Bionap unveils prickly pear extract for a “prebiotic revolution” in gut-brain and muscle axes

23 May 2024 --- Bionap adds Odilia to its range of standardized botanical extracts of fruits and plants from the Mediterranean region. The powdered extract of the prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) juice is standardized in polysaccharides and piscidic acid and acts on the gut-brain and gut-muscle axes. 

Clinical research reveals Odilia’s support for gut homeostasis with prebiotic activity, gut mucosal barriers and overall health. The juice is derived from the prickly pear “leaves” or cladodes — leaf-like flattened stems. 

Dr. Violetta Insolia, business development manager at Bionap, tells Nutrition Insight that one of the extract’s innovations is the low daily dosage of 300 mg. Prebiotics and fibers are typically used in a dosage of three to five grams per day. “We call it the prebiotic revolution.” 

The low dosage allows manufacturers to use Odilia in various formulations. Insolia adds that the ingredient is stable in solids and liquids and has a neutral taste. Moreover, Odilia production uses a sustainable, zero-waste approach. 

“We have a double-blind, randomized clinical trial in which we have demonstrated that Odilia can improve gut homeostasis, change the organization and distribution of the microorganisms and change the phylum, genus and species levels to improve the good bacteria and decrease the bad bacteria.” 

“It is also able to improve and be clinically relevant to what we saw from the microbial point of view. Odilia was able to improve their gastrointestinal symptoms and cope with everyday stress with less fatigue and tiredness. Another big sphere that we would like to investigate more is emotional stress.” 

Gut-muscle axis 
From a scientific point of view, the gut-muscle axis is a new trend, and few ingredients on the market work along this axis, explains Insolia. “We are still researching this, but according to the literature data, it seems that the changes in microbial composition can improve cells’ mitochondrial activity.” 

“By changing the microbial composition and improving microbes, you can also improve the muscle cells’ metabolism and energy. That’s why, with Odilia, the subjects who were enrolled felt less tired and fatigued, perhaps because the energy within the muscle cells improved.”

A double-blind clinical trial finds that Odilia supports a healthy gut and may act indirectly on overall health.She underscores that Bionap prioritizes finding scientific support for different points of view. “It is important when you talk about prebiotics that you have information about the gut flora, about the microorganisms that change, and if there is any change in the good or bad bacteria.” 

Next, the company aims to link statistically significant changes within the microbes with clinical evidence, determining how they impact clinical symptoms. Insolia details that such scientific support helps build evidence for health claims. For Odilia, Bionap seeks health claims in Korea and Brazil. 

A clinical trial on Odilia published earlier this year found that the ingredient “provides significant modifications of the gut microbiota to a more favorable composition that may contribute to improving the overall health of subjects with gut dysbiosis.” 

In the trial, 80 participants received either Odilia or a placebo for eight weeks. The study revealed statistically significant changes in clinical outcomes on emotional and stress levels, including improved coping with stress, trouble swallowing food, feeling full, fatigue and early satiety.

The authors recommend that future research better explore the association between clinical outcomes of the gut-brain and gut-muscle axes and microbial changes. 

Mediterranean inspiration 
As a company specializing in Mediterranean plants, Insolia highlights that Bionap continuously conducts research within plants from the region and is an expert in prickly pear. She believes that Odilia has a “unique profile.” 

“We also have the know-how of all polysaccharides and polyphenols present in the plant,” she adds. “We do not only have polysaccharides as a standardization but also one of the polyphenols called piscidic acid, which is very specific to this plant. It’s like a chemical marker of this plant.” 

Bionap introduced Odilia at last week’s Vitafoods Europe trade show, in Geneva, Switzerland.This polyphenol is unique to the plant itself, says Insolia. “But in the literature, there is also some data on the activity of piscidic acid within the physiology of the organism; it is linked to the activity of the product itself.” 

“We have many ongoing studies on prickly pear because we believe that it can have many applications. If you are able to specifically set the production process, you can obtain different results, and so different products can enter the market within different segments.” 

Zero-waste production 
According to Insolia, Bionap cultivates prickly pear and uses “every single part” of the plant — juice, seed, peel and flowers — for a zero-waste approach. After squeezing the juice, the external part of the cladodes is used as flour for food, while seed oils can be used in cosmetics, and fibers find an application in pet nutrition or herbal tea. 

“Usually, prickly pear plants are cultivated for the fruit — the most valuable part of the plant is the fruit,” she continues. “To increase fruit yield, you sometimes cut and prune the plant. The cladodes we use are cut to increase the yield and are usually discarded. We collect them and revalue this biomass that otherwise has no use. And we produce our ingredients with that.” 

“It’s also very important for us to use a plant from our territory because we prefer low carbon dioxide emissions for transport. For example, in this case, we are talking about only two hours of transport at the maximum.” 

By Jolanda van Hal