Compositions containing suspended creatine

<td>REPUBLIC POLAND</td><td>(12) PATENT DESCRIPTION (19) PL (21) Application number: 351869</td><td>(11) 196541 (13) B1</td>

<td></td><td>(22) Date of notification: 01/06/2000</td><td>(51) Int.Cl. A23L 1/305 (2006.01)</td>

<td></td><td>(86) Date and number of the international application:</td><td>A61K 31/155 (2006.01)</td>

<td>'F'</td><td>2000-06-01, PCT / GB00 / 02091</td><td>A61P 21/00 (2006.01)</td>

<td>patent Office</td><td>(87) Date and publication number of the international application:</td><td></td>

<td>Polish Republic</td><td>2000-12-14, WO00 / 74500 PCT Gazette No. 50/00</td><td></td>

(54)

A composition for strengthening muscle strength containing creatine

<td>(30) Priority: 1999-10-18, US, 09 / 419,922</td><td>(73) The right holder of the patent: THE HOWARD FOUNDATION, Cambridge, GB</td>

<td>(43) Application was announced: 30.06.2003 BUP 13/03</td><td>(72) Inventor (s): Alan Norman Howard, Granhams Road, GB Roger Charles Harris, Newmarket, GB</td>

<td>(45) The grant of the patent was announced: 31.01.2008 WUP 01/08</td><td>(74) Representative: Szczepańska Zofia, PATPOL Sp. z o. o</td>

⁽⁵⁷⁾ CLAIMS 1. A muscle strength composition containing creatine, characterized in that the creatine is in solid form suspended in a viscous, liquid or semi-solid edible support matrix, the amount of creatine per kg of the resulting composition being in the range of 5 to 300 g.

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Description of the invention

The present invention relates to a muscle strength composition containing creatine, wherein the creatine is in suspension and the stable composition is for human consumption.

Over the past few years, athletes have built up a great deal of interest in creatine, which is abundant in skeletal muscle. Creatine plays a key role in the regulation and homeostasis of skeletal muscle energy metabolism, and it is now generally accepted that maintaining phosphocreatine availability is important to continued muscle strength generation. Although creatine synthesis occurs in the liver, kidneys and pancreas, it has been known for some time that oral ingestion of creatine increases the total body creatine pool and it has been shown that consuming 20 to 30 g creatine daily for several days can lead to greater than 20% increase in total creatine content in human skeletal muscles. Document WO 94/02127 discloses the administration of creatine in amounts of at least 15 g (or 0.2-0.4 g / kg body weight) per day for at least 2 days to increase muscle strength.

In fact, it was subsequently found that after a few days of supplementing the diet (20 g per day) with creatine to achieve saturation, further no more than 2 to 3 g per day is needed to maintain saturation of the body's reserves. Supplementing the diet with the correct dose of creatine can help athletes engage in events that require temporary effort that include all events that last from a few seconds to a few minutes (such as sprinting, swimming, weightlifting, etc.). It seems that supplementing the diet with creatine does not affect endurance performance in competitions lasting more than about 30 minutes. Creatine is a normal food ingredient, it is not a drug, and its use is not illegal. Elderly people, vegetarians or those who do not eat meat or fish can benefit most from supplementing their diets, as these people tend to be low in creatine in their muscles.

Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) belongs to the lily family and is a fleshy cactus-like plant that grows in warm, frost-free climates. The Mexican Indians of Central America have used aloe vera for centuries as a burn remedy, to prevent blisters, peptic and duodenal ulcers and all types of gastrointestinal disorders, kidney infections, local and gastric ulcers, as well as for longevity. Nowadays, aloe vera is becoming very popular and its benefits are scientifically recognized. For clarity, the term "aloe vera" as used herein refers to a plant, and the term "aloe vera extract" refers to compositions prepared by processing aloe vera (eg, pulp, pulp, slices, juice, and the like). Thus, aloe vera gel and aloe vera juice are examples of aloe vera extract.

In the past, the main use of aloe vera has been to prevent inflammation, especially of the skin, especially after burns, but there are many other uses. Experiments and studies have shown that the use of aloe vera juice improves the production of digestive enzymes and the intestinal bacterial population. Thus, an interest in aloe vera extract as an orally medicated drug has arisen as people become more familiar with its medical properties.

Among the several representations there is an increasing use of Aloe Vera in soft drinks that are flavored with fruit and are quite tasty. The inclusion of creatine in a soft drink would be highly desirable as an aloe vera extract drink would be more beneficial to health than a plain fruit drink without a supplement.

Aloe vera juice is acidic (usually around pH 3). Creatine is known to be unstable in aqueous solutions at acidic or neutral pH and is converted into the related compound creatinine. This is very important as creatinine does not have a muscle performance enhancing effect and is eliminated from the human body via urine as a waste product. Accordingly, EP 0 669 083 discloses that creatine-containing aqueous drinks for human consumption must be slightly alkaline in order to prevent the conversion of creatine to creatinine; this has become a generally accepted opinion.

In addition, in the past, creatine was only used to make products with a meat or spice flavor. For example, Tonsbeek in US 3,615,600 discloses artificial flavor mixtures that can impart a meat flavor to foods. Likewise, de Rooji (US 4,464,409) discloses meat flavors. Yamazaki (JP-A-59035663) produces a meat flavor by heating a creatine-containing mixture at pH 5.0-7.0 at 80-130 ° C for 30 to 120 minutes. Under these conditions, most of the creatine would convert to creatinine.

It would be of great benefit to develop a composition for human consumption in which the creatine content is substantially stable, even at acidic pH and ambient temperatures.

The muscle strength composition containing creatine according to the invention is characterized in that it contains creatine in solid form suspended in a viscous, liquid or semi-solid edible support matrix, the amount of creatine per kg of the prepared composition being in the range from 5 to 300 g.

Preferably, the composition has a pH in the range 2.5 to 6.5.

More preferably, the composition has a pH in the range 3.0 to 6.0.

Preferably, the composition comprises one or more additional ingredients selected from the group consisting of electrolytes, vitamins, lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, trace elements, colorants, flavors, artificial sweeteners, natural health substances, antioxidants, stabilizers, preservatives and buffers.

Preferably, the edible support matrix of the composition comprises one or more substances selected from the group consisting of honey, syrup, molasses, black molasses and concentrated aloe vera gel.

Preferably, the edible support matrix of the composition comprises a polysaccharide of vegetable or algal origin, gum, thickeners and jelly-like substances.

Preferably, the edible support matrix of the composition comprises one or more substances selected from the group consisting of galactomannans, dextrans, guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, carrageenan, gum tragacanth, acacia, tara gum, gellan, gelatin, alginate, agar or pectin.

Preferably, the composition comprises creatine in the form of creatine monohydrate or creatine phosphate.

This composition is for human consumption and contains creatine suspended in an edible support matrix. The term "suspended" means that the compositions of the invention contain creatine in solid form (e.g., as crystals, powder or the like) dispersed in a viscous, liquid or semi-solid edible support matrix, typically such that settling (under force gravity) of solid creatine is inhibited or (preferably) prevented.

The creatine included in the composition may be present as any active form of creatine (e.g., creatine phosphate), but creatine monohydrate has been found to be particularly suitable as a creatine source. The creatine contained in the composition is preferably subjected to a comminution process prior to incorporation into the matrix (e.g., crushing, spraying, pulverizing, etc.) such that the resulting composition does not have an unacceptably "rough" texture.

The composition may be provided in solid, liquid or semi-solid form (e.g. as a drink, soup or yogurt).

Preferably, the creatine will be substantially uniformly distributed throughout the support matrix (by somehow homogenizing, e.g., by mixing, blending, etc.), which may be done manually (e.g. by a consumer) and / or mechanically at the time of preparation of the composition.

Suitably the support matrix is ​​a recognized foodstuff such that the composition of the invention may take the form of an otherwise conventional foodstuff, supplemented with creatine such that solid creatine is suspended in the foodstuff. Examples of foodstuffs that may constitute useful carrier matrices for the compositions of the invention include solid spreads such as butters or processed cheese, margarines, caviar paste (mainly from lumpfish roe), and other fish pastes and spreads (e.g., pickling paste). , i.e. smoked Baltic herring paste), pates, etc. Other suitable carrier matrices are matrices containing sugars or other carbohydrates, such as liquid ("liquid") or solid ("solidified") honey, molasses, syrup (eg, corn syrup, glucose syrup), black molasses, or "Maxim Energy Gel" ™.

If desired, the viscosity of the edible matrix and / or the composition as a whole can be increased by adding viscosifying agents, gelling agents, etc. Such ingredients are known in the food industry and include, for example, polysaccharides of vegetable or algae origin, gums, etc., such as like galactomannans, dextrans, guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, carrageenan, gum tragacanth, gum arabic, tara, gellan, etc. Other materials suitable for use in the composition include gelatinous substances (e.g. gelatin) or thickening agents such as alginates, agar or pectins.

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In fact, such tackifiers, gels, gums, thickeners as set forth in the preceding paragraph and the like may fully or partially form the support matrix if desired. One edible matrix includes a gel made from concentrated aloe vera extract: a homogeneous cream paste (suitable for packaging in squeezing tubes) can be prepared by mixing 5 g creatine with 20 ml concentrated aloe vera gel (such as available from Aloe Commodities Int. Inc., Farmers Branch, TX75234). In general, however, edible matrices comprising a polysaccharide of plant or algal origin or gum are preferred.

Previously, the inventors have found that the conversion of creatine to creatinine in aqueous acidic solutions can be significantly inhibited by storing the creatine-containing solutions below ambient temperature. The inventors have now found that by supplying creatine as a suspension instead of in solution, the conversion to creatinine (even in an acid composition) can be greatly inhibited or even substantially prevented even at ambient temperature (i.e. 20-25 ° C). Thus, in some embodiments, the composition as a whole (and / or the support matrix separately) may conveniently be selected acidic (ie, having a pH less than 7.0) without appreciably detrimental to the stability of the creatine contained in the composition.

In particular, the composition preferably has a pH between 2.5 and 6.5, preferably between 3.0 and 6.0. Typically the composition has a pH in the range 3.5 to 5.5 which to the human palate has a refreshingly pungent taste without being overly acidic.

The compositions according to the invention are substantially stable so that creatine can exist in acidic preparations, in contrast to the prior art, in physiologically appropriate amounts even after storage for extended periods at ambient temperature. A physiologically effective amount of creatine is an amount sufficient to cause a measurable increase in creatine content in the tissues of a test subject after repeated consumption of the composition (e.g. over a period of 7 days), compared to the initial baseline.

The term "substantially stable" is intended to refer to a composition in which at least 75% of the original creatine in the composition remains unchanged to creatinine for a period of at least 7 days storage at ambient temperature (20-25 ° C).

Preferably, the composition will be sufficiently stable such that 75% of the creatine remains after at least 31 days, more preferably 45 days, and most preferably at least 73 days at ambient temperature.

The composition may contain one or more further ingredients to improve its palatability, stability, flavor or nutritional quality. These further ingredients may be selected from the group consisting of: electrolytes, vitamins, lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, trace elements, colorants, flavors, artificial sweeteners, natural health substances, antioxidants, stabilizers, preservatives and buffers. The composition may not be flavored, or if the edible matrix is ​​a recognized foodstuff (e.g., honey or syrup), the composition may have the normal flavor of the matrix. Alternatively, flavor of external origin (e.g. fruit, cheese or fish flavor) may be added.

Vitamins may advantageously be included in the composition according to the invention. The following vitamins can be added in amounts that range from 20 to 100% of their Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Of the useful vitamins, the following are typical: vitamin E, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, biotin, and pantothenic acid.

In some cases, a lipid component may be desirable. The included carbohydrate (if present at all) or the composition may be present as starch (especially soluble starch) and / or sugars. Sugars that may be present in the composition include glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose.

Artificial sweeteners that may be used include aspartame, Acesulfame K, saccharin, and cyclamate. Almost any desired flavor can be added, most preferably fruity flavors such as berry, lemon, orange, papaya and grapefruit. Citric acid may also be used as an acidulant and citrate (e.g. sodium citrate) as a buffering agent. Also other natural health substances can be added in physiologically active amounts. Among the suitable, the following are typical: Pan D'Arco tea, Ginseng, Suma tea, Ginkgo, Bee pollen, Myrrh.

Preservatives are typically potassium benzoate and / or potassium sorbate.

Coloring can typically be achieved by using a cold water soluble colorant such as beta-carotene. Other useful colorants will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

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A opacifying agent may be included in the composition, if desired, to improve the appearance of the composition.

Minerals and trace elements of any type or form suitable for human consumption may also be added. It is convenient to provide calcium and potassium in the form of their gluconates, phosphates or hydrogen phosphates and magnesium as an oxide or carbonate, chromium as chromium picolinate, selenium as sodium selenite or selenate and zinc as zinc gluconate. Typical amounts are: 400 mg / liter sodium, 100 mg / liter calcium, 600 mg / liter chloride, 200 mg / liter potassium, 75 mg / liter magnesium and 50 mg / liter phosphorus, 125 μg / liter chromium, 125 μg / liter of selenium and 15 mg / liter of zinc.

The amount of creatine per liter or per kg of the prepared composition is in the range from 5 to 300 g, with a preferred content of about 50 g per liter. Normal serving size is in the range 50-330 ml, providing about 1-10 g (preferably about 3-5 g) creatine.

During the first 4 days of supplementing the diet with creatine, the recommended intake is 500 ml per day divided into 4 or 5 parts per day to achieve creatine saturation. This is followed by 1 serving of 50-250 ml per day containing about 3 g of creatine to maintain the creatine level.

The composition of the invention for human consumption, wherein the creatine composition is substantially stable, is prepared by a process which comprises the steps of obtaining a solid creatine and mixing the solid creatine with an edible support matrix, distributing the solid creatine in the support matrix.

The method will typically further include the step of packaging the composition. The composition may be packaged in any of a variety of conventional packaging (e.g., jars, cans, plastic containers, bowls, squeezing tubes, etc.).

The method of storing creatine in a stable form comprises the steps of obtaining a solid creatine, mixing the solid creatine with an edible support matrix with the creatine suspended therein, and storing the suspended creatine at or below ambient temperature.

The invention is illustrated in the examples and with reference to the accompanying drawing (Fig. 1) which is a graph of% creatine remaining over time (in weeks).

Example 1

Four support matrices were tested for suitability for use in this invention: Sainsbury's liquid honey; Sainsbury's solid honey; "Maxim Energy Gel ™"; and "Tate and Lile Golden Syrup" molasses. Sainsbury's honey and Tate and Lile syrup are representative of other products of this type. Maxim Energy Gel ™ is available from Prinsen BV (Helmond, The Netherlands) and contains glucose syrup, water, citric acid, flavors and carotene. A typical composition (per 100 g) is: 77.6 g of carbohydrates; 0.5 mg of vitamin B1; trace amounts of protein; and water up to 100 g.

Experimental procedure

1. The pH of each matrix was determined by dissolving 11 g in 50 ml of distilled water and determining the pH of the resulting solution with a pH meter.

2. 4 g of creatine monohydrate was mixed well and suspended in 40 g of each matrix to give a concentration of 90.9 g / kg of the mixture.

3. The mixtures were stored in the laboratory in a dark container at ambient temperature (22.5-23.5 ° C).

4. samples of 2-3 g of the mixture were taken after 0, 14, 31, 45 and 73 days and stored frozen at -30 ° C until analysis.

5. Each sample was dissolved in 500 ml of distilled water and the creatine concentration was determined according to the method of Harris et al. (1974 Scand. J. Glin. Lab. Invest. 33, 109-120). Briefly, the assay was performed in the presence (final concentration) of 100 mM triethanolamine buffer pH 8.5; 10 mM magnesium acetate; 1mM EDTA; 30 mM KCl; 1 mM phosphoenol pyruvate (PEP); 2 mM adenosine triphosphate (ATP); 0.18 mM nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in reduced form (NADH); creatine kinase (CK); pyruvate kinase (PK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Creatine concentration was determined by the oxidation of NADH measured spectrophotometrically at 340 nm.

CK: Cr + ATP PCr + ADP

PK: ADP + PEP ATP + Pyruvate

LDH: Pyruvate + NADH Lactate + NAD

6. The results of the analyzes are shown in Tables 1-4 below.

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Table 1

<td></td><td>PH</td><td>Storage days</td><td>g of creatine monohydrate per kg of suspension</td>

<td rowspan="5">Liquid honey</td><td rowspan="5"> 3,86</td><td> 0</td><td> 91,0</td>

<td> 14</td><td> 89,0</td>

<td> 31</td><td> 88,9</td>

<td> 45</td><td> 88,6</td>

<td> 73</td><td> 91,5</td>

Table 2

<td></td><td>PH</td><td>Storage days</td><td>g of creatine monohydrate per kg of suspension</td>

<td rowspan="5">Permanent honey</td><td rowspan="5"> 3,87</td><td> 0</td><td> 90,7</td>

<td> 14</td><td> 90,3</td>

<td> 31</td><td> 90,7</td>

<td> 45</td><td> 89,9</td>

<td> 73</td><td> 88,6</td>

Table 3

<td></td><td>pH</td><td>Storage days</td><td>g of creatine monohydrate per kg of suspension</td>

<td rowspan="5">Maxim gel</td><td rowspan="5"> 2,05</td><td> 0</td><td> 91,5</td>

<td> 14</td><td> 90,1</td>

<td> 31</td><td> 87,4</td>

<td> 45</td><td> 88,0</td>

<td> 73</td><td> 86,8</td>

Table 4

<td></td><td>pH</td><td>Storage days</td><td>g of creatine monohydrate per kg of suspension</td>

<td rowspan="5">Syrup</td><td rowspan="5"> 5,13</td><td> 0</td><td> 84,6</td>

<td> 14</td><td> 86,3</td>

<td> 31</td><td> 86,0</td>

<td> 45</td><td> 86,1</td>

<td> 73</td><td> 84,3</td>

Results

There is no evidence of degradation of creatine to creatinine during 73 days (10.4 weeks) storage at normal room temperature in liquid and solid honey (pH 3.86) and syrup (pH 5.13). However, there was a small loss of creatine of approximately 5% in 73 days when suspended in Maxim Energy Gel, pH 2.05.

Creatine monohydrate suspended in Maxim Energy Gel, syrup and liquid honey produced scum on the surface (ie floated to the top) which required good mixing when sampling. The least was for the syrup. No scum was formed with the solid honey which was most easily suspended.

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Conclusions

When suspended, creatine is stable at room temperature at the pH at which it would normally decompose into creatinine in solution.

It is suggested that in order to avoid the formation of bad looking scum, creatine should be suspended in spreads (such as cream cheese, caviar paste [popular in Scandinavia], smoked fish paste [also popular in Scandinavia - e.g. pickling paste]) contained in the tubes. As they are typically stored below ambient temperatures (e.g. in a refrigerator at 4-6 ° C) this would further increase the storage stability.

Example 2

This example describes the detailed formulation of the acidic composition of the invention.

The composition takes the form of a dry powder to be suspended in an edible matrix to provide a foodstuff containing creatine and aloe vera extract.

Ingredients

Dextrose Monohydrate 300.0 g

Citric acid 32.0 g

Pectin (stabilizer) 6.0 g

Salt 5.0 g

Trisodium citrate 5.0 g

Beta Carotene 3.0 g

Potassium chloride 2.9 g

Grapefruit flavor 2.9 g

Tricalcium phosphate 2.1 g

Heavy magnesium carbonate 2.1 g

Vitamin premix 1.8 g

Lemon flavor 1.4 g

Orange flavor 1.4 g

Aspartame 1.0 g

Creatine Monohydrate 88.0 g

Freeze-dried aloe extract 7.6 g

About 63 g of the above mixture in the form of a suspension in 1 liter of matrix gives 150 ml of about 3 g of creatine per serving, 0.6 g of aloe vera extract (equivalent to 120 ml of juice), energy of 203 kJ (48 kcal, assuming zero caloric content for the support matrix) ), 11.1 g of carbohydrates, 156 mg of chloride, 100 mg of sodium, 52 mg of potassium, 26 mg of calcium, 19.5 mg of magnesium, 13 mg of phosphorus, vitamins (vitamin E 3.4 mg, vitamin C 16.2 mg, thiamine 0.3 mg, riboflavin 0.4 mg, niacin 5.0 mg, vitamin B6 0.4 mg, folacin 85 g, vitamin B12 0.9 g, biotin 0.08 mg and pantothenic acid 2.2 mg) and traces of protein, fat and fiber and has a pH of about 3.8.

Example 3

This example relates to another embodiment of the invention. The recipe is as in Example 2 above except that 300 g of dextrose monohydrate is omitted and the aspartame content is increased to 2.5 g for compensation. When 5.3 g of this formulation is suspended in a 250 ml matrix, it produces an almost calorie-free food (assuming the use of a non-caloric support matrix) containing creatine and electrolytes that is food-grade useful for those wishing to lose or maintain weight.

Example 4

The pH of a variety of food items was analyzed according to the method described in Example 1 above. The results are shown below. Each of these foodstuffs can potentially be used as an edible support matrix in the composition of the invention by suspending a suitable amount of solid creatine therein. Appropriate serving sizes are also given (giving creatine dose between 1.5 g creatine).

<td>Food product analysis</td><td>pH</td><td>Portion (g)</td>

<td>Dolmio sauce for Bolognese pasta (original)</td><td> 3,97</td><td> 200</td>

<td>Sauce Uncle Ben's Rice Meal Maker (producer M &amp; M / Mars)</td><td> 4,33</td><td> 200</td>

<td>Sainsbury's Economy Coleslaw Salad</td><td> 4,22</td><td> 200</td>

<td>Heinz dumplings in tomato sauce</td><td> 4,90</td><td> 300</td>

<td>Primula paste with spices</td><td> 5,80</td><td> 30</td>

<td>Primula Processed Cheese (with chives)</td><td> 6,07</td><td> 30</td>

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Sainsbury's Tuna and Mayonnaise paste 5.80 15

Sainsbury's beef patty 6.05 15

Example 5

The purpose of this trial was to test the stability of ground creatine suspended in an aloe vera gel matrix at room temperature for several weeks. Aloe Vera gel containing 0.5% w / w solid aloe vera extract and pH 3.9 obtained from Aloe Vera Industries Inc, Farmers Branch, Texas 75234 and crushed creatine from MW International Inc, Hillside, NJ 07205. Different amounts of the comminuted creatine were added to 100 g of gel, namely 2 g, 5 g and 10 g. After the creatine was added, the mixture was mixed well with a vortex mixer. An aliquot (5 ml) of each mixture was taken and stored frozen at -20 ° C. The rest of the mixtures were stored at room temperature (approx. 23 ° C) for several weeks and similar 5 ml aliquots were taken at 1, 2, 3, and 6 and 12 weeks and similarly frozen at -20 ° C. Before sampling, each mixture was mixed well with the vortex mixer.

At the end of the trial, a creatine determination was performed on the samples as described in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 5. Creatine loss was highest in the mixtures of 2 g per 100 g and lost approximately 36% after 6 weeks. For the other two mixtures (5 g per 100 g and 10 g per 100 g) the percentage losses were much smaller and after 6 weeks were only 12% and 9.4%, respectively. After 12 weeks the losses were 45%, 22% and 14% for the mixtures 2, 5, 10 g per 100 g, respectively. These results are also shown graphically in Fig. 1. The legend of the figure is as follows: 2 g / 100 g = squares; 5 g / 100 g = full circles; 10 g / 100 g = open circles.

Although the comminuted creatine initially remained suspended, after a few days particles of comminuted creatine were discernible at the bottom of the vessel. At high creatine concentrations in the aloe vera gel (e.g. 5 g per 100 g and 10 g per 100 g), the particulate creatine mixtures were found to be essentially stable. However, the precipitation of ground creatine indicated that this formulation would be unsuitable for storage and use for several weeks.

Table 5

Creatine concentration (g / 100 g) in aloe vera gel after storage at room temperature and percentage of creatine remaining

<td>Creatine concentration g / 100 g</td><td colspan="6">Weeks</td>

<td></td><td> 0</td><td> 1</td><td> 2</td><td> 3</td><td> 6</td><td> 12</td>

<td> 2</td><td> 2,05 (100%)</td><td> 1,69 (82,6%)</td><td> 1,54 (75,1%)</td><td> 1,43 (69,6%)</td><td> 1,32 (64,3%)</td><td> 1,12 (55,0%)</td>

<td> 5</td><td> 4,99 (100%)</td><td> 4,84 (97,0%)</td><td> 4,69 (94,0%)</td><td> 4,57 (91,5%)</td><td> 4,00 (88,1%)</td><td> 3,90 (78,0%)</td>

<td> 10</td><td> 10,2 (100%)</td><td> 10,07 (98,4%)</td><td> 9,80 (95,7%)</td><td> 9,56 (93,3%)</td><td> 9,28 (90,6%)</td><td> 8,82 (86,0%)</td>

Example 6

The purpose of this trial was to test the stability of ground creatine at room temperature for several weeks, suspended in a composition having an edible matrix containing aloe vera gel and either xanthan or carrageenan gum.

Concentrated aloe vera gel and comminuted creatine were prepared as described in Example 5. A solution of xanthan or carrageenan gum in aloe vera gel was prepared by dissolving 2 g of solid gum in 100 ml of aloe vera gel by heating and stirring. A suspension of 4 g of the comminuted creatine in 20 ml of water was slowly added to 100 ml of the solution kept at 40 ° C and the mixture was mixed well for 3 min with a vortex mixer to obtain a gel in which the comminuted creatine was uniformly suspended.

The entire mixture was then rapidly cooled to room temperature when the suspension formed a semi-solid gel with a pH of 5.0. Each mixture was kept at room temperature (23 ° C) for several weeks and a reference sample (5 g) was taken (immediately after mixing) after 2 weeks and then again after 9 weeks. Creatine was determined as described in Example 1.

The results are shown in Table 6. After 2 weeks, the loss of the carrageenan matrix was 7.1% and the loss of xanthan gum was 6.8%. After 9 weeks, the loss was as much as 21% for both gums.

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Suspension of creatine in aloe vera extract and edible gums, especially xanthan or carrageenan gum, has been found to be stable at concentrations of approximately 3 g per 100 g, even at acidic pH and storage at ambient temperature.

The mixture of ground creatine in each gum gave an excellent slurry and there was no tendency for the solid ground creatine to fall to the bottom even after 9 weeks.

Edible gums such as xanthan and carrageenan have been found to provide an excellent support matrix for presenting creatine in a more stable semi-solid form at room temperature over a period of several weeks, the gums being significantly more sticky than the aloe gel.

Table 6

Concentration of creatine (g / 100 g) and% of the remaining creatine in an aloe vera gel mixed with two different gums at room temperature