TSI launches high-dose fenugreek form

The company has offered Promilin since 2002, primarily in the US, but also in Australia and Japan, and due to customer requests for high-dose options, has developed PromilinPro.

PromilinPro contains 60 percent 4-Hydroxyisoleucine (4-HI) compared to regular Promilin which possesses 20 percent. 4-HI is the active nutrient that works in conjunction with the patented formulation in Promilin and PromilinPro to re-synthesise glycogen, enhance insulin sensitivity and improve glucose management.

Both ingredients target the sports nutrition market but Larry Kolb, TSI’s US operations president, noted clinical data indicated Promilin demonstrated a positive effect on insulin control and therefore had potential in diabetes and weight management products.

Kolb said Pro was more expensive than its standard counterpart due to the higher concentrations, but noted it could also be used at lower doses by the dietary supplements manufacturers that are its primary market.

“The fenugreek market is small but there is a lot of room for growth,”​ Kolb told NutraIngredients-USA.com today. “What it needs is a really big sports nutrition brand to come onboard and we are very close to achieving that.”​

Clinicals​

Clinical trials have been conducted on Promilin demonstrating its ability to benefit glucose absorption by the body, and Kolb said more were being commissioned on the new form.

“There is always a need to invest more in clinical trials,”​ he said. “But it is a challenge to get the data and it is always a long process that can take many years but we are making good progress.”​

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Kolb likened the situation to that of Peak ATP, which took some time to gain traction in the sports nutrition space, but which is now common in dietary supplements.

“It takes time to build a platform and awareness but if the science is there then the ingredient will find a market if the price is right,”​ he said.

In vivo and in vitro 4-HI studies have demonstrated the compound is effective in selectively potentiating insulin secretion from the pancreas in response to an increase in glucose levels.

This suggests Promilin may increase insulin sensitivity across a wide range of concentrations. Another study with healthy, non-diabetic individuals found Promilin reduced glucose concentrations without affecting insulin levels, indicating that it may enhance natural metabolic sensitivity.

Since March, 2008, TSI has held a patent for the process of manufacturing Promilin and PromilinPro and three patents are pending for composition and claims although Kolb declined to go into detail about them.

Fenugreek is an herb native to south eastern Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia but is grown in many parts of the world.

TSI specializes in botanical, marine and natural product extracts, as well as synthesized compounds such as Promilin.