Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2015

Indena refines Boswellia bioavailability; shifts compound focus

By Shane STARLING

- Last updated on GMT

In the Boswellia study healthy volunteers consumed 500 mg of the extract per day in a single dose.
In the Boswellia study healthy volunteers consumed 500 mg of the extract per day in a single dose.
Italian botanicals giant Indena has debuted a version of the Indian Ayurvedic herbal extract Boswellia serrata it says offers boosted bioavailability via a lecithin delivery system.

Indena marketing director Christian Artaria told us its delivery system and focus on the whole boswellic acids bouquet present in the gum resin of Boswellia serrata ​was opening new doors for the extract.

“We ran out of pamphlets at Vitafoods Europe last week,” ​Artaria said. “Our research indicates other compounds in the extract are potent in comparison to the most famous molecules – KBA and AKBA – so we are very excited by this. The science is very solid – it reminds me of curcumin 6-7 years ago.”  

Indena scientists have questioned the pre-eminence given to compounds like 11-keto-β boswellic (KBA) and acetyl-keto-beta (AKBA), saying beta-boswellic acids like triterpenoid may have more impact in inflammatory response.

“The activity of the triterpenoid fraction can not be traced to a single constituent or a single mechanism. But β-BA plays a major role.”

Indena’s branded offering is called Casperome, and the Milan-based firm says its data shows its Phytosome lecithin delivery system has produced higher absorption at plasma and tissue level of a range of boswellic acids in a gold standard trial compared to an “unformulated extract​”.

In the study healthy volunteers consumed 500 mg of the extract per day in a single dose. Results of the trial were presented by Indena scientitis at the Pharma-Nutrition Conference held on April 13-15 in Philadelphia.

Artaria said a manuscript of the study conducted by Indena scientists was being prepared, with publication in a high-impact journal expected by year’s end.

christianartaria-Indena
Christian Artaria: "The science is very solid – it reminds me of curcumin 6-7 years ago.” 

Boswellia serrata ​is also known as frankincense and studies have shown it to have anti-inflammatory properties and potential to relieve arthritis symptoms.

The extract has a long history of use as an anti-inflammatory in Ayurvedic complementary medicine in India and other parts of the world.

The biggest player in the Boswellia​ space, Sabinsa, has a branded version called PolyBos that has been targeted at multiple formats including herbal teas, dietary supplement beverages, health drinks, with sports nutrition a favoured sector.

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