NIU’s Global Round-up: Personalized probiotic yogurt machine, BP supplement papers retracted, and more
Europe
Start-up creates personalized probiotic yogurt machine
YOGUT ME, a Swedish startup, is working on a kitchen counter machine that makes personalized probiotic and prebiotic filled yogurts.
Biotech entrepreneur Aline de Santa Izabel is working towards making the product available for just $250 and the supplement pods for $2 each in order to ensure the product is competitive with ready-made yogurts.
Looking to the future, de Santa Izabel told our European edition that the machine will allow the ability to create different microbiome modulating pod blends for different functions, such as brain and skin health.
To use the machine, the consumer simply needs to put their choice of milk and the pod into the machine, use the linked app to tell the machine their preferences, and leave it for 10-12 hours to create their bespoke freshly made yogurt.
De Santa Izabel is also looking for more partners across Europe to help her with her venture as she can see huge potential in many countries, especially the UK.
For more on this, please click HERE.
Europe
‘Common error’ behind retractions of blood pressure supplementation papers
Researchers in Italy and the UK studying a link between supplementation and blood pressure have admitted to a ‘common error’ in measuring collected data, and have retracted two papers, both of which were published in the Journal of Human Hypertension.
The first paper concerned alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP).
The second paper was a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials looking at the efficacy of oral L-citrulline supplementation on blood pressure.
“Standard errors were used instead of standard deviations when using data from one of the studies (Koh et al) included in the meta-analyses,” stated the first retraction notice
In a similar second retraction notice, the authors again cited fundamental errors in the data presented that undermined the conclusions drawn.
“Standard error was used instead of the standard deviation from two trials included in the meta-analysis.”
For more on this story, please click HERE.
Asia
Gencor’s PEA ingredient gains Australian TGA approval
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved Gencor’s palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) for use as an active ingredient in listed medicines.
The ingredient was added to the Australian Register of Therapeutic Substances and can claim health benefits in the area of joint care and alleviating bodily pains. Under TGA rules, Gencor will enjoy a two-year exclusivity in Australia for selling of the ingredient, until Dec 2021.
The ingredient is commercially available under the tradenames Levagen and Levagen+.
“The approval adds a higher level of validation and reputation in the APAC market,” said Gencor’s R.V. Venkatesh.
“Now that we have the TGA approval, that will help us form the basic document for the different markets. We are working on tailoring our dossier for each country to suit the requirement of that country.”
PEA is an endogenous endocannabinoid receptor agonist. It is commonly isolated from soybeans, peanuts, and egg yolks.
For more on this, please click HERE.
