Mibelle expands supplement range with MCT-based cognition enhancing ingredient

18 Jun 2019 --- Swiss Mibelle Biochemistry has released a new cognition-enhancing ingredient derived from Timut Pepper and Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil, marketed as “natural, unique and innovative.” Coined SaraPEPP Nu, the new ingredient is touted for improving memory, mental performance and reducing mental fatigue. The ingredient has a wide range of applications with potential for functional foods and nootropic beverages, the company notes, as well as being suitable for students, working professionals and seniors.

“It is also suitable for softgel applications, as well as in combination with omega fatty acids or lipid soluble vitamins. Moreover, the product is suitable for functional beverage applications, as MCT oil could be easily emulsified into water-based beverages,” Torsten Grothe, Portfolio Manager Food & Health at Mibelle Biochemistry, tells NutritionInsight. 

SaraSEPP Nu is prepared from the dried fruits of the Timut pepper, a member of the citrus family and native to the southern edge of the Himalayas, via a gentle extraction process using MCT oil as an extraction solvent. This process ensures a high content of the main lead substance, the alkylamide “hydroxy-α-sanshool.” MCTs, also called the “brain octane,” passively diffuse from the GI tract into the bloodstream, securing good bioavailability.

A daily intake of 20 to 30g pure MCT oil is needed to secure its touted cognitive benefits, however, SaraPEPP Nu allows for a significantly lower dosage in comparison to pure MCT oil, according to Grothe.

On the regulatory front, Grothe points out that “the product is not produced by any technology and does not contain any ingredients regulated by the new Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 or the old Regulation (EC) No 258/97 on novel foods and novel food ingredients. Furthermore, the biological source is listed on the joint BELFRIT positive plant list.”

In addition, a placebo-controlled and registered clinical trial in healthy humans from the UK working population, after acute and chronic intake demonstrated an improvement of cognitive performance including:

• Improved working memory and attention.
• Increased mental performance.
• Reduced ratings of mental fatigue.
• Improved neural efficacy.

Earlier this year, Mibelle Biochemistry developed three “beauty from within” ingredients targeting hair loss, skin collagen formation and skin stem cell vitalization. After 25 years in the cosmetics industry, the company is launching the ingredients as food actives suitable for applications such as gummies, functional beverages, dairy products and bars.

Cognitive-boosting NPD
Nootropics, or “smart drugs,” have captured the industry’s attention as a new brain health area to watch. Consumers are seeking performance-based formulas that help them reach their peak – not only physically, but also mentally. This has led industry to feature brain-boosting ingredients in formulations that tout benefits such as memory improvement and ameliorating cognitive fatigue. 

In this space, Royal DSM is set to collaborate with SLS Nutraceuticals, a subsidiary of Senescence Life Sciences Pte Ltd. to deliver supplementation solutions that aim to help maintain cognitive performance of an individual living under the stressful modern lifestyle well into advanced age. The collaboration will grant DSM Nutritional Products the exclusive distribution rights of SLS Nutraceuticals’ products; Edge and Revive and the proprietary ingredient complex, NeuroShield. The companies will also collaborate on further clinical trials focused on brain health and cognitive performance. The Asia Pacific (APAC) region is a key focus area, with subsequent expansion beyond. 

As the ashwagandha trend gathers pace, former Mayo Clinic neuroscientist Daryl Rhys Jones has developed and launched “Sophrosyne,” a brain-health supplement derived from the combination of four nootropic ingredients – ashwagandha, curcumin, bacopa monieri and hericium erinaceus. The supplement is touted as holding cognition and memory improvement properties.

By Kristiana Lalou