Indena combines ginger and Acmella in Mitidol for effective pain relief

Published: 21-Aug-2020

Indena’s approach has been to exploit the synergy of the two standardised extracts together, which have been proven to provide a healthy inflammatory response and pain relief

Globally, one in five adults suffers from pain and one in ten is diagnosed with chronic pain each year.1 As such, it’s clear why research and remedies for pain management are a public health priority.

According to its mission, Indena has devoted a great deal of time and effort during the last 3 years to find solutions for pain management. The company has focused on plants whose active ingredients selectively act on cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) cells, such as cannabidiol, which represent an attractive target in terms of obtaining an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect without inducing central nervous system side-effects. The result of this commitment is Mitidol, a proprietary combination of two botanicals that work together to provide relief and support: ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Acmella (Acmella oleracea L.).

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), one of the hot spices belonging to Zingiberaceae family, is a herbaceous perennial plant that’s native to southern Asia. The main components of its extracts are gingerols and shogaols, whose major properties include immune modulation and anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycaemic, and antilipidemic effects.2

Acmella is an edible flowering herb in the Asteraceae or Compositae family that Indena has been studying to assess its efficacy. Acmella’s main constituents are lipophilic alkylamides with different numbers of unsaturated hydrocarbons (alkenes and alkynes), such as spilanthol, which has many biological properties (analgesic, antinociceptive, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiwrinkle etc.).3

Indena’s innovative approach has been to exploit the synergy of the two standardised extracts together, which have been proven to provide a healthy inflammatory response and pain relief.

The mechanism of action of Mitidol has been reported in a study published in January 2020 that tested a novel food-grade formulation of Acmella oleracea and Zingiber officinale in two in-vitro assays to verify its effect on the endocannabinoid system.4

The research used a cell-based assay in human recombinant cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) cells to evaluate a possible agonist effect on those receptors, and an inhibition activity assay on fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) to evaluate its effect on the degradation of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide.

The results show that the association of the two extracts in the Mitidol formulation has a double effect on pain relief: a direct one based on the interaction with CB2 receptors and an indirect on through the inhibition of FAAH — extending the beneficial outcomes of the endogenous anandamide.

Inspired by this mechanism of action, a one-month joint health supplementation study has recently been completed. The human study involved 50 subjects with painful knees who received a Mitidol supplement for 30 days. The results showed Mitidol’s effectiveness in knee functionality and comfort from week one as a solution for pain relief.5

Knee function optimisation was confirmed with two different tests (Lhysolm scale and WOMAC scale), a quality of life (SF-36) questionnaire) and a physical well-being assessment. In addition, the participants also reported a consequent reduction of their Body Mass Index; the more comfort people feel, the more they move! At the same time, objectively measurable parameters showed that Mitidol maintains a healthy inflammatory response after one month of supplementation (–12.7% Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate and –36.4% high sensitivity C-reactive protein). As such, Mitidol can therefore be considered to be a natural adjuvant to support pain relief.

References

1. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3201926/#B1.
2. K. Srinivasan, PharmaNutrition 5, 18–28 (2017).
3. M. Rondanelli, et al., Fitoterapia 140 104419 (2020).
4. G. Petrangolini, et al., J. Nutr. Food Sci. 10 (2020): doi: 10.4172/2155-9600.1000766.
5. M. Rondanelli, et al., J. Pain. Res. 13, 761–770 (2020).

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