Botanical functional ingredients

Gourmetceuticals has announced the findings from four studies that evaluate GLPH-1, an immune booster, and PPL-240, a photoprotective antioxidant.

Both PPL-240 and GLPH-1 have been investigated in more than 20 clinical and pre-clinical studies. The company plans to integrate both ingredients into scientifically validated healthful foods and drinks through strategic co-development deals with key food manufacturers.

It is claimed that the photoprotective antioxidant derived from Polypodium leucotomos extract, PPL-240, prevents solar-induced DNA damage in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Cells were incubated for 2 h in either presence or absence of PPL-240. The study found that cells in the presence of PPL-240 experienced a reduction in mitogen-induced cell death (18.76% vs 29.64% respectively).

Experimental animal model study of diet supplementation with phosphorylated alpha glucomannan polysaccharide (GLPH-1) evaluated the efficacy of GLPH-1 as an alternative to bacitracin (BMD 60), a common antibiotic, fed to broiler chickens. During the course of 345 days, GLPH-1, fed at 1 mg/kg body weight, was compared to bacitracin at a sub-therapeutic level and an additive-free diet in a production setting. Food intake per pen and individual body weights were collected. The study found that GLPH-1 was a growth-promoting additive resulting in body weight gain (2.87% and 3.10%) with no associated increase in mortality. However, chickens fed with BMD 60 suffered a reduced accumulated survival and diminished body weight (-3.72% and -4.03%).

Another study found that GLPH-1 activates white blood cells, an important part of the body’s immune system and that it binds to pathogen receptor sites to reduce uptake of infectious and disease causing agents.

A third study found that GLPH-1 induces functional human dendritic cell maturation and that GLPH-1 may be a useful reagent for regulating immune ability against viruses and bacteria.