LivLonga is a combination of three of Sabinsa’s existing branded ingredients. The main constituent is 250 mg of Curcumin C3 Complex turmeric (Curcuma longa) extract. That is paired with 50 mg of Livinol, Sabinsa’s branded extract of the Kokum Butter Tree (Garcinia indica). Also part of the mixture is 5m of BioPerine, Sabinsa’s branded black pepper (Piper nigrum) extract, which the company adds to many of its formulations as a bioavailability booster.
“There is a clear market need for a scientifically rational herbal combination with all the right elements to support healthy liver function,” said Dr Muhammed Majeed, chairman and founder of Sabinsa, which is based in Bengaluru, India. The company also has significant operations in New Jersey and Utah.
Inflammatory subset of NAFLD accounts for major public health headache
Dr Majeed based his assessment on the market need for a reformulated liver health product on the increase in the global incidence of a particularly insidious subset of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Called NASH, or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, this condition occurs when the fat buildup in the liver seen in NAFLD leads to chronic inflammation of and changes in the structure of the tissue, which can result in significant liver damage.
According to recent research, more than 6 million people in the United States are coping with NASH. The implications of that number are staggering.
“Twenty-year costs for NAFLD in these patients were $55.8 billion. Over the next 20 years, NASH with T2DM (Type 2 diabetes mellitus) will account for 65,000 transplants, 1.37 million cardiovascular-related deaths, and 812,000 liver-related deaths,” the researchers wrote.
Curcumin C3 Complex, standardized to 95% curcuminoids, is manufactured from turmeric roots that Sabinsa has contract-grown mostly in southern India. This long-standing ingredient has been researched for a variety of inflammation-fighting effects. Livinol is standardized for 20% garcinol. Traditionally the juice of the fruits of this tree, which grows in the rainforests that drape the slopes of the Western Ghats mountain range of southwestern India, has been used as a natural remedy for stomach and liver ailments. Garcinol is said to be an excellent source of antioxidants and offers multiple health benefits for the heart, gut, and liver.
Study underpins ingredient’s liver support effects
To support the new ingredient, Sabinsa conducted a trial in a specialized mouse model of DASH called STAM, or Steliac animal model. The paper, published in May in the journal Scientific Reports , notes that, “This model offers the advantage of monitoring the liver degeneration from simple fatty liver to NASH and fibrosis. The major advantage of STAM mice is its well-characterized macroscopic and histopathological features, resembling human NASH and fibrosis which has enabled testing of several pharmacological drugs for anti-NASH activity.”
The LivLonga combination showed significant effects in arresting the progress of this condition.
“Our study provides compelling evidence for the reduction in NAFLD activity score, liver fibrosis, inflammation and related markers in mice supplemented with Curcuminoids and GIE,” the paper concludes.
Dr Kalyanam, president of R&D for Sabinsa, said that while garcinol is known for its effect in weight management, the effects seen in the present study seem to be independent of obesity markers.
“In the present study, emphasis was on the synergic action of the two ingredients, Garcinol/Curcuminoids, on fatty liver function. The dosages were administered to mice that were not obese, hence the inference is that the effect was independent of obesity,” he said.
“The absence of an effective pharma drug therapy for NASH further enhances the merits of this combination,” Dr Majeed maintained.
The company said LivLonga is suitable for use in dietary supplements in a variety of forms including tablets, capsules, and powder premixes.
Source: Scientific Reports
10, Article number: 7440 (2020)
Novel Combinatorial Regimen of Garcinol and Curcuminoids for Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) in Mice
Authors: Majeed M, et al.
