Lutein and zeaxanthin ingredients new from Cactus

26-May-2011 - Last updated on 27-May-2011 at 15:36 GMT

Shanghai-based Cactus Botanics is targeting the United States market with two new lutein and zeaxanthin ingredients for dietary supplement, food and cosmeceutical formulators.

Both are said to be of higher purity than existing forms with Cactus’s lutein available from 5 percent to 80% percent. The company’s Zeaxanthin ingredient is available from 10 percent to 40 percent HPLC.

A Cactus spokesperson told NutraIngredientsUSA: “The purity of lutein and zeaxanthin is normally between 5-10 per cent. The innovation is that Cactus Botanics has high technology to extract higher purity.

“Higher purity means stronger potency. We consider they are very good eye care ingredients, higher potency could decrease the dosage end user uses.”

Macular degeneration

The ingredients are intended to support against the development of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and to promote an overall healthy structure of the eye and vision.

Carol Cheow, general manager of Cactus Botanics, also highlighted new research which is said to show that lutein and zeaxanthin are effective in skin-health/anti-aging cosmeceuticals for photoprotective properties and hydration.

Cheow refered to the study: Determinants of Macular Pigment Optical Density and its Relation to Age-Related Maculopathy -- Results from the Muenster Aging and Retina Study (MARS) conducted by Dietzel M et al.

“Our Lutein is also viable as a food colorant and nutrient additive,” added Cheow. “Lutein can convert to 3-epilutein and anhydrolutein I in an acidic medium as well as during different cooking methods," she said.

Meanwhile ARMD is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision, according to the National Eye Institute. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving.

"In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision," according to a statement on the institute's website. "In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans aged 60 and over."