Botanical synergy: DolCas Biotech launches blend for heart and liver health

03 Oct 2019 --- Nutraceutical company DolCas Biotech has launched a clean label blend of botanical extracts touted as being beneficial to the heart and liver. Derived from Italian bergamot fruit and Italian artichoke thistle leaf, Bergacyn is certified organic by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and by the EU. The blend boasts different dosage grades for boosted applications in food, beverages and supplements. The company will showcase the ingredient at the upcoming SupplySide West show, taking place on October 15-19, in Las Vegas, US.

“The ingredients are completely safe and there are no reported allergens as both the extracts are produced in dedicated facilities,” KG Rao, CEO of DolCas Biotech, tells NutritionInsight. “They also have a potent profile of flavonoids and sesquiterpenes and can support cardiovascular, metabolic and digestive system functions.”

“Bergacyn was designed specifically to accommodate current ingredient trends for better-for-you products, including clean label, plant-based, sustainability and transparency,” says Shavon Jackson-Michel, Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs at DolCas Biotech. 

The company is in the process of acquiring Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status for the botanical blend. The launch comes as botanicals are trending in nutrition. Industry leaders are jumping in on the natural botanicals bandwagon with innovative launches. Recently, Layn announced the restructuring of its business into four segments, including Plantæ, a new functional botanicals division. In addition, flavors and fragrances powerhouse Robertet developed a new patented technology that formulates essential oils in powder form, expanding their applications into nutraceuticals and functional food and drinks.

Sourcing and efficacy
Bergacyn’s potent profile of flavonoids and sesquiterpenes systematically targets metabolically active fat within the liver, helping to mitigate the downstream effects of poor lifestyle choices.

Bergamot is thought to aid healthy lipid metabolism, overall cardiovascular health and blood glucose control.“Bergacyn is not simply a blend of two powdered herbs,” says Vincenzo Mollace, PhD, Professor at the University of Catanzaro and nutraceuticals researcher. “The synergy activated by the patented, in-process combination reduces the clinically-substantiated  individual dose requirements of Bergamot and Cynara – at 1,300mg and 500mg, respectively – to only 300mg in Bergacyn.”

According to the company, Bergacyn is completely solvent-free and all-natural. Several grades of Bergacyn are available, depending on the needs of the final formulations. This includes an organic-certified grade and a free-flowing grade that includes bergamot fibers in a proprietary ration, allowing for a “hopper to bottle” formulation without the need for synthetic excipients.

“The uniqueness of Bergacyn is that we offer it in two different grades. One of them is a 10 percent extract with no additives that can be used in food, beverages and soft gel applications. We also offer another grade with natural bergamot fibers. This can be used directly for encapsulation,” Rao notes.

Independently, bergamot and Cynara leaf extract have both evidence-based support. Bergamot is thought to aid healthy lipid metabolism, overall cardiovascular health and blood glucose control. Meanwhile, Cynara may support both liver function and cardiometabolic health. 

However, unlike bergamot, Cynara appears to have potent, well-defined anti-inflammatory mechanisms. These are attributed less so to its commonly standardized chlorogenic acid and flavonoid profile, and more to its sesquiterpene lactone, cynaropicrin. Notably, the Calabrian wild-variety of Cynara found in Bergacyn has a much more concentrated content of cynaropicrin than the common Cynara cardunculus scolymus variety.

“Our manufacturers control more than 80 percent of the raw bergamot fruit material produced in the Reggio Calabria region, as well as exclusively growing and harvesting the Cynara artichoke leaf that goes into Bergacyn. The bergamot compound derived from the fruit is extracted from parts of the fruit leftover from its use in the perfume industry. We upcycle a powerful product that would normally go to waste,” says Jackson-Michel.

Both the process and novel formula of the trademarked bergamot polyphenol fraction (BPF) and Cynara extract used in Bergacyn are patented, with full traceability exercised from farm to shelf. Being able to provide protection in this low-dose format allows Bergacyn to support improved compliance and a better cost profile for the end consumer, as well as market differentiation in finished product formulations. 

Other promising plant-based brands in the DolCas portfolio to appear at the show include: 

• TruOliv: an organic extract of true olive fruits and leaves, with scientific support for its benefits to human health; 
• MoriKol: a bioavailable, tripeptide marine collagen for skin health; 
• Fortiquin: a five-ingredient, patent-pending blend of herbal extracts and nutrients targeting male sexual health; 
• Curcugen: a 100 percent natural, water-dispersible curcumin ingredient. 

The last two are marketed by Dolcas-Tenshi Bioceuticals, US.

By Kristiana Lalou