Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
DRY POWDERED GERMICIDE AND HEALING COMPOSITIONS
The invention relates to non-toxic, germicide and
healing compositions, and in particular, to such
compositions which are adapted for topical application
to dairy cattle and other domesticated farm animals.
Camfrey (Symphytum officinale) has been reported in
old herbal books as ar back as 200 A.D. as a valuable
medicinal herb to encourage epithelial formation in
wounds, ulcers, and osteomyelitis. An evaluation of the
plant by many investigators has disclosed that
allantoin, a diureide of glyoxylic acid is the active
ingredient found in the comfrey plant that increases the
granulation of damaged tissue in the healing process.
Allantoin can also be formed by the oxidation of uric
acid in most mammals except man and anthropoid apes.
Extensive use, however, oE the comfrey plant or oE its
active ingredient, allantoin, has not been employed in
either human medical treatment or in the area of
veterinary medicine.
'` A principal objective of the present invention is to
provide an effective germicide and healing composition
which can be used in veterinary medicine, particularly
as a sterile, topical dressing Eor inEections in dairy
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cattle and in treatiny burns, sores and cuts and abrasions ~n
domesticated farm animals. An additional objective of the present
invention is to provide a composition which is active in killing
infec~ious microorganisms such as Staphylococcal and Streptococcal
bacteria. A particular ob~ective of the present invention is to
provide a non-toxic, ~opical dressing which kills many types of
pathogenic bacteria on the surface of skin tissue while at the
same time effecting a rapid healing of the damaged tissue. Another
objective is to provide a non-toxic, germicide and healing
composition which can be used as a topical dressing or
application to dairy cattle in the prevention of mastitis.
The present invention provides a novel, non-toxic,
germicide and healing composition comprising allantoin, ascorbic
acid and an inert, powdered carrier. The present invention also
provides a use of the composition for treating domesticated
animals. The carrier can be any solid material which when applied
in powdered form is inert to the skin and teats of dairy animals
and other farm animals. The carri.er is preferably a member
selected from the group consisting of talc, corn starch and
mlxtures thereof. The concentratlon of the allantoin is yenerally
from about 6 to 12~ by weiyht, and the concentration of ascorbic
acid is generally from about 10~ to 20% by weight. The composition
containing the allantoin, ascorbic acid and a carrier, such as
talc and/or corn starch, in accordance with the present invention
can be produced by simply mixing the separate ingredients
together.
The present invention provides a dry composition in
which the carrier is effective in holding the active ingreclients
,.t~
on the skin surface. The composition is pa`rticularly adapted to be
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used during cold and wet winter months on the teats of cows. The
dry composition is, of course, effective and advantageously used
throughout the year. In the cold winter months, however, the dry
composition is particularly advantacJeous. A wet composition
applied to the teats of cows during wet and cold atmospheric
conditions can cause chapping and frost damage of the teats. The
dry composltion does not have any such deleterious effect, and a
90% or better reduction in bacteria numbers on the teats of cows
treated with the dry composition c,an be achieved in only 30
minutes' treatment with the composition.
Additional objects and features of the invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description which
describe in particular, preferred embodiments of the invention
representing the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out
the invention.
In accordance with the invention, a non-toxic, germicide
and healing composition is provided comprising ascorbic acid and a
carrier comprising a member selected rom the yroup consistiny of
talc, corn starch and mixtures thereof. The concentration of
allantoin is generally between about 6% and 12% by weiyht, though
an amount sliyhtly more or less than this range may also be
acceptable. The concentration of ascorbic acid ls generally
between about 10% and 20% by weiyht though again an amount
sliyhtly more or less than this ranye may also be acceptable. It
has been found that the dry composition containing allantoin,
ascorbic acid and the carrier is effective in killing many types
of bacteria when applied to skin or tissue in which the bacteria
are found. In addition, the application of the composition
accelerates the
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healing process for cuts, cracks, etc. in the skin
tissue.
One of the major advanta~es of the composition of
the present invention is that it provides for an
alternative method of treating dairy animals for
mastitis whereby antibiotics are not requirad. Mastitis
is a major bacteria disease of dairy animals which is
cau~;ed by several types of bacteria including
Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.
Extensive testing was done to determine the bacteriocide
and healing properties of the dry composition of the
present invention. Laboratory experiments have shown
conclusively that the compositions of this invention are
very effective in killing those type bacteria.
A dry composition containing 10% to 15~ ascorbic
acid, 3~ to 6~ allantoin and the remainder being
essentially talc was applied as a topical agent to the
teats of several cows which showed symptoms of mastitis.
As can be seen from the results as summarized in ~rable
l, a 90~ or better reduction in the number of bactaria
was achieved within 30 minutes after application. I~he
application was repeated twice daily for two or three
days and the cows responded exceptionally well to the
treatment. In essentially all instances, the teats of
the cows no longer showed presence oE mastitis causing
bactaria.
'rA~LE I
Cow Typ~ of 'rime From ~rotal ~otdl Percent ~eduction
No. Sampld Treatl~ent Sacte~la Coccl All coccl
~in.) ~Counts x 1000) ~acterla
1 Swab 0 1707 435
417 3g 76 91
Contact 0 320 183
Pl~te30 61 14 81 91
2 Swab 0 57 34
ll 3 80 92
Contact 0 149 133
Pldta30 9 7 94 95
3 Swab D 1062 992
3~ 35 9 97 99
Contact 0 127 59
Plata30 17 6 87 90
~3506
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In a similar test, a dry composition containing 10
to 15% ascorbic acid, 7% to 10% allantoin and the
remainder being essentially corn starch was applied to
the teats of several cows which showed symptoms of
mastitis. Results, as summari~ed in Table 2I were
similar to those achieved with the composition
containing the dry talc carrier. In Table 2, the number
of bacteria colonies are represented by a scale of 5
being too numerous to count, to 0 being no colonies.
TABLE 2
Cow $ime From Number of
NumberTreatment Bacteria
tMin.) Colonies
4 0 5
2-3
0 4-6
0-1
0
6 0 4-5
0-1
0-1
One bene~it which has been found with the
composition containing corn starch as the carrier
material is that the corn starch is less irritating to
an open cut or incisions on the animal's s]cin. In
controlled tests in which incisions were made in the
test animals, it was found that the incisions treated
with a composition containing the active ingredients
(ascorbic acid and allantoin) in an inert corn starch
carrier healed and closed over somewhat more rapidly
than incisions treated with a composition containing the
same concentration of active ingredients in an inert
talc carrier.
~ aboratory tes-ting has demonstrated that the
compositions of the invention have excellent kill
properties as to various bacteria. Staphylococcal,
Streptococcal, yeastl coliform, pseudomona, and some
fungal microorganisms could be killed in as little as 10
to 45 minutes. Rod shaped organisms with spores are not
killed as rapidly as the spherical shaped streptococcal
and staphylococcal bacteria, but the composition does
act to kill such organisms.
~ lthough preferred embodiments of the invention have
been disclosed, it is to be understood that various
changes and modifications can be made without departing
Erom the subject matter coming within the scope of the
following claims, which subject matter is regarde~ as
the invention~
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