Oxalic acid derivatives and use thereof as physiological cooling active ingredients

1. A composition comprising one or more compounds of formula (I)

wherein:

B is a hydrocarbon residue selected from the group consisting of:

in which the dashed line indicates a bond which links the hydrocarbon residue B with the adjacent oxygen atom in formula (I),

X is NR 1 R 2 or SR 3 , and

R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and an optionally substituted organic residue with 1 to 12 C atoms, wherein, optionally in NR 1 R 2 , the residues R 1 and R 2 are covalently bonded together with omission of one hydrogen atom in each case to form a ring;

provided that when the composition comprises only one compound of formula (I), the one compound is not selected from the group consisting of

wherein at least one compound of formula (I) is selected from the group consisting of:

(L)-menthyl oxamate,

rac-menthyl oxamate,

menthyl N-methyl oxamate,

menthyl N,N-dimethyl oxamate,

menthyl N-ethyl oxamate,

menthyl N,N-diethyl oxamate,

menthyl N-propyl oxamate,

menthyl N,N-dipropyl oxamate,

menthyl N-isopropyl oxamate,

menthyl N,N-diisopropyl oxamate,

menthyl N-cyclopropyl oxamate,

menthyl N-butyl oxamate,

morpholin-4-yl-oxo-acetic acid (1R,2S,5R)-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexyl ester,

menthyl N-(2-methoxyethyl) oxamate,

menthyl N-(3-methoxypropanol) oxamate,

menthyl N-(2-hydroxyethyl) oxamate, and

menthyl N-(3-hydroxypropyl) oxamate.

2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the organic residue is selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted: C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 1 -C 10 heteroalkyl, C 2 -C 10 heterocycloalkyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl, C 4 -C 10 cycloalkylalkyl, C 2 -C 10 alkenyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkenyl, C 4 -C 10 cycloalkenylalkyl, C 2 -C 10 alkynyl, C 5 -C 10 cycloalkylalkynyl, C 3 -C 10 aryl, C 2 -C 10 heteroaryl, C 4 -C 10 arylalkyl, C 8 -C 10 cycloalkylaryl, C 8 -C 10 cycloalkenylaryl, C 5 -C 10 cycloalkylheteroaryl, C 8 -C 10 heterocycloalkylaryl, C 8 -C 10 heterocycloalkenylaryl, C 8 -C 10 heterocycloalkenylheteroaryl and C 3 -C 10 heteroarylalkyl;

wherein a number of hydrogen atoms attached to C is optionally replaced by fluorine, and

the organic residue has no more than 3 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of N, S, and O, wherein O and S are not bonded to another heteroatom.

3. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein in at least one compound of formula (I), X is NHR 1 .

4. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein in at least one compound of formula (I), B is a hydrocarbon residue selected from the group consisting of:

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein in at least one compound of formula (I), B is L-menthyl, D-menthyl or rac-menthyl.

6. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein in at least one compound of formula (I), the optional substitutents on the organic residue are independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 5 alkyl, C 3 -C 8 cycloalkyl, C 2 -C 4 alkenyl, C 2 -C 4 alkynyl, propynyl, C 1 -C 4 perfluoroalkyl, hydroxy, C 1 -C 8 alkoxy, C 3 -C 8 cycloalkoxy, C 1 -C 4 acyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 4 acyloxy and C 2 -C 7 heteroalkyl.

7. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein in at least one compound of formula (I), when X is NR 1 R 2 , and R 1 and R 2 are covalently bonded together with omission of one hydrogen atom in each case to form, at most, a 7 membered ring.

8. The composition according to claim 5 , wherein in at least one compound of formula (I), X is NR 1 R 2 , and the organic residue is selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted: C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 2 -C 5 heteroalkyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 6 aryl, C 2 -C 6 heteroaryl, and C 4 -C 8 arylalkyl,

wherein if R 1 and R 2 are covalently bonded together to form a ring, the ring is at most 7-membered, and

wherein the optionally present substituents of the organic residue are selected from the group consisting of: methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, tert-butyl, cyclopropyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cyclooctyl, ethenyl, propenyl, ethynyl, propynyl, trifluoromethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, iso-propoxy, n-butoxy, iso-butoxy, tert-butoxy, C 3 cycloalkoxy, C 5 cycloalkoxy, C 6 cycloalkoxy, C 8 cycloalkoxy, —[—O—CH 2 —CH 2 —] v -Q or —[—O—CH 2 —CHMe-] v -Q, wherein Q=OH or is CH 3 and wherein v may mean 1 or 2, acetyl, CO 2 Me, CO 2 Et, CO 2 iso-Pr, CO 2 tert-Bu, and acetyloxy.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein at least one compound of formula (I) is selected from the group consisting of:

L-menthyl N-methyl oxamate,

D-menthyl N-methyl oxamate,

rac-menthyl N-methyl oxamate,

L-menthyl N-ethyl oxamate,

D-menthyl N-ethyl oxamate, and

rac-menthyl N-ethyl oxamate.

10. The composition according to claim 1 comprising:

(1) one or more compounds of the formula (I) and

(2) one or more physiological cooling active ingredients, wherein the one or more physiological cooling active ingredients bring about a sensation of coolness on the skin or mucous membranes without any physical cooling or evaporation occurring

and/or

(3) one or more aroma substances without a physiological cooling action

and/or

(4) one or more substances without a physiological cooling action which have a trigeminal or salivatory action.

11. The composition as claimed in claim 10 , wherein

constituent (2) comprises one or more further substances with a physiological cooling action without a taste effect

and/or

constituent (3) comprises one or more aroma substances without a physiological cooling action

and/or,

the composition further comprises one or more compounds which mutually independently or jointly additionally cause a taste-modulating effect and/or a trigeminal and/or a salivatory stimulus.

12. A preparation for nutrition or for pleasure or used for oral hygiene or a pharmaceutical or cosmetic preparation comprising a composition of claim 1 , wherein the compound or compounds of formula (I) is/are present in an amount of 0.0001 wt. % to 20 wt. % of the preparation, and an auxiliary substance and/or additive which is/are present in an amount of 0.0000001 wt. % to 99.99 wt. % of the preparation.

13. A pharmaceutical preparation comprising a composition of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical preparation is in the form of a capsule, a tablet, a sugar-coated tablet, a granule, a pellet, a mixture of solids, a dispersion in a liquid phase, an emulsion, a powder, a solution, or a paste.

14. The pharmaceutical preparation as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the pharmaceutical preparation is a tablet coated by a coating that is resistant to gastric juices.

15. A method for achieving a physiological cooling action on skin and/or a mucous membrane comprising applying onto the skin and/or the mucous membrane an amount of a composition as claimed in claim 1 sufficient to achieve a physiological cooling action.

16. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the organic residue is independently selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 8 alkyl, C 2 -C 8 heteroalkyl, C 1 -C 8 heterocycloalkyl, C 3 -C 8 cycloalkyl, C 4 -C 8 cycloalkylalkyl, C 2 -C 8 alkenyl, C 3 -C 8 cycloalkenyl, C 4 -C 8 cycloalkenylalkyl, C 3 -C 6 aryl, C 2 -C 6 heteroaryl, and C 4 -C 8 arylalkyl.

17. The composition of claim 6 , wherein the optional substituents are independently selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, tert-butyl, cyclopropyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cyclooctyl, ethenyl, propenyl, ethynyl, propynyl, trifluoromethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, iso-propoxy, n-butoxy, iso-butoxy, tert-butoxy, C 3 cycloalkoxy, C 5 cycloalkoxy, C 6 cycloalkoxy, C 8 cycloalkoxy, —[—O—CH 2 —CH 2 —] v -Q or —[—O—CH 2 —CHMe-] v -Q, wherein Q=OH or is CH 3 and wherein v may mean 1 or 2, acetyl, CO 2 Me, CO 2 Et, CO 2 iso-Pr, CO 2 tert-Bu, and acetyloxy.

18. The composition of claim 1 , wherein X is NR 1 R 2 and NR 1 R 2 is selected from the group consisting of piperidinyl and morpholinyl.

19. A preparation for nutrition, pleasure, or oral hygiene, or a pharmaceutical or cosmetic preparation, comprising a sufficient amount of a composition as claimed in claim 6 for achieving a physiological cooling action on skin and/or mucous membranes, and further comprising:

(1) one or more physiological cooling active ingredients, wherein the one or more physiological cooling active ingredients bring about a sensation of coolness on the skin or mucous membranes without any physical cooling or evaporation occurring,

and/or

(2) one or more aroma substances without a physiological cooling action

and/or

(3) one or more substances without a physiological cooling action which have a trigeminal or salivatory action.

20. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the composition, comprises 0.0001 wt. % to 20 wt. % of a compound or compounds according to formula (I) and 0.0000001 wt. % to 99.99 wt. % of an auxiliary substance and/or additive, relative to the total weight of the composition.

21. A method for achieving a physiological cooling action on skin and/or a mucous membrane comprising applying a sufficient amount of a composition of claim 6 onto the skin and/or the mucous membrane to achieve a physiological cooling action.

22. A method for achieving a physiological cooling action on skin and/or a mucous membrane comprising applying a sufficient amount of a composition of claim 10 onto the skin and/or mucous membrane to achieve a physiological cooling action.

23. A method for achieving a physiological cooling action on skin and/or a mucous membrane comprising applying a sufficient amount of a composition of claim 12 onto the skin/or mucous membrane to achieve a physiological cooling action.

24. A method for producing a compound of formula (I) as defined in claim 1 , comprising reacting an oxalic acid ester of the formula

wherein R a is an alkyl residue, or oxalic acid halide of the formula

wherein Hal is a halide, with

an amine HNR 1 R 2 or thiol HSR 3 , or a corresponding salt.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein R a is a C 1 -C 4 alkyl residue.