The University of Hull

Grahame Mackenzie

Stephen Thomas Beckett

Stephen Lawrence Atkin

Stephen Beckett

A whitened exine shell having a degree of whiteness (L*) of greater than 65 measured under D 65 illumination. The shell can be used as a delivery vehicle for an active substance, or as an antioxidant. It can be used in a method of surgery, therapy or diagnosis. The invention provides a formulation containing the whitened exine shell together with an active substance; and a method for preparing the shell by isolating an exine shell from a naturally occurring spore under treatment conditions which do not include aceto lysis, and treating the isolated shell or a precursor thereof with a bleaching composition.

Whitened exine shells

Topical formulation containing an active substance which is chemically or physically bound to, or encapsulated within, an exine shell of a naturally occurring spore. The active substance can be released from the exine shell on application to a living or non-living surface. The invention may be used to provide gradual release of an active substance over a period of time subsequent to application of the formulation to the surface.

Topical formulations containing sporopollenin

This invention provides the use of an exine shell of a naturally occurring spore, or a fragment thereof, as an antioxidant, for instance in a composition or formulation containing an active substance. Also provided is a method for reducing rancidity, or other oxidative degradation, of a substance, composition, or formulation, by encapsulating the substance, composition, or formulation in, or chemically binding it to, or mixing it with, an exine shell of a naturally occurring spore or a fragment thereof.

Uses of sporopollenin

A pharmaceutical or dietetic dosage form comprising of effective quantity of an active substance chemically or physically bound to a support comprising sporopollenin, or other similar exine coating of spores, of a plant or fungus, optionally with further excipients.

Growing community of inventors

Hull, United Kingdom

Grahame Mackenzie