CK Nutraceuticals to distribute Chilean maqui ingredients

01-Feb-2022 - Last updated on 01-Feb-2022 at 18:34 GMT

©Getty Images - Irinya Zaichenko

Canadian ingredient supplier CK Nutraceuticals has signed an agreement to distribute proprietary branded ingredients based on maqui berry.

The ingredients, branded as Delphinol and MaquiBright, are produced by Maqui New Life (MNL), a company based in Santiago, Chile that was founded in 2010. According to the CK statement, MNL has six published human clinical studies backing its maqui berry derived ingredients.

According to a study published in 2019, MaquiBright demonstrated an ability to lessen the symptoms of dry eye syndrome. Subjects reported both more tear production and less eye fatigue. Delphinol, on the other hand, has shown blood sugar management benefits.

One of a number of Patagonian super fruits

Maqui (Aristotelia chilensis) is native to Chilean Patagonia. It is the most studied of the indigenous fruits that a 2019 scientific review stated could be a powerhouse of bioactives relevant to the dietary supplement industry.

Maqui, also known as Chilean wineberry, is a small tree species that grows in the temperate rainforest of southern Chile, where the abrupt rise of the Andes interrupts the incessant, moisture laden onshore winds of the Southern Ocean. Some portions of the region record more than 200 inches of precipitation in a year.

MNL sources its raw material through a wildcrafting process. The company claims “This is done through sustainable production, with an aim towards the growth of a significant, creative economic system that provides a certain quality of life to the population, while caring for the environment, renewing its resources, and also contributing at the same time to economic and social needs.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Maqui New Life in the North American market. Science and innovation are at the core of what we do and how we think, and we are very much aligned with MNL in this respect,” said Michael Chernyak, CK’s president.

“We look forward to supporting CK Nutraceuticals in bringing Delphinol and MaquiBright to a broader nutraceutical audience within North America. They are very reputable and well-established in this market, which is a key growth area for us. We are committed to continued scientific research, to further substantiate the expanding range of valuable therapeutic benefits from our proprietary Maqui extracts,” added Claudio Rabuco, founder and COO of Maqui New Life.