Study builds scientific support for HP Ingredients’ ParActin for joint health

08-May-2019 - Last updated on 08-May-2019 at 14:22 GMT

An extract from Andrographis paniculate, an Asian medicinal plant with anti-inflammatory properties, may help support joint health and function, suggests a new study.

Performed in people suffering from mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis (OA), the new study indicated that 300 mg per day or 600 mg per day doses of the extract (HP Ingredients’ ParActin) led to significant reductions in pain, stiffness, and function, according to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC)

The study participants also reported improvements in their quality of life after taking the ParActin supplement, compared to placebo.

“[O]ur study is the first clinical placebo-controlled trial that supports a potential use of ParActin in knee OA patients,” wrote researchers from HP Ingrdients, Vedic Lifesciences, the Universidad de Chile, and the Universidad Austral de Chile in Phytotherapy Research.

“We propose that ParActin can decrease the pain and discomfort of knee osteoarthritis and improve the patient’s general condition and quality of daily life, with no major adverse events.”

Study details

The researchers, led by HP Ingredients’ Juan Hancke, PhD, recruited 103 adults with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis to participate in their double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 300 or 600 mg daily of ParActin, or placebo for eight weeks.

Andrographis paniculate © Getty Images mansum008 — HP Ingredients' ParActin is edrived from Andrographis paniculate, an Asian medicinal plant with purported anti-inflammatory properties. Image © Getty Images / mansum008

Results showed that people in both ParActin groups experienced a significant and progressive reduction in WOMAC pain starting at day 28 of the study.

In addition, WOMAC stiffness scores, physical function score, and the fatigue score all showed a significant improvements in both ParActin groups, compared to placebo.

Commenting on the potential mechanism(s) of action, Dr Hancke and his co-workers noted that these are yet to be elucidated, but added that evidence suggests that andrographolide could be involved.

“In fact, andrographolide exerts a wide repertoire of biological responses in the inflammatory process, which includes interfering with NF‐kB binding in leukocytes, reducing the transcription of several pro‐inflammatory proteins,” they wrote. “In addition, andrographolide or neoandrographolide, two diterpene labdanes present in ParActin, have been widely recognized as being effective in reducing several inflammatory markers associated with OA, such as COX‐2, iNOS, TNF-alpha, and IL‐6.”

‘Supports the use of ParActin in joint protection formulas’

Commenting on the study’s findings, Annie Eng, CEO of HP Ingredients, stated in a press release that while ParActin-containing products cannot make the disease claims, the results of this study support its use for joint protection formulas.

“ParActin has a solid body of evidence showing its ability to regulate a healthy inflammatory response, and high inflammation is a key characteristic of knee discomfort. This study shows ParActin has value for keeping people moving and active with less restriction,” she said.

Source: Phytotherapy Research
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1002/ptr.6339
“A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study to assess the efficacy of Andrographis paniculata standardized extract (ParActin) on pain reduction in subjects with knee osteoarthritis”
Authors: J.L. Hancke et al.