New camu camu ingredient shows pre-clinical efficacy

07-Mar-2011 - Last updated on 06-Oct-2023 at 13:04 GMT

The 'cranberry of the Amazon'

A new freeze-dried powder of the Amazonian berry of camu camu may outperform freeze-dried acai, grape seed and cocoa extracts, according to the results of testing at Brunswick Labs.

Using Brunswick Labs anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and UV protection cell-based tests, total ORAC results for the powder, commercialized by Amazon Origins, were 52,000 per gram, said to be over 6 times higher than acai freeze-dried powder and comparable to bilberry, cocoa, and mangosteen extracts. The results of the tests are yet to be published.

In addition, total ORAC measures for the whole fruit were 2,600 per gram, compared with 500 per gram for blackberry, said the company.

“We are pleased with the results of these important tests,” said Jeff Moats, founder and president of Amazon Origins. “They establish camu camu as a leading superfruit and provide important pre-clinical evidence that all-natural camu camu works to fight against oxidative stress and inflammation and support anti-aging in our bodies.”

Camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) is a small (approx. 3-5 m tall) Amazonian riverside bush famed for its cherry-like fruit known to possess high vitamin C content and an interesting flavor.

The fruit – dubbed the cranberry of the Amazon by Moats – has been on the natural product industry’s radar for some time, and was recently predicted to command further ground in the enhanced juice segment of the beverage industry, according to Zenith International.

Speaking with NutraIngredients-USA, Moats said that the company has only recently started producing the high purity freeze-dried powder. Other camu camu powders are available he said, but adulteration is a problem, with many spiked with ascorbic acid to raise the vitamin C content. Amazon Origins’ ingredient is expensive due to the quality and purity, he said, and the price point may be an issue for industry. The company also offers a puree for use in beverages, he added.

Moats added that the company was targeting the anti-aging segment, with a particular focus on inflammation and cardiovascular health. Regarding results from the Brunswick Labs anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and UV protection cell-based tests, the company said that the results showed “significant positive results for all three tests.

“In specific, camu camu significantly reduces cellular free radical activity, inhibits the inflammatory agent, NFkB, and reduces UV-induced free radicals in the skin,” it added.

Amazon Origins’ camu camu berries are wild harvested by local fishermen along the banks of the Amazon River. The fruit is then washed with chlorinated water, frozen and shipped to the US for further processing, said Moats.