Weekly Roundup: BGG World receives astaxanthin sports patent, Carotenoids associated with lower depression rates

22 Jan 2021 --- In nutrition news this week, BGG World received a patent to use astaxanthin for heart function during exercise while a US study showed that carotenoid intake might help fight depression. Also, Royal DSM announced the departure of its CEO Chris Goppelsroeder.

In brief: Patents and approvals
BGG World received a patent for the use of astaxanthin to support heart function during exercise. Issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office, the patent has far-ranging potential for both cardiovascular health and athletes and active people, says BGG. Evidence is based on a clinical trial sponsored by BGG in amateur athletes preparing for a half marathon. Results found that subjects in the treatment group taking BGG’s AstaZine Natural Astaxanthin experienced heart rates on average 10 percent lower during endurance training than the placebo group. 

Sibelius' Sage Powder is proven to improve cognition.AlzChem’s creatine monohydrate used in its Creapure ingredient received GRAS status for food use after AlzChem submitted extensive documentation. The formal review of the GRAS notification by the US Food and Drug Administration did not result in any queries. As a result, Creapure can be safely used in foods such as energy drinks, protein bars and powders, milkshakes, meal replacement powders and bars, meat substitutes and powdered drink mixes. Receiving GRAS status opens up new opportunities for Creapure use, including in specialty foods, for vegetarians and vegans who do not consume creatine in their normal diets and in functional foods that support healthy, active living and overall well-being.

Aplinia Galanga extract Enxtra was granted a US patent for its cognitive benefits. The patent relates to the mental alertness and sustained attention properties demonstrated by the extract in trials. Enxtra has also been proven to increase mental alertness with same-day effects lasting up to five hours with or without caffeine. 

In brief: Business news 
Royal DSM announced that Chris Goppelsroeder, currently president and CEO of DSM Nutritional Products (DNP) and member of the DSM Executive Committee, will retire and leave the company as of April 1, 2021. Dimitri de Vreeze, DSM’s Co-CEO, will step into Chris’ DNP leadership role in his capacity as COO. 

Orkla Care signed and completed an agreement to purchase 100 percent of the shares in Proteinfabrikken as part of a continued expansion into the sports nutrition sector. The purchase agreement wasRoyal DSM President & CEO Chris Goppelsroeder, who will be retiring in April. made through its wholly owned Swedish subsidiary Health and Sports Nutrition Group (HSNG). Proteinfabrikken’s broad range of self-developed sports nutrition products is sold under the PF brand. In addition to its own products, Proteinfabrikken sells and distributes a variety of other sports nutrition, food and fitness equipment brands and products. 

INID Research Lab’s product Glyteine, an immune support ingredient, received the JLABS’s Next in Naturals QuickFire Challenge in Immune Support award. Johnson & Johnson Innovation will support INID Research Lab with US$25,000 in grant funding, a one-year residency at JLABS, and mentorship from experts’ advice. Glyteine has the ability to quickly raise glutathione levels in the body’s cells. Above their set point (homeostasis), raising glutathione levels could have a major significance for human health, says INID. The ingredient addresses chronically depleted glutathione, which is an issue associated with numerous chronic health conditions. The body makes less glutathione with age, stress, and exposure to environmental toxins.

In brief: Launches and releases 
Sibelius Natural Products announced that its clinically substantiated ingredient Sibelius Sage is featured in a new product from Nootropics Depot, targeting cognitive skills and overall brain health. Sibelius Sage has demonstrated tangible efficacy through in vitro and in vivo trials, with researchers concluding that Sibelius Sage notably helps promote overall cognitive function. Most recently, Sibelius Sage was the subject of a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, conducted on human in vitro data. The results support the utilization of sage extract as a potentially effective therapeutic anti-inflammatory agent, which may contribute to long-term cognitive health maintenance.

Austria-based Institut AllergoSan created a new product – OMNi-BiOTiC Pro-Vi 5 – a blend of five bacterial strains, which the company says is targeted at “viral defense” of the gut. It is combined with vitamin D and is a “completely novel” probiotic blend that can bolster the immune system, claims AllergoSan. 

In brief: Research and studies
A study from the University of Michigan Medical School showed that supplementation with Aquamin, a seaweed calcium and mineral complex, is likely to be of significant benefit to individuals who have ulcerative colitis. Researchers took colonic biopsies from individuals with ulcerative colitis and grew them in culture. Changes occurring in the cells were then recorded following supplementation with Aquamin. Aquamin improved tissue strength, organization and structure and cell-basement membrane interaction. It allows for a thicker mucous layer and increased anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory proteins. 

A cross-sectional study of over 17,000 US adults showed alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin, and total carotenoid intake may be inversely associated with the risk of depressive symptoms. It was found that the prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in females, smokers, and those with hypertension and diabetes. 

A study showed that Cistanche tubulosa (CT), a desert plant used in traditional Chinese medicine, can attenuate locomotive syndrome – a condition of reduced mobility. A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial at the University of Toyama, Japan, showed that 26 participants with early signs of locomotive syndrome significantly improved over 12 weeks of consuming CT. The researchers hypothesize that the main active constituent of the extract, acetonide, was responsible for improving the patients’ symptoms. 

By Louis Gore-Langton