Related to the cranberry, which is better known in North America, the acidic lingonberry is considered a ‘superfruit’ because it is rich in polyphenols, anthocyanins, flavonols, phenolic acids, resveratrol, procyanidins. It also has a high-ORAC value (4610 μmol TE/g).
Cyvex’s new standardized extract has 5 percent proanthocyanidin A-type, which is claimed to contribute to anti-adhesion activity against bacteria measured by the spectrophotometric method using DMACA reagent.
Research
Small, red lingonberries are not very well known outside of Scandinavia, where they have a long tradition of use to make jam and juice, and in herbal medicine. Another effort to bring it to the attention of supplements-makers, and eventually functional foods makers too, was made last October when Chr Hansen launched an extract as part of its NutriPhy portfolio.
Chr Hansen had conducted an in vivo trial on lingonberry that yielded positive antioxidant benefits in a two-month trial with albino Wistar rats.
“The results of the study are very encouraging but we had made the commercial decision to bring this extract to market because the compositional make-up was so strong,” vice president of commercial development in the colour division, Lionel Schmitt, said at the time.
Cyvex says it is currently conducting a study of its own, looking at oxidative stress, inflammation and cardiovascular risk. The results will be announced shortly, it says, but publication plans are unknown.
Carob positioning
Based in Irvine, California, Cyvex has a portfolio of fruit and vegetable-derived extracts for supplement use. It recently repositioned its carob juice extract as a blood sugar control products targeted for women, in response to ‘significant supporting scientific data’.
The Chirositol ingredient, which contains the active constituent D-Chiro-Inositol and has been the subject of 30 published scientific studies, was launched in response to data that women are the primary buyer of products containing the ingredient.
Matt Phillips, president and COO of Cyvex, said: “We understand that women are the primary buyer of these products and are now focusing on expanding sales by securing additional supplement manufacturers to license the ingredient for major new product launches."