Found in blueberries, grapes, and other small fruits, pterostilbene is the name of the compound that ChromaDex is launching under the pTeroPure brand.
Health benefits
Pterostilbene is chemically related to resveratrol, and according to ChromaDex, it has shown promise for improving cardiovascular health, glucose levels, and cognitive function.
ChromaDex CEO Frank Jaksch told NutraIngredients.com that the company has licensed patents related to cholesterol control, diabetes, and oxidative stress.
Comparing pterostilbene to resveratrol, Jaksch said they are very similar but the former has the advantage of metabolising at a slower rate in the body giving it more opportunity to be absorbed into the blood stream.
ChromaDex said research also indicates that the two can work well together and may be more effective in combination than as separate entities. Jaksch said research suggests that one picks up where the other falls down and visa versa.
Initially ChromaDex will be targeting the dietary supplement market in the US but there are plans eventually expand into the functional food and drink space. In preparation for this next step the California-based company is planning to complete its first clinical trial on pterostilbene by the end of the year and work on the development of a water soluble version of the ingredient.
Research history
Research on the properties and potential of pterostilbene has been conducted by a group of scientists at the University of Mississippi and the ARS – a scientific research arm of the US Department of Agriculture.
ARS researcher Agnes Rimando began work on the compound in the 1990s when the health benefits of resveratrol were being discovered.
Ricardo wanted to discover whether pterostilbene offered similar benefits and so in 2003 she collaborated with other scientists including Dennis Feller, the former chair of pharmacology at the University of Mississippi.