The latest research from Olympic Seafood AS, Indena, Stratum Nutrition, DSM, Fytexia and Kyowa Hakko offers promising results for companies hoping to spice up their formulations with clinically backed ingredients.
Olympic Seafood AS published a randomized, single-dose, cross-over trial in Lipids in Health and Disease that documented the bioavailability of fatty acids from RIMFROST krill products and fish oil in 15 healthy subjects. In the study, researchers compared the 72-hour bioavailability of approximately 1,700 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in krill oil to krill meal and fish oil. Primary endpoint was the incremental area under the curve in plasma phospholipid fatty acids, reflecting recent dietary intake. According to the primary endpoint, EPA plus DHA had a significantly higher bioavailability in krill oil, as compared to krill meal and fish oil.
Another soon-to-be published study on Indena’s Casperome®, the Boswellia serrata extract formulated with Phytosome® technology, showed 500 mg of the extract can significantly increase plasma levels of boswellic acids in caparison to an unformulated extract. In the randomized, double blind, cross-over comparative pharmacokinetic study in healthy volunteers, researchers issued a single oral dosage of Casperome and found plasma levels of most relevant boswellic acids measured after Casperome administration, in particular beta-boswellic acids, were in the range of expected biological activity, thus representing strong support for a rational dosage regimen in clinical testing.
Stratum Nutrition’s newest research demonstrated the clinical benefit of ACTAZIN™, a green kiwifruit ingredient produced by Anagenix Ltd, for digestive health. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated 19 healthy adult volunteers and 9 volunteers with complaints of functional constipation for stool frequency and quality, along with a daily diary for quality of life. The results demonstrated a statistically significant increase (P < 0.014) in mean daily bowel movements (healthy cohort) following one month of ACTAZIN (2400 mg/d) consumption. The magnitude of effect corresponded to an approximate increase of one bowel movement per week, which is regarded as a clinically meaningful effect by FDA. A lower daily dose of ACTAZIN (600 mg) produced a numerically equivalent result, just missing statistical significance (P < 0.06) across the entire group, but was statistically significant in the responder sub-group (P < 0.005; n = 14). This suggests that a low dose (600 mg) of ACTAZIN alone could help maintain a healthy digestive system.
In DSM’s recently published paper, “Nutritional Solutions to Counter Health Impact of Air Pollution," discusses the health risks of air pollution and how nutritional solutions can help. Exposure to major contaminants in the atmosphere, including fine particulate matter (with particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, otherwise known as PM2.5), has been associated with a number of serious health issues. These include increased cardiovascular mortality and the risk of several chronic diseases, including diabetes and cancer, via oxidative stress and inflammatory mechanisms. DSM’s paper summarizes data from human studies on nutritional solutions, such as marine omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins, as an intervention for the detrimental responses to PM2.5. Results from both randomized and cohort studies in the last decade demonstrated that PM2.5 exposure induced unfavorable physiological and biochemical responses (i.e. heart rate variability reduction and oxidative stress) in the human body. Supplementation of fish oil, some B vitamins, vitamin E and C were shown to intervene with these responses. For more information on how nutritional solutions can counter the health impact of air pollution, watch DSM’s webinar on vitamin E and the latest science II: air pollution.
Fytexia released a new scientific publication on the benefits of Sinetrol for body fat loss and preservation of muscle mass in male subjects, opening more product positioning opportunities. In the 12-week study conducted on 25 men (13 in the placebo group and 12 in the Sinetrol group), all subjects followed the same normo-caloric diet standardized between 2,200 and 2,500 kcal/day and were instructed to exercise 30 minutes per week. Subjects in the Sinetrol Xpur group took two capsules (450 mg) of the active ingredient every day, while the other group took the same quantity of a placebo. After four weeks, significant differences between the two groups were already observed on waist and hip size reduction, and on weight loss after eight weeks. At the end of the 12-week period, results showed Sinetrol Xpur had a significant impact on all key parameters, including abdominal fat, waist size reduction, hip size reduction and waist-to-hip ratio. The company will be presenting complete details about the new publication at Vitafoods Europe in May.
Finally, In Kyowa Hakko’s latest study, a combination of L-Citrulline and L-Arginine oral supplementation caused a more rapid increase in plasma L-Arginine levels and marked enhancement of nitric oxide bioavailability, including plasma cGMP (Cyclic guanosine monophosphate) concentrations, than with dosage with the single amino acids. The study, published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, set out to determine the short-term action of oral doses of L-Citrulline and L-Arginine on nitric oxide production. Results showed that the combined supplementation was significantly more effective than single doses of arginine.