Indena shines light on regulating supplement quality with turmeric case study

04 Feb 2020 --- Understanding and ensuring the quality of botanical supplements such as turmeric is a fundamental requirement for safe supplementation usage. This is according to a consensus paper that addresses rising concerns regarding quality, efficacy and safety of supplements. This paper comes at the behest of the Advisory Board on the Quality of Botanical Supplements, created by Italian botanical ingredient producer Indena and Scharper, a pharmaceutical company marketing food supplements exclusively to the medical industry.

Titled Food Supplements of Botanical Origin: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Quality, the paper highlights the need for more transparent information on the quality of botanical extracts for those who prescribe, recommend and use supplements. The paper uses turmeric – one of the most widely studied plants ever – as a case study to show how to assess curcumin supplements’ quality and safety for consumers and producers alike.

“Correct information and education for doctors, pharmacists and consumers about supplements’ efficacy is essential for well-being, in particular in some specific health conditions. To convince doctors and pharmacists to advise and consumers to buy dietary supplements, it is crucial to have more industry transparency in the market, as well as science-based educational activity,” Francesca De Rensis, Marketing Director at Indena, tells NutritionInsight.

“Both Indena and Scharper have dedicated substantial resources to research botanical extracts and finished products, as well as to control the supply chain and excel in production,” she adds. 

Indena hosts a discussion panel with the Advisory Board.Do no harm?
According to the Italian Social Studies Institute Censis, 32 million Italians take food supplements, of which 18.7 million are regular users. Mindful of these high numbers, the paper stresses that the erroneous belief that natural supplements “can do no harm” is actually a source of potential risk. Therefore, the paper also underscores the need to clarify defining criteria in the choice of supplements, given that the botanical supplements sector comprises a huge range of products, which vary significantly from one to another in terms of quality and safety. 

The quality of botanical food supplements can be identified by the quality of its raw material and manufacturing processes as well as the control of the supply chain. Although current legislation on botanical supplements does not require evidence of efficacy based on scientific studies, many companies gain clinical backing to prove the effectiveness of botanical supplements. 

Despite numerous published studies confirming the efficacy of botanical-based supplements in maintaining physiological health, the “naturally good” connotation of botanical supplements has fostered a self-prescribing, “do-it-yourself” habit among consumers. The consensus paper strongly discourages this behavior and advocates discussing supplementation with a doctor or pharmacist. 

A study in turmeric
The consensus paper specifically spotlights turmeric, offering scientific evidence about the quality, efficacy and safety of one of the most studied and widely consumed botanical extracts in the world.

Adulteration attempts with synthetic products have increasingly jeopardized the quality of turmeric. However, these contaminations can be detected using different analytical techniques, which reveal the presence of synthetic curcumin – one of turmeric’s main active components.

In terms of safety, there are a plethora of studies conducted on curcumin as a treatment for liver protection against chemical damage caused by, for example, alcohol abuse. Regarding its efficacy, turmeric has poor water solubility and is difficult to absorb by the intestine. One of the most common formulation solutions is the association of curcumin with piperine. 

Piperine is a solid substance that can increase the bioavailability of some nutritional substances. In combination with curcumin, piperine therefore improves the activity of the latter in the body, enhancing the amount of substance dissolved in the plasma and the extent of absorption.

Indena also highlights phytosome, its formulation to improve the biovailability and pharmacokinetic profile of active compounds of natural origin using lecithin. As a surfactant, lecithins contribute to the physiological process of absorption of lipophilic compounds and constitute the lipid double layer of cell membranes. This makes compounds that are not readily soluble in water, more easily absorbable.

By Anni Schleicher