CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application that claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/868,960 filed on Jun. 30, 2019, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE EMBODIMENTS

This invention relates to edible compositions, e.g., cookies, comprising prebiotic and probiotic blends for improved gut health.

BACKGROUND OF THE EMBODIMENTS

At the beginning of the last century, the Russian immunologist and Nobel Prize Laurate, Elie Metchnikoff, discovered that the consumption of live bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus) in yogurt or fermented milk had beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract of humans (see, e.g., Metchinikoff, E., Prolongation of Life, William Heinermann, London 1910). Defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host,” probiotics are now widely available in the form of foods such as dairy products, juices, capsules, drops, and powders. Health benefits of probiotics include digestive health, normalization of bowel movements, strengthening of the immune system, improved mood, improved heart health, control of cholesterol, neutralization of toxins, countering of allergies and skin problems, as well as the prevention of yeast and fungal infections. Prebiotic formulations that promote the proliferation of probiotic microorganisms in the intestinal tract that confer the aforementioned health benefits are being actively sought. For example, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding new research into how prebiotics could be used to help manage chronic gastro-intestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Thus, there is an on-going need for improved prebiotic and probiotic compositions.

The present invention discloses a cookie product that addresses the need for improved prebiotic and probiotic formulations that promote gut health.

Examples of related art are described below:

U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2018/0318323 A1 relates to various embodiments of a gut microbiome modulating composition comprises a blend of a polyphenol and an oligosaccharide. Various embodiments of the polyphenol may comprise at least approximately 5% by weight chlorogenic acid. Various embodiments of the oligosaccharides may be standardized to a degree of polymerization of at least three to reduce digestibility. Administration of an effective amount of the gut microbiome modulating composition to a person or animal may stimulate the growth of at least one of Akkermansia muciniphila,Lactobacillus, andBifidobacteriumbacteria in the colon, which may reduce permeability of the colon, increases short chain fatty acid production in the colon, and/or modulate causes immunomodulation of human colon cells. The gut microbiome modulating composition may provide protective effects against obesity-related chronic diseases.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,463,169 B2 relates to a formulation to increase the ratio of gastrointestinal microbiota in phylum Bacteroidetes to microbiota of Firmicutes phylum preferably includes about 20-60 mg/kg of body weight of fermentable fiber, about 10-30 mg/kg of body weight of beta glucan and about 20-60 mg/kg of body weight of blueberry extracts or any fruit or berry ingredient preparation containing similar phenolics. This formulation is preferably used to control body weight, body composition, and blood glucose regulation, preferably in humans, and is preferably administered orally, preferably twice per day.

WO 2018/115744 A1 relates to a composition for feeding a non-human mammal, advantageously a herbivore, comprising a mixture of co-products of cereal distillation or of beer production with or without solubles (DDG and DDGS), of concentrated cereal solubles (CDS), of prebiotic fibers, of probiotics, of amino acids, of proteins, of omega 3, of lignan, and of digestive enzymes. It also relates to a nutritional feed bucket comprising said composition and to the use thereof for improving the zootechnical performance levels of a non-human, advantageously herbivorous, mammal, for increasing the digestibility of solids and of fibers, in particular of fodder and concentrates, and/or improving the consumption index and/or the dietary efficiency and/or promoting weight gain and/or increasing the intensity of microbial metabolism and fermentation and/or reducing gas emission, in particular methane emission, and/or inhibiting the protozoa of the flora and/or decreasing protein degradation and/or directing fermentations towards the production of volatile fatty acids, in particular towards propionic acid, in a non-human, advantageously herbivorous, mammal.

U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2014/0302223 A1 discloses nutritional compositions comprising a soluble viscous fiber and a polyphenol-containing plant extract. The viscosity of the nutritional compositions may be adjusted and controlled without varying the concentration of the soluble viscous fiber in the composition by including the polyphenol-containing plant extract.

U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2019/0008824 A1 relates to a composition comprising at least one cocoa polyphenol and soluble dietary fiber for use in the prevention or treatment of a disorder associated with an above-normal number of granulocytes in a tissue.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,101,565 B2 discloses a prebiotic composition comprising a probiotic and prebiotic, and method of delivering a probiotic, prebiotic or composition directly into the intestinal tract of a mammal are disclosed. The probiotic is any beneficial bacteria and the prebiotic is a substance beneficial to a probiotic. Most preferably, the prebiotic includes a mucopolysaccharide. The method preferably involves delivering the prebiotic, probiotic or composition via a delivery tube, such as an enteral feeding tube, directly to a position downstream of the stomach, most preferably to the jejunum.

None of the art described above teaches a cookie product for the oral consumption and delivery of an optimized prebiotic formulation or prebiotic and prebiotic formulation to the gastrointestinal tract.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention and its embodiments relate to edible compositions, such as cookies, comprising prebiotic and probiotic blends for improved gut health.

A first embodiment of the present invention describes a cookie for improving gut health. The cookie fails to contain refined sugars, synthetic vitamins, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), artificial sweeteners, and artificial preservatives. The cookie includes a baked food composition. The baked food composition contains a polyphenol, a resistant starch, and a prebiotic soluble fiber. In other examples, the prebiotic soluble fiber may be lupin flour. In some examples, the prebiotic soluble fiber may be an isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO), among other components not explicitly listed herein. The resistant starch may be a resistant dextrin, such as Fibersmart™, and/or tigernut flour, among other components not explicitly listed herein. The polyphenol may be a kiwi fruit powder, among other components not explicitly listed herein. In some examples, the baked food composition is a biscuit.

Moreover, in some examples, the prebiotic soluble fiber is present in a range of approximately 15% to approximately 25% (w/w) of the baked food composition and the polyphenol is present in a range of approximately 0.1% to approximately 5% (w/w) of the baked food composition. The resistant starch is present in a range of approximately 15% to approximately 25% (w/w) of the cookie.

The cookie may also include a crème filling sandwiched between two of the biscuits. The crème filing contains a resistant starch, a nut butter, a vegetable fat, and spores of a probiotic bacterium. In some examples, the spores of the probiotic bacterium comprise spores ofBacillus coagulans. The crème filing fails to contain refined sugars, synthetic vitamins, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), artificial sweeteners, and artificial preservatives.

It should be appreciated that consumption of the cookie provides a prebiotic effect and/or a probiotic effect to a consumer. In examples, consumption of the cookie increasesLactobacillus bulgaricus, Bacillus coagulans, Collinsella aerofaciens, Hippurate, Erysipelotrichia, and/or Streptophyta in the consumer. In some examples, consumption of the cookie increasesLactobacillus bulgaricusand butyrate in the consumer.

A second embodiment of the present invention describes a method for making a cookie that provides a prebiotic effect and/or a probiotic effect to the consumer. The method includes: blending dry ingredients comprising a polyphenol, a resistant starch, and a prebiotic soluble fiber with vegetable fat; mixing in water until glomeration and formation of a dough; and baking the dough to produce a baked food composition. The prebiotic soluble fiber may be lupin flour and/or isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO), among other examples not explicitly listed herein. The resistant starch may be a resistant dextrin, such as Fibersmart™, and/or tigernut flour. The polyphenol may be the kiwi fruit powder.

In some examples, the baked food composition is a biscuit. The method may further comprise: sandwiching a crème filling between two of the biscuits to produce a cookie. The crème filing may be produced by: mixing vegetable fats to form a first mixture; mixing nut butter with a resistant starch to form a second mixture; and blending the first and second mixtures with a natural flavor and probiotic spores until glomeration of the crème filling. The probiotic spores may comprise spores ofBacillus coagulans.

A third embodiment of the present invention describes a cookie that provides a prebiotic effect and/or a probiotic effect to the consumer. The cookie fails to contain refined sugars, synthetic vitamins, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), artificial sweeteners, and artificial preservatives. The cookie comprises at least two baked food compositions formed into a biscuit and a crème filing sandwiched between the at least two baked food compositions. Each of the at least two baked food compositions contains a polyphenol comprising the kiwi fruit powder, a resistant starch comprising a resistant dextrin (e.g., Fibersmart™) and/or tigernut flour, and a prebiotic soluble fiber comprising lupin flour and/or an isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO), among other examples not explicitly listed herein. The crème filing comprises a resistant starch, a nut butter, a vegetable fat, and spores of a probiotic bacterium. The spores of the probiotic bacterium comprise spores ofBacillus coagulans. Consumption of the cookie increasesLactobacillus bulgaricus, Bacillus coagulans, Collinsella aerofaciens, Hippurate, Erysipelotrichia, and/or Streptophyta in the consumer. In some examples, consumption of the cookie increasesLactobacillus bulgaricusand butyrate in the consumer.

In general, the present invention succeeds in conferring the following benefits and objectives.

It is an object of the present invention to deliver a cookie that provides a prebiotic effect to a consumer.

It is an object of the present invention to deliver a cookie that provides a probiotic effect to the consumer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cookie that increasesLactobacillus bulgaricusand butyrate in the consumer post-consumption.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cookie comprising a baked food composition formed into a biscuit, the baked food composition containing a polyphenol, a resistant starch, and a prebiotic soluble fiber.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a crème filing comprising a resistant starch, a nut butter, a vegetable fat, and spores of a probiotic bacterium.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cookie comprising at least two baked food compositions formed into the biscuit and the crème filing sandwiched between the at least two baked food compositions (e.g., biscuits), where each of the at least two baked food compositions contain a polyphenol, a resistant starch, and a prebiotic soluble fiber and the crème filing comprises a resistant starch, a nut butter, a vegetable fat, and spores of a probiotic bacterium.

