talc, corn starch and mixtures thereof. The concentration of allantoin is generally between about 6% and 12% by weiyht, though an amount sliyhtly more or less than this range may also be acceptable. The concentration of ascorbic acid ls generally between about 10% and 20% by weiyht though again an amount sliyhtly more or less than this ranye may also be acceptable. It has been found that the dry composition containing allantoin, ascorbic acid and the carrier is effective in killing many types of bacteria when applied to skin or tissue in which the bacteria are found. In addition, the application of the composition accelerates the ... .
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;i !) .L~^' healing process for cuts, cracks, etc. in the skin tissue.

One of the major advanta~es of the composition of the present invention is that it provides for an alternative method of treating dairy animals for mastitis whereby antibiotics are not requirad. Mastitis is a major bacteria disease of dairy animals which is cau~;ed by several types of bacteria including Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.
Extensive testing was done to determine the bacteriocide and healing properties of the dry composition of the present invention. Laboratory experiments have shown conclusively that the compositions of this invention are very effective in killing those type bacteria.

A dry composition containing 10% to 15~ ascorbic acid, 3~ to 6~ allantoin and the remainder being essentially talc was applied as a topical agent to the teats of several cows which showed symptoms of mastitis.
As can be seen from the results as summarized in ~rable l, a 90~ or better reduction in the number of bactaria was achieved within 30 minutes after application. I~he application was repeated twice daily for two or three days and the cows responded exceptionally well to the treatment. In essentially all instances, the teats of the cows no longer showed presence oE mastitis causing bactaria.
'rA~LE I

Cow Typ~ of 'rime From ~rotal ~otdl Percent ~eduction No. Sampld Treatl~ent Sacte~la Coccl All coccl ~in.) ~Counts x 1000) ~acterla 1 Swab 0 1707 435 417 3g 76 91 Contact 0 320 183 Pl~te30 61 14 81 91 2 Swab 0 57 34 ll 3 80 92 Contact 0 149 133 Pldta30 9 7 94 95 3 Swab D 1062 992 3~ 35 9 97 99 Contact 0 127 59 Plata30 17 6 87 90 ~3506 . ~

In a similar test, a dry composition containing 10 to 15% ascorbic acid, 7% to 10% allantoin and the remainder being essentially corn starch was applied to the teats of several cows which showed symptoms of mastitis. Results, as summari~ed in Table 2I were similar to those achieved with the composition containing the dry talc carrier. In Table 2, the number of bacteria colonies are represented by a scale of 5 being too numerous to count, to 0 being no colonies.

Cow $ime From Number of NumberTreatment Bacteria tMin.) Colonies One bene~it which has been found with the composition containing corn starch as the carrier material is that the corn starch is less irritating to an open cut or incisions on the animal's s]cin. In controlled tests in which incisions were made in the test animals, it was found that the incisions treated with a composition containing the active ingredients (ascorbic acid and allantoin) in an inert corn starch carrier healed and closed over somewhat more rapidly than incisions treated with a composition containing the same concentration of active ingredients in an inert talc carrier.

~ aboratory tes-ting has demonstrated that the compositions of the invention have excellent kill properties as to various bacteria. Staphylococcal, Streptococcal, yeastl coliform, pseudomona, and some fungal microorganisms could be killed in as little as 10 to 45 minutes. Rod shaped organisms with spores are not killed as rapidly as the spherical shaped streptococcal and staphylococcal bacteria, but the composition does act to kill such organisms.

~ lthough preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications can be made without departing Erom the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter is regarde~ as the invention~

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Claims (7)

1. A dry non-toxic germicide and healing composition comprising allantoin, ascorbic acid and an inert powdered carrier, wherein the allantoin is present in an amount of from about 6 percent to about 12 percent by weight and the ascorbic acid is present in an amount of from about 10 percent to about 20 percent by weight.

2. A dry non-toxic germicide and healing composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inert carrier is a member selected from the group consisting of talc, corn starch and mixtures thereof.

3. A dry non-toxic germicide and healing composition in accordance with claim 1 or 2, which is adapted for topical application to a domesticated farm animal.

4. A dry non-toxic germicide and healing composition in accordance with claim 3, wherein the domesticated farm animal is dairy cattle.

5. A dry non-toxic germicide and healing composition in accordance with claim 1 or 2, which is adapted for topical application to teats of cows.

6. A use of a germicide and healing composition for treating udders of domesticated farm animals to reduce infectious bacteria thereon by applying topically the said composition to the teats of the udder, wherein the said composition is a dry non-toxic germicide and healing composition comprising allantoin, ascorbic acid and an inert powdered carrier, where the allantoin is present in the composition in an amount of from about 6 percent to about 12 percent by weight and the ascorbic acid is present in the composition in an amount of from about 10 percent to about 20 percent by weight.

7. A use in accordance with claim 6, wherein the inert carrier is a member selected from the group consisting of talc, corn starch and mixtures thereof.