DolCas Biotech has announced collaborations with Mānuka honey brand Mānukora and functional beverage developer SLS Performance, targeting opportunities in functional foods, beverages and cognitive health and expanding the applications of the firm's Curcugen turmeric extract.
The company will showcase the applications at SupplySide Global 2026, at Booth #6011, as it seeks to help product developers move beyond conventional capsules and tablets.
The first collaboration sees Curcugen incorporated into Mānukora’s Body Recovery & Gut formulation, which combines MGO 850+ raw Mānuka honey with turmeric extract, concentrated ginger and Sicilian lemon oil.
The blend brings together botanical ingredients in a honey-based format designed for consumers seeking convenient daily wellness products.
Mānukora’s already existing functional honey range illustrates the potential of combining Mānuka honey with concentrated botanical ingredients to create consumer-friendly delivery formats.
Curcumin beyond capsules
According to DolCas, Curcugen is produced from the whole turmeric rhizome and retains curcuminoids, naturally occurring turmeric essential oils and other bioactive constituents.
The company reports that human pharmacokinetic research has demonstrated more than 50-fold greater bioavailability of total curcuminoids compared with a standard curcuminoid extract.
The ingredient is designed to support formulation flexibility without requiring additional bioenhancers, with properties including water dispersibility and a mild flavour that may suit applications across functional foods and beverages.
DolCas founder and CEO K G Rao said the ingredient gives product developers greater freedom to explore formats that can be challenging for conventional turmeric extracts.
“For product developers, the conversation is changing,” Rao said.
It’s no longer just about how much curcumin you can absorb, but what you can create with Curcugen. Curcugen is redefining what’s possible with this powerful nutraceutical ingredient.
Targeting decision fatigue
Curcugen also features in Numin, an orange-flavoured functional beverage developed by SLS Performance to address decision fatigue.
Supplied in single-serve powder sachets, the formulation combines Curcugen with complementary ingredients targeting cognitive performance.
SLS Performance reports that internal product evaluations found improvements in mental clarity and sustained decision-making, with effects observed within approximately 60 minutes and lasting up to six hours.
These findings are company-reported product evaluations rather than independently established clinical outcomes.
The collaborations reflect growing interest in applying established nutraceutical ingredients to alternative delivery formats and emerging consumer needs.
For formulators, ingredient bioavailability, sensory characteristics and compatibility with finished-product formats all remain important considerations when developing differentiated functional nutrition products.
