Betulin-containing birch bark extracts and their formulation

1. A process for preparing a sterile oleogel, the process comprising:

(a) contacting birch bark with a pharmaceutically acceptable solvent, thereby forming an extraction solution comprising betulin and one or more triterpenes;

(b) separating the birch bark from the extraction solution;

(c) cooling the extraction solution whereby a portion of the betulin and one or more triterpenes crystallizes from the cooled extraction solution;

(d) separating the crystallized betulin and one or more triterpenes from the cooled extraction solution;

(e) drying the separated, crystallized betulin and one or more triterpenes to provide the solid birch bark extract;

wherein after drying, about 1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of the dried solid birch bark extract having an average particle size of less than about 50 μm of step (e) is dispersed in refined sunflower oil to form a oleogel;

wherein the solid birch bark extract comprises at least about 70 wt. % betulin and one or more triterpenes selected from the group consisting of betulinic acid, oleanolic acid, erythrodiol, and lupeol; and

wherein the oleogel is sterilized by ionizing irradiation at doses ranging from about 11 to about 40 kGy.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein one or more of steps (a), (c), and (e) is carried out under the following conditions:

(i) said contacting of step (a) is carried out at a temperature of about 60° C. to about 130° C.;

(ii) said cooling of step (c) is carried out at a temperature of about −20° C. to about 35° C.;

(iii) said drying of step (e) is carried out at a temperature of about 75° C. to about 95° C. at a pressure of less than about 70 mbar.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein two or more of steps (a), (c), and (e) are carried out under the following conditions:

(i) said contacting of step (a) is carried out at a temperature of about 60° C. to about 130° C.;

(ii) said cooling of step (c) is carried out at a temperature of about −20° C. to about 35° C.;

(iii) said drying of step (e) is carried out at a temperature of about 75° C. to about 95° C. at a pressure of less than about 70 mbar.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein steps (a), (c), and (e) are carried out under the following conditions:

(i) said contacting of step (a) is carried out at a temperature of about 60° C. to about 130° C.;

(ii) said cooling of step (c) is carried out at a temperature of about −20° C. to about 35° C.;

(iii) said drying of step (e) is carried out at a temperature of about %55° C. to about 95° C. at a pressure of less than about 70 mbar.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable solvent is a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of n-pentane, n-hexane, or n-heptane.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable solvent is n-heptane.

7. The process of any claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable solvent is n-heptane, and said contacting is carried out at a temperature of about 115° C. to about 130° C.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein in step (c) the cooled extraction solution is supersaturated at least about 2-fold.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cooled extraction solution is supersaturated about 5-fold.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the amount of residual extraction solvent is no more than about 0.5 wt. %.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the oleogel is sterilized by ionizing irradiation at doses ranging from about 11 to about 20 kGy.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ionizing radiation is X-ray or gamma radiation.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dispersed solid birch bark extract particles are the only oleogel forming agent in the oleogel.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the oleogel comprises about 10 wt. % of particles of the solid birch bark extract.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the oleogel is substantially free of solid birch bark extract particles having a size greater than about 50 μm.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the segregation of the nonpolar liquid from the oleogel is less than about 10 wt % after centrifuging at 25° C. for 30 min at 2750 g.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity at 200/s of the oleogel ranges from about 0.5 to about 4 Pa·s and the thixotropy value of the oleogel ranges from about 200 to about 1200 Pa·s as measured according to the rotating viscometer method described in Ph. Eur. 2.2.10 using a cone-plate viscometer.

18. A process for preparing an oleogel, the process comprising:

(a) contacting birch bark with a pharmaceutically acceptable solvent, thereby forming an extraction solution comprising betulin and one or more triterpenes;

(b) separating the birch bark from the extraction solution;

(c) cooling the extraction solution whereby a portion of the betulin and one or more triterpenes crystallizes from the cooled extraction solution;

(d) separating the crystallized betulin and one or more triterpenes from the cooled extraction solution;

(e) drying the separated, crystallized betulin and one or more triterpenes to provide the solid birch bark extract;

wherein after drying, about 1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of the dried solid birch bark extract having an average particle size of less than about 50 μm of step (e) is dispersed in refined sunflower oil to form a oleogel;

wherein the solid birch bark extract comprises at least about 70 wt. bio betulin and one or more triterpenes selected from the group consisting of betulinic acid, oleanolic acid, erythrodiol, and lupeol; and

wherein the oleogel has a consistency ranging from about 300-3000 mN; wherein the consistency is the force (mN) needed to penetrate 1 cm into the oleogel as measured using a texture analyser with a 1.27 cm cylindrical penetrating object, and the speed of penetration is 0.4 mm/s.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein one or more of steps (a), (c), and (e) is carried out under the following conditions:

(i) said contacting of step (a) is carried out at a temperature of about 60° C. to about 130° C.;

(ii) said cooling of step (c) is carried out at a temperature of about −20° C. to about 35° C.;

(iii) said drying of step (e) is carried out at a temperature of about 75° C. to about 95° C. at a pressure of less than about 70 mbar.

20. The process of claim 18 , wherein two or more of steps (a), and (e) are carried out under the following conditions:

(i) said contacting of step (a) is carried out at a temperature of about 60° C. to about 130° C.;

(ii) said cooling of step (c) is carried out at a temperature of about −20° C. to about 35° C.;

(iii) said drying of step (e) is carried out at a temperature of about 75° C. to about 95° C. at a pressure of less than about 70 mbar.

21. The process of claim 18 , wherein steps (a), (c), and (e) are carried out under the following conditions:

(i) said contacting of step (a) is carried out at a temperature of about 60° C. to about 130° C.;

(ii) said cooling of step (c) is carried out at a temperature of about −20° C. to about 35° C.;

(iii) said drying of step (e) is carried out at a temperature of about 75° C. to about 95° C. at a pressure of less than about 70 mbar.

22. The process of claim 18 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable solvent is a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of n-pentane, n-hexane, or n-heptane.

23. The process of claim 18 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable solvent is n-heptane.

24. The process of any claim 18 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable solvent is n-heptane, and said contacting is carried out at a temperature of about 115° C. to about 130° C.

25. The process of claim 18 , wherein in step (c) the cooled extraction solution is supersaturated at least about 2-fold.

26. The process of claim 18 , wherein the cooled extraction solution is supersaturated about 5-fold.

27. The process of claim 18 , wherein the amount of residual extraction solvent is no more than about 0.5 wt. %.

28. The process of claim 18 , wherein the dispersed solid birch bark extract particles are the only oleogel forming agent in the oleogel.

29. The process of claim 18 , wherein the oleogel comprises about 10 wt. % of particles of the solid birch bark extract.

30. The process of claim 18 , wherein the oleogel is substantially free of solid birch bark extract particles having a size greater than about 50 μm.

31. The process of claim 18 , wherein the segregation of the nonpolar liquid from the oleogel is less than about 10 wt % after centrifuging at 25° C. for 30 min at 2750 g.

32. The process of claim 18 , wherein the viscosity at 200/s of the oleogel ranges from about 0.5 to about 4 Pa·s and the thixotropy value of the oleogel ranges from about 200 to about 1200 Pa·s as measured according to the rotating viscometer method described in Ph, Eur, 2.2.10 using a cone-plate viscometer.

33. A process for preparing an oleogel, the process comprising:

(a) contacting birch bark with a pharmaceutically acceptable solvent, thereby forming an extraction solution comprising betulin and one or more triterpenes;

(b) separating the birch bark from the extraction solution;

(c) cooling the extraction solution whereby a portion of the betulin and one or more triterpenes crystallizes from the cooled extraction solution;

(d) separating the crystallized betulin and one or more triterpenes from the cooled extraction solution;

(e) drying the separated, crystallized betulin and one or more triterpenes to provide the solid birch bark extract;

wherein after drying, about 1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of the dried solid birch bark extract having an average particle size of less than about 50 μm of step (e) is dispersed in refined sunflower oil to form a oleogel;

wherein the solid birch hark extract comprises at least about 70 wt. betulin and one or more triterpenes selected from the group consisting of betulinic acid, oleanolic acid, erythrodiol, and lupeol; and

wherein the refined sunflower oil has a peroxide value less than about 3.

34. The process of claim 33 , wherein one or more of steps (a), (c), and (e) is carried out under the following conditions:

(i) said contacting of step (a) is carried out at a temperature of about 60° C. to about 130° C.;

(ii) said cooling of step (c) is carried out at a temperature of about −20° C. to about 35° C.;

(iii) said drying of step (e) is carried out at a temperature of about 75° C. to about 95° C. at a pressure of less than about 70 mbar.

35. The process of claim 33 , wherein two or more of eps (a), and (e) are carried out under the following conditions:

(i) said contacting of step (a) is carried out at a temperature of about 60° C. to about 130° C.;

(ii) said cooling of step (c) is carried out at a temperature of about −20° C. to about 35° C.;

(iii) said drying of step (e) is carried out at a temperature of about 75° C. to about 95° C. at a pressure of less than about 70 mbar.

36. The process of claim 33 , wherein steps (a), (c), and (e) are carried out under the following conditions:

(i) said contacting of step (a) is carried out at a temperature of about 60° C. to about 130° C.;

(ii) said cooling of step (c) is carried out at a temperature of about −20° C. to about 35° C.;

(iii) said drying of step (e) is carried out at a temperature of about 75° C. to about 95° C. at a pressure of less than about 70 mbar.

37. The process of claim 33 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable solvent is a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of n-pentane, n-hexane, or n-heptane.

38. The process of claim 33 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable solvent is n-heptane.

39. The process of any claim 33 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable solvent is n-heptane, and said contacting is carried out at a temperature of about 115° C. to about 130° C.

40. The process of claim 33 , wherein in step (c) the cooled extraction solution is supersaturated at least about 2-fold.

41. The process of claim 33 , wherein the cooled extraction solution is supersaturated about 5-fold.

42. The process of claim 33 , wherein the amount of residual extraction solvent is no more than about 0.5 wt. %.

43. The process of claim 33 , wherein the dispersed solid birch bark extract particles are the only oleogel forming agent in the oleogel.

44. The process of claim 33 , wherein the oleogel comprises about 10 wt. % of particles of the solid birch bark extract.

45. The process of claim 33 , wherein the oleogel is substantially free of solid birch bark extract particles having a size greater than about 50 μm.

46. The process of claim 33 , wherein the viscosity at 200/s of the oleogel ranges from about 0.5 to about 4 Pa·s and the thixotropy value of the oleogel ranges from about 200 to about 1200 Pa·s as measured according to the rotating viscometer method described in Ph. Eur. 2.2.10 using a cone-plate viscometer.