Akay’s bioavailability-boosting Fenumat tech brings industry opportunity, study finds

25 May 2022 --- Akay’s Fenumat technology is opening the doors for enhanced absorption in the nutraceutical and cosmetic industries, according to study findings that improved the bioavailability of natural ingredients, including resveratrol. The latter is pegged as a “powerful” antioxidant that can be used in beauty from within formulations.

“The nutraceutical industry is struggling today to develop ‘safe’ and ‘natural’ fast-acting formulations that can solve health issues faster and quicker,” Febin George, senior marketing manager at Akay Natural Ingredients, tells NutritionInsight.

“Akay’s hybrid-hydrogel technology Fenumat, is a 100% natural, food-grade and clean label patented technology that enhances solubility, stability and the bioavailability of the bioactive ‘free’ (unconjugated) forms of bioactive phytonutrients and micronutrients to make them efficient at the cellular level for rapid action.”

“We are looking forward to this technology’s possibilities in the nutraceutical and cosmetic fields,” he adds.

The technology can solve the inherent problems – such as their lack of stability – of liposomes and micelles naturally. It can also be applied to water-soluble and oil-soluble bioactives. Moreover, it can also be used in oils and changed to free-flowing amphiphilic powders. Under gastrointestinal conditions, it delivers particles of 100 nm to 150 nm size for better absorption and bioavailability properties.

“The proof of concept has already been demonstrated with the complete biophysical characterization and pharmacokinetic studies of molecules like resveratrol, quercetin, boswellic acids, vitamin C, D and E.”

Analyzing the “natural and clean label” tech
The company-backed study reveals that Akay’s Fenumat technology allows for the formulation of phytonutrients and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in powder, granules or beadlets with higher bioavailability of the bioactive free form.

“The technology allows the multi-component delivery or so-called co-delivery of bioactives for condition-specific applications,” says George.

Akay’s hybrid-hydrogel technique may provide prolonged release of soluble resveratrol with improved free resveratrol bioavailability.The ingredients are in powder or granular form, water-soluble and directly compressible for a wide range of food and pharma delivery forms.

“For example, we achieved the co-delivery of curcumin and boswellic acids as a single water-soluble powder with better bioavailability of both curcumin and boswellic acids for quick action as pain relief at a low dosage of 250 mg.”

According to Akay, although nano delivery forms like micelles and liposomes have emerged over the years, unfortunately, these methods are posing severe limitations in nutraceuticals and functional foods; mainly because of the regulatory issues, excessive usage of synthetic emulsifiers and additives, lack of food-grade status, lack of storage stability, liquid state and the high cost.

Therefore, hybrid-hydrogel technology may offer a solution to the problems of liposomes and micelles. In this technology, hydrogel acts as a trap or surface modification to the nanostructures of liposomes and micelles to protect them from harsh stomach conditions and thereby deliver high concentrations at the intestinal epithelial surfaces for better absorption.

Suitable for anti-inflammatory agents and polyphenols
According to George, a quick-acting anti-inflammatory agent like quercetin may significantly benefit respiratory allergy, infections, and inflammation in a short period if made available to the systemic circulation.

“However, its poor bioavailability and the short half-life limit converting it into a more efficient way to transfer its therapeutic effects to the consumers,” he explains.

“Thus, good bioavailability of the anti-inflammatory agent and its longer duration of the existence of the ‘free’ form is mandatory for such effects, since it is mainly the ‘active’ form for cellular uptake, including the brain.”

According to George: “The poor oral bioavailability of the ‘free’ form resulting from the low solubility, rapid intestinal and the fast elimination from the systemic circulation are responsible for the lack of clinical efficacy of phytonutrients, like polyphenols.”

The free form is mainly the active form for cellular uptake, including the brain.

“The conjugated glucuronides and sulfates are bulky and water-soluble salts undergo fast elimination. They do not possess good membrane permeability and are not blood-brain-barrier permeable. Therefore, there is a great demand for delivery technologies that can provide free forms.”

Resveratrol potential in beauty and health NPD
Industry players have been tapping into resveratrol for ingestible beauty formulations, with Evolva previously spotlighting the “powerful antioxidant” for beauty from within products.

Recently, Exponent introduced a “self-activated” clinical skincare line pegged as The Self-Activator lineup that includes resveratrol as one of its ingredients.

Resveratrol was also pegged as a natural ingredient that “boosts” beauty from within.

NutritionInsight previously pegged resveratrol as one of the ingredients suitable for the COVID-19 pandemic-induced immunity demands.

By Nicole Kerr

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