Hydroxybenzoic Acid Amides and the Use Thereof For Masking Bitter Taste

1 . A method for masking and/or reducing unpleasant flavors and/or strengthen sweet flavour impressions of a composition comprising:

adding to said composition an hydroxybenzoic acid amides having formula (I)

wherein

R 1 to R 5 mutually independently denote hydrogen, hydroxy, methoxy or ethoxy, with the proviso that at least one of the radicals R 1 to R 5 denotes hydroxy,

and R 6 denotes hydrogen, methyl or ethyl

and n denotes 1 or 2, their salts and mixtures thereof, wherein said amide is added in an amount sufficient

a) to mask or reduce the unpleasant flavour impression of an unpleasantly tasting substance and/or

b) to strengthen the sweet flavour impression of a sweet-tasting substance.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein

R 1 , R 3 and R 5 mutually independently denote hydrogen or hydroxy, with the proviso that at least one of said radicals denotes hydroxy,

and

R 2 and R 4 denote hydrogen,

and

R 6 denotes hydrogen, methyl or ethyl

and

n denotes 1 or 2,

their salts and mixtures thereof.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein

R 1 denotes hydroxy,

and

R 3 and R 5 mutually independently denote hydrogen or hydroxy,

and

R 2 and R 4 denote hydrogen,

and

R 6 denotes hydrogen, methyl or ethyl

and

n denotes 1 or 2, their salts and mixtures thereof.

4 . A method according to claim 1 wherein a salt of said hydroxybenzoic acid amide is added to said composition:

wherein one, more than one or all hydroxyl groups of the hydroxybenzoic acid amide are deprotonated and a corresponding quantity of counter-cations is present, which are selected from the group comprising: unipositive cations from the first main and subgroup, ammonium ions, trialkyl ammonium ions, dispositive cations from the second main and subgroup and tripositive cations from the third main and subgroup, and mixtures thereof.

5 . A method according to claim 4 wherein the hydroxylbenzoic acid amide salt comprises 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid-N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)amide, 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid-N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)amide, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid-N-4-(hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)amide, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid-N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)amide, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid-N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)amide monosodium salt, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid-N-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)ethylamide, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid-N-(4-hydroxy-3-ethoxybenzyl)amide, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid-N-(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)amide or 2-hydroxy-5-methoxy-N-[2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]amide.

6 . A method according to claim 1 wherein said composition comprises a food, oral care composition, beverage preparation, an oral pharmaceutical preparation, or a cosmetic preparation.

7 . Hydroxybenzoic acid amides having formula (I)

wherein

R 1 denotes hydroxy,

and

R 3 and R 5 mutually independently denote hydrogen or hydroxy,

and

R 2 and R 4 denote hydrogen,

and

R 6 denotes hydrogen, methyl or ethyl

and

n denotes 1 or 2,

their salts and mixtures thereof.

8 . A food, oral care, beverage, or cosmetic preparation for application in the head area containing 0.000001 wt. % to 95 wt. %, based on the total weight of the preparation, of a hydroxybenzoic acid amide, a salt or mixture thereof as defined in claim 7 .

9 . An oral pharmaceutical preparation containing 0.000001 wt. % to 10 wt. %, based on the total weight of the preparation, of a hydroxybenzoic acid amide, a salt or mixture thereof as defined in claim 7 and at least one unpleasantly tasting substance.

10 . A preparation according to claim 8 , comprising at least one unpleasantly tasting substance, the amount of said unpleasantly tasting substance being sufficient, in a comparative preparation containing no hydroxybenzoic acid amide, salt or mixture thereof but otherwise having an identical composition, to be perceived as an unpleasant taste, and the amount of the hydroxybenzoic acid amide, salt or mixture thereof in the preparation being sufficient to sensorially mask the unpleasant flavour impression of said unpleasantly tasting substance or to reduce it in comparison to the comparative preparation.

11 . Preparation according to claim 8 , comprising at least one sweet-tasting substance, the amount of said sweet-tasting substance being sufficient, in a comparative preparation containing no hydroxybenzoic acid amide, salt or mixture thereof but otherwise having an identical composition, to be perceived as a sweet taste, and the amount of the hydroxybenzoic acid amide, salt or mixture thereof in the preparation being sufficient to sensorially strengthen the sweet flavour impression of the sweet-tasting substance or to strengthen it in comparison to the comparative preparation.

12 . Preparation according to claim 8 , in the form of a semi-finished product, a perfume, aromatic or flavouring composition or a spice mix.

13 . Preparation according to claim 8 , further comprising at least one further substance for modifying, masking or reducing an unpleasant flavour impression of an unpleasantly tasting substance.

14 . A process for producing a hydroxybenzoic acid amide having formula (I)

comprising

reacting under amide-forming conditions a compound having formula (II)

wherein

R 1 to R 5 in formula (I) and (II) have the same meaning given above and

X is a hydroxyl group, alkyloxy or alkenyloxy group, an (optionally substituted) aryloxy group, an N-heterocyclyloxy group, an N-heterocyclyl group, a halogen atom, an (optionally substituted) sulfur atom, an —O—N group having a (poly)substituted nitrogen atom or an R—C(O)—O— group, wherein R denotes an alkyl or alkenyl radical, preferably a halogen atom, a nitro-substituted aryloxy group, an aromatic sulfonyloxy group, an N-heterocyclyl group or a cyclic (optionally substituted) hydroxylamine or another carboxyl-activating group, particularly preferably chlorine, bromine, the p- or o-nitrophenyloxy group, p-toluene sulfonyloxy group, N-imidazolyl group, N-benzotriazolyl group, N-oxyphthalimide group, N-oxybenzotriazole group or N-oxysuccinimide group,

with an amine having formula (III)

which can also take the form of its ammonium salt,

R 6 and n having the meanings given above.