New citrus flavonoids debuted

Illinois-based SourceOne Global Partners has launched new heart health citrus ingredients it says deliver water soluble benefits along with boosting the bioavailability of other heart health ingredients such as omega-3s, CoEnzymeQ10 and Tocotrienols.

The company says the ingredients, form part of SourceOne’s Cholesstrinol heart health range, have been able to overcome formulation and bioavailability challenges via the use of a patented process called VESIsorb.

Next level

CEO and founder of SourceOne, Jesse Lopez, in a statement said the process allowed absorption and efficacy to be taken “to the next level”.

The extracts would be targeted at both the dietary supplements and functional foods and beverages market, but the company was unavailable to give further detail by publication time.

SourceOne emphasized the potential of the citrus ingredients to boost the bioavailability of the ingredients it was formulated with one clinical study published recently in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine highlighting its ability to benefit CoQ10 absorption, which is notoriously poor.

That study, Relative Bioavailability Comparison of Different Coenzyme Q10 Formulations with a Novel Delivery System’ appears in the March/April, 2009 issue, Vol. 15, No. 2.

It showed improvements in bioavailability of 500 percent or more over non-flavonoid imbued versions.

A pharmacokinetic human study showed similar results for omega-3.

The VESIsorb system was developed by its Swiss partner, Vesifact. The company’s co-founder and CEO, Marc Weder, said: “These studies highlight the many advantages that this delivery system represents. We have been able to broaden the applications for certain bio-active ingredients like CoQ10, Omega-3, citrus polymethoxylated flavones (PMF), and palm tocotrienols in functional foods, drink mixes and beverages.”

He said the system had addressed such issues as “water solubility, oxidative stability, shelf-life and uniformity of dispersion in the delivery medium.”

Weder added, “As it is widely accepted in the scientific and medical community that citrus PMFs are notoriously poorly absorbed in the body, our team of scientists viewed this new H2O-soluble PMF as a particularly intriguing challenge.”

The ingredient is available in various potencies and in solid dosage forms, drink mixes, stick packs and other food and drink formats.

SourceOne formerly distributed another citrus flavonoid, Sytrinol, but supplier KGK Synergize took back distribution rights as of January 1 2009.

Last month, SourceOne filed a lawsuit against KGK, alleging that the company engaged

SourceOne won a Frost and Sullivan best practice award for innovation in heart healthy supplements recently.