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nutraceuticalsNOW Spring Issue 2020

Spring Edition 2020 | 2120 | Nutraceuticals Now

> Demonstrate products and raw ingredients are independently tested

> Assure that products do not contain unsafe levels of contaminants

> Help to minimize the risk of inadvertent doping for athletes

> Benefit from a scheme aligned with the global anti-doping community

At our state of the art laboratory in Germany we test raw ingredients

and finished products for label claims, harmful contaminants as well as

substances banned by elite sports organizations.

If you need a quote to test your products please email [email protected].

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NSF INTERNATIONAL | DIETARY SUPPLEMENTSwww.nsf.org | [email protected]

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Spring Edition 2020 | 3

forewordSpring 2020

Using VirtUal EVEnts for BUsinEss ContinUity

If your inbox is suddenly overflowing with invitations to professional development classes and industry webinars as a result of the pandemic, you’re not alone. Many

industries and their related organizations are using digital tools to stay top of mind and ensure business continuity.

At a time when trades shows are on hold, these tools can be a great way to connect with your audience, maintain relationships, and bolster your pipeline.

However, for some organizations, pivoting to digital communications may not deliver the results they seek. Remember, webinars and online forums can either enhance or hurt your business depending upon how well they are executed.

At FoodChain ID, we have an established track record for virtual events and webinars that have given us a unique understanding of what works best.

Topics Need to be Timely and Relevant – Just recently, we hosted a COVID-19 we-binar that garnered 1,200 registrants within the first two hours of our email invitation. By the end of the day, we closed the regis-tration at 1,500 participants. The invitation clearly focused the topic in relation to the food industry and struck a chord because it was still breaking news, and everyone had concerns about how it would affect them both personally and professionally.

In order to develop relevant content during the pandemic, we assembled a COVID-19 task force for all of our service lines across the globe. We needed updates from each region on our various lines of business and how they were being impact-ed. This allowed us to focus our commu-nications by product, region and country,

so they remained relevant in real time. For example, while our testing services were not affected, food safety certifications and inspections were delayed as the accredita-tion bodies decided to delay inspections in favor of conducting remote audits.

Use Multiple Channels – In addition to the webinar, our global task force recognized that different segments of our audience gravitated to different forms of commu-nication. Thus, we created a website

Author: Mark Dabroski, SVP Commercial Services at FoodChain ID

➜

Spring Edition 2020 | 2120 | Nutraceuticals Now4 | Nutraceuticals Now

page dedicated to Covid-19. This section of our website highlighted the informa-tion our customers needed most, such as Covid-19 certification extensions and timelines by country as well as a digest that focused on supply chain disruptions.

digital tools will never completely sup-plant the need for in-person events like trade shows. However, during times of crisis, they allow you to stay connected and engaged. While webinars are an ex-cellent channel for maintaining relation-ships, your content should also flow across a variety of digital pathways such as e-newsletters, websites, landing pag-es, and your Linkedin company page to name just a few.

Qualified Experts – in terms of webinars, your presenters (speakers, authors, etc.) must be knowledgeable industry experts and recognized names. When doing a we-binar, a panel of “in-house” experts won’t suffice and will likely be viewed as overly self-serving. ideally, your team should be balanced with a company expert, along with industry-recognized speakers that can lend a variety of perspectives. A strong moderator who can direct the conversa-tion, so it meets audience expectations, stays focused, and gives each speaker equal time is also essential.

Shorter is Better – Take a cue from the Harvard Business Review, which notes that short, crisp and concise webinars with Q&A are better received . This is especially true right now with so many companies com-peting for attention. Also, the more you break up the presentation, the better. For instance, consider inserting a brief video or polling questions to keep the audience visually engaged. Polling questions can be used to set up the next point or topic and also serve as market research for follow up materials that will extend the dialog.

Q&A is vital – our last webinar was ex-panded by 20 minutes due to a vibrant Q&A session. our moderator did a great job of polling and noted the most fre-quently asked questions in the comments section during the webinar so he could fo-cus the Q&A on the issues that were most relevant to our online audience.

Establish a Track Record - Your customers and vendors will likely value your content, especially if you have a prior record of pro-viding credible information that isn’t too self-serving. Sadly, too many companies seek to maintain awareness during or after a crisis, which creates clutter. Those that

have an established reputation will likely attract a larger audience as they’re able to mine past participants.

it is likely that the Covid-19 crisis will force many companies in the food industry to evolve toward a more effective use of digital communications. After all, companies don’t necessarily change because they want to. it’s more likely they change because they have to. SARS, for example, is a case where change was driven, having accelerated the use of e-commerce in China. Companies were forced to use digital channels in new ways never before considered.

The crisis will also force major trade shows to not just reschedule, but to con-sider new virtual approaches. Consider iFT; the show typically draws a huge in-ternational audience to the United States. Adopting a virtual strategy is a big test for the organizers, but it may ultimately lead the show to adopt a hybrid strategy going forward.

This, in turn, will open the door to attract-ing “virtual” attendees from smaller com-panies who would not typically be able to leave due to lack of time, money or per-haps language barrier. Thus, it could have the added benefit of removing barriers to entry for some participants and opening the show up to a new audience.

So, while we won’t replace trade shows, we will all be forced to adapt and adopt new ways of communicating to maintain business continuity during this crisis.

When the dust settles, it will undoubtedly lead to numerous innovations that will drive our industry forward in ways that are bigger and better than ever before.

About the Author: Mark dabroski is the SvP Commercial Services at FoodChain id, a market-leading platform dedicated to pro-viding the food industry technology-ena-bled food safety, quality, and sustainability solutions.

Spring Edition 2020 | 5Spring Edition 2020 | 5

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Editor:Charles Faulkner

Operations Manager:Daniel Peacock

Consultant:Christopher McIntyre

Accounts:Steve Clark

Designer:Barnaby Attwell

Published by:Johnson-Johnsen Publishing6 Victoria Terrace, Inverness,IV2 3QA ScotlandT: +44(0) 1463 718993F: +44(0) 1463 229976

Email:[email protected]

Website:www.nutraceuticalsnow.com

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Available by subscription only

Nutraceuticals Now is a technical review providing the latest information on functional products and in-gredients which are defined as having a disease pre-venting and/or health promoting bene t in addition to their nutritional value.

It is targeted at manufacturers of food and drink, who are producing finished products aimed at the ever increasingly health conscious consumer.

The opinions expressed in our published works are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions of Johnson-Johnsen Publishing or its Editors.

Information contained in our published works have been obtained by Johnson-Johnsen from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither Johnson-Johnsen nor its authors guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein and neither Johnson-Johnsen nor its authors shall be responsible for any errors, omissions, or claims for damages, including exemplary damages, arising out of the use of or inability to use information, or with regard to the accuracy or sufficiency of the informa-tion contained in this publication.

All rights reserved. No part of any Johnson-Johnsen published work may be reproduced, stored in a re-trieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, re-cording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Sabinsa......................................................................Front cover

NSF International ..................................... Inside front cover

Vitafoods .................................................................................... 6

Vidya Europe .......................................................................... 19

Taiyo ...........................................................................................26

VitaeNaturals .......................................................................... 27

Indena .......................................................................................33

Kaneka .......................................................................................39

Quimdis ....................................................................................45

IFT Shift ....................................................................................50

Catalent ....................................................................Back cover ISSN - 1478-6605

Foreward: Using virtual events for business continuity .............................................................. 3-4

Business News ............................................................................................................................................ 8-11

Global application of probiotics on immune health ..................................................................... 12-13

Slimaluma: from tribal to tried & tested ............................................................................................ 14-15

Do you need to boost your immunity? ............................................................................................... 16-18

Vitamin K2 solutions for all of life’s stages ....................................................................................... 20-21

Staying healthy in the workplace of the future .............................................................................. 22-23

When life gives you lemons… Addressing and managing Prediabetes ................................... 24-26

Calcium supplementation: bioavailability is key ............................................................................ 28-29

Food supplements of botanical origin are all equal? .................................................................... 30-31

A healthy gut is the best defense ......................................................................................................... 32

Human milk oligosaccharides and obesity in children ................................................................ 34-35

Softgel innovation in enteric encapsulation and gut-brain axial product growth ............. 36-37

Advances in laboratory methods used to predict the creaminess of food ............................ 38-39

Will the CBD-Cannabinoid industry learn from history? ............................................................ 40-41

Taking the most of nutraceutical market growth: A trends’ analysis ...................................... 42-43

Comet Bio reclaims nutrition with its ArrabinaTM prebiotic ..................................................... 44

Eat well to stay well .................................................................................................................................. 46-47

The positive effects of Farlong Ginseng Plus® Panax

Notoginseng extract on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease ..................................... 48-49

Dr Dash – Probiotics are more important than multivitamins and should be taken daily ... 51

VITAFOODS LAUNCHES DIGITAL WEEK FOR ONLINE INNOVATION EXPERIENCE

Vitafoods has announced it will be hosting a Digital Week (11-15 May 2020) dedicated to sup-porting and inspiring the nutra-

ceutical industry by giving exclusive access to the latest science, insight and trends.

The five-day virtual event will provide at-tendees with a unique learning experi-ence fuelled by a carefully curated series of webinars and podcasts covering topics including European ingredients trends, healthy ageing, immunity, sports nutri-tion and sustainability. The online event will also feature product showcases and provide access to a range of download-able reports, articles and galleries, which will be made available for free throughout the week.

FMCG Gurus and Innova Market Insights are confirmed knowledge partners of the event, which has been created to support the industry in finding new ways to work

more smartly and seek inspiration, drive conversations and inspire connections online.

Chris Lee, Managing Director, Health and Nutrition Network, Europe, at Informa Mar-kets, explained: “In light of the unprecedent-ed challenges facing the global industry, we wanted to bring the nutraceutical commu-nity together in a way that allowed us to collaborate as we usually do in person to understand how we can continue to sup-port consumer health into the future.

“The Vitafoods name is synonymous with showcasing the latest expertise and driv-ing forward the most important conversa-tions, and our Digital Week will build on these commitments. The expansion of our digital offering, which already includes Vi-tafoods Insights, means we are able to fa-cilitate dialogues and invite the industry to further their learning opportunities through engaging with leading experts and exclu-

sive content. By creating an online space where businesses and individuals can con-nect to share their opinions, insights and ideas, we’re ensuring the continued provi-sion of innovation, inspiration and informa-tion on the topics that really matter today and for the future.”

A preview of Vitafoods Europe’s State of the Nation report will also be made availa-ble during the week. Featuring an in-depth analysis of the nutraceutical industry and what lies ahead for the next decade, the full report will be launched at the show (now September 1-3 2020, Palexpo, Gene-va) to provide insight-driven commentary to inspire the industry, and ultimately the end consumer, to help to shape the future of the food industry.

For more information and to stay up to date with the latest agenda, please visit: https://www.vitafoods.eu.com/en/vita-foods-digital-week.html

Spring Edition 2020 | 9

11-15 MAY 2020

Vitafoods is bringing the industry together digitally!

Let’sconnect

REGISTER atwww.vitafoods.eu.com/en/vitafoods-digital-week

Join the VitafoodsDigital Week for an online innovation experience

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BUSINESS NEWS • BUSINESS NEWS • BUSINESS NEWS • BUSINESS NEWS

BGG World announces two major expansions of its Astaxanthin farm’s capacityBGG World (BGG) and its subsidiary Algae Health Sciences, Inc. (AHS) announce two major expansions of their state-of-the-art, 100% glass tube photobioreactor microalgae farm to support their growing business. “We’ve seen outstanding increases in our Astaxanthin business in recent years as brand owners around the world have come to understand BGG’s value proposition and our unsurpassed quality Astaxanthin,” said Chunhua Li, Chairman & Founder of BGG World. “And discerning brands really appreciate that we back up our product quality with human clinical research. In fact, we published three peer-reviewed clinical trials on our AstaZine® Natural Astaxanthin last year alone to support our customers’ marketing and to further the science and public awareness of the health benefits of this wonderful, health-giving molecule.”

The first stage of this expansion is already underway, and includes maximization of the farm’s current footprint with additional glass tubing. This stage will increase current

capacity by 25% in the third quarter of 2020. The second stage is a major expansion which will double the farm’s land area. This acreage is directly adjacent to BGG’s current farm which will allow for maximum production efficiencies. The second stage is targeted for completion in Q1 of 2021. “With this new round of investment in our farm, we will secure enough production capacity to support our growth for the next few years and to position BGG as the leading producer worldwide,” concluded Chunhua Li. Further Information on BGG: www.bggworld.com

Kemin Industries and CBD Vida launch medical cannabis products for patients in Brazil

CBD CALM-BrAnDeD proDuCts Are now AvAiLABLe for onLine purChAse in BrAziL

Kemin Industries, acting as consultant to MedPharm Iowa, a manufacturer and dispensary of medical cannabis that aspires to improve the quality of life for Iowans who seek natural, scientifically proven medical solutions, and CBD Vida, Ltda, a Brazilian pioneer in providing cannabis products exclusively for medicinal use, have announced the launch of new medical cannabis products made from hemp manufactured with partners in Colorado and Michigan under the brand name CBD CALM in Brazil.

Kemin Industries is a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services. As consultant to MedPharm Iowa, the company formed a partnership with CBD Vida in March to distribute cannabinoid-containing products at pharmaceutical standards in Brazil. To learn more about Kemin Industries, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., visit keminhemp.com

Aged black garlic: take it to heartphArMACtive’s new generAtion of AgeD BLACk gArLiC shows CArDioproteCtive effeCts

An in vivo animal study revealed that aged black garlic extract (Pharmactive Biotech Products, S.L. ABG10+®) containing S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) and polyphenols could help promote vascular health. ABG10+, a Nutraingredients Asia Award-winning proprietary black garlic extract formulation, demonstrated that supplementation with this unique compound could help maintain proper cardiovascular function, balance lipids, and decrease the risk of atherosclerosis.

Cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 global killer, representing 31% of all deaths each year1, for a total of about 18 million lives, according to the World Health Organization. Oxidative stress — where free oxygen radicals induce genetic and tissue damage — is a known cause of atherosclerosis.

The study, led by Sara Amor, Ph.D., and her team, was conducted at the Autonomous University of Madrid and published in the scientific journal, Nutrients. In the study, one month of treatment with ABG10+ resulted in a 22 % decrease in circulating levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), reducing the risk of atheroma plaque formation. The supplement also increased beneficial high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) by an impressive 46%, while improving the overall HDL/LDL ratio by 70%.

In addition, the animal subjects treated with ABG10+ showed lower body weight, lower triglyceride levels, and lower insulin and leptin serum concentrations in compari-son to non-treated controls. ABG10+also attenuated vasoconstriction via its ability to reduce inflammation.

Black garlic is simply a whole raw garlic (Allium sativum) bulb that has been fermented under controlled temperatures and relative humidity for approximately one month. Its unique ageing process potentiates its bioactive complex of antioxidant compounds including polyphenols, flavonoids, and melanoidins. It is recognized as one of the fastest trending ingredients for 2020. It is especially popu-lar in Asia, where it has been a component of traditional medicine for centuries and is used for both its cardioprotec-tive effect and to strength the immune system.

ABG10+ is the first black garlic extract to be standard-ized to a higher concentration of SAC via High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)-based technology. It is pro-duced using the company’s proprietary and self-developed ageing technique that enables it to reach excellent SAC levels. ABG10+ is a proven potent antioxidant compound

touted in multiple clinical studies for its cardioprotective properties.

“Aged black garlic has been enjoyed for centuries as a culinary delicacy,” says Alberto Espinel, head of R&D for Pharmactive. “Today, the extract is being increasingly appreciated for its functional qualities and its role in help-ing maintain healthy heart function. Our studies endorse ABG10+ as a safe and natural ingredient that can promote cardiovascular health via its ability to balance lipid profiles and enhance vascular and cardiac function.”

The encouraging results follow a previous 2016 animal study that demonstrated the ABG10+ formulation’s ability to improve the heart’s contraction force, reducing cellular death in the myocardium. ABG10+ was also shown to increase the production of nitric oxide, a compound that improves vasodilation and allows a greater flow of nutrients to the heart, thereby helping to prevent ischemic events. Nitric oxide has been widely studied for its beneficial effects on the vascular system, protecting it against atherosclerosis, hypertension, and other heart-related pathologies.

ABG10+ is currently pending the approval for EFSA claims in multiple health categories including cardiovascular care, relieving stress and tiredness, boosting energy, protect-ing the liver and supporting its detox capacity, fostering immune function, and as an antioxidant.

“ABG10+ scores excellently for its functional versatil-ity as it can be assimilated into food matrices as well as supplements, but even more so as a natural ingredient with multitarget action that comprehensively promotes cardio-vascular health,” enthuses Julia Diaz, Head of Marketing for Pharmactive.Pharmactive will showcase ABG10+ at the Vitafoods Europe 2020 expo in Geneva, 1-3 September, booth #I110 and will be more than pleased to invite you to visit our profile at Vitafoods digital week (11-13 May).

1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/

cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)1

A first of its kind study published in Nutrients titled, The Ef-fect of Orally Dosed Levagen+™ (Palmitoylethanolamide) on Exercise Recovery in Healthy Males, shows that Gencor’s unique extract of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), known as Levagen+, may aid in muscle recovery.

PEA has been clinically validated to help with a healthy inflammatory response, reduction of aches and discomforts as well as support joint health, stiffness and function. This newly published study utilized Gencor’s Levagen+, which is Levagen powered by LipiSperse® dispersion technology, to examine its efficacy on recovery from muscle-damaging exercise.

“We are thrilled with the results of this study which further verifies the potent effects of Levagen+ and validates PEA’s ability to help with muscle recovery,” said Chase Shryoc, VP of Sales and Business Development at Gencor. “This study allows us to further expand our product claims into the sports nutrition marketplace.”

The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study consisted of 28 healthy males who consumed either Leva-gen+ or a placebo pre-exercise, post exercise on day one and then 24- and 48-hours post, with a blood draw at the 3-hour mark. The results found that Levagen+ was able to reduce myoglobin, a marker of skeletal muscle damage, and increase protein kinase B phosphorylation following exercise. This indicates that PEA supplementation can aid in muscle recovery from repeat bouts of exercise.

“This clinical shows us that Levagen+ may allow individ-uals to exercise at a higher intensity for longer,” said Maggie McNamara, Marketing Manager at Gencor. “Levagen+ is for the consumer looking to take their workouts to the next level, and due to Levagen+’s versatility, it can be applied in tablets, capsules, and functional foods and beverages, including RTD, sachets, smoothies, chocolate and more.”To learn more about Levagen+ PEA, its applications and clinical backing, contact Gencor directly [email protected] or call 949-502-5760.

Levagen+™ PEA demonstrates ability to aid in muscle recovery


BUSINESS NEWS • BUSINESS NEWS • BUSINESS NEWS • BUSINESS NEWS

Despite widespread disruption, ACG is continuing production in its factories across the world, and helping to keep supply chains running smoothly to meet mission-critical demands. Being a crucial supplier to the pharmaceutical industry in these difficult times comes with a huge duty of care to em-ployees and associates, and ACG continues to do ‘everything and more’ to protect their safety and wellbeing.

ACG provides dosage capsules and high-barrier blister packaging films for all specifications, plus advanced ma-chinery and technical support for pharmaceutical facilities. All ACG Capsule and ACG Films & Foils factories across the globe are currently running at full capacity, and all orders are being fulfilled.

Of course, employee safety remains a primary concern for ACG at this time, and strict and comprehensive COVID-19 precautionary measures are in place at ACG factories across India, Europe and Brazil to ensure the continued health and safety of all ACG associates.

At plant level, measures comprise daily sanitising of fac-tory premises and property, including common areas, offices and vehicles – plus strict social distancing rules, employee screening, sanitiser dispensers throughout factories, aware-ness sessions from medical professionals, and full access to personal protective equipment (PPE). Such steps are reviewed and updated continuously to align with expert health advice and policy.

To encourage higher hygiene and safety standards, ACG factory shifts are currently 12 hours, to support social distancing measures and reduce travel between factories and communities. ACG has also arranged medically equipped isolation facilities, and provides worker accommodation at selected sites.

In ‘lockdown’ countries, ACG continues to provide workers with ready-packed vegetables, groceries and sanitation kits to take home to their families. Meanwhile, ACG has ar-ranged special vehicles for safer commuting between home and work, which are sanitised before and after every jour-ney. In India, ACG has also given an additional insurance cover of INR 200,000 (over and above the existing policies), insuring all its employees and their families against medical expenses that may occur this year.

Every ACG plant worldwide has a contingency plan and Standard Operating Procedure for suspected or confirmed cases, and for quarantine.

Additional measures for product transportation To ensure ACG products and equipment reach customers on

time, ACG has been working closely with local government officials to keep manufacturing supply chains as open and efficient as possible. This includes sourcing, securing and distributing everything from gelatin to food colouring and additives, to packaging materials, and more.

ACG Capsules and ACG Films & Foils are classified as ‘Essentials’ by government authorities, so delivery vehicles owned by ACG and its suppliers are ensured safe and smooth transit between key supply-chain locations.

On taking extraordinary safety measures for the ACG workforce, Mr. Sunil Jha, Group CHRO, said,

“People are our first concern – our associates, suppliers, partners, customers, and end-users. All efforts at ACG are dedicated to helping make people, and the world, healthier. It may be our business, but right now it’s also about so much more. We salute the spirit of our employees who are coming to work every day and doing their bit in fighting the COVID-19 virus. ACG stands with them.”

ACG continues production to meet mission-critical pharmaceutical requirements in tackling COVID-19

Restoridyn®, a unique blend of curcuminoids & ellagitannins, available in Europe through partnership with lehvoss nutritionVerdure Sciences is proud to announce Restoridyn® is now available in Europe through our exclusive partner and distributor in Europe, LEHVOSS Nutrition.

Verdure and LEHVOSS work in collaboration to offer Restoridyn, a sports ingredient uniquely positioned to support an expanding market of not only highly trained athletes, but also women and men that regularly or occasionally train to keep healthy.

Restoridyn® is a synergistic blend of proprietary polyphenols offering an adaptogenic nutritional approach for recovery and immunity support, which may lead to an increase in overall performance and stamina.* Restoridyn is the newest solution in a range of ingredients offered through the exclusive partnership with LEHVOSS for customers in Europe.

“We are very excited to offer this unique polyphenol blend, which combines two well known, proven and trendy actives such as curcuminoids and pomegranate ellagitannins to our customers in Europe, said Teresita Rudà,” Marketing

Manager at LEHVOSS Nutrition. “Through our partnership with Verdure Sciences, we are very pleased to launch Restoridyn to meet the needs of many food supplement brands in the increasingly popular sports nutrition market.

Nektium, a leading research-based branded botanical ingredient manufacturer based in Spain, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has is-sued the company with a notice of allowance for U.S. Patent 10,537,604 Compositions for Enhancing Brain Activity. This patent is part of the intellectual property portfolio supporting NEKTIUM’s innovative ingredient Zynamite®, a caffeine-free botanical ingredient for mental and physical energy. Zynamite® is a sustainable, proprietary standardized extract of leaves of a selection of Mangifera indica, the mango tree.

Zynamite® was first launched at Vitafoods in Geneva and HI Japan in Tokyo in 2018 and at Supply Side West in the USA in 2019. The caffeine-free and doping-free nootropic activities of Zynamite® have been appearing in diverse

finished product innovations including popular smart supple-ments and egaming formulations in Japan.

Recognising the fundamental importance of the mind in sports performance, Nektium applied the brain-activating activities of Zynamite® to sports formulations which have been subjected to four double blind, randomised controlled clinical trials. The positive results of these sports performance and recovery studies have been published in four peer-reviewed papers.

“The currency of the nutraceutical ingredient industry is scientific evidence obtained from double blind, randomised controlled clinical studies conducted by reputable academic departments and CRO’s, and published in leading peer-reviewed journals. Nektium has made a major investment

in the clinical research backing Zynamite® and continues to invest in ongoing clinical studies” says Dr. Nigel Gericke, Nektium’s Director of Science. “Our intention is to keep building the clinical research base and intellectual property supporting Zynamite® as a premium branded ingredient.”

The nutraceutical industry has already recognized the clinical research and innovation behind Zynamite® awarding the ingredient five awards in the last two years: the Nutraingredients Award for sports ingredient of the year in 2018, the Nutraingredients Award for research in 2019, the Frost & Sullivan Award for innovation in 2019, and the European Specialised Sports Nutrition Awards for the 2019 best ‘free from’ ingredient, and the 2019 runner up award for game changer ingredient of the year.

Botanical ingredient Zynamite® granted US patent for brain enhancing activities

Olive leaf extract shows antibacterial propertieseuroMeD’s extrACt inhiBits growth of ListeriA MonoCytogenes AnD CouLD Be A potentiAL ADjunCt to heLp ControL fooDBorne pAthogens

Mollet del Vallès (Spain), March 2020: A recently published study found that Euromed’s olive leaf extract inhibits the growth of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Olive leaf extract has traditionally been used as a herbal dietary supplement as it contains oleuropein and other polyphenolic compounds that offer blood pressure, heart health and immune system benefits. In addition to enhancing human health, olive leaf extract may also be used as an antimicro-bial to control potential foodborne pathogens.

Secondary plant substances such as olive leaf extract are gaining increasing attention as potential antibacterial and food preservative agents. These naturally occurring compounds possess diverse chemical structures, a wide range of biological activities, and are in line with consumer trends seeking foods produced with natural ingredients.

Olive leaf extract shows promising effects as an antimicrobial agent to control Listeria monocytogenes in foods. These food-borne pathogens, often found in dairy products, vegetables and ready-to-eat foods, can survive and grow in harsh conditions such as low temperatures. As such, the elimination of these bacteria is a significant challenge for the food industry.

In the current study, Dr. Yanhong Liu and other research-ers synthesized gold nanowires using bacterial flagella as a template. Gold nanowires are highly effective catalysts

that improve the efficiencies of secondary plant metabolites as bacterial inhibitors. The researchers found that olive leaf extract inhibits the growth of Listeria monocytogenes completely. In addition, the gold nanowires demonstrated high electrocatalytic activity and showed no mutagenic effect at the concentration used. Therefore, the gold nanowires fabricated in this work have the potential to be used as new antimicrobial packaging materials to enhance food safety.

This ingredient offers so many benefits for our customers with clinical research support and third-party verification that further benefits our customers in their finished product solutions,” she continued.

In a previously published study, Dr. Yanhong Liu and others investigated the antimicrobial effect of olive leaf extract against major foodborne pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis. The results demonstrated that at a concentration of 62.5 mg/ml, olive leaf extract almost completely inhibited the growth of these three pathogens. In addition, it also inhibited biofilm formation in Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enteritidis, and reduced cell motility in Listeria monocytogenes.


Probiotics, also known as beneficial flora, have long been known to be present in the human gut, but for years our knowledge of why

they are there was limited. We knew that they helped our body produce some of its own B vitamins, as well as vitamin K, but not much was known beyond that. As a result, the beneficial flora did not get a lot of attention despite the fact that these two functions alone should have been enough for us to highly value and protect our ben-eficial flora. B vitamins play a huge role in human health from energy production to production of important neurotransmitters that help fight stress. Vitamin K is crucial for helping us utilize calcium in our bones, and that proper utilization dramatically im-pacts heart health by keeping the calcium from building plaque in our arteries.

Later we learned that beneficial flora also support overall intestinal health by fer-menting fibers and producing something called short chain fatty acids, which are the fuel that intestinal cells use for their various activities. So I have long been an advocate for the use of probiotics for hu-man health, and for reasons beyond even the nutritional ones – the immune health reasons. For example, it was known that probiotics seemed to be protective against the development of allergies. This came from observations in studies of children with allergies which found that children who developed allergies had taken several rounds of antibiotics in young childhood compared with children with no allergies. So we knew that probiotics played some kind of role in immunity, but the exact mechanisms by which it did that were not known until more recently.

What we’ve learned during the last 10-15 years of research is that probiotics play a central role in directing the vast immune system present in our gastrointestinal tract. What is it that our beneficial bac-teria do? One of the key things is they promote the production of something called tight junction proteins. These are minute amounts of glue-like substances that reside in the very tiny gaps between

As it turns out, this process of allergic im-mune activation is more than just annoy-ing – it actually compromises our overall health by being a source of chronic inter-nal inflammation (a contributor to many chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and cancer). In addition, when gut immu-nity is upregulated over time, it can develop and progress into various autoimmune dis-orders, in which the immune system be-comes over active and where immune cells can’t tell they are attacking our own tissue. This is described as the immune system not knowing “self” from “non-self.”

Probiotics also help promote the produc-tion of a type protective antibody known as secretory IgA. This antibody in effect tells the other antibodies, “No need to react to this; it’s just food!” So as you can see, probiotics play a critical role in directing and managing immune system function – primarily by preventing us from starting to react to non-harmful substances like food and pollen.

Now, how does this affect our ability to fight colds, flu bugs and viruses? When al-lergies and autoimmunity are present, this upregulation of gut immunity is the side of our immune system known as TH2 immu-nity. It consists mostly of antibodies, which are also known as B cells. The other side

intestinal cells. When beneficial bacteria sense the presence of pathogenic bacte-ria, they temporarily halt the production of tight junction proteins so that the im-mune cells, known as dendritic cells, can reach through the cellular gaps and grab onto those bacteria and present them to immune antibodies that are in the sub lay-ers of the intestinal wall. The antibodies then produce inflammatory cytokines that will break down the cell’s walls of those bacteria and kill them.

It is through the control of tight junction proteins that probiotics teach the immune system what to react to and what not to react to. When we have adequate amounts of tight junction proteins, normal substanc-es like proteins in foods and pollens will not come into contact with the immune system cells in the sub mucosal layers of the intestinal tissue, and therefore will not cause immune reactions. Conversely, if the tight junction proteins are missing because our beneficial bacteria are not present in adequate numbers, the immune system can start reacting to allergens in foods and environmental allergens, thus allergic reac-tions develop. This is known as a change in gut permeability and it increases the exposure of allergenic material to antigen presenting cells (APC’s), including dendritic cells, an undesirable process.

of immunity, TH1, is the side that resides more in the blood stream and other tis-sues of the body that consist of T helper cells, macrophages and natural killer cells. Natural killer cells attack virus infected cells and cancer cells. Macrophages engulf and break down cellular debris, microbes and also cancer cells.

One problem that can occur when TH2, gut immunity, is increased (due to lack of tight junction proteins) is that the TH1 side of immunity can become underactive. This happens because all the immune cells coming from the thymus gland start as im-mature T cells. They will get matured into whatever type of immune cells the body is calling for based on the various signals it sends. So when TH2 becomes very active, TH1 becomes underactive, because in ef-fect there are only so many immune cells to go around.

Remember, TH1 immunity is the side of immunity that produces anti-viral natural killer cells. So, probiotics are absolutely CRUCIAL for keeping gut immune anti-bodies under control, and therefore, pre-serving immature T cells for natural killer cells and other macrophage activity as needed, and this is how probiotics play an important role in helping us fight viral ill-ness like colds and viral flu.

And there is another important way probi-otics influence our immune system. They help balance the types of microorganisms that make up our microbiome. One of the microorganisms that is a natural part of gut flora is candida albicans, a type of yeast. It is natural to have a small amount; however, when candida organisms overpopulate they produce toxins that can become systemic and are metabolically disruptive. The myco-toxins can also damage our macrophages and T cells by activating something called glial cells, thus compromising that TH1 vi-rus-fighting side of immunity as well.

It is well known that probiotics help con-trol the yeast population in the gut, and that conversely when probiotics are wiped out by medications like antibiotics and /or chemo drugs, etc., these yeast organisms overgrow and can cause a condition called thrush, or other types of yeast infections like vaginal infections, urinary tract infec-tions or sinus infections.

The effects on regulation of yeast organ-isms are just one potential organism that probiotics control. Studies show they also help reduce pathogenic bacteria like clostridium difficile, staphylococcus, and

Global Application of Probiotics on Immune HealthBy James B. LaValle, R.Ph., CCN

E. coli, so they have been shown to help reduce diarrhea of different types, like traveler’s diarrhea and antibiotic induced diarrhea, as well as conditions related to allergies like atopic dermatitis. In addition, they are known to help prevent urinary tract infections.

Looking closely at the studies, in one study when people were given “The Friendly Trio” of probiotics strains, they had mark-edly reduced allergy symptoms (during peak allergy season) and reduced levels of the inflammatory cytokines that go with it, compared to people taking the placebo. These are very positive changes, and the outcomes we would expect to see. For patients it means a much improved qual-ity of life. The 3 strains, L. gasseri KS-13, B. bifidum G9-1, and B. longum MM-2, were given at dosages of two 1.5 B CFU capsules per day, and led to improved nasal symp-toms, better ability to be out and active, and markedly reduced constipation.

Other studies show direct benefits for re-duced incidence and severity of colds and flu. A 2008 study of five different strains of probiotics used together looked at 250 people and found that in those taking the probiotics over a 90 day-period, the peo-ple taking the probiotics got 35% fewer colds, and there were 22% fewer total days of people having upper respiratory infec-tions. In those who did catch colds, they had 39% shorter duration of coughing and 22% reduction in how long the cold lasted. Another 2005 study using the “The Friendly Trio” of probiotics, such as what’s found in Kyo-Dophilus Probiotics, looked at people ages 18 – 67 and found similar results, but also noted that the probiotic group had significantly enhanced regula-tory T cells, and enhanced T helper cells, again showing desirable changes for the TH1/TH2 balance.

So, the evidence base is strong that main-taining good probiotic gut flora will help us shift away from an allergic and autoim-mune predominant immunity to stronger TH1 immunity, and therefore can also strengthen our ability to fight viral illnesses. One important caveat on probiotics is that the probiotics need to be human strain and manufacturers need to do studies showing that the bacteria in their products survive the extreme acidity in the stomach and therefore actually make it to the large intestine where the majority of beneficial flora resides. For more information and re-search on the benefits of probiotics, visit www.probiotics.com where I serve as a scientific adviser.

ReferencesMin YW, et al. The role of microbiotia on the gut

immunology. Clin Ther. 2015;37(5):968-75.

Gorbach SL. Probiotics and gastrointestinal health.

Am J Gastrenterol 2000 Jan;95(1 S):S2-4.

Dennis-Wall JC, et al. Probiotics (Lactobacillus

gasseri KS-13, Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1,

and Bifidobacterium longum MM-2) improve

rhinoconjunctivitis-specific quality of life in individuals

with seasonal allergies: a double-blind, placebo-

controlled, randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr.

2017;105(3):758-67.

Spaiser SJ, et al. Lactobacillus gasseri KS-13,

Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1, and Bifidobacterium

longum MM-2 Ingestion Induces a Less Inflammatory

Cytokine Profile and a Potentially Beneficial Shift

in Gut Microbiota in Older Adults: A Randomized,

Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study. J

Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(6):459-69.

Pregliasco F, Anselmi G, Fonte L, et al. A new chance

of preventing winter diseases by the administration of

synbiotic formulations. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2008;42

Suppl 3 Pt 2:S224-33.

de Vrese M, et al. Effect of Lactobacillus gasseri PA

16/8, Bifidobacterium longum SP 07/3, B. bifidum

MF 20/5 on common cold episodes: a double

blind, randomized, controlled trial. Clin Nutr. 2005

Aug;24(4):481-91

James B. LaValle, R.Ph., CCN, is an internationally

recognized clinical pharmacist, author, board

certified clinical nutritionist and naturopathic

doctorate with more than 35 years of clinical

experience. In addition to his LaValle Metabolix

Practice he works with players and teams the

from NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL and is the

Clinical Director of the Hall of Fame Health and

Performance Program. He is best known for his

expertise in metabolic and integrative medicine,

with an extensive background in natural products,

lifestyle drug/nutrient depletion and uncovering

the underlying metabolic issues that keep people

from feeling healthy and vital. LaValle is an

appointed faculty member and course educator

for the Integrative Medicine postgraduate program

at George Washington University School of health

sciences. He is author of more than 20 books

including, “Cracking the Metabolic Code,” and

serves as a scientific adviser for Probiotics.com.


It is hardly worth stating, yet again, that the world is growing heavier and that this is increasing the incidence of many different pathologies. It is how-

ever worth emphasising that this is not an individual issue; people everywhere are trapped between urbanised, low-energy lifestyles and energy-dense ultra-pro-cessed foods, leading directly to obesity, Type B malnutrition and chronic inflam-mation, and increasing pressure on our over-burdened healthcare systems. Cut-ting calories indiscriminately can exacer-bate matters by further degrading overall nutritional status, which is why dietary ad-vice should always include recommenda-tions about supplementation. And yet, we need to start somewhere.

tract, branded Slimaluma®, was carried out in 2006 by a team of researchers at St John›s National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore (Kuriyan et al ’07). Their subjects demonstrated reduced ap-petite and, over the trial’s two months, experienced a significant reduction in waist circumference.

Very soon thereafter the actives in Carallu-ma were identified as pregnane glycosides (Kunert et al ‘08); and the plant’s anti-obe-sogenic and cardio-protective properties were demonstrated in that familiar animal, the cafeteria-fed rat (Kamalakkannen et al ’10). Cell-line studies found that CFE in-hibited the proliferation of pre-adipocyte cells, by inhibiting the import of cyclin D1-CDK complex into the pre-adipocyte nucleus (Kamalakannan et al ’11). This last paper generated a good deal of interest as this same mechanism was – and still is – targeted by the pharmaceutical industry as a potentially important road to weight loss, and the prevention of weight gain in children and teenagers.

Following on the first clinical trial results and the pre-clinical work, a second clini-cal trial was run in Victoria University in Australia on subjects with central adiposity and metabolic syndrome. In this 12-week trial (Astell et al ‘13), the intervention group receiving Slimaluma® showed reduced waist circumference, and an improved waist to hip ratio. These outcomes were very much in line with the initial findings, and spurred a second group of mechanis-tic, pre-clinical studies.

One good place to start is in the past, when the sensory and calorific overloads we have to deal with today hardly existed and when food insecurity, hunger and how to deal with hunger were the critical issues. This is where the famine foods come it.

Caralluma fimbriata is a famine food that has been consumed in India during times of food shortage for centuries, and it is still used today in the tribal areas to allay hun-ger when engaged on long hunting expedi-tions. Its actives resemble the active princi-ples in the similarly edible succulent Hoodia gordonii, and standardised extracts of Car-alluma have undergone multiple scientific investigations. These investigations, which include in vitro cell and pharmacological mechanistic studies, pre-clinical work and a series of clinical trials, constitute a highly coherent body of data and a clear picture of what this herb does. In brief, it reduces ap-petite, calorie intake and abdominal adipos-ity, and exerts a range of metabolic benefits.

Today’s trying circumstances make Caral-luma even more relevant. All over the world millions of people are in Covid-induced lockdown. Unable to go to the gym or run-ning track and with little to do other than eat, watch TV ads for food, order takeaways, bicker and get stressed out, we are getting heavier. CFE may not be the answer to Cov-id-19, but it is something we can use to calm down and cut down on our stress eating.

Based on ethnobotany and the plant’s ex-cellent safety profile, Gencor’s first clini-cal trial of a standardised Caralluma ex-

In rats fed a high-fat diet (very like the ultra-processed diet so prevalent today), CFE sig-nificantly improved plasma glucose, leptin and triglyceride levels, and was effective in protecting against insulin resistance, liver damage and oxidative stress (Sudakhara et al ’14). Subsequent work showed that CFE was similarly protective against renal dam-age caused by the high-fat diet (Guijala et al ‘16a), preventing the increase in plasma urea, uric acid, and creatinine that is other-wise triggered by that diet.

In the next three years, follow-up studies showed that when given to the high-fat rats, CFE also protected against plasma lipid abnormalities (Guijala et al ‘16b), tes-ticular oxidative stress (Guijala et al ‘16c),

abnormalities in carbohydrate metabolism and muscle fiber damage (Guijala et al ’17), abnormalities in lipid metabolism (Guijala et al ‘16), pancreatic damage (Sudakhara et al ‘18) and myocardial damage (Guijala et al ’19). An overall assessment of Caral-lumna fimbriata was emerging: this was a food that could modify many of the steps in the progression to metabolic disorder, metobesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Unsurprisingly, further clinical trials en-sued. A safety study found that Slimalu-ma® was well tolerated, and at the same time produced a trend to reduced weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist hip ratio in over-weight and obese individuals (Arora et al ‘15). More surprisingly, CFE was shown to exert highly protective effects in Prader-Willi syndrome, a condition notoriously resistant to intervention; reducing both the anxiety and compulsive hyperphagy (i.e. excessive eating) components (Griggs et al ’15, Griggs ‘19). The clinicians involved had done their homework and found not only the anorexogenic evidence for CFE, but also an obscure paper which showed that CFE exerted both anxiolytic and nootropic effects in mice (Rajendran et al ’14). The combination of anxiolysis with im-proved cognitive function is quite rare, and seemed tailor-made for Prader-Willi syn-drome. Pre-clinical work does not always predict clinical success, but in this case the shift from mice to men (and women) was a near 100% match.

At the time of writing a new, 16-week clini-cal trial is in press (Mallard et al ’20). With-out breaking the publishing embargo we can reveal that the treatment group receiv-ing Slimaluma® reduced food intake by an average 245 calories / day, an anorexog-enic effect that reached the p<0.01 level

of significance. Their waist lines shrank by an average of 2.7 cms, demonstrating a loss of abdominal (android) adipose tissue. They lost weight where the placebo group gained weight, and unlike the placebo group did not experience any increase in leptin levels; a finding in line with the re-duction in adipose tissue and with the pre-clinical studies.

Sadly this last trial did not examine CNS-mediated effects, but given the anxiolytic activity of CFE it is beginning to look as if this famine food achieves weight loss via a twin-track strategy. On the one hand it reduces appetite, and may be doing so by reducing stress and stress-related eating. At the same time it is modulating pre-adi-pocyte functionality, and leptin levels.

In my view this makes CFE suitable for helping younger overweight subjects, who otherwise have a very high risk of becom-ing overweight adults; particularly as it is a food derivate. The clinical results indicate that it is just as helpful in adults further along the road to metabolic problems; and that it may, over time, reduce the risk of long-term complications.

ReferencesKuriyan R, Raj T, Srinivas SK, Vaz M, Rajendran R, Kur-

pad AV. Effect of Caralluma fimbriata extract on ap-

petite, food intake and anthropometry in adult Indian

men and women. Appetite. 2007 May;48(3):338-44.

Kunert O, Rao VG, Babu GS, Sujatha P, Sivagamy M,

Anuradha S, Rao BV, Kumar BR, Alex RM, Schühly

W, Kühnelt D, Rao GV, Rao AV. Pregnane glycosides

from Caralluma adscendens var. fimbriata. Chem

Biodivers. 2008 Feb;5(2):239-50.

Kamalakkannan S, Rajendran R, Venkatesh RV, Clayton

P, Akbarsha MA. Antiobesogenic and Antiatheroscle-

rotic Properties of Caralluma fimbriata Extract. J Nutr

Metab. 2010;2010:285301.

Astell KJ, Mathai ML, McAinch AJ, Stathis CG, Su

XQ. A pilot study investigating the effect of Caral-

luma fimbriata extract on the risk factors of meta-

bolic syndrome in overweight and obese subjects: a

randomised controlled clinical trial. Complement Ther

Med. 2013 Jun;21(3):180-9.

Sudhakara G, Mallaiah P, Sreenivasulu N, Sasi Bhusana

Rao B, Rajendran R, Saralakumari D. Beneficial ef-

fects of hydro-alcoholic extract of Caralluma fim-

briata against high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance

and oxidative stress in Wistar male rats. J Physiol

Biochem. 2014 Jun;70(2):311-20.

Gujjala S, Putakala M, Nukala S, Bangeppagari M, Ra-

maswamy R, Desireddy S. Renoprotective effect

of Caralluma fimbriata against high-fat diet-induced

Slimaluma: from tribal to tried & testedBy Dr. Paul Clayton – Fellow of the Institute of Food, Brain & Behaviour at the University of Oxford

oxidative stress in Wistar rats. J Food Drug Anal. 2016a

Jul;24(3):586-593.

Gujjala S, Putakala M, Ramaswamy R, Desireddy S.

Preventive effect of Caralluma fimbriata vs. Metformin

against high-fat diet-induced alterations in lipid me-

tabolism in Wistar rats. Biomed Pharmacother. 2016b

Dec;84:215-223.

Gujjala S, Putakala M, Gangarapu V, Nukala S, Bellam-

konda R, Ramaswamy R, Desireddy S. Protective effect

of Caralluma fimbriata against high-fat diet induced

testicular oxidative stress in rats. Biomed Pharmaco-

ther. 2016c Oct;83:167-176.

Gujjala S, Putakala M, Ramaswamy R, Desireddy S.

Preventive effect of Caralluma fimbriata vs. Metformin

against high-fat diet-induced alterations in lipid me-

tabolism in Wistar rats. Biomed Pharmacother. 2016

Dec;84:215-223.

Gujjala S, Putakala M, Nukala S, Bangeppagari M,

Rajendran R, Desireddy S. Modulatory effects of Caral-

luma fimbriata extract against high-fat diet induced ab-

normalities in carbohydrate metabolism in Wistar rats.

Biomed Pharmacother. 2017 Aug;92:1062-1072.

Sudhakara G, Mallaiah P, Rajendran R, Saralakumari D.

Caralluma fimbriata and metformin protection of rat

pancreas from high fat diet induced oxidative stress.

Biotech Histochem. 2018;93(3):177-187.

Gujjala S, Putakala M, Bongu SBR, Ramaswamy R,

Desireddy S. Preventive effect of Caralluma fimbria-

ta against high-fat diet induced injury to heart by mod-

ulation of tissue lipids, oxidative stress and histological

changes in Wistar rats. Arch Physiol Biochem. 2019

Nov 27:1-9. doi: 10.1080/13813455.2019.1693601.

Arora E, Khajuria V, Tandon VR, Sharma A, Mahajan

A, Gillani ZH, Choudhary N. To evaluate efficacy and

safety of Caralluma fimbriata in overweight and obese

patients: A randomized, single blinded, placebo con-

trol trial. Perspect Clin Res. 2015 Jan-Mar;6(1):39-44.

Griggs JL, Su XQ, Mathai ML. Caralluma Fimbriata Sup-

plementation Improves the Appetite Behavior of

Children and Adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome.

N Am J Med Sci. 2015 Nov;7(11):509-16.

Griggs J. Single-Case Study of Appetite Control in

Prader-Willi Syndrome, Over 12-Years by the Indian

Extract Caralluma fimbriata. Genes (Basel). 2019 Jun

12;10(6).

Kamalakkannan S, Rajendran R, Venkatesh RV, Clayton

P, Akbarsha MA. Effect of Caralluma Fimbriata Extract

on 3T3-L1 Pre-Adipocyte Cell Division. Food and

Nutrition Sciences, 2011, 2, 329-336

Rajendran R, Ambikar DB, Khandare RA, Sannapuri VD,

Vyawahare AJ, Clayton P. Nootropic properties of Car-

alluma fimbriata Extract in Mice. Food And Nutrition

Science 2014, 5, 147-152


Immunity, our first line of natural defencesImmunity could be defined as the natural capacity of our organism to defend itself against foreign substances and infectious agents like bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Immunity is one of our main lines of bio-logical defences. It is mobilized to fight infection and infectious diseases, or any undesirable biological intrusion, while presenting a certain necessary immu-nological tolerance to avoid allergy and autoimmune disease and allow the non-rejection of the embryo / foetus by the mother’s body.

The immune system has two main com-ponents:

• The innate system is programmed to recognize foreign substances and react by killing and / or removing them from the body. Its response is said to be non-specific because it acts as the first line of defence by eliminating a wide range of pathogens without considering their antigenic specificity.

• The adaptive system has a certain capacity for learning and memory, and its response is said to be specific or “acquired”, because its cells are pro-grammed to recognize substances without reacting itself. It is pathogenic-specific immunity and used for vacci-nation.

immunomodulatory agent that can modu-late the activation of T-cells, B-cells, mac-rophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells. Interestingly, however, curcumin at low doses can also enhance antibody responses2. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that anti-inflamma-tory and immunomodulatory effects are combined by curcumin to sustain the im-mune system and all the curcumin health properties3.

It is very interesting to notice that tur-meric or curcumin are not only stimulat-ing the immune system, they also have anti-virus activities. Curcumin demon-strated in vivo activity against Dengue4, Influenza A5, Hepatitis B6 and Herpes Simplex7 viruses.

Vidya Herbs, the biggest manufacturer of turmeric extract in India with more than 50MT input/day offers a wide range of turmeric extracts in different forms like powder, granule, SFT, oil, emulsion, … the standard one contains 95% curcuminoids.

Andrographis paniculata (Kalmegh)Andrographis paniculata is known as King of Bitter due to its very strong bitter taste. In addition to its antioxidant and anti-in-flammatory activities, it must be noticed that the activity of andrographolides, the active principles of Andrographis panicula-ta, seems to be related to their capacity to upregulate Human β-defensin-2. Human

The very recent corona virus epidemic showed us how stimulating our immunity should be a key factor of our own healthy lifestyle. It also showed us how co-factors like obesity, diabetes and others could ag-gravate a health situation already consid-ered as serious.

Epidemics due to viruses have paved the Human history, conducting humanity round the world to identify plants to fight against it.

Modern sciences showed how these plants are useful by boosting our immu-nity and for some of them, by fighting against viruses. Like a fortified tea com-posed of Withania somnifera, Glycyr-rhiza glabra, Zingiber officinale, Ocimum sanctum and Elettaria cardamomum that demonstrated immunostimulatory prop-erties in a clinical trial1.

Inspired by Ayurveda, Vidya herbs, that promotes the traditional medicinal plants through modern science is offering a com-plete range of plant extracts dedicated to immunity and the related aggravating fac-tor associated to epidemics.

Curcuma longa (Turmeric)Turmeric is no doubt the most known plant from Ayurveda. Its main component is Curcumin which is well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties, in addition to this it has been shown to be a potent

The antiviral activity of Salacia reticulata has been demonstrated in H1N1 infected mice, showing a mechanism of action dealing with natural killer cells activity16. Also, for Salacia reticulata, Vidya Herbs ex-tracts the tannins with a standard extract at 20% tannins content.

Withaniasomnifera (Ashwagandha)Ashwagandha is another famous ayurvedic plant. It is very well-known as an adapto-gen and is very used for its anxiolytic and sleep trouble improvement properties17.This type of property could be very use-ful during pandemic days to reduce stress and insomnia. One of the mechanisms of action by which the extract of Withania somnifera is stimulating the immune sys-tem is by enhancing the proliferation of T lymphocytes and to increase NK cell activ-ity, two types of immune system cells are responsible for killing pathogens18.

Vidya Herbs developed Viwithan™ clini-cally studied for its adaptogen properties and offers a range of extracts from 2.5% to 5% Withanolids.

Zingiber officinale (Ginger) and Piper longum (Pippali)Another class of plant extracts could be very interesting in association with the above described ones, is the bioenhanc-ers. Ginger and Piper longum are parts of a large number of Ayurvedic formulations because of their property to increase ac-tive principles assimilation, apart from this, Piper longum has Influenza virucidal and antidepressant-like activities, while Ginger may exert anti-viral activities. Vidya Herbs offers Piper longum extract with 95% piper-ine and, also ginger extracts from 2% to 5%

β-defensin-2 is an inducible antimicrobial peptide that plays an important role in in-nate immunity8. It was also reported that andrographolide was able to modulate the innate immune response by regulating both classical and alternative activation of macrophages and by regulating specific antibody production.

Different type of Andrographis paniculata extracts demonstrated virucidal activities against Herpes Simplex virus 1, inhibition of the expression of Esptein-Barr virus, or anti-influenza activity assessed on animal cell-lines infected by H1H1, H9N2 or H5N1. It has also been demonstrated that andro-grapholide and their derivatives displayed anti-HIV activity in vitro9.

Due to the virucidal and immunostimulant activities of andrographolide, Androgra-phis paniculata extracts have been tested on uncomplicated infections like the up-per respiratory tract infection. Androgra-phis paniculata shortened the duration of cough, sore throat and sick leave/time to complete resolution when compared ver-sus usual care. No major adverse events were reported, and minor adverse events were mainly gastrointestinal10.

Vidya Herbs is able to offer natural Andro-graphis paniculata extracts, that should be differentiated by synthetic andro-grapholides (1 pic by HPLC), from 5% to 30% andrographolides.

Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi)Ocimum sanctum is also known as Holy Basil. Its Indian name is “Tulsi” which means the “Matchless One” due to its health benefits. Earliest references of Tulsi were found in Rigveda (3500-1600 BC). The im-munomodulatory action of Tulsi has been assessed in a double-blinded randomized controlled trial, shows that alcoholic ex-tract of Tusli modulates immunity11. The immunity participant was significantly im-proved as demonstrated by the significant-ly improvement of markers like IFN-γ and IL-4 levels, percentages of T-helper cells and natural killer cells. Tulsi extracts have also been positively clinically tested against viral encephalitis and hepatitis12.

Vidya Herbs manufactures holy basil leaf extracts with a standard at 2.5% ursolic acid in powder, granule or SFT forms.

Emblica officinalis (Amla)Amla are widely used in the Indian system of medicine and believed to increase de-fence against diseases. The bioactive tan-nins and polyphenols responsible for im-

munomodulatory properties of amla have been demonstrated to regulate the im-mune system via various mechanisms like inhibition of the NF-κB signalling pathway. Inhibition of the NF-κB signalling pathway is necessary to control the immune re-sponse and avoid over response that could be harmful. It has also been shown the ability of the compounds to enhance natu-ral killer cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes activities, two types of immune system cells are responsible for killing pathogens13.

Antiviral activity of amla has been studied in vitro and showed inhibitory potential for Coxsackie virus, effective for Herpes Sim-plex viruses (HSV) 1 and 2, inhibition of In-fluenza virus replication, inhibition of HIV transcriptase enzyme14. Nowadays, Vidya Herbs extracts tannins from Amla and also extracts Vitamin C that is directly implicat-ed in the immune system.

Salacia reticulata (Kothala himbutu)Salacia reticulata extracts are known to be used for prevention or remedy of dia-betes by inhibiting sugar absorption, but this ayurvedic plant exerts a more specific immune activity. In a human trial, it has been demonstrated that Salacia reticulata can change the gene expression of pe-ripheral blood cells as well as the propor-tion of intestinal microbiota together with a shift toward younger phenotype with upregulation of IFN-induced genes and a prominent change in the composition of intestinal microbiota, via an increase in Bi-fidobacterium and Lactobacillales together with a decrease in Clostridium groups15. Indicating a reinforcement of the intestinal barrier including its capacity to resist and control pathogens.

Do you need to boost your immunity? Do you need to reinforce your immune system?

Vidya Herbs Has tHe natural alternatiVe solutions

➜


gingerols in powder, granule or SFT forms.

Psidium guajava (guava) and Brassica juncea (Indian mustard)Minerals like Zinc and Selenium also play important role in the immune system. Zinc affects multiple aspects of the immune system, from the barrier of the skin to the gene regulation within lymphocytes. Zinc is crucial for normal development and function of cells mediating nonspecific immunity such as neutrophils and natural killer cells. Its deficiency affects develop-ment of acquired immunity by preventing both the outgrowth and certain functions of T lymphocytes leading to a deficient im-munity19. Our immune system is also im-pacted by dietary selenium levels, that is incorporated into selenoproteins involved in the regulation of immune system20.

Zinc is now available at Vidya herbs as 4% Zn guava leaves extract, and Selenium as 0.5% Se Indian mustard extract.

Aggravating co-factorsThe COVID-19 taught us that co-factors like overweight, obesity, diabetes could aggravate the consequences of the virus attack. To help people to cope with these metabolic factors Vidya is also propos-ing ingredients like SUNCA™ (weight loss clinically demonstrated), Banaba (Diabe-tes, Rhinovirus) or even Terminalia bellirica used to fight against anxiety and that pos-sesses immunity boosting activities.

For any help, or to discover all Vidya Herbs’ ingredients, please contact our sales team.

ConclusionWith a complete offer of dedicated in-gredients validated by historical uses and modern science, Vidya Herbs will help consumers to accomplish what should be our own fist barrier act that is stimulating our immune system and reducing aggra-vating co-factors. By its complete range of innovative ingredients with total traceabil-ity and guaranteed botanical variety, Vidya Herbs provides alternative natural solutions to formulators to help them developing ef-ficient products for the benefits of their consumers.

References1. Bhat J, Damle A, Vaishnav PP, Albers R, Joshi M,

Banerjee G., In vivo enhancement of natural killer cell

activity through tea fortified with Ayurvedic herbs.,

Phytother Res. 2010 Jan;24(1):129-35.

2. Jagetia GC, Aggarwal BB. “Spicing up” of the

immune system by curcumin. Journal of Clinical Im-

munology. 2007 Jan;27(1):19-35.

3. Catanzaro M, Corsini E, Rosini M, Racchi M,

Lanni C. Immunomodulators Inspired by Nature:

A Review on Curcumin and Echinacea. Molecules.

2018;23(11):2778. Published 2018 Oct 26.

4. Ichsyani, M., Ridhanya, A., Risanti, M., Desti, H., Ce-

ria, R., Putri, D. H., ... Dewi, B. E. (2017). Antiviral effects

of Curcuma longa L. against dengue virus in vitro and

in vivo. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmen-

tal Science, 101(1), [012005].

5. Dao, T. T., Nguyen, P. H., Won, H. K., Kim, E. H., Park,

J., Won, B. Y., & Oh, W. K. (2012). Curcuminoids from

Curcuma longa and their inhibitory activities on influ-

enza A neuraminidases. Food Chemistry, 134(1), 21-28.

6. Kim, H.J., Yoo, H.S., Kim, J.C., Park, C.S., Choi, M.S.,

Kim, M., Choi, H., Min, J.S., Kim, Y.S., Yoon, S.W., &Ahn,

J.K. (2009). Antiviral effect of Curcuma longa Linn

extract against hepatitis B virus replication. Journal of

ethnopharmacology, 124 2, 189-96 .

7. Kutluay SB, Doroghazi J, Roemer ME, Triezenberg

SJ. Curcumin inhibits herpes simplex virus immediate-

early gene expression by a mechanism independent of

p300/CBP histone acetyltransferase activity. Virology.

2008;373(2):239–247.

8. Shao ZJ , Zheng XW, Feng T, Huang J, Chen J, Wu

YY, Zhou LM, Tu WW, Li H., Andrographolide exerted

its antimicrobial effects by upregulation of human

β-defensin-2 induced through p38 MAPK and NF-κB

pathway in human lung epithelial cells., Can J Physiol-

Pharmacol. 2012 May;90(5):647-53.

9. CHURIYAH, OLIVIA BUNGA PONGTULURAN,

ELRADE ROFAANI, TARWADI, Antiviral and Immu-

nostimulant Activities of Andrographis paniculata,

HAYATI Journal of Biosciences, Volume 22, Issue 2,

2015, Pages 67-72.

10. Hu X-Y, Wu R-H, Logue M, Blondel C, Lai LYW,

Stuart B, et al. (2017) Andrographis paniculata

(ChuānXīnLiaÂn) for symptomatic relief of acute

respiratory tract infections in adults and children: A

systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 12(8):

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11. Mondal S , Varma S, Bamola VD, Naik SN, Mirdha

BR, Padhi MM, Mehta N, Mahapatra SC., Double-blind-

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effects of Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) leaf extract

on healthy volunteers., J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jul

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12. Jamshidi N, Cohen MM. The Clinical Efficacy and

Safety of Tulsi in Humans: A Systematic Review of

the Literature. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.

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13. Jantan I, Haque MA, Ilangkovan M and Arshad

L (2019) An Insight Into the Modulatory Effects

and Mechanisms of Action of Phyllanthus Species

and Their Bioactive Metabolites on the Immune

System. Front. Pharmacol. 10:878. doi: 10.3389/

fphar.2019.00878

14. Sandip Kumar Khurana, Ruchi Tiwari, Khan

Sharun, Mohd. Iqbal Yatoo, Mudasir Bashir Gugjoo

and Kuldeep Dhama, Emblica officinalis (Amla) with a

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Any notable Vitamin K2 findings you have encountered in the past 20 years has featured the NattoPharma’s MenaQ7®, the

source material provided to researchers confirming health benefits. The research has proven repeatedly that Vitamin K2 as MK-7 is linked to improved bone health, as well as cardiovascular health, and studies have been completed in adults and chil-dren, men and women, healthy and pa-tient populations, making it an effective – even indispensable – nutrient for all of life’s stages, regardless of our overall health.

Explaining Vitamin K2Vitamin K2’s mechanism has been detailed many times, including this publication, but it is worthwhile to review what makes Vi-tamin K2 as MK-7 an invaluable nutritional companion through the years.

K vitamins are a “family” of vitamins made up of two important forms: Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and Vitamin K2 (menaqui-none). Consider K1 and K2 fraternal twins. They share similarities, such as working in the liver to contribute to blood clotting, and chemically, they share a quinone ring called menadione.

But Vitamin K2 has several molecules, called menaquinones, which makes it more effective than K1. It can go beyond the liver to other systems.

Choosing the right form of Vitamin K2 is critical. Most supplements feature K2 as MK-4 (menaquinone-4) or K2 as MK-7 (me-

process regulated by osteoblasts and os-teoclasts. The same cells are affected by MK-7: osteoblasts produce osteocalcin, the same Vitamin K-dependent protein that binds calcium to the bone matrix.

A 2014 study published in Food & Function revealed that healthy children have the largest tissue-specific Vitamin K deficiency – eight to 10 times more in-active osteocalcin – followed by adults 40 years and older.6 In an eight-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-con-trolled trial, 45 micrograms of Vitamin K2 as MenaQ7® was given to healthy pre-pubertal children. The placebo group displayed no significant changes in in-active osteocalcin (ucOC), active osteo-calcin (cOC), and the ratio of inactive-to-active osteocalcin (UCR). However, those who took the Vitamin K2 supple-ment saw increased osteocalcin acti-vation, the defining marker for Vitamin K2 status, the 2009 British Journal of Nutrition study concluded.

naquinone-7). Due to its longer side chain, MK-7 is more bioavailable and boasts a much longer half-life in the body than MK-4. Furthermore, it does this with a smaller, less-frequent dose—a daily microgram for MK-7 compared to multiple daily milligram doses for MK-4.1-3

Vitamin K2 as MK-7 activates special proteins that allow the body to properly utilize calcium. Two of these proteins are osteocalcin (OC) and the matrix GLA protein (MGP). The former attracts calci-um where it is needed most, namely into bones and teeth; the latter keeps calcium out of places where it can do harm, name-ly arteries and soft tissues.

Getting an Early Start One in 3 women over age 50 and 1 in 5 men over 50 worldwide will experience osteoporotic fractures, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation.4 These statistics only highlight the impor-tance of building a foundation for bone health as early as possible. The probabil-ity of developing a bone disease later in life is closely related to the amount of bone mass one accumulates before age 30. Up to 90 percent of peak bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and by age 20 in boys. Just a 10 percent increase in bone mass is estimated to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fracture in adult life by 50 percent.5

Vitamin K2’s importance lies at the root of basic human development. Every seven years, the entire skeleton is replaced, a

Befitting its role as the Vitamin K2 leader, NattoPharma goes beyond providing the research and the raw material. Offering a database of product concepts for varie-ties of MenaQ7® in different deliveries and for different demographics, NattoPharma guides its partners through product devel-opment to find the right option for their formulation goals.

We know that MenaQ7® Vitamin K2 as MK-7 provides research-backed benefits at every stage of life. In the end, weak bones and years of toils on the cardiovascular system make mortals of us all. Research, awareness, and adaptability engender hope, and that’s what manufacturers get with MenaQ7® – the opportunity to change the face of global health.

And yet more work needs to be done cor-recting K2 deficiencies in children. A 2017 study cited a “disturbing growth” in the number of low-energy fractures in healthy children and adolescents. The researchers noted there are multiple risk factors that may contribute to this growing health con-cern, and “among the leading considera-tion are deficient or insufficient nutrition and nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K … the particular role of vita-min K2, especially menaquinone-7 (MK-7), has been highlighted in the literature and distinguished from vitamin K1 in maintain-ing calcium homeostasis and healthy skel-etal system.” The ultimate conclusion was that vitamin K2 as MK-7—used with vitamin D3—should be considered a nutritional op-tion to help curb those numbers.8

For Mature AudiencesThe data for Vitamin K2 as MK-7 show im-mense promise in every phase of adult-hood, which feeds into our ability to age in a healthy way.

A three-year study of MenaQ7® from NattoPharma and 244 healthy post-men-opausal women published in Osteoporo-sis International in 2013, showed the first clinically statistically significant protec-tion of the vertebrae and the hip (femoral neck) against bone loss with a nutrition-al dose of 180 mcg daily of MenaQ7®. After supplementation, maintenance in both bone mineral content and bone mineral density were statistically signifi-cant in the MenaQ7® group. Moreover, bone strength was statistically improved, demonstrating therapeutic benefits for the MenaQ7® group as compared to the placebo group.9

Cardiovascular health increases in vulner-ability as bad life habits and age mount. The numbers remain grim. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-

vention, 30.3 million American adults have been diagnosed with heart disease, a little more than 12 percent of adults in the U.S.10

Poor cardiovascular health is marked by calcium accumulation in the arterial walls and hardening from plaque deposits in which calcium is the main mineral com-ponent. Remember: Vitamin K2 as MK-7 is known for taking calcium away from the arteries to areas requiring it. This important action was revealed in a 2015 study using the same cohort as the aforementioned Osteoporosis International study.

The subjects, ranging in age from 55 to 65, were randomly assigned to take 180 mcg of MenaQ7® daily for three years or placebo capsules. After three years of treatment, the Stiffness Index ß in the MK-7 group with the highest initial arte-rial stiffness had decreased significantly compared to the similar subpopulation in the placebo group. Results attained by measuring pulse wave velocity and ultrasound techniques confirmed that Vitamin K2 as MK-7 not only inhibited age-related stiffening of the artery walls, it made a statistically significant improve-ment of vascular elasticity.11

A few years later, Vitamin K2 as MK-7’s cardiovascular credentials got a boost when an unpublished clinical trial showed that a daily nutritional dose of MenaQ7® improved vascular health—measured via significantly decreased levels of inactive MGP—in 243 healthy subjects (77 male, 166 female) with poor vitamin K status.12

Partnering for SuccessIn addition to clinical trials showing ef-ficacy and safety in adults and children, healthy and patient populations, studies have also confirmed effective delivery of MenaQ7® Vitamin K2 as MK-7 in capsules, dairy products, and drinkable yogurts.13,14 Having multiple delivery mechanisms at a manufacturer’s disposal means reaching a wider audience, ensuring consumers are receiving this essential nutrient.

Vitamin K2 SolutionS for all of life’S StageSHave you marveled over a Vitamin K2 study? Incorporated the nutrient into a formulation? Discussed its benefits with a colleague? All can likely be traced to NattoPharma, the global leader in Vitamin K2 research and development, and its clinically proven MenaQ7® K2 as MK-7.

By Dr. Hogne Vik, Chief Medical Officer of NattoPharma ASA, NorwayReferences1. Rheaume-Bleue K. Vitamin K2 and the Calcium

Paradox: How a Little-Known Vitamin Could Save Your

Life. 2013. Harper; Reprint edition.

2. Braam LA, Hoeks AP, Brouns F, et al. Thrombosis

and Haemostasis. 2004; Feb.; 91(2): 373-80.

3. Schurgers LJ, Craneburg EC, Vermeer C. Thrombo-

sis and Haemostasis. 2008; Oct.; 100(4): 593-603.

4. “Facts and Statistics,” International Osteoporosis

Foundation, https://www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-

statistics.

5. Cummings SR, Black DM, Nevitt MC, et al. Lancet.

1993 Jan. 9; 341(8837):72–5

6. Theuwissen E, Magdeleyns EJ, Braam LA, et al.

Food & Function. 2014 Feb. 5; 5(2): 229-34.

7. van Summeren MJH, Braam LAJL, Lilien MR, et al. Br

J Nutr. 2009; Oct.; 102(8):1171-8.

8. Karpiński M, Popko J, Maresz K. et al. Journal of the

American College of Nutrition. 2017; July; 36:5, 399-412.

9. Knapen MH, Drummen NE, Smit E, et al. Osteopo-

rosis Int. 2013; Sept.; 24(9):2499-507.

10. “Heart Disease,” Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/heart-

disease.htm.

11. Knapen MH, Braam LA, Drummen NE, et al. Throm-

bosis and Haemostasis. 2015; May; 113(5): 1135-44.

12. Trial completed 2018; pending publication.

13. Knapen MH, Braam LA, Teunissen KJ, et al. Eur J

Clin Nutr. 2016 Jul;70(7):831-6.

14. Knapen MH, Braam LA, Teunissen KJ, et al. J Nutr

Sci. 2015 Oct 16;4e35.


Staying healthy in the workplace of the future

The effects of computer work had been the subject of research long before New Work and the coronavirus crisis kicked in. The

workplace of the future will be increasingly digitalised for many of us, as a multitude of companies, staff and the self-employed have recently discovered. A lack of exercise and drawing the line between our professional and private lives are the greatest challenges here — requiring even more self-control and self-care than ever before. As true as it is for singletons and larger families, single-parent households are now having to balance the dual roles of childminder and bread win-ner. Whether we work from home or not, we’ve all had to accept that, to protect pub-lic health, our freedom of movement must be restricted; it’s no longer possible — or a given — to go to the gym or take part in out-door sports. As such, it’s never been more important to maintain a healthy lifestyle as far as possible.

Desk-based people who work with com-puters often suffer from symptoms such as fatigue, back pain, stiff shoulders and strained eyes. Of the 86% of staff who used a computer, for example, 78% ex-perienced physical fatigue and related symptoms, cited a 2003 paper.1 It not only affects quality of life, but also, in the long-term, employee health and the ability to work. To remedy this, a decreasing num-ber of consumers are relying on traditional pain relievers; they are now looking for

ae (figure 1). In Ayurvedic nutrition and medicine, the plant is known for its over-all nutrient richness, including the roots. Among the 300 medicinal effects attrib-uted to it, recent in vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated the pharmacological benefits of moringa isothiocyanate, which affects or inhibits key signaling pathways that are upregulated in cancer and certain immune disorders.

In addition, effects on chemoprotection and its anti-tumoral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have also been shown.2 These health-promoting effects are based on glucomoringin (GMG), a benzylglucosinolate that belongs to a group of substances known as glucosi-nolates or mustard oils and can be found in Moringa seeds. This group of secondary plant substances gives cruciferous plants such as radish, mustard or cress their bit-ter, slightly pungent taste. In the human digestive tract, specifically in the large intestine, GMG is converted by intestinal bacteria into a more active form — gluco-moringin isothiocyanate (GMG-ITC).

Moringa seeds relieve fatigue and reduce back painA study conducted by a team of scien-tists at the Ueno-Asagao Clinic in Tokyo, Japan, has examined these effects in hu-mans. The four-week study was designed as a randomized, parallel, double-blind and placebo-controlled investigation. The

better ways to put their lives on a health-ier footing. Plant-based foods and natural ingredients have a key role to play in this context.

Pharmacological benefits of the phytochemical moringineOne of the most promising plants in this category is Moringa olifeira, which belongs to the fast-growing tree family Moringace-

ing that the aging body switches to sports mode, so to speak, and produces more energy in the form of ATP when AMPK is activated. AMPK-activating substances are also known as “exercise mimetics” or, in lay terms, “gymnastics in a pill” or “sport to swallow”.4

In the body, AMPK inhibits anabolic path-ways such as triglyceride synthesis and lipogenesis via various phosphorylation steps and stimulates catabolic mecha-nisms such as glucose transport, lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation. It also promoted ketone body production for energy pro-duction. AMPK is activated by fasting, phys-ical activity and certain nutrients, such as fermentable dietary fibers, green tea cat-echins and curcuminoids. Taiyo combines appropriate ingredients, such as dietary fiber (Sunfiber®), SunCurcumin® and Sun-phenon® green tea extracts, in Energy 4.0 concepts including instant teas containing fiber and AMPK teas.

Recent innovations (Taiyo’s definition: Energy 5.0) are based on the findings of mitochondrial medicine and enzyme bio-chemistry. AMPK is a central regulator of enzyme-related energy production and it regulates lipid and glucose metabolism. The body uses genetic switches to make our cells produce more enzymes. Besides green tea catechins, glucosinolates can also trigger these processes (figure 3). They are found in vegetables such as cab-bage and broccoli and are converted into highly reactive, unstable isothiocyanates by the enzyme myrosinase. Anyone who consumes a variety of vegetables and fruits and absorbs secondary plant substances such as glucosinolates may well be able to activate their youth enzyme!

Taiyo has developed a new and patented process especially for Moringa, which re-sults in an extract that is particularly rich in glucosinolate and contains 10% GMG. It dissolves clearly in water, remains stable and has no taste of its own. It is suitable for a wide range of foods, such as beverages, confectionery and food supplements.

randomly selected healthy volunteers (18 men and 22 middle-aged women with se-vere symptoms) received compressed tab-lets containing 12 mg of glucomoringin. The delayed release profile of the tablets ensured that the GMG could be enzymati-cally converted into the active metabolite in the intestine. The results showed a sig-nificant reduction in fatigue, lower back pain, shoulder stiffness and eye strain. The effect, measured with the visual analogue scale (VAS), was significantly better than in the control group after only two weeks.

The tablets were provided by Taiyo, an ex-pert in herbal ingredients. Dr Stefan Siebre-cht, Managing Director at Taiyo’s German subsidiary, explains the aim of the study: “In the case of back pain, those affected often tend to avoid excessive strain and move even less. However, resting weakens the muscles, which can make back pain worse. Immobility in bed puts pressure on the back extensors, which release inflam-mation mediators and lead to an increase in pain. Tiredness and exhaustion are often accompanied by back pain, but the con-nection is often not clear to people. The pharmacological effects of phyto-mor-ingin have already been confirmed in the laboratory. We wanted to find out whether the anti-fatigue effects obtained by feeding Moringa leaves to laboratory rats could be replicated in humans.”

He continues: “In other areas, too, scientif-ic studies show that the anti-inflammatory properties of secondary plant compounds can have a beneficial effect on chronic in-flammatory processes, which are regarded as a cause of autoimmune diseases. For Taiyo, Moringa seed extract is therefore one of the focus products for our so-called Energy 5.0 range, in which we concentrate on recipes and concepts based on plant ingredients that have a positive influence on metabolic processes and, beyond that in many cases, also boost the body’s own energy production.”

From energy 1.0 to 5.0: metabolism-enhancing productsThe supply and consumption of food and beverages to increase and optimize our energy balance has been growing for years. However, despite the oversupply of metabolism-enhancing products, large sections of the global population are strug-gling with obesity and diet-related diseases. To understand why many people still find it difficult to consume fewer calories and, at the same time, increase their internal ener-gy production, it might be helpful to take a look at the development of products with

“energy balance” applications. The follow-ing summary shows how product devel-opment has shifted from supplying energy from outside to triggering the body’s own energy production.

The first energizer product, Lucozade®, was introduced in 1927 to fuel the muscles of hard-working factory staff with energy in the form of a high-calorie, glucose-con-taining beverage.3 This first energy drink, let´s call it Energy 1.0, led to the conviction that if you work hard, you have to power your body with carbohydrates, which is what many people still believe.

After the Second World War, the sec-ond icon of energy production, caffeine, started its triumphal march as the pick-me-up drink of choice (Energy 2.0). Dur-ing the late 1980s, caffeine-containing energy drinks fueled the myth of the ever-alert and powerful consumer, followed by taurine-containing soft drinks. Despite the fact that these drinks are criticized for undesirable side-effects, a kind of neu-ronal and adrenal burnout two hours after consumption, they can still be found on supermarket shelves. The positive effects of caffeine — on digestion, the liver, as an antioxidant and long-term, slump-free en-ergy source — can be better obtained, for example, with Taiyo’s Whole Green Coffee Powder®, a mild alternative derived from dried, unroasted green Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta beans (figure 2).

The discovery of the mitochondria and en-zymatic processes led to a deeper under-standing of the body’s own energy produc-tion. Energy 3.0 is therefore not something that’s ingested, but generated from within. For the conversion of any food into cellu-lar energy adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — the universal energy carrier for all human cells — the mitochondria need essential co-factors such as magnesium, coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine. Because mitochon-dria have a short lifespan, it is important for the body to preserve, multiply and re-juvenate these cell organelles. Benefiting from a unique, water dispersible Q10 that has enhanced bioavailability (320%), Taiyo offers SunActive Q10, a Co-enzyme Q10 product that boosts mitochondrial energy production.

Energy 4.0 — enzymatic energy — ap-peared on the scene just a few years ago and focuses directly on enzymatic pro-cesses. The enzyme AMPK (5’-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase) plays a key role in this field and, in the US, is popular as a youth enzyme. The reason be-

Working with desk-based computers often causes tiredness and back pain. More exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help, and a new Japanese study explains why it might be worth adding a little Moringa to your daily regime.

Figure 3: Green tea catechins are AMPK-activating

substances (Copyright: Shutterstock/Kazoka)

Figure 2: Whole green coffee beans provide long-

lasting energy. (Copyright: Shutterstock/Kareidel)

References

1. Ministry of Health L and W, Japan (2003). An over-

view of the survey on actual conditions concerning

technological innovation and labor in 2003.

2. Razis AFA et al (2014). Health benefits of Moringa

oleifera. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention.

3. https://www.lrsuntory.com/our-company/founder-

spirit/, last viewed on 15 January 2019.

Figure 1: In India, all parts of the Moringa tree

are traditionally used as foods.

(Copyright: Shutterstock/MK photograph55)

By Laura Ingenlath, R&D Assistant Taiyo GmbH,

Germany

Under the RadarBeing prediabetic is often overshadowed by other health concerns, often un-til it is too late. As a precursor to type 2 diabetes, prediabetes affects one in three adults in the U.S.1, and, unfortunately, many of those that are affected don’t even know what it is or that they can properly manage it. Prediabetes is recognized by unhealthy changes in a combination of interdepend-ent health concerns that indicate a decline in the body’s ability to maintain blood glu-cose levels within a healthy range. Predia-betes has no apparent signs or symptoms and, without a visit to a doctor, can easily fly under the radar causing many predia-betic individuals to realize there is an issue after it is too late. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that about 70 percent of prediabetic adults will eventu-ally progress to type 2 diabetes2, putting affected individuals at higher risk of addi-tional health concerns and complications over time.

There is more research and education than ever before on the importance of in-corporating exercise and a nutritious diet as part of a healthy lifestyle, but a majority of individuals are not meeting standards. According to the CDC, only about 23 per-cent of adults aged 18 and over are attain-ing a sufficient amount of exercise3 and poor diet quality has become a leading risk factor for a number of serious and chronic diseases4. Combining little to no exercise together with a regularly unhealthy diet

quietly pushes the body into a prediabetic state and beyond. Poor lifestyles some-times lead to excessive abdominal fat, which is another very common risk factor as about 71.6 percent of adults aged 20 and over are overweight or obese5.

Each factor—sedentary lifestyles, poor eating habits, and increased abdominal fat—may directly influence an increase in fasting blood sugar levels beyond a nor-mal range, resulting in a debilitating cycle of heightened oxidative stress, increased

i n f l a m m a t i o n and further elevation

in blood sugar levels6. Fortu-nately, prediabetes can be addressed,

and both prevention or recovery are pos-sible by taking proper steps.

The Lemon LifestyleSmall and simple lifestyle changes are vi-tal when going up against a prediabetic condition. The ADA continues to encour-age the adoption of a nutrient-rich diet and incorporating regular exercise7. Both approaches are necessary to incorporate together in order to address prediabetes. In addition to the implementation of ex-ercise and a proper diet, supplementation can yield a range of benefits that work to further enhance effort towards ending the cycle. But, because prediabetes is not a sin-gle condition, delaying progression of pre-diabetes—and even reversing it to normal blood glucose levels—requires addressing each inter-related aspect of it. One supple-ment category in particular that provides a holistic approach is flavonoids, especially those found in lemons.

Flavonoids were first discovered in citrus and their health benefits have been stud-ied for almost 90 years. Over that time, re-search has shown that flavonoids serve as powerful antioxidants and anti-inflamma-tories8, both of which serve to help man-age a prediabetic condition. Furthermore, research into a particular blend of lemon flavonoids called Eriomin™ has shown it to be one of the most effective therapeutic

strategies by addressing the many physi-ological systems that interact to improve insulin resistance and glucose uptake, thereby managing prediabetes in an effec-tive manner9.

An Insulin BreakdownThe ability to properly manage blood glucose levels and the entry of glucose into cells and organs is directly related to the body’s insulin response. But, as the body’s ability to properly respond to in-sulin diminishes, prediabetes occurs and breaks down the interactive relationship of blood glucose and insulin further. This happens as the hormone GLP-1, which increases insulin secretion and improves glucose uptake, degrades via the enzyme DPP-4, which inhibits insulin secretion. As a result, insulin resistance begins to develop, driving a hypersecretion of insu-lin to compensate. Blood glucose levels then continue to increase as, over time, the functionality of insulin-producing beta cells fades, causing the situation to wors-en and the prediabetic individual to be at greater risk of type 2 diabetes.

Lemon flavonoids are able to inhibit the activities of the DPP-4 enzyme, which then prevents the hydrolysis of GLP-1, and thereby improve insulin secretion and glu-cose uptake10. One study on the Eriomin blend of multiple lemon flavonoids—which includes eriocitrin, hesperidin, and nar-ingin—showed that the combination of flavonoids helped to influence an improve-ment in blood glucose levels from an in-crease in GLP-1 levels and decreased insu-lin resistance9.

An Inflammatory CycleIncreased insulin resistance and blood glucose levels are not the only signs of prediabetes. The next part of the predia-betic cycle is recognized by the presence of low-grade systemic inflammation. As blood sugar levels increase, so do pro-inflammatory cytokines. A decrease of adiponectin—a fatty tissue hormone asso-ciated with insulin sensitivity—occurs and interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are released into the bloodstream11. Upon reaching the liver and pancreas, the pro-

inflammatory cytokines cause hepatic fatty infiltration and beta-pancreatic cells dys-function, in turn resulting in an imbalance in glycemia and insulin resistance. Thus, as insulin resistance is further developed it cy-cles into further cytokine production and inflammation and back again, contributing to long-term complications12.

To normalize glycemia and insulin re-sponse associated with prediabetes, ad-dressing inflammation is a necessary step. Research has shown that even short-term intervention with lemon flavonoids can significantly reduce pro-inflammatory cy-tokine. The flavonoids are able to help acti-vate PPARg expression and inhibit NFkB. As NFkB is controlled, the secretion of inflam-matory cytokines is significantly inhibited13,

14. By playing a role in the reduction of in-flammatory cytokines, Eriomin is able to support a proper inflammation response. Additionally, the flavonoids eriocitrin, hes-peridin and naringin assist in the normali-zation and improvement of glucose regu-lation by increasing adiponectin levels9.

A Need for AntioxidantsEverything comes full circle when the heightened levels of blood glucose and in-flammation cause an acceleration of reac-tive oxygen species (ROS) production. As ROS numbers rise, so do the levels of oxida-tive stress. Without taking proper measures, the growth of free radicals outpaces anti-oxidant production, leaving the body lack-ing a sufficient antioxidant defense. Without enough antioxidant activity to balance out the excessive levels of ROS, proteins, carbo-hydrates and lipids become damaged and lose their efficacy, putting health at greater risk of multiple serious conditions. Then the cycle begins once again as the oxidative stress, left unchecked, is able to further in-fluence an increase in glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.15

The prevalence of education regarding vitamin C has placed citrus in the lime-light as a powerful source of antioxidants. What many people do not realize is that citrus flavonoids are potent antioxidants themselves and studies into naringenin, hesperidin and eriocitrin have additional shown more holistic benefit package that synergistically work with each other—and vitamin C—for optimal support. Therefore, citrus flavonoids create balance by helping to prevent the formulation of ROS by neu-tralizing them and the free radicals they produce with an increase of antioxidant support. Lemon flavonoids, such as those in Eriomin, are able to accomplish this by enhancing the body’s antioxidant defense system with increased levels of previously depleted antioxidants, such as glutathione, vitamin C and vitamin E. With a boosted antioxidant defense system, the body is able to better suppress excessive ROS pro-duction9, 16, 17 and thereby not only helps in the prevention of oxidative damage but is a major factor in providing aid against the damaging cycle of prediabetes.

Supplement with Lemon-AidWhen beginning to implement lifestyle changes to either prevent or manage a prediabetic condition, improving diet and exercise habits should always be the first approach. Fortunately, those efforts can be augmented by regularly consuming a blend of citrus flavonoids for triple-pronged functionality. Eriomin’s combined influ-ence helped all supplemented subjects to show improvements and an average of 24 percent of subjects completely returned to normal fasting glycemia9. Supplementing with clinically-validated “lemon-aid” takes a focused and integrated approach to suc-cessfully address the cyclical interaction of blood glucose levels with insulin sensitivity, inflammation levels and oxidative stress.

Rob Brewster, President of Ingredients by NatureAs a third-generation ingredient manufacturer for

the natural products industry, Rob Brewster is proud

to be part of the health and wellness world. He has

followed in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps,

Addressing and Managing Prediabetes

When Life Gives You LeMons…

By Rob Brewster, President of Ingredients by Nature

➜



helping their company Brewster Foods grow since he joined in the 1990’s and

then partnering with Syntech to form Ingredients by Nature, the world leader of

citrus bioflavonoids and extracts. As President of Ingredients by Nature, Rob takes

pride in citrus science and continues to invest heavily in citrus flavonoid science

for condition specific applications and holistic wellness. Ingredients by Nature

recently launched its latest branded lemon flavonoid blend, Eriomin Glucose

for prediabetes management and Eriomin Esport for a healthy gaming lifestyle.

Rob holds degrees in Business Administration and Biology from California State

University, Northridge.

Sources1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics

Report, 2017. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Dept

of Health and Human Services; 2017.

2. Tabák, A. G., Herder, C., Rathmann, W., Brunner, E. J., & Kivimäki, M. (2012).

Prediabetes: a high-risk state for diabetes development. The Lancet, 379(9833),

2279–2290. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60283-9

3. FastStats - Exercise or Physical Activity. (2017, January 20). Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/exercise.htm

4. 2018 State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables. (2018). Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/downloads/fruits-vegetables/2018/2018-fruit-

vegetable-report-508.pdf

5. FastStats - Overweight Prevalence. (2016, June 13). Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm

6. Li, J., & Shen, X. (2019). Oxidative stress and adipokine levels were significantly

correlated in diabetic patients with hyperglycemic crises. Diabetology &

Metabolic Syndrome, 11(1). doi: 10.1186/s13098-019-0410-5

7. https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-risk/prediabetes

8. Kumar S, Pandey AK. Chemistry and Biological Activities of Flavonoids: An

Overview. The Scientific World Journal. 2013;162750. doi:10.1155/2013/162750

9. Ribeiro, C. B., Ramos, F. M., Manthey, J. A., & Cesar, T. B. (2019). Effectiveness

of Eriomin® in managing hyperglycemia and reversal of prediabetes condi-

tion: A double-blind, randomized, controlled study. Phytotherapy Research. doi:

10.1002/ptr.6386

10. Parmar, H.S., Jain, P., Chauhan, D.S., Bhinchar, M.K., Munjal, V., Yusuf, M.,

Choube, K., Tawani, A., Tiwari, V., Manivannan, E., Kumar, A. (2012). DPP-IV inhibi-

tory potential of naringin: an in silico, in vitro and in vivo study. Diabetes Res Clin

Pract, 97(1), 105-11. doi: 10.1016/j. diabres.2012.02.011.

11. Maschirow, L., Khalaf, K., Al-Aubaidy, H., & Jelinek, H. (2015). Inflammation,

coagulation, endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress in prediabetes — Bio-

markers as a possible tool for early disease detection for rural screening. Clinical

Biochemistry, 48(9), 581–585. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2015.02.015

12. Forbes, J.M., Cooper, M.E. (2013). Mechanisms of diabetic complications.

Physiol Rev, 93(1),137-88. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00045.2011.

13. Gamo, K., Miyachi, H., Nakamura, K., Matsuura, N. (2014). Hesperetin glu-

curonides induce adipocyte differentiation via activation and expression of

peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ. Biosci Bio- technol Biochem, 78(6),

1052-9. doi: 10.1080/09168451.2014.910097.

14. Lee, J.K. (2011). Anti-inflammatory effects of eriodictyol in lipopoly- saccha-

ride-stimulated raw 264.7 murine macrophages. Arch Pharm Res, 34 (4), 671-9.

doi: 10.1007/s12272-011-0418-3.

15. Mahat, R. K., Singh, N., Rathore, V., Arora, M., & Yadav, T. (2019).

Cross-sectional correlates of oxidative stress and inflammation with glucose

intolerance in prediabetes. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research &

Reviews, 13(1), 616–621. doi: 10.1016/j.dsx.2018.11.045

16. Mahmoud, A. M., Bautista, R. J. H., Sandhu, M. A., & Hussein, O. E. (2019). Ben-

eficial Effects of Citrus Flavonoids on Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health. Oxi-

dative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2019, 1–19. doi: 10.1155/2019/5484138

17. Minato, K., Miyake, Y., Fukumoto, S., Yamamoto, K., Kato, Y., Shi- momura,

Y., Osawa, T. (2003). Lemon flavonoid, eriocitrin, suppress- es exercise-induced

oxidative damage in rat liver. Life Sci, 72(14), 1609-16. PMID: 12551749.

TRADITION IN FUNCTIONAL FOOD AND HEALTH INGREDIENTS

ü Chia Products (Chia Seeds,

Chia Oil, Chia Fiber and Chia Protein)

ü CoQ10, 100 % water dispersible

ü Cranberry Juice Powder (SunCran®)

ü Green tea extracts (Sunphenon®)

ü Indian Gooseberry (SunAmla®)

ü L-Theanine (Suntheanine®)

ü MD Products

(fruits, egg, protein, fi ber)

ü Minerals (Fe, Zn, Mg)

ü Moringa Extract

ü Omega 3

(SunActive® DHA Powder,

SunActive® Chia Oil Powder)

ü Organic Ceremonial Japanese Matcha

ü Soluble Bean Fiber (Sunfi ber®)

ü Vegan Meat Alternative (Vegemeat)

ü Whole Green Coffee Powder (WGCP ™)

JAPANESE QUALITY FOR MORE THAN 70 YEARS

European RepresentativeTAIYO GmbH Mittelstr. 36, D-58332 SchwelmPhone: +49(0)2336 9150216Email: [email protected]

VISIT US AT VITAFOODSI N G E N E V A ,HALL 4, F90

26 | Nutraceuticals Now

Manufacturers of natural ingredients with the highest quality and purity criteria to enhance people’s life and create value to the company and its customers.

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MANUFACTURERS OF WELLNESS

Calcium is a vital nutrient for vari-ous bodily functions, including nerve conduction, muscle con-traction, blood coagulation, hor-

monal secretion and structural support of the skeleton. However, for many people, particularly those who avoid dairy products, it can be difficult to achieve an adequate dietary intake. In addition, at certain times of life, such as during adolescence, the body requires more calcium to build strong bones. Postmenopausal women and men over the age of 70 also need more calci-um because they absorb calcium less ef-ficiently, and additional intake helps to slow down loss of bone mass. For these groups, therefore, calcium supplements can be helpful. An adequate daily calcium intake throughout life is essential; it reduces the risk of fragility fractures, enhancing mobility and overall quality of life. This spring, miner-al producer Omya is launching Omyaforte 100-OG — a highly bioavailable source of calcium suitable for powdered and com-pressed formulations that target the in-creasingly ageing global population.

Supplying an ageing populationIn 2018, for the first time in history, people aged 65 or above outnumbered children under five years of age globally. According to the World Population Prospects report by the UN, one in six people in the world will be over the age of 65 by 2050 – up from only one in 11 in 2019. Our ageing population means that demand for food and beverage products that can improve the health, wellness and lifestyle of older consumers is set to grow. In fact, research agency Mintel’s report on Global Food and Drink Trends in 2019 highlighted healthy ageing as a key emerging opportunity for this year and beyond. With people liv-ing longer and longer, food and drink de-signed to address concerns about bone health, as well as other age-related health issues, will be a definite area of interest.

Better bioavailabilityThe amount of calcium in the diet is not the only thing that is important for strong bones. Also crucial is the bioavailability of this calcium – in other words, the amount that is absorbed by the intestinal cells.

Omyaforte 100-OG is a highly efficient, bioavailable source of calcium with mas-sively enhanced solubility, which results in better calcium uptake into the blood-stream. As a specially tailored calcium source, it is composed of calcium carbon-ate and tricalcium phosphate, combining the best properties of both. Compared to reference products, Omyaforte 100-OG offers a higher elemental calcium content and greater bioavailability. It contains 40% elemental calcium – twice as much as cal-cium citrate, which contains just 20%. This higher elemental calcium content means that less of the ingredient has to be added to reach the recommended daily calcium intake. Thus, rheology and taste remain unaltered in finished products.

Scientific evidenceIn order to benchmark Omyaforte 100-OG, Omya selected key commercially available calcium sources. From a nutritional point of view, two factors are important: the amount of elemental calcium in the salt and the bioavailability of this calcium. Pre-liminary study results show that elemental calcium is highest in calcium carbonate (40% W/W), followed by tricalcium phos-phate (39% W/W) and tri-calciumcitrate tetrahydrate (21% W/W). Omyaforte 100-OG is composed of 39% W/W elemental calcium. To examine in vitro gastrointesti-nal digestion, 300 mg of elemental calci-um from each calcium salt (30% of the rec-ommended daily intake of 1000 mg) was tested. After processing, the amount in the soluble fraction was not significantly differ-ent in the four samples studied. The natural calcium carbonate showed a total amount of elemental calcium of 233.60 ± 18.79 mg

in the gastric soluble fraction, while Omya-forte 100-OG contained 235.58 ± 8.13 mg. Slightly higher amounts were observed for the calcium citrate salt (245.48 ± 30.26 mg), and remarkably lower for tricalcium phosphate (135.25 ± 27.36 mg).

To understand the intestinal absorption of calcium, bioaccessibility was tested with Caco-2 cell lines, which are widely used as a model of the intestinal epithelial bar-rier. On average, calcium uptake efficiency for calcium carbonate was 3%, while for tri-calciumcitrate tetrahydrate it was 3.41%. For tricalcium phosphate it was 1.85%, and for Omyaforte 100-OG, 5.68%. These re-sults suggest that the type of calcium salt may affect the bioavailability of calcium since the uptake efficiency values vary, be-

ing statistically significant between Omya-forte 100-OG and tricalcium phosphate (unpaired t-test p=0.0009) and Omyaforte 100-OG and tri-calciumcitrate tetrahydrate (unpaired t-test p=0.0041). This research clearly demonstrates that Omyaforte 100-OG not only contains a high percentage of elemental calcium, but is also extremely bioavailable, which means that it is an ex-cellent source of calcium.

Target marketsThe world’s increasingly ageing population and the prevalence of osteoporosis mean that demand for calcium supplements and calcium-fortified foods will continue to grow. Omyaforte 100-OG is targeted at the nutraceuticals and fortified foods markets, and is suitable for powdered as well as compressed formulations such as tablets, thanks to its superior compactability and excellent binding properties. In addition, the ingredient is suitable for use in baked goods and drinks. Since Omyaforte 100-OG combines both high levels of elemen-tal calcium and effective calcium uptake, only a small amount is needed to reach recommended daily intakes: as little as 770 mg of Omyaforte 100-OG is required to satisfy 30% of the daily recommendation

dose of 1000 mg calcium, compared to 1430 mg of tri-calciumcitrate tetrahydrate. This small amount can be easily incorpo-rated into powdered products like choco-late drinks or dairy and non-dairy beverag-es without modifying sensory properties. Fortified foods with pleasant taste profiles requiring very little intervention are the result. Furthermore, Omyaforte 100-OG can be blended with vitamin and mineral mixes and incorporated into tablets with-out changing product characteristics or production processes.

Capturing the spirit of the market Consumers view health and wellness as a holistic, proactive and ongoing pursuit. The needs of ageing populations across the globe can be readily addressed through fortified foods, drinks and nutritional sup-plements, whether these are for medical purposes or preventative measures. Thus, Omyaforte 100-OG opens up new opportu-nities for manufacturers who are looking for formulations and ingredients that are nutri-tious, effective and easy to process. It allows for minimal technological alteration while at the same time ensuring higher bioavailability. The ingredient will be commercially available from spring 2020 onwards.

CalCium supplementation:bioavailability is key



With over 30 human studies in a broad range of health conditions, Meriva® - curcumin Phytosome® -, can stand alone as The Life Guardian™.

From joint to eye health, following through liver health, arriving even to supportive care and discomfort relief, Meriva® helps to maintain an active lifestyle and

high quality of life. Overall, it offers lifelong support so that your body’s natural response does not turn into low-level chronic inflammation.

It’s effective because Meriva® offers the complete power of the 3 major curcuminoids and its bioavailability is optimized utilizing Indena’s proprietary Phytosome® delivery system.

Meriva® ‘s top grade formulation leads to outstanding tolerability and safety even for prolonged use.

Meriva®

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Taking the healthy way, follow The Life Guardian.

32 | Nutraceuticals Now

There is every reason to expect that demand for targeted senior nutrition will go up in 2020. Since the world woke up to a rampant

pandemic, the need for strong immune health during ageing has been daily ham-mered home. Clinical evidence already points to some promising dietary opportu-nities to help the elderly stay healthy and robust for longer into old age. And many of them start in the gut.

Declining immunity appears to be the primary reason why more elderly people have fallen victim to coronavirus than any other age group. In mainland China, where the first cases were reported, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recorded an 8% fatality rate for confirmed COVID-19 cases above the age of 70, jumping to almost 15% among patients aged 80+. That compares with less than 0.5% fatalities among patients under 501.

Consumer interest on the riseBack in 2018, Mintel noted in its market re-search that 40% of Chinese seniors aged 55-74 perceived their immune system as weak. Another 21% both considered their immunity to be poor and were taking no steps to improve it. However, in the cold aftermath of the coronavirus, it’s quite like-ly that consumers will adopt a more proac-tive approach.

Zoe Zhou, strategic marketing manager at DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, expects the focus to be more on functional food products than dietary supplements.

“There is great potential to address senior needs for nutrition in a tastier, more ap-pealing way than pills,” she says.

Mounting clinical evidenceScientists have long studied how dietary interventions can benefit immune health through the gut. Consequently, it is now widely recognized that the gut’s natural content of beneficial bifidobacteria and lactobacilli dwindles with age – and that this can be linked to increased vulnerability to illness.

Many clinical studies have focused on two specific strains of these bacteria in particular – Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis HN019 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001. A 2019 review and meta-analysis of 18 controlled studies concluded that, when used as a short-term dietary supplement, such probiotic strains enhance the cellular immune function of healthy elderly people2.

Good cellular immune functions include the ability to eliminate potentially harmful bacteria and, through the activity of natural killer cells, to help the body fight viral in-fections and cancer. Although more clini-cal studies are required to document the direct impact on these and other health markers, the evidence that specific pro-biotic strains can boost senior immune health is increasingly convincing.

Developing probiotic technologyA number of the studies conducted so far have used dairy products and dietary sup-plements as a vehicle for probiotic delivery. Consumers are already widely familiar with

yoghurt and other fermented dairy prod-ucts that contain a named probiotic strain.

“In the future, we can expect to see more probiotic combinations in other food prod-ucts, backed by clinical studies of immune health benefits. Technology is becoming available to ensure probiotic cultures stay alive in a wider range of foods,” Zhou says.

Stability tests have shown that chocolate, biscuit fillings and ice cream all have good potential as probiotic carriers. In the future, optimized manufacturing techniques will extend the possibilities to incorporate pro-biotics in even more foods and beverages – overcoming the challenges of maintain-ing a viable cell count throughout shelf life.

Although immune health is understandably in focus right now, the prospects for using probiotics in targeted functional foods for seniors are much wider. Digestive health is a well-established target. Thanks to grow-ing knowledge of the so-called gut-brain axis, possibilities to support cognitive health during ageing are also emerging. From a di-etary standpoint, all the evidence suggests that a well-colonized gut is the best way to prepare for a longer, healthier life.

A heAlthy gut is the best defenseSpecific probiotic strains may give senior immune systems a much-needed boost for robust and resilient ageing

References1. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/coro-

navirus-covid-19-elderly-older-people-health-risk/

2. Miller LE, Lehtoranta L, Lehtinen MJ. Short-term

probiotic supplementation enhances cellular immune

function in healthy elderly: systematic review and me-

ta-analysis of controlled studies. Nutrition Research,

Vol 64. April 2019:1-8


Recent data show that 32 million Italians use food supplements, and 18.7 million of them are ha-bitual users (1). Consumption tran-

scends gender, age and geographical area in a sector which includes a vast quantity of very different products, whose degrees of attention and transparency as for qual-ity and safety aren’t always the same and are not always easy to comprehend. Con-sidering such a scenario, it is legitimate to ask: what do we understand by qual-ity supplements? What elements allow us to evaluate the quality, safety and efficacy of the products? What are the risks of “do it yourself”? What are the criteria for the correct use of food supplements? How should proper information be provided?

To answer such questions an Advisory Board on Quality in Food Supplements of Botanical Origin has been recently es-tablished: a multidisciplinary panel of Ital-ian and international experts with different specializations, chosen from the leading authorities on botanical extracts, dedicated to point out the concepts of quality, effi-cacy and safety of botanical supplements in order to supply doctors and pharmacists, but also consumers, with clear guidelines on how to choose supplements that offer guarantees about those aspects.

The Advisory Board issued on January 2020 the Consensus Paper Food Sup-plements of Botanical Origin: a Multidis-ciplinary Approach to Quality. The case of Turmeric to clarify what is meant by quality supplements. The document has received the backing of the Italian Society of Nutraceuticals – (SINut), an independ-

ent non-profit association which under-takes to develop, encourage and promote nutraceutical research. The scientific value of the Paper is recognised and deemed consistent with the objectives of the as-sociation. The Advisory Board has been created on the initiative of Indena (a lead-ing company in the production of quality botanical ingredients), and of Scharper (a pharmaceutical sister company also with a history of development and marketing of food supplements promoted exclusively to the medical profession).

Careful analysis of scientific literature and the comparison of clinical practice experi-ences were the basis of the joint work that led the group of experts to formulate the indications and recommendations con-tained in the Consensus Paper.

A correct Consumption of Botanicals passes through Quality Control and Informed UseSummarizing the recommendations of Advisory Board’s experts, it’s important to remind that a supplement of quality can be recognized, principally with the expertise of a doctor or pharmacist. Prescribers can request information to evaluate the qual-ity and safety of products, transparency on the production chain, from the raw mate-rial to the finished product, and scientific evidence such as preclinical, clinical, phar-macokinetic studies on botanicals.

Equally important is awareness in the use of supplements. The widespread tendency among consumers to consider them natu-ral products and therefore “in themselves good”, together with their ready acces-

sibility, have fostered a “do-it-yourself” ap-proach. However, the use of supplements of botanical origin requires an overall as-sessment of the individual’s condition, any possible interactions between the active in-gredients contained in the supplements in question and other drugs or supplements the individual may be taking: skills which only doctors and pharmacists possess.

To clarify what “quality” is expected to mean, it must be underlined first that quality, safety and efficacy of a supple-ment are not concepts which may be su-perimposed:

• quality is determined by the characteris-tics of the raw material, the supply chain, the technologies and processes used for the processing of the ingredients, the controls on the production of botanical ingredients and the finished product;

• safety is primarily linked to the verification of the absence of potential contaminants typical of products of plant origin, an as-pect that pertains to quality, but also to the specific conditions of the organism that assumes the supplement, the dos-age and the methods of intake and the possible interactions with other active ingredients, be they natural or synthetic. Therefore, it is essential to carry out pre-clinical toxicological studies to guarantee the use of the botanical ingredient. How-ever, a quality supplement can have dif-ferent safety profiles in different subjects and for this reason it is advisable that the intake of botanical supplements is pref-erably recommended and guided by the doctor or pharmacist;

• efficacy is understood to be the ability of a supplement, through its ingredients, to strengthen physiological processes: sup-plements containing the same ingredient of natural origin can have different effec-tiveness depending on the formulation, which for example modifies its solubility.

How could prescribers and consum-ers concretely recognise quality, efficacy and safety of a supplements of botanical origin?

Quality of botanical supplements starts from the quality of raw material, that im-plies: identification of the plant with cer-tainty, through specific protocol and analy-ses (i.e. botanical checks, chromatographic profiles, or DNA analysis), purification of the botanical extract from notoriously toxic or allergenic or unwanted substances, stand-ardization. Other important aspects are the control of the supply chain and of the quality of the manufacturing processes. As for efficacy, despite current legislation on botanical supplements does not require evidence of efficacy based on scientific studies, there are supplements of botanical origin whose effectiveness is demonstrat-ed by rigorous preclinical and clinical stud-ies and conducted with methods similar to those required for drugs (2). To verify the efficacy of a product with respect to the physiological function it claims to have, it should be checked the availability and the reliability of specific preclinical and clinical studies on the ingredient, the pharmacoki-netic results from studies dedicated to the specific product with its specific formula-tion and the evidence of clinical studies on healthy physiological activities.

An essential aspect of safety is interaction. The use of supplements of botanical ori-gin requires an overall assessment of the condition of the person concerned, with a technical competence that can only be provided by a doctor or pharmacist. Bo-tanical ingredients have physiological ef-fects which must be known and assessed with respect to the specific situation of the individual for whom they are intended. Moreover, it is essential that a competent professional verify and monitor any possi-ble interaction between the ingredient of botanical origin that the individual is about to take and any other active ingredient be-ing taken simultaneously, whether natural or synthetic.

That’s why botanical supplements should be prescribed or recommended with the same rigorous approach applied to all prescriptions.

Turmeric - a case study Curcuma longa L. (a member of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae) is a perennial herb plant widespread in South East Asia and extensively cultivated in China, India, Indo-nesia and Thailand. (3) Turmeric has many different names in different countries, but is known in many languages simply as “yel-low root”. This iconic colour derives from three chemically distinct compounds, which are the active components of the plant: curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxyurcumin. All these curcumi-noids are often collectively referred to as curcumin, both on the market and also in scientific literature. However, it is impor-tant to remember that each curcuminoid have different chemical personalities and colours and, working together or individu-ally, have been shown to produce impor-tant physiological antioxidant, anti-inflam-matory, anti-mutagenic, anti-infectious, anti-cancer effects.

Turmeric is the case study presented in the first Consensus Paper issued by the Advisory Board on Quality in Food Supple-ments of Botanical Origin.

According to IQVIA data, 4.9 million packs of supplements containing turmeric were sold in Italy from July 2018 to June 2019. (4) Turmeric is also one of the world’s most widely studied botanical extracts: as of 2019, about 100 human studies have been carried out on curcumin, involving thou-sands of subjects. The quality of turmeric, like all botanical extracts, depends primari-ly on the quality of the raw material and the purity of the extract. The procedure that enables the plant to be unquestionably identified is by DNA analysis or barcoding

of the plant itself. Furthermore, quality tur-meric is free from contamination, whether accidental or deliberate. Moreover, raw material’s manufacturing process has to be strictly controlled to avoid any potential contamination along it. As for safety, the scientific evidence shows that the safety profile of turmeric is very high.

Recognized for its antioxidant effects and its osteoarticular function, turmeric has been the subject of human studies that have demonstrated its anti-inflammatory function, through which it contributes to maintaining gastrointestinal, cardiovascu-lar, osteoarticular, and liver health. Never-theless, like many botanical ingredients, turmeric has its Achilles heel: it has poor solubility in water and it’s not easily absorb-able by the intestine, with consequent limi-tation of its bioavailability.

To face such an issue, one of the most innovative solutions is Phytosome®, a for-mulation developed by Indena to optimize the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profile of active compounds of natural origin using 100% food grade ingredients (lecithin). Lecithins are natural surfactants which, together with bile salts, participate in the physiological process of absorption of lipophilic compounds and constitute the lipid double layer of cell membranes, making compounds, not readily soluble in water, more easily absorbable for example by the intestine.

Indena’s turmeric extract formulated with Phytosome® is Meriva®, whose efficacy is demonstrated by 35+ scientific studies in humans, of which at least a third were conducted with the randomized con-trolled scheme, relating in particular to the areas of cardiovascular, intestinal and ocu-lar health, nutrition in sports, joint health, healthy blood levels and supportive care. In these studies involving over 2000 sub-jects, no serious adverse reaction has ever been reported.

A panel of experts explain the multidisciplinary approach to botanicals’ quality. Starting from the turmeric case study

FOOD SUPPLEMENTS OF BOTANICAL ORIGIN ARE ALL EQUAL?

References1. https://www.federsalus.it/wp-content/up-

loads/2019/06/Rapporto-Censis-definitivo-1.pdf;

http://www.censis.it/welfare-e-salute/salute-gli-inte-

gratori-alimentari-utilizzati-da-32-milioni-di-italiani

2. “Guidelines on studies conducted to evaluate the

safety and properties of food products” Rev- Novem-

ber 2018

3. Attilio Giacosa, talk at the Assoerbe convention,

InVitality 2019, Milan 21/11/2019

4. Arrigo F.G. Cicero, “Turmeric supplements: what

you should know”, article on the Federsalus website,

31/7/2019, https://www.federsalus.it/integratori-di-

curcuma-cosa-sapere/


In the last few years, we have seen the continued rise of vegetarian, flexitarian and organic preferences, but in nu-traceuticals, what is most exciting are

the new formulations that are helping us redefine the art of the possible. Not least in the softgels space with probiotic op-tions – combining the advantages of bifi-dobacteria and Omega 3 – and a whole raft of ongoing emerging science related to the neurological importance of the gut-brain axis. This field explores the bidirec-tional communication between the cen-tral and the enteric nervous system which links emotional and cognitive centres of

the brain with peripheral intestinal func-tions and microbiota. This will have tre-mendous implications for nutraceuticals in the years ahead.

We had originally planned this article as a review of what we are excited about ahead of Vitafoods Europe, but even though the event has been postponed, our trends re-main valid and it’s what we will be saying to customers once we can all meet again in person.

Fundamentally, it’s the consumers that are now driving the biggest changes and

therefore opportunities in nutraceuticals, from changing behaviours and dietary preferences to products that are more en-joyable or fit around consumer lifestyles. For example, customers are searching for organic and/or sustainably produced food supplements that align with their general food consumption and beliefs. Consum-ers also now expect the highest level of food safety when buying organic products, and for nutraceutical contract providers, it means that we must align and become accredited. But behind this, is of course, increased supply chain control. Organic certification plays a dual societal role,

where on the one hand it supports con-sumer demand for organic products, and on the other hand delivers public goods contributing to the protection of the en-vironment, animal welfare and rural devel-opment. Taking this a step further, many contract providers – ourselves included – have also become certified for sustainable fishery practices (MSC and FOS) and we will combine this with vegetarian softgels in early 2021.

How do these consumer and product class trends align with the innovations we are seeing in softgels? One of the biggest advantages of offering nutraceuticals in a softgel capsule is that it allows better bioa-vailability of active ingredients than a tablet, capsule or powder. In addition, softgels are fully sealed, which allows sensitive ingre-dients to be protected from humidity and oxygen, providing improved product stabil-ity. Yet despite these advantages, they still present a number of significant challenges for manufacturers. For example, it’s im-portant that softgel capsules remain intact until they have reached the intestines so that the nutrient can be properly digested. Normally this is achieved using a coated, gastro resistant shell that protects the sup-plement from gastric acids and ensures di-

rect delivery to the intestine. This approach not only protects the supplement but also prevents unpleasant gastric issues associ-ated with these odorous oils.

Normally, the enteric capsules are avail-able only as coated softgels, meaning that they are coated according to pro-cedures typical for tablets. However, this additional manufacturing step provides further logistical and technological chal-lenges, as well as requiring the use of several label-unfriendly coating polymers. So, one solution we have pioneered is to make the softgel itself enteric, which crucially means there is no need for the additional coating process. At present no other softgel manufacturer has industrially implemented a solution like this and with softgel formulations continuing to grow, we anticipate this will remain an area of nutraceutical innovation in the coming years ahead.

In terms of ingredients and nutrient com-binations, generally softgels are used for oils and fat-soluble ingredients like Vitamin D, K or Omega 3, but a greater number of ingredients can now be en-capsulated in a suspension. The difficulty is the preparation of the suspension and

Softgel innovation in enteric encapSulation and gut-brain axial product growthcdMo capabilities define the art of the possible

Dr. Dominique Baum, Managing Director at Ayanda, a Sirio Company

ingredients (fill material) – it’s a real art form and this specialist ability is playing a major role for customers when identify-ing the right CDMO partner. For instance, we work with surfactant products ranging from vegetable phospholipids (e.g. soy lecithin) through marine phospholipids of high viscosities (e.g. krill oils) right through to the most challenging herbal prepara-tions based on polysorbates. The flexibil-ity really helps our customers, as we can reverse engineer products with the end consumer’s expectations and experience in mind.

Overall, the global nutraceutical market is in a period of substantial growth, as society is becoming increasingly health conscious and aware of the benefits of supplements. But, in a market so heavily driven by con-sumer demands, it’s more critical than ever that nutraceutical brands have complete supply chain capability, scalability, visibility and control. This means working with CD-MOs in a much more strategic way; they are now integral in not only offering manu-facturing flexibility, but also in providing integral input into production ideation and development. The art of the possible that we referred to at the start, is now driven by what your CDMO partner can deliver.


Obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children, adolescents and adults and is one of the major public health

concerns of the 21st Century. In Europe, a survey shows that a large number of chil-dren suffer from childhood obesity [1]. On a global scale widespread childhood obe-sity has the potential to negate many of the health benefits that have contributed to the increased longevity observed in the world. In 2014, an estimated 41 million children under 5 years of age were affect-ed by overweight or obesity [2].

Childhood obesity is a multifactorial dis-ease associated with a wide range of seri-ous social and health consequences such as psychological problems and lower edu-cational attainment. There is also a higher risk for many harmful diseases later in life, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipi-

demia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hypertension and coronary heart disease. Therefore, it is critical to identify factors in early childhood that increase or mitigate the risk of excessive weight gain and obe-sity to help develop early interventions.

The development of obesity In humans and animal models, obesity is associated with numerous physiological changes in the gastrointestinal tract [3]. These include perturbation of the microbi-ota in the gastrointestinal tract, also known as dysbiosis, increased intestinal perme-ability, and intestinal inflammation.

Gastrointestinal dysbiosis has been ob-served in obese patients and in animal mod-els of obesity [4]. Transfer of the gastroin-testinal microbiota from obese mice into lean germ-free mice produces the obese phenotype, suggesting that the gastrointes-tinal microbiota may play a role in the devel-opment or maintenance of obesity.

Gastrointestinal permeability is also a vi-tal factor as a low permeability is neces-sary to promote intestinal tight junction closure which is important for disease avoidance since it serves as a barrier to

infectious materials. Decreasing perme-ability is also associated with maturation of the gastrointestinal tract. Changes in gastrointestinal barrier function are seen in obesity and this may connect microbial dysbiosis to obesity [5]. The gastrointes-tinal microbiota and barrier function are highly responsive to the gastrointestinal environment and are able to be targeted by nutritional or pharmacological means. Consequently, probiotics and prebiot-ics have been used to treat obesity. In a mouse model, supplementation of a high fat diet with bovine milk oligosaccharides, as a prebiotic, attenuated weight gain and completely prevented increased intestinal permeability in both the small and large intestine and also increased the abun-dance of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the caecum [3].

A substantial body of evidence has estab-lished a causal relationship between gas-trointestinal dysbiosis, intestinal permeabil-ity, and the onset of obesity. Weight gain from diet-induced obesity occurs simulta-neously with altered intestinal permeability and gastrointestinal microbial profiles [6]. These factors are subject to modulation by dietary means particularly in infants.

BreastfeedingInfancy is one of the most important pe-riods influencing health later in life, and may therefore represent the best time to prevent obesity and its adverse conse-quences. Among the modifiable risk fac-tors for childhood obesity in the first 1,000 days of life, breastfeeding has been shown by a large body of evidence to be a pro-tective factor. Reports from various me-ta-analyses suggest between 13 and 26% of children who were breastfed were less likely to be overweight or obese than those who were formula fed and each additional month of breastfeeding was associated with a 4% reduction in the prevalence of overweight [7, 8].

There was a higher prevalence of obe-sity among children who had never been breastfed and/or had been breastfed less than six months compared to those who were breastfed for more than six months (Table 1) [7]. Breastfeeding has a protective effect as obesity is less frequent among children breastfed for at least 6 months.

Table 1. Influence of breastfeeding on obesity in infants

The WHO recommends exclusive breast-feeding until 6 months, with continued breastfeeding and appropriate comple-mentary foods up to 2 years of age or beyond. Infants who are breastfed exclu-sively during the first 6 months of life are less likely to have excess weight during late infancy (>6 months of age) [9].

Breast-fed infants also have decreased in-testinal permeability compared with for-mula-fed infants. Infants who received the majority of feeding as human milk (>75%) demonstrated significantly lower intestinal permeability when compared to infants re-ceiving minimal or no human milk. These results suggest that formula fed infants lack human milk factors promoting intes-tinal tight junction closure and possibly the formula feeding cause mucosal damage leading to increased intestinal permeabil-ity. It is possible that decreased intestinal permeability is one of the beneficial effects of human milk and can in turn lead to a reduction in obesity [10].

It appears well established that breastfeed-

ing reduces the risk of obesity in children. However, as the current evidence is de-rived from observational data it is difficult to make a firm estimate of the potential protective effect of breast milk against childhood obesity. Nevertheless, the avail-able data still indicate that reduction in obesity risk can be considered among the long-term benefits of breastfeeding.

Human milk oligoaccharides and obesityBreastfeeding is known to modify the gas-trointestinal microbiota and decrease intes-tinal permeability. These effects may well be related to a particular component of hu-man milk known as human milk oligosac-charides (HMOs). The HMOs are significant carbohydrates in human milk ranging be-tween 1-10 g/L in mature milk and 15-23 g/L in colostrum. They are composed of five monosaccharides; D-glucose, D-galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, L-Fucose, and sialic acid (N-acetyl neuraminic acid) [11].

Once ingested, HMOs resist degradation in the small intestine and persist in the colon, where they exert a function as prebiotics [12]. They provide a substrate for bacterial growth in the gastrointestinal tract of the neonate that is thought to favour beneficial bacterial taxa such as Bacteroidaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae. The faecal microbiota of breastfed infants differs from that of in-fants who are formula fed, with a higher relative abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae and fewer Firmicutes. A higher ratio of Fir-micutes to Bacteroidetes, as observed in formula-fed infants, has been associated with obesity in several animal studies and observed in obese adults and children [8]. This suggests that HMOs might affect the development of overweight and obesity indirectly by altering the structure or func-tion of the gastrointestinal microbiota.

The potential health benefits from HMOS such as reducing the risk of obesity has stimulated their industrial production and development. Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH, for example, has successfully es-tablished the industrial production of the five most important HMOs: 2´-fucosyllac-tose (2´-FL), 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL), lacto-N-tetraose (LNT), 3´-sialyllactose (3´-SL) and 6´-sialyllactose (6´-SL). There is also commercial production of highly pure forms of the monosaccharides: L-fucose and sialic-acid.

An indication of the importance of HMOs is that from January 2019, over 180 US patents have been filed relating to 2´-fu-cosyllactose alone, and the inclusion of 2´-fucosyllactose as a food ingredient is

Clifford A. Adams1 and Bettina Gutiérrez2

now commonplace in infant formula [6]. The application of HMOs offers the possi-bility to reduce the risk of obesity in infants through nutritional means.´

ConclusionsObesity in infants is a serious health prob-lem as it usually leads to adverse health is-sues in later life. Breastfeeding seems to have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk of obesity by influencing the gastro-intestinal microbiota and the degree of intestinal permeability. These advantages occasioned by breastfeeding seem most likely to be due to the presence of a sig-nificant quantity of oligosaccharides in hu-man milk. The HMOs are known to serve as prebiotics and encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal microbiota. They also have a useful effect in reducing intestinal permeability.

References[1] A. Spinelli et al. (2019). Prevalence of severe obesity

among primary school children in 21 European

countries. Obes. Facts, 12: 244–258.

[2] WHO (2016). Report of the commission on ending

childhood obesity. World Health Organization.

[3] M. K. Hamilton et al. (2017). Prebiotic milk

oligosaccharides prevent development of obese

phenotype, impairment of gut permeability, and

microbial dysbiosis in high fat-fed mice. Am J Physiol.

Gastrointest. Liver Physiol., 312: G474–G487.

[4] G. Boudry et al. (2017). Bovine milk

oligosaccharides decrease gut permeability and

improve inflammation and microbial dysbiosis in diet-

induced obese mice. J. Dairy Sci., 100: 2471–2481.

[5] H. E. Raybould, (2012). Gut microbiota, epithelial

function and derangements in obesity. J. Physiol.,

590: 441–446.

[6] R. C. Robinson (2019). Structures and metabolic

properties of bovine milk oligosaccharides and their

potential in the development of novel therapeutics.

Front. Nutr., 6: 50, doi: 10.3389/fnut.2019.00050.

[7] A. I. Rito et al. (2019). Association between

characteristics at birth, breastfeeding and obesity in

22 countries: The WHO European Childhood Obesity

Surveillance Initiative – COSI 2015/2017. Obes.

Facts,12: 226–243.

[8] [10] S. E. Maessen et al. (2020). Perspective: human

milk oligosaccharides: fuel for childhood obesity

prevention? Advan. Nutr., 11: 35–40.

[9] WHO (2019). Breastfeeding and obesity. COSI

(Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative). World

Health Organization.

[10] S. N. Taylor et al. (2009). Intestinal permeability in

preterm infants by feeding type: mother’s milk versus

formula. Breastfeeding Medicine, 4:11-15.

[11] L. Bode (2006). Recent advances on structure,

metabolism, and function of human milk

oligosaccharides. J. Nutr., 136: 2127–2130.

[12] C. A. Adams and B. Guttiérrez (2019). Human milk

oligosaccharides: the first prebiotics. Acta Scientific

Nutritional Health, 3: 172-175.

HUMAN MILK OLIGOSACCHARIDES AND OBESITY IN CHILDRENFeeding regime Obesity

(%)

Never breastfed 16.8

Breastfed less than 6 months 13.2

Breastfed 6 months or longer 9.31 Anozene Nutritional Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium:

[email protected]

2 Jennewein, Rheinbreitbach, Germany: Bettina.

[email protected]

*Correspondence, Bettina.Gutierrez@jennewein-

biotech.de Tel.: +49 (0)2224 98810 797.


What you may want to know to bring long-term success to their cannabinoid-containing products?For formulators and marketers who are selling or considering adding cannabinoid-containing products to their portfolio, now is a crucial time to take stock and ensure that ingredient lessons from the past (e.g. - turmeric, collagen, omega-3) are not forgotten. As the massive influx of choice around cannabinoid innovation and tech-nology envelopes the mind of any dis-cerning formulator, it can be difficult to wade through them all and comprehend fact from fiction. The stark reality is that depending on your goals as a product developer or marketer, the specific can-nabinoid ingredient choice you make now – especially the method of production – may be difficult to change later. This article reviews some of the key issues you may want to consider.

A tidal wave of activityIn the history of the food, beverage and nu-traceutical markets, there has never been an ingredient class that has engendered as much excitement and confusion as the CBD revolution, heralding in a new and ex-citing dawn for the cannabinoid industry. As we move into 2020, it is also clear that the market is facing a confused consumer. Asked if they understood the difference be-tween full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD and CBD isolate, only 17% said they did. The same survey showed that only 27% of consumers know the difference be-tween hemp oil and CBD oil.

Anecdotal reports from consumer prod-uct companies – particularly multination-als with a large brand footprint – show a similar pattern of interest and confusion. However, global regulatory bodies are assessing the potential legal pathway for CBD in dietary supplements, food and beverages through either a rulemaking process or government legislation and ap-pear poised to allow its broader inclusion.

What criteria might CPG companies follow when choosing cannabinoid ingredients?Choosing a cannabinoid ingredient is a balancing act between what is essential to support customer safety and what makes a customer choose your product over a competitor’s. In any instance, these prod-

ucts need to be high quality products that delight the consumer – not just because of cannabinoids, but by the entire experi-ence they deliver. Because of the time and high cost of product development, it is important that consumer product compa-nies select ingredients that meet the entire spectrum of their needs. Some important

considerations include:

1. Regulatory compliance and labeling2. Purity/consistent quality, composition

and absence of impurities3. Availability - global/regional availability

and ability to grow with market needs4. Formulation stability - accurate can-

nabinoid content over time5. Organoleptic properties – excellent

taste, smell and mouthfeel

Full-spectrum, broad-spectrum or isolates?A range of terminology that is meant to characterize method of production, the chemistry and the activity of cannabinoid compounds has been developed in sup-port of marketing efforts. While definitions vary, generally full-spectrum, or ‘whole plant’ CBD ingredients are derived from cannabis and are considered to contain flavonoids, natural fatty acids, terpenes and a range of cannabinoid compounds include CBG, CBDV, CBVB and CBN and various amounts of THC. This ingredient form supports what’s called the ‘entourage effect’ wherein it is posited that the actual ‘fingerprint’ of the material is responsible for therapeutic effects or that synergies ex-ist between the constituent elements.

Broad spectrum describes plant-based CBD that has been further processed, re-moving more of the non-target materials - although it can also be used to describe combinations of cannabinoid isolates. Of-ten, this term is used to describe materi-als in which THC levels are absent or ex-tremely low.

The term isolate is reserved for the purest form of cannabinoid ingredient with purity levels upwards of 99% – regardless of start-ing materials. A common question you may ask yourself is:

Should I choose Natural or Synthetic? When it comes to cannabinoid ingredients the terms ‘natural’ and ‘synthetic’ are not particularly useful in either characterizing or communicating about what is available for cannabinoid product development. While widely used, the term ‘natural’ has no standardized or legally binding defini-tion, the way, for example, the term ‘or-ganic’ does. Even when we try to narrow down the definition to ‘plant-based’ where cannabinoid raw materials are extracted from hemp and compare this to chemi-cal synthesis or fermentatively-produced cannabinoid ingredients, it’s important to recognize that the plant-based approaches require significant chemical and physical

Will the CBD-Cannabinoid Industry Learn from History?By Josh Hoerner, PhDGeneral Manager, Purisys

Chemical Small molecule synthetic chemistry

Botanical Farming/Chemical extraction

Biosynthetic Farming/Chemical extraction

Do you kNoW tHE DIFFErENCE BEtWEEN Full-SPECtruM, BroAD-

SPECtruM & CBD ISolAtES?

yeS!

not Sure

no

yeS!

not Sure

no

Do you kNoW tHE DIFFErENCE BEtWEEN A CANNABIS PlANt & A

HEMP PlANt?

table 1: Characterizing Cannabinoid Compounds

CH3

H3C

H

H

CH3

oH

Ho

Cannabinoid isolates• cGMP production

• FDA regulated

• Valid testing

Chemical Synthesis

Botanical Extract

Fermentation

processing to deliver the final ingredients. Hemp-based CBD is an ingredient that em-ploys industrial chemical processing (e.g. extraction, distillation, chromatography) to deliver the final product – isolating the ma-terial, with increased potency and remov-ing unwanted compounds and impurities – something far from “natural’.

The term ‘synthetic’ cannabinoid is even more problematic as it too easily gives the impression that the only way a can-nabinoid isolate is produced is through this chemical means. Due to the ulti-mate confusion that this places on the formulator, let alone the end customer, a coalition of manufacturers for both hemp and non-hemp-derived cannabi-noids have met with the FDA to ask that the industry be agnostic to the method of production, specific cannabinoid and end product. Regardless of whether the cannabinoid is accessed by synthetic/bi-osynthetic or botanical means, the term ‘synthetic’ and ‘natural’ cannabinoids should be left behind in favor of what the ingredient is, a chemical compound and more specifically, a cannabinoid. In the case of CBD, (-)-trans-cannabidiol is (-)-trans-cannabidiol.

Instead of these generalized and consum-er confusing terms, it behooves our indus-try to embrace a science-based view of cannabinoid starting materials and produc-tion processes. Table 1 reviews a series of routes to cannabinoid compounds that are either under development or on the mar-ket today and that may shed some light on an approach to nomenclature.

For the most part, the goals behind these different raw materials and production pro-cesses are essentially the same – a purified, concentrated cannabinoid isolate. In order to be commercial in today’s regulatory environment, ingredients need to be safe, highly pure (>99.7% pure by validated test methods) and completely free of unde-sired impurities and contaminants.

Among the leading hemp and non-hemp derived cannabinoid manufacturers, a sig-nificant call to action is being mounted with the regulatory agencies suggesting that, regardless of how cannabinoids are manufactured, they need to be cGMP-produced materials (as defined by the ap-plicable Code of Federal Regulations) that undergo extensive safety testing and that are subject to an exhaustive quality regi-men seems to be the best solution.

To ensure this, finished product brands

should demand that their cannabinoid in-gredients be:

• Registered and inspected by appropri-ate national authority (FDA/USDA/EMA/EFSA, etc.) throughout all parts of the supply chain

• Regulated as food, beverage, dietary supplement or drug

• Inspected and regulated against cGMP requirements for food, supplements, drugs (e.g. - 21 CFR Part 117, 111, 210, 211 or ICH Q7) as appropriate

• Qualified and verified by test methods that must be demonstrated as scien-tifically sound and suitable for intended purposes

• Manufactured to clear regulatory stand-ards that have been promulgated by competent national authorities, and that include independent monograph(s) of production methods

Developing consumer messaging: navigating regulatory waters and building trustWhen it comes to developing product mes-saging, including product claims, cannab-inoid-containing nutraceutical, food and beverage products are the most complex challenge on the market. And yet, the handwriting is on the wall for cannabinoids regarding regulatory status. We have seen this as the US Drug Enforcement Agency moved quickly in late 2019 toward de-scheduling a broad range of cannabinoid compounds – removing them from their status as Schedule I substances. What we are seeing now is regulators gathering sci-entific data and other information so that a regulatory framework can be developed for safe, legal incorporation of cannabinoids into a broad range of products. One might imagine that cannabinoid actives could be treated the same way that other botanicals, additives and functional ingredients are in the food, beverage and nutraceuticals space. That status will bring its own set of challenges – but challenges that are well understood.

So which cannabinoid ingredients do we choose?Faced with a wide array of options for can-nabinoid ingredients, the ultimate answer for which to choose is where you want to take your product and how you want to get there. There are branding issues, sci-entific support issues, formulation devel-opment issues, economic and scalability/supply issues to be taken into considera-tion. You have a vision and you know your customer. The most important thing is to clearly understand your options.

Survey by The Benchmarking Company. Data is based on an original survey of 7,565 U.S. consumers aged 18+, conducted in August 2019.


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Helping food manufacturers ana-lyse products in the lab is one of NIZO’s areas of expertise. A recent publication reporting re-

search carried out as part of a NIZO/DSM collaboration provides encouraging re-sults for a new surface material that can be used in devices that analyse the physi-cal properties of food. In this study, a hy-drophilic gel made from whey protein iso-late (WPI) clearly discriminated between the friction behaviour of low and high fat yogurts. This makes WPI gel a promis-ing material for use in predicting sensory mouthfeel and thereby speeding up prod-uct development.

To meet the increasing consumer inter-est in low-fat foods, food manufacturers are designing foods that contain less fat, but that nevertheless give the sensation of a full-fat product. However, any changes to the composition of a product alter its physical properties. In yogurt for example, the sensation of “creaminess” is due to the breaking up of fat globules. Without fat you therefore need to mimic this feeling in the mouth.

Assessing the acceptability of new productsBut how do manufacturers know if a new yogurt still provides the sensation of creaminess? The most accurate way is to conduct taste tests using consumer test-ing panels. This is relatively expensive and time-consuming however: such tasters of-ten need to be trained, and the training and testing process can take several weeks or even months. The use of panels is therefore not an ideal method at the early stages of product development, when scientists are assessing different types of changes to in-

gredients and how these changes will affect sensation in the mouth.

The perception of fat-related attributes such as creaminess is known to involve the fric-tion forces sensed in the mouth. Fortunately, these friction forces can also be measured in the laboratory using devices that attempt to mimic the movement of food against the tongue. These devices – known as tribom-eters – can be used to predict whether a product is likely to give more or less friction against the tongue, and therefore whether the product’s so-called mouthfeel is likely to be acceptable to the consumer.

Pig’s tongues versus artificial surfacesThere are several different types of tribom-eters as well as several types of surfaces used to mimic the tongue. Pig’s tongues have been used at NIZO, as their surface characteristics are similar to those of a hu-man tongue. Pig’s tongues have several dis-advantages however, including their limited availability, rapid degradation of the tissue, and variations between different tongues.

Artificial surfaces have therefore been de-veloped, and commonly used materials include silicone rubber and polydimethylsi-loxane (PDMS). These materials are shaped into plates which can then be placed in a tribometer. The main advantage of PDMS is that the degree of surface roughness can be changed by changing the degree of polymer crosslinking. It is also robust and therefore easy to use and to manipulate. However, PDMS is hydrophobic and needs to be treated with chemicals to make it hy-drophilic like the human tongue. Given the effect of these chemicals is only tempo-rary, it is a challenge to ensure PDMS has good “wettability” – so that any liquids ap-

plied have maximum contact with the surface – and therefore make it more like the tongue.

These problems with the wettability of PDMS can be avoided by using materials that are naturally hydrophilic. One such ma-terial is a gel made from whey protein isolate (WPI). Previous tribometer measurements comparing plates with surfaces made from different materials have indicated that WPI may be more accurate than PDMS in imitating the conditions in the mouth. To test whether or not WPI gel is more suitable than PDMS for measuring friction forces in food, researchers from DSM and NIZO have now compared the two materials in terms of their ability to predict the creaminess of yogurt.

WPI gel better than PDMSIn this new study, the researchers first selected nine supermar-ket yogurts ranging in fat content from 0 to 4.1% and asked a trained test panel of 12 subjects to score them in terms of creaminess. They then used a tribometer to analyse the yo-gurts using both WPI gel plates and commercially available PDMS plates. They looked at the ability of the surface materi-als to discriminate between the yogurts as well as the repeat-ability of the experiments. Their results showed that WPI gel was consistently better than PDMS at discriminating between the yogurts in terms of friction behaviour. Besides determin-ing the correlation between friction and creaminess, they also determined the optimal range for the sliding speed of the tri-bometer at which the method using WPI gel plates can best discriminate between the different products.

Innovative food product development The researchers hope this new application of WPI gels can now be developed further for wider use. Given that different types of tribometers make use of different plates, standard WPI gel plates will need to be developed for different devic-es, and although WPI gel is flexible and naturally hydrophilic, preparation of the gel sheets still requires further optimisa-tion. NIZO would therefore be interested in hearing from potential industrial partners interested in collaborating on a project to continue developing this technique.

Finally, looking more widely at innovative food product de-velopment, this publication provides a prime example of how products can be screened in the lab for mouthfeel defects, thereby helping to speed up product development. We antici-pate that such screening methods and materials can also be used to screen for other physical properties of food such as astringency.

AdvAnces in lAborAtory methods used to predict the

ReferencesDi Cicco F, Oosterlinck F, Tromp H and Sein A (2019) Comparative study of

whey protein isolate gel and polydimethylsiloxane as tribological surfaces to

differentiate friction properties of commercial yogurts. Food Hydrocolloids

97, 105204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2019.105204

Dresselhuis DM, De Hoog EHA, Cohen Stuart MA and Van Aken GA (2008)

Application of oral tissue in tribological measurements in an emulsion

perception context. Food Hydrocolloids 22, 323–335.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2006.12.008

Joyner HS, Pernell CW and Daubert CR (2014) Beyond surface selection: The

impact of different methodologies on tribological measurements. Journal of

Food Engineering 134, 45–58 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2014.03.003

Human tongue

Oral coating

Friction coefficient of different gels containing fat

creaminess of food


When it comes to digestive health, many consumers are already familiar with the benefits of adding probiotics

to their diets, but what about prebiotics? Prebiotics supply the crucial, non-digest-ible ingredients that fuel the growth of healthy bacteria, including probiotics. As consumers better understand this mean-ingful symbiotic relationship, the prebiotic supplement market will grow substantially in the coming years. Adroit Market Re-search predicts the global prebiotic market size will grow from $3 billion in 2017 to $9 billion by 2025.

Health-conscious consumers are looking for prebiotic options made from sustain-able ingredients and in new delivery for-mats including powders, gummies and beverages. Comet Bio’s 2019 consumer study found that that four out of five con-sumers are interested in healthy, sustain-able dietary fibers. To meet this consumer demand, Comet Bio developed ArrabinaTM — a prebiotic dietary fiber made from up-cycled crop leftovers.

Tapping into the trendAs demand for prebiotic supplements grows, manufacturers must offer diverse options to meet their customers’ needs. Each person has a unique microbiome and when it comes to gut health, it is not a one-size-fits-all formula. There is an ar-ray of probiotic strains as well as many prebiotic dietary fibers, and some probi-otics work better with specific prebiotics and vice versa. For example, while inulins—a popular prebiotic additive generally de-rived from chicory root— may be benefi-cial in supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria for many consumers, others may find Comet Bio’s prebiotic dietary fiber Arrabina™ to be more effective.

Comet Bio’s Arrabina™ is the well-stud-ied prebiotic fiber, Arabinoxylan. Clinical research shows that consuming as lit-tle as 2.2 grams of Arabinoxylan per day promotes the growth of bifidobacteria in the gut, which is less than half the level of other prebiotic ingredients.1 In addition to

As research linking the importance of the gut microbiome to overall health contin-ues to emerge, the digestive health cat-egory will only continue to expand. The sky is the limit as to how brands can capi-talize on this trend by incorporating sus-tainable ingredients like ArrabinaTM into their products.

References: 1. ISAPP; Windley et al. 2015, Cloetens et al. 2010,

Francois et al. 2014, Maki et al. 2012, Walton et al.

2012, Damen et al. 2012, Kjølbæk et al. 2019;

2. Comet Bio unpublished results of clinical trial;

Inulin comparison data from Bonnema, Angela L.

et al., “Gastrointestinal Tolerance of Chicory Inulin

Products,” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and

Dietetics, Volume 110, Issue 6, 865 – 868;

its high potency, Comet Bio’s clinical re-search shows that the prebiotic has better tolerance compared to inulin.2

Extracting better nutritionDespite its exceptional prebiotic benefits, Arabinoxylan has not been widely available for use due to inefficient extraction. Com-et Bio saw this market opportunity and uti-lized its proprietary extraction technology to make it available in an isolated, purified, and fully soluble form. The proprietary wa-ter extraction technology makes it possible to extract Arabinoxylan from many crop and food leftovers. The process uses water and pressure to extract the Arabinoxylan and purify it. Through this approach, Com-et Bio can not only produce ingredients that are healthy and sustainable, but also of the highest quality.

Superior functionalityArrabina™ provides supplement, food and beverage manufacturers a healthy and sustainable upcycled prebiotic dietary fiber option. It is a fully soluble powder with very low viscosity making it suitable for use in a variety of applications with functional ease. Comet Bio’s customers so far have been predominantly supple-ment manufacturers and protein powder companies looking to bolster their health and sustainability claims. As consumer awareness of prebiotics grows, Comet Bio predicts that Arrabina™ will be utilized in more formats like beverages, baked goods and even confectionary given its superior functionality.

Comet Bio reclaims nutrition with its ArrabinaTM prebioticBy: Rich Troyer, CEO, Comet Bio

€ 100 Million Sales in 2019

Effective logistics &

quality services

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Nutraceutical market is a high-growth and ever changing market, requiring companies throughout the supply chain –

packaging manufacturers included – to find new solutions tackling the challenges and the opportunities arising globally.

As a recent PMMI Business Intelligence demonstrates, the global market for nu-traceuticals will grow at a 7.5% rate, and will transform from a $241 billion market in 2019 to $373 billion in 2025, with consid-erable growth especially in the US, in Asia Pacific and Western Europe. Asia Pacific, in particular, accounted for a dominant share and is anticipated to witness the fast-est growth over the forecast period due to rapidly increasing product demand in In-dia, China, and South Korea. Expansion of the retail sector in emerging economies such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, in light of increasing regulatory sup-port, is expected to increase accessibility to buyers over the forecast period.

Despite these positive figures and insights, nutraceutical market is all but an easy busi-ness. Consumers around the world are in-

deed more and more looking for alterna-tives that ensure a better health and supply all their nutritional needs, for their general well-being or specific tasks such as diet in-tegration or weight management.

Nutraceutical packaging is strictly related to these market trends, and the industry is moving away from standard containers to-wards the development of new customer-friendly solutions, aimed at making simpler and more effective the consumption of nutraceutical products through ergonomic design, new materials or technologies.

When referring to nutraceuticals, we de-scribe a broad array of products. The term describes any product derived from food sources with extra health benefits in addition to the basic nutritional value naturally found in foods. Even though there is no common categorization for nutraceuticals, this kind of products are divided into four types, name-ly: functional food, functional beverages, dietary supplements, and personal care. Functional food is further sub-segmented into probiotics fortified food, omega fatty acid fortified food, branded ionized salt, branded wheat flour market, and other func-

tional food. Functional beverages are further segmented into fruit & vegetable juices and drinks, dairy & dairy alternative drinks, non-carbonated drinks (bottled water, tea, and coffee), and other products such as herbal teas, sports drinks and energy drinks. In ad-dition, dietary components include proteins & peptides, vitamins & minerals, herbals, fatty acids and fibers.

In such a fragmented market, packaging specifically conceived for this industry must consider the different peculiarities of the categories, that also imply strong differ-ences in packaging materials and features.

Anyway, in this highly diversified scenario, Bormioli Pharma has identified some com-mon, incisive, here-to-stay consumers trends that need to be addressed by com-panies aiming to benefit most from the market’s growth.

First of all, a cross trend that is affecting so-ciety and economy as a whole, and also has strong impacts on the nutraceutical market and in consumers’ purchase be-havior: sustainability. As a Natural Market-ing Institute survey demonstrates, 67% of

consumers indicates that environmental responsibility is among the top 10 criteria used in the purchase decision in dietary supplements, being it more relevant – just to make an example – of the organic na-ture of the supplements (63%) and the rel-evancy of the brand in the national mar-ket (59%). Moreover, according to another recent research conducted by Accenture, more than half of consumers are willing to pay a premium price for sustainable prod-ucts designed to be reused or recycled.

This means packaging is a crucial factor of success of a nutraceutical product, and re-lying on suppliers that provide sustainable solutions can have a direct, considerable effect on sales and revenues for the com-panies in the industry.

In this scenario, Bormioli Pharma is working since more than a decade to promote green plastic solutions suitable for food contact, developing a wide range of sustainable plas-tic packaging, For example, a bottle made of 100% rPET, which features exactly the same performances of its virgin counterpart (PET), allowing the creation of a highly-customized solution according to customer needs, is already in production on an industrial basis.

The product also features an excellent transparency, low levels of contamination, as well as physical and mechanical prop-erties comparable to virgin PET, and – as an additional certification of excellence – has been rated compliant according to the European Pharmacopoeia.

Moreover, green plastic solutions can also be applied to packaging accessories, such as caps, cups and spoons. That’s why the development of accessories in food-grade PLA – fully degradable within 60 days in industrial compost facilities – and caps in green PE is already in place.

A second trend is about lifestyle, that is progressively shifting – temporary sanitary emergencies aside - towards out-of-home experiences and consumptions, with an ac-celerated, fast-paced way of living that privi-leges and incentives on the go consump-tions. A very good example to describe this trend is sports integrators, that require a small packaging, an immediate consumption and the possibility to consume it even while the workout is taking place. That’s why the de-velopment of dual-chambers single-dose products is trending, combining a travel-size format with an instant activation of the prod-uct. This procedure guarantees the effective-ness of the integrator, with fresh ingredients and a comfortable consumption.

A third growing trend in nutraceutical pack-aging is product safeguard against external agents (i.e, humidity, oxygen, light). As nu-traceutical products are particularly sensi-tive – being mostly based on vegetal APIs – and more perishable than pharma ones, a special attention must be paid to protect them, in order to preserve their integrity for a longer time, allowing companies to sup-ply a more effective product and a better service to end users.

This is not just a matter of shelf life: for some niches, such as probiotics for exam-ple, external agents and more specifically humidity determine whether the product is effective or not. In highly regulated mar-kets, such as Italy, this is a hot topic as the minimum amount of bacteria CFUs (Col-ony Forming Units) contained in a single dose is set. But also the European Food Safety Agency reported that, even though “increasing the number of any groups of bacteria is not in itself considered as ben-eficial […] the Panel considers that support a balanced/beneficially affect intestinal mi-croflora in the context of decreasing po-tentially pathogenic intestinal microorgan-isms might be beneficial to human health”.

Innovations are in place to give an answer to this trend: Bormioli Pharma has done this through the development of a new barrier technology, soon available on the market, that does not allow moisture to penetrate inside the container, also featuring an active absorption function, preventing the generation of humidity inside the packag-ing. At first, this technology will be appli-cable to EasyRec, one of the best-selling Bormioli Pharma’s dual chamber solutions. In a second time, it could be applied also to AccuRec and PowerRec, the other two systems of the company’s dual chamber family.

This new technology will be presented at Vitafoods Europe in Geneve, featuring a performance increase of 75% compared to the previous version.

Tackling counterfeiting is another chal-lenge that also the nutraceutical industry has to face. The wide range of products – hundreds of thousands of references on the global market – leaves the nutraceuti-cal market open to counterfeiting.

The most common, and therefore the most reported ways, of counterfeiting nutraceuti-cals are to undercut its ingredients with oth-er substances partially or to replace them with other substances completely, and then misrepresent the ingredients on the label.

Cecilia Bassi, Product Manager Bormioli Pharma

Bormioli Pharma is developing a vision in which the packaging produced in the manufacturing sites can be electroni-cally traced, storing any relevant product and lifecycle management information. A unique and not counterfeitable code, strictly linked to the product and hosted in the only element where counterfeiting cannot happen: primary packaging.

Our challenge is to work on the packaging single elements to establish and guarantee an intimate and secure relation between physical and digital, making them effec-tively connected in a safe, unique, sophisti-cated and complex way.

Our track and trace solution, developed in collaboration with the Center for Nano Science and Technology (CNST) of Isti-tuto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), will work through product marking, building a not editable technologically advanced track-ing solution. Bormioli Pharma tested several marking technologies currently developed and available on the market; among all them, Bormioli Pharma would like to focus the attention on ultra-fast pulse laser direct writing, an innovative technology that has not yet been deeply explored in pharmaceutical or nutraceu-tical packaging, providing complex infor-mation throughout the supply chain and also accessible to consumers.

Last but not least, there is a brand new, high growing segment such as supple-ments based on CBD, especially in Italy where regulation has been recently loos-ened allowing the sale of CBD-derived nutraceutical products. In this case glass amber vials fit particularly well – as they allow a stronger protection from exter-nal agents, such as humidity and oxygen – combined with a child-resistant closure dropper pipette. This said, for other forms in which CBD-based products can be sold – syrups, pills, capsules – all the existing range of oral products can serve effectively the purpose.

All these trends show how companies can take benefit from a continuously evolving market. But in order to do that, there is a final step nutraceutical companies and the supply chain must undertake: establishing a closer and closer collaboration. In this way, nutraceutical products manufacturers can take greater and greater benefits from the solutions specifically conceived by their partners, and the supply chain players can take advantage of a more open, porous en-vironment, addressing emerging and latent market needs through innovation.

Taking The mosT of nuTraceuTical markeT growTh:

a trends’ analysis Cecilia Bassi, Product Manager Bormioli Pharma


With a nationwide lockdown in place, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has shaken consumers around

the world. While facing long stretches of time at home and possibly juggling work and childcare simultaneously, trying to re-main healthy and well is front of mind for many. For industry experts in the function-al foods, health and wellbeing sectors, it’s time for us to come together collectively to amplify one key message. Eat well to stay well.

The collective public is conscious of the phrase ‘you are what you eat’. While, at least scientifically, it’s an oversimplification of the gut microbiome’s complex relation-ship with wider bodily health, the principle is correct. What we put into our bodies truly matters.

With significant limitations to lifestyle in the wake of the pandemic, it’s time to fall back on what we know and let the compelling science of the human body speak for itself. During times of stress, our cortisol levels elevate and lead to an increase in appetite1. Often, we see this manifested in consum-ers reaching for foods high in saturated fat and sugar for a quick and satisfying burst of energy. A one-off treat isn’t a cause for concern but, when taken on a regular ba-sis, can lead to rapid weight gain, gut in-flammation and additional health risks, such as cardiovascular disease.

The challenge becomes more pressing in today’s uncertain healthcare environment. The latest figures from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (IC-NARC) show that those with a body mass index (‘BMI’) above 25 are significantly

more likely to be admitted into an intensive care unit, should they fall ill with the COV-ID-19. According to the same report, up to 72 per cent of those that are overweight or obese were taken into intensive care2. This is backed up with further evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (‘CDC’) and the British Heart Foundation (‘BHF’) that state those with heart conditions3 and severe obesity are at a higher risk of COVID-19 complications4.

Herein lies the problem. With more time at home and less spent on outdoor activities and exercise, general health and wellbeing for consumers may take a backseat, driving the risk of obesity. Our challenge as indus-try leaders in health, nutrition and func-tional foods is to guide public awareness to the core ‘eat well to stay well’ message, in order to help prevent further complica-

tions from arising. To do this, we must first look at the human gut microbiome.

Home to 100 trillion bacteria per person in an ever-shifting composition, the human digestive tract is a key link between the body, its genetic genome, and the environ-ment. In fact, the gut is understood to con-tain 150 times5 more raw genetic data than the rest of the human body. Studies have previously shown that the gut microbiome plays an important role in the modulation of lipid absorption and deposition, working with the liver in a continuous, bidirectional relationship known as the gut-liver axis. When the liver produces bile salts from cholesterol, it aids digestion and modifies certain chemicals to promote heart health and wellness.

Since an individual’s microbiome is most-ly determined by environmental factors, with only a slim percentage contributed by genetic DNA, achieving a diverse mi-crobiome can help to influence car-diovascular health. So, by eating healthy and well-balanced meals rich in natural antioxidants, high in fibres and proteins, consumers are not only replenishing the good bacteria the gut thrives on, but they are enabling their individual microbiome to diversify, leading to improved physio-logical wellbeing and a healthier immune eco-system.

Probiotics that can harness the gut-liver axis to positively impact upon the gut’s mi-crobiome also play a large part in human health. Fermented foods, such as sauer-kraut, kimchi and miso offer many natural health benefits. For example, sauerkraut is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin antioxidants that can help promote good eye health6, while miso helps to lower blood pressure and support cardiovascular health7. On the other hand, copious amounts of kimchi for a sustained period has been clinically proven to decrease levels of harmful low-

EAT WELL TO STAY WELL: How Probiotics Can Improve Cardiovascular Health And Overall Wellbeing

By Steve Prescott, CEO of ProBiotix Health

density lipoprotein (‘LDL’) cholesterol and blood sugars8.

However, with the current pandemic, these foods are now much more difficult to ob-tain. Many consumers have since turned to foods naturally high in Vitamin C and Zinc, dietary supplements and functional foods that can be purchased online and delivered to the doorstep to help boost the body’s natural defences and maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially for those with underly-ing health conditions that are in isolation.

It speaks to the power and versatility of the delivery format that dietary supple-ments were on the rise long before the outbreak. In the US, research from the Council for Responsible Nutrition indi-cated that 77% of adults were consuming dietary supplements9 (of 2,000+ adults that took the CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements) – the highest usage recorded in 2019.

Due to this increase in demand over recent years, researchers and scientists specialis-ing in the human microbiome are continu-ally learning about the ways in which the gut reacts to different foods, environments and external stressors. Recent advances in molecular and analytical techniques have permitted identification of bacterial spe-cies and strains that inhabit the gastroin-testinal tract, their metabolic activity, and interactions within human health. These studies have provided greater insight into the role of gut microbes and their metabo-lites in health and disease.

For example, if there’s an imbalance in the gut microbiota due to stress or anxiety caused by the current lifestyle restrictions, it can easily influence the way our innate health system responds, potentially leading to the development of inflammatory con-ditions. This research has enabled many companies, including ProBiotix Health, to develop a range of technologies that act to modulate the gut microbiome to prevent and manage human disease.

By using science-backed ingredients such as Lactobacillus Plantarum LPLDL® – the patented probiotic strain from OptiBiotix and ProBiotix Health – in functional foods or dietary supplements, it can help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure and combat cardiovascular disease.

Put simply, the ingredient works by in-creasing the breakdown rate of bile salt molecules in the intestine, leading the

liver to synthesise additional bile salt using cholesterol from the blood. This important mechanism of action helps good bacteria survive in the intestine’s tough environment – and the results are clear. LPLDL has dem-onstrated its efficacy through randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled hu-man studies to reduce overall cholesterol levels by up to 36.7% and systolic blood pressure by up to 5.1%10.

It’s clear that the time for health and well-ness messaging is here. Industry experts are continually expanding their knowl-edge and consumers are more invested than ever in learning about managing their health and wellness. With this heightened appetite for information, education be-comes crucially important. The health and food sectors need to align to promote the ‘eat well to stay well’ message, particularly now if we are to avoid a further obesity and cardiovascular health crisis after our COVID-19 concerns are over.

References1. Harvard Mental Health, 2018 - https://www.health.

harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-stress-causes-

people-to-overeat

2. ICNARC report on COVID-19 in critical care, April

2020. https://www.icnarc.org/Our-Audit/Audits/Cmp/

Reports

3. BHF, ‘Coronavirus: what it means for you if you have

heart or circulatory disease’, 2020. https://www.bhf.

org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/

news/coronavirus-and-your-health

4. CDC, ‘Groups at Higher Risk for Severe Illness’,

2020 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

need-extra-precautions/groups-at-higher-risk.html

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/

PMC3779803/

6. Dietary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin

carotenoids and their role in eye health, 2013: https://

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23571649

7. Blood pressure reduction by Japanese traditional

miso, 2014 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

pubmed/24047246

8. Kimchi, a fermented vegetable, improves serum

lipid profiles in healthy young adults: randomized

clinical trial, 2013: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

pubmed/23444963

9. CRN USA, CRN Consumer Survey of Dietary

Supplements, 2019: https://www.crnusa.org/

10. OptiBiotix, University of Reading Study: https://

optibiotix.online/pages/lpldl-science


Jing Struve is the executive director of Farlong

Pharmaceutical, a vertically integrated herbal

ingredient and supplement company that

produces clinically studied, science-backed

functional ingredients and products. Jing has over

16 years’ experience in the industry, with 12 years

at Medtronic focused on leading FDA-regulated

medical device research and development. Jing

is on the board of directors of Acupuncture

Corporation of America and is currently studying

Traditional Chinese Medicine through the Beijing

University of Chinese Medicine distance learning

program.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the world’s leading causes of death. The development and use of new, natural supple-

ments have been on the rise to not only treat cardiovascular health conditions, but also to proactively help in preventing fu-ture ailments. One extract, Notoginseng, is becoming particularly popular because many studies have shown the obvious ef-ficacy and favorable safety of notoginseng in cardiovascular treatment.

Farlong Pharmaceutical, a vertically inte-grated, plant-based ingredient and sup-plement company, recently completed a three-year clinical trial to determine the effect of Farlong NotoGinseng™ (Farlong Ginseng Plus® Panax Notoginseng ex-tract) on cholesterol and blood pressure. The trial was conducted as a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel study on one hundred healthy adults.

Ginseng Plus® is a crude extract of several saponins from the root of Panax Notogin-

supplementation is well tolerated and has a positive influence on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing blood pressure and selectively increasing HDL-C.

Researchers also examined the difference in serum LDL-C, blood pressure, triglycer-ides, HDL-C, total cholesterol and in en-dothelial vasodilation as measured by the EndoPAT from baseline to week eight and week 12 between Farlong NotoGinseng™ and placebo. Participants were given one serving (two capsules) of the investiga-tional product or placebo to take orally at the same time every day, 30 minutes before a meal for 84 days over a 12-week period. The results showcased a signifi-cant decrease in serum LDL-C in Farlong NotoGinseng™ group from baseline to week eight.

LDL Cholesterol is sometimes called the “bad” cholesterol because a high LDL level leads to a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries. HDL (high-density lipoproteins)

seng, standardized to contain 75% or 85% notoginseng total saponins as the ac-tive compounds. Also known as Sanqi or Tianqi in China for over 650 years, Panax Notoginseng is commonly referred to as the “King of Ginsengs” because its active compounds are superior to other ginseng family members in quantity, in addition to its own unique notoginsenoside, the saponin isolated from Panax Notoginseng known to help with the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. It is featured in nearly every patented herbal medicine formula in China. Of China’s 24 most well-known FDA-recognized health supplements, 19 contain notoginseng.

The study took place from December 2016 through June 2019 and was conducted by KGK Science, Inc. and sponsored by Farlong Pharmaceutical. With the primary objective of determining the difference in serum LDL-C from baseline to week 12 be-tween Farlong NotoGinseng™ and placebo after 12 weeks of supplementation, the study revealed that Farlong NotoGinseng™

strict quality control system where each plant undergoes frequent inspection and testing by the company’s expert cultiva-tors. In addition, the implementation of physical pest control systems minimizes the use of pesticides.

To ensure the safety and purity of each product, Farlong’s current Good Manu-facturing Practice (cGMP) certified facility utilizes a deep cleaning system, including tumbling dirt cleaning, bubbling cleaning for heavy metals, ultrasound deep clean-ing, ozone cleaning, and high-pressure cleaning. Thereafter, notoginseng roots are filtered and then grounded by tem-perature-controlled air classifying mills, ef-fectively preserving all heat-sensitive active compounds to their maximum potential.

For more than 20 years, Farlong, an herb-al ingredient and supplement company, has created products using natural and herbal ingredients to promote a healthy and natural life producing clinically stud-ied, science-backed functional ingredi-ents and products. The company recently received GRAS self-affirmed status for its Lifeflower® Breviscapine and Ginseng Plus® Panax Notoginseng™ extracts. Far-long has a B2C dietary supplement line, a B2B condition specific functional natural product line for health care professionals and a B2B functional ingredients line for health industry brand owners, formulators and manufacturers, along with eight herb dispensing centers across the U.S. to help acupuncturists and naturopathy practition-ers fulfill herb prescriptions.

cholesterol is known as the “good” choles-terol. There was a slight increase in serum HDL-C following 12 weeks of supplemen-tation with Farlong NotoGinseng™, along with within-group decreases in both sys-tolic and diastolic blood pressures.

On the contrary, the placebo group had increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressures and a decrease in serum HDL-C. If left untreated, clinicians suggested these participants may progress to a disease state. In populations at risk for developing cardio-vascular diseases, even a small reduction in blood pressure is clinically meaningful.

Farlong NotoGinseng™ was created to help maintain normal health of the cardi-ovascular system as the capsule is made of highly concentrated pharmaceutical grade Ginseng Plus® Panax Notogin-seng extract, containing high potency notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Rg1, which are the most ac-tive components along with other minor ginsenosides, such as ginsenoside Rd, Re, Rb2 and Rg3. The supplement nutritional-ly supports healthy heart function, blood circulation, and performance.

With different preparations, notoginseng exerts different functions, which is main-ly due to the changes in saponin profile. When taken as raw powder, it supports cardiovascular and cerebrovascular cir-culation, relieves pain and swelling, stops bleeding and promotes radiant skin. Steaming changes the chromatographic and pharmacological profiles of notogin-seng, resulting in enhanced activities of anti-proliferative effects against cancer cells than its raw form. Moreover, steamed notoginseng also shows activities includ-ing anti-fatigue, anti-anemia, immune modulation and more.

Recently, there is an increasing and sus-tained interest in the benefits of notogin-seng for its safety and fewer side effects as compared to other supplements that claim to improve cardiovascular health. Protective functions of notoginseng saponins include inhibition of platelet aggregation, increasing blood flow, improving left ventricular dias-tolic function in hypertensive patients, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory effects.

Ginseng Plus® Panax Notoginseng Ex-tract is produced to cGMP pharmaceutical standards and is self-affirmed GRAS. It is a 100% natural, botanical extract and is non-GMO. The recommended daily dosage is 200mg per person per day. The science behind Ginseng Plus® Panax Notoginseng

Extract supports many new formulation opportunities which are driven by its very potent activities of antioxidant, anti-inflam-mation, vascular relaxation, anti-platelet, anticoagulation, anti-diabetes, anti-aging, immunomodulatory, and myocardial pro-tection, which make it especially helpful in age-related health conditions. Meanwhile, it is also suitable for fitness enthusiasts or athletes because its activities in enhancing physical performance and reducing fatigue.

In supplements, Ginseng Plus® Panax Notoginseng Extract can be used in tablets, capsules, liquid, liposome, etc. It is bitter and slightly sweet and has a five-year bulk shelf life. Ginseng Plus® Panax Notogin-seng Extract is water soluble, making it an excellent ingredient to be added in bever-ages such as sports drinks, smoothies and shakes, bars, and foods. Food and beverage manufacturers can use this new functional ingredient to reinvigorate an existing prod-uct or launch a new product using Ginseng Plus® Panax Notoginseng Extract. Based on its broad-spectrum health benefits as well as extensive human clinical data and animal research, Ginseng Plus® Panax Notoginseng Extract can be positioned in Sports and Heart Health formulations.

The cultivation of notoginseng needs to meet the highly unique environment re-quirements. It grows primarily in the Wen-shan mountainous area of Yunnan Prov-ince (N 23.5° and E 104°; altitude from 1,200 to 2,000 m), where the soil acidity, sunlight, temperature, pressure and alti-tude enable Panax Notoginseng to achieve the best active components yield. The plant matures for at least three years be-fore harvest, after which, all the nutrients in the soil have been absorbed by the roots. Once notoginseng has been harvested, the land cannot grow anything else for the next seven years.

Farlong is a vertically integrated manu-facturer with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified plantations, ensuring a sus-tainable, controlled environment under a

The Positive Effects of Farlong Ginseng Plus® Panax Notoginseng Extract on Reducing the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease by Jing Struve


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