Nutraceutix builds IP with US patent for probiotic delivery system
US Patent #8,007,777, "Delivery System For Biological Component" adds to existing patents in China, Australia, Russia and Singapore, said the company.
Tim Gamble, president and CEO of Nutraceutix, told NutraIngredients-USA that any probiotic organisms, “and just about any powdered ingredient” can be used in a BIO-tract tablet/caplet.
“The patent specifies probiotics which is a broad term. That does not mean we will handle or manufacture all organisms, as there are pathogenic organisms and others that are considered contaminants, like spore-formers, in certified GMP facilities like ours.
“So, all safe, natural probiotics – using traditional, established definitions – can be safely and efficiently delivered using BIO-tract,” he added.
The delivery system is claimed to protect sensitive probiotic organisms from stomach acid and provide optimal controlled release of live organisms to the intestinal tract.
Products on shelves
Gamble said the delivery system has been in commercial use for about ten years, and is used in “probably around 100 distinct probiotic products on store shelves today”.
“It is utilized by many of the world’s finest probiotic supplements, although brands often utilize their own names for the delivery technology rather than our trademark of ‘BIO-tract’,” he added.
Beyond probiotics
The technology is increasingly being used for non-probiotic ingredients, and a rapidly emerging market for the company is the development of synergistic combination products where probiotics are combined with other suitable active ingredients for heightened consumer appeal.
Examples of these include probiotics with multi-vitamins, probiotics with antioxidants, and probiotics with urinary tract health ingredients, said Gamble
Formulation flexibility
In addition to the rise in synergistic combinations, the company says that the technology offers other forms of formulation flexibility.
“Probiotic formulations can range from less than a billion total CFU to over 100 billion CFU per caplet, depending on cultures selected,” explained Gamble.
“BIO-tract tablets/caplets can be in just about any shape allowed by tablet presses, although the most common by far is a standard caplet shape.
“As it does not rely on coatings to perform, it eliminates the costs, complications and special handling and packaging commonly required by coated products. In fact, BIO-tract caplets can be broken in half, or even into large fragments, and still offer protection and controlled release characteristics – something coated products just can’t manage,” he added.
