Soothing composition for animals, comprising at least one fatty acid and nepetalactone
Inventors
Monginoux, Patricia • Guerret, Olivier • Dufour, Samuel
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10548867-B2
Publication Date
2020-02-04
Expiration Date
Abstract
The invention relates to novel soothing compositions for animals, particularly for cats. It specifically relates to soothing compositions for non-human mammals, comprising between 1% and 50% w/w of at least one fatty acid comprising between 5 and 22 carbon atoms and between 0.01% and 5% w/w of nepetalactone, such that said at least one fatty acid and said nepetalactone are dissolved in a solvent. Said compositions are characterised in that they exhibit soothing properties for stressed animals and are stable for the entire period of use thereof.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a homogeneous and stable soothing composition for non-human mammals, comprising fatty acid(s) having between 5 and 22 carbon atoms and nepetalactone. The composition is defined by specified weight/weight ranges of the fatty acid(s) and nepetalactone, where the fatty acid(s) and the nepetalactone are dissolved in a solvent and the composition does not contain any other fatty acid.
The problem addressed is that previously proposed pheromone-based fatty-acid formulations and other approaches do not provide sufficient stability, including issues related to nepetalactone degradation and transesterification within formulations. The invention frames a need for maintaining nepetalactone activity over time in the final composition for calming and soothing effects, while preserving nepetalactone activity during storage and use.
The solvent system is selected to enable evaporation while maintaining nepetalactone activity, with preferred solvent classes including alcohols, aliphatic paraffins, glycol ethers, and polyglycol ethers, including constraints on boiling-point ranges for certain solvent components. Preferred fatty acids are described, including fatty acids associated with the F3 fraction of cat facial pheromones and optionally enumerated fatty acids.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim defines the soothing composition by a limited fatty-acid set by carbon number, a specified nepetalactone amount, solvent dissolution, and the explicit exclusion of any other fatty acids. The claim set includes dependent claims that refine the mammal scope to felines, select fatty acids by enumeration and/or by association with the F3 fraction of cat facial pheromones, and restrict the solvent classes and solvent property constraints, including boiling-point ranges, as well as the origin of nepetalactone.
Soothing composition for non-human mammals with C5–C22 fatty acids and nepetalactone
A soothing composition for non-human mammals comprising fatty acid(s) comprising between 5 and 22 carbon atoms and nepetalactone, with the total fatty acid content between 1% and 20% by weight/weight and nepetalactone content between 0.01% and 5% by weight/weight.
Solvent dissolution with exclusion of other fatty acids
The fatty acid(s) and the nepetalactone are dissolved in a solvent, and the composition does not contain any other fatty acid.
The independent claim coverage centers on a solvent-dissolved, homogeneous soothing composition defined by specific C5–C22 fatty-acid and nepetalactone ranges, together with the requirement that no other fatty acids are present. Dependent claims further narrow the formulation by specifying fatty-acid identity, selecting particular solvent classes and boiling-point constraints, and optionally specifying nepetalactone derived from Nepeta cataria extract.
Stated Advantages
Improved behavioral stress reduction in cats versus a positive control using synthetic F3 fraction (Feliway®) alone.
Reduction of urine marking and scratching, as described in the document’s reported goals/claimed benefits.
Aiding adaptation/socialization, as described in the document’s reported behavioral outcomes.
Documented Applications
Soothing to reduce stress/anxiety-related behavioral signs in cats, including urine marking and scratching, with evaluation in a cat stress study and diffusion-style use context (e.g., diffuser/vaporizer diffusion) as described in the document summary provided.
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