ORAL COMPOSITIONS PROVIDING ENHANCED TOOTH STAIN REMOVAL

1 . An oral composition effective for stain removal from a tooth surface, the composition comprising:

an encapsulated protease enzyme, wherein the encapsulated protease enzyme comprises a protease enzyme effective for stain removal from a tooth surface and an encapsulant at least partially coating a surface of the protease enzyme.

2 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the protease enzyme is selected from the group consisting of cathepsins, pepsin, rennin, thermolysin, trypsin, elastase, chymotrypsin, papain, bromelain, subtilisin, and combinations thereof.

3 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the protease enzyme is subtilisin.

4 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulated protease enzyme constitutes at least about 0.02 wt % of the oral composition.

5 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulated protease enzyme constitutes from about 0.02 wt % to about 10 wt % of the oral composition.

6 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the protease enzyme constitutes at least about 10 wt % of the encapsulated protease enzyme.

7 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the protease enzyme constitutes from about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % of the encapsulated protease enzyme.

8 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulated protease enzyme comprises a protease enzyme and an encapsulant substantially coating all the enzyme surface.

9 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulant is selected from the group consisting of acrylic polymers and copolymers, carboxyvinyl polymer, polyamides, polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acetate phthalate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, waxes, and combinations thereof.

10 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the oral composition is in the form of a chewing gum, confection, lozenge, pressed tablet, edible film, mouthspray, dentrifice, mouthwash, foam, toothpaste product, or a combination thereof.

11 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the oral composition is in the form of a compressed chewing gum.

12 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the moisture content of the oral composition is less than about 6 wt %.

13 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises an encapsulated high intensity sweetener selected from the group consisting of sucralose, aspartame, neotame, salts of acesulfame, altitame, saccharin and its salts, cyclamic acid and its salts, glycyrrhizinate, dihydrochalcones, thaumatin, monellin, and combinations thereof.

14 . The oral composition of claim 1 , wherein the oral composition further comprises a coating on the surface of the oral composition.

15 . A method for preparing an oral composition effective for stain removal from a tooth surface, the method comprising:

contacting an encapsulated protease enzyme with one or more components of the oral composition, wherein the encapsulated protease enzyme comprises a protease enzyme effective for stain removal from a tooth surface and an encapsulant at least partially coating a surface of the enzyme.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

providing the one or more components of the oral composition; and

providing the encapsulated protease enzyme.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein contacting the encapsulated enzyme and the one or more components of the oral composition comprises:

placing the one or more components in a vessel, wherein the one or more components are selected from a sweetener, gum base, flavor, polyol, or a combination thereof;

placing the encapsulated enzyme in the vessel; and

mixing the contents of the vessel to contact the one or more components and the encapsulated enzyme.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises forming an oral composition into a suitable shape for oral consumption.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises forming the encapsulated protease enzyme by one or more processes selected from the group consisting of spray drying, spray cooling, spray chilling, extrusion, coacervation, molecular inclusion, fluid bed coating, granulation, agglomeration, roll compaction, and combinations thereof.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the oral composition is in the form of a chewing gum, confection, lozenge, pressed tablet, edible film, mouthspray, dentrifice, mouthwash, foam, toothpaste product, or a combination thereof.

21 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the protease enzyme is selected from the group consisting of cathepsins, pepsin, rennin, thermolysin, trypsin, elastase, chymotrypsin, papain, bromelain, subtilisin, and combinations thereof.

22 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the protease enzyme is subtilisin.

23 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the encapsulated protease enzyme comprises a protease enzyme and an encapsulant substantially coating all the enzyme particle surface.

24 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the encapsulant is selected from the group consisting of acrylic polymers and copolymers, carboxyvinyl polymer, polyamides, polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acetate phthalate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, waxes, and combinations thereof.

25 . The method of claim 15 , wherein said contacting forms a mixture of the encapsulated protease enzyme and one or more components of the oral composition.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the mixture has a moisture content that does not substantially denature the enzyme.

27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the mixture has a temperature that does not substantially denature the enzyme.

28 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the oral composition is in the form of a compressed chewing gum and the one or more components of the oral composition comprise a powdered gum base.

29 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the oral composition is in the form of a pressed tablet and the one or more components of the oral composition comprise a polyol selected from the group consisting of mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltalose, lactitol, erythritol, and combinations thereof.