Both regular and premium 200 mg doses of the hibiscus sabdariffa extract reduce the incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) by the same amount, according to study with 90 participants for six months.
The data forms part of an ongoing study by the company with end results expected in July.
Earlier studies with rats and in vitro reported supporting results.
NutraIngredients.com has not seen the full data.
Gontran Gaillot, sales manager for Burgundy told NutraIngredients.com at this year's Vitafoods that the company is the only one to offer hibiscus extracts for UTIs, a market dominated traditionally by cranberry.
UTIs affect eight million people each year, mostly women, the elderly and infants, and results in $1.6bn (€1.3bn) in health care costs.
Study details Ninety participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: to receive a daily dose of 200 mg of the hibiscus extract, brand name UTIrose, in the premium (90 per cent polyphenols) or regular (60 per cent polyphenols) form, or placebo (maltodextrin) for six months.
The intermediate data of the double-blind, placebo-controlled study presented to this website indicated that placebo resulted in a non-significant decrease in urinary infections about 20 per cent, while both forms of UTIrose led to significant decreases of about 60 per cent.
"In addition to the different studies already performed to prove the effectiveness of UTI-rose, Burgundy has conducted an in-vivo study," stated the company in its literature.
Also investigated in this study were urinary discomfort, the health of mucous membranes, and an appreciation of the global urinary comfort - data for these was not available in the intermediate results.
Supporting literature According to the Globally Harmonised System (GHS), the hibiscus sabdariffa extract is classified in the hazard Category 5, or unclassified, which means non-toxic.
And in its literature, Burgundy draws attention to the flavonoids and pro-anthocyanidins in Hibiscus sabdariffa exert antimicrobial activity against bacteria like E coli, preventing them from adhering to the bladder wall.
Moreover, studies claim that the ingredient has low bioavailability and molecular compounds are eliminated by urinary excretion - an important result for strategies against UTIs.
The ingredient is produced in Burgundy's ISO 22,000 certified plant, claimed to be the only company to have this certification to date.