New clinical research has found that IminoTech's cucumber extract, Q-actin, can improve sleep quality and finger dexterity significantly in healthy older adults.
Standardised to >1% ido-BR, Q-actin has already been linked to joint health benefits — with previous studies highlighting its potential to improve joint comfort and overall mobility.
To assess how the ingredient could impact cognition and neuromuscular function, researchers from the Department of Life Sciences at Aberystwyth University gave 47 healthy adults aged 50–78 either a 20mg dose of Q-actin or a placebo for 12 weeks.
Published in Frontiers in Nutrition, the randomised, placebo-controlled study assessed how daily supplementation with the nutraceutical could influence inflammation, sleep biomarkers such as melatonin release, subjective sleep quality and neuromuscular function.
Q-actin benefits sleep
When looking into the efficacy of Q-actin in a gummy format, researchers found that daily supplementation caused significant increases in urinary levels of melatonin, as well as its primary metabolites 6-sulfatoxymelatonin, and 6-hydroxymelatonin.
“The increase in melatonin and its metabolites may be mechanistically linked to Q-actin’s known anti-inflammatory effects, particularly its ability to modulate pro-inflammatory cytokines like tumor NF-alpha,” said CEO of IminoTech, Shil Kothari.
Participants receiving Q-actin also had improved Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores, reporting subjective improvements in sleep quality during the study period.
There was also significant improvements in finger dexterity seen in the Q-actin group, as measured by the nine-hole peg test — which the authors suggest could reflect enhanced neuromuscular coordination.
No serious adverse events were reported following supplementation with Q-actin, highlighting its favourable safety profile within dietary supplement formats.
“Sleep disturbances are increasingly common with age and often managed with pharmaceuticals that can have undesirable side effects,” stated Dr Amanda Lloyd, lead author of the study.
“Our findings suggest that Q-actin offers a gentle, effective, and natural alternative by supporting the body’s own melatonin pathways,” she concluded.
Reference
1 Oral supplement in healthy older adults to support physical fitness and mental wellbeing