TriNutra innovates breeding black cumin seeds to tackle inflammatory diseases

07 May 2019 --- Israel-based TriNutra has developed the first cold-pressed Nigella sativa oil – black cumin seed – standardized to 3 percent thymoquinone, its main active phytochemical compound. ThymoQuin 3% has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which may promote cardiovascular and respiratory health and regulate blood-sugar levels, Morris Zelkha, CEO of TriNutra tells NutritionInsight. The company, which specializes in the R&D of natural nutritional supplements, spent several years developing a Nigella sativa breeding program to yield a high-concentration of thymoquinone varieties with up to five times more thymoquinone content.

Zelkha says that TriNutra was formed with a vision to serve unmet health needs with formulations that possess immediacy and efficacy. The company has created an innovative approach to product development, focusing on synergistic relationships between ingredients, proper therapeutic dosages and extensive clinical research. 

Thymoquinone health benefits
The company employs the cold-pressed method in order to preserve the benefits of the compounds included in the raw materials. The cold-pressed process of oil extraction utilizes only pressure, meaning no heat is added to the paste to promote oil removal. Cold pressing can often produce a lower-yield, but higher quality oil.

Black cumin seed flowers“Our studies have shown that black cumin seed oil standardized to three percent, with a lower free fatty acid concentration, results in improved benefits compared to other black cumin seed oils with lower thymoquinone concentrations and high free fatty acid,” he explains. 

There is significant clinical backing which links black seed oils to healthy anti-inflammatory responses, Zelkha says. “Due to these anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, the oil has many potential health benefits including cardiovascular health, respiratory and arthritis health, blood-sugar benefits and much more.”

TriNutra is focusing its clinical trials using its standardized oil, ThymoQuin 3%, to see how it may affect different health conditions. For instance, a new animal study, published in the Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences, showed ThymoQuin’s 3% potential benefits to aid in metabolic function and fatty liver disease. 

Innovative aspect
Zelkha notes that TriNutra seeks out recognized ingredients, some that have been around for thousands of years and brings consumers new and improved ways to use them. 

“Another unique aspect to ThymoQuin 3% is the synergistic effects it has with other natural ingredients that are not observed with other, less potent black cumin seed oil products. For example, when ThymoQuin 3% is combined with small amounts of omega 3, it demonstrates a significant increase in the omega 3's ability to promote healthy inflammatory responses when compared to omega 3 by itself. We are continuing to study the synergistic effects of ThymoQuin 3% on other ingredients like hemp, astaxanthin, lutein and other carotenes,” he says.

Challenges in formulation and sustainability
In order to achieve its goals of a highly potent black cumin seed oil, TriNutra could not rely on existing varieties and needed to develop its own unique breeding program that would yield a high-concentration of thymoquinone.

Morris Zelkha, CEO of TriNutra“This took several years to accomplish, but our Nigella sativa varieties contain up to five times more thymoquinone than many common varieties. We also spent five years developing our proprietary cold-press technology. Typically, when extracting the oil with heat, it is possible to lose some of its potency from the extraction process. Our method optimizes the extraction to maximize the thymoquinone recovery for a more potent product,” Zelkha explains.

In terms of sustainability, TriNutra’s Nigella sativa plants are grown in controlled, non-GMO conditions. TriNutra believes in having complete farm-to-finished-product traceability, including understanding the history of the farm, the varieties produced, cultivation and harvesting conditions, seed storage as well as processing. 

Going forward the company plans to continue to perform clinical studies to better understand the impact that ThymoQuin 3% can have for a wide range of health concerns. 

“At TriNutra, we currently have our black cumin seed oil and Cogniben, our cognitive support supplement. Through our research, we hope to incorporate ThymoQuin 3% into additional products and to continue developing and researching its synergistic effects,” Zelkha concludes.

By Kristiana Lalou