Phytofare Catechin Complex shows twice the level of catechins compared with generic extract

Published: 25-Jun-2014

Test results help validate Plandai\'s extraction process, the company says


Plandaí Biotechnology, a producer of highly bioavailable plant extracts for industries including health, wellness, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical, has received test results from North-West University that indicate that its Phytofare Catechin Complex, which is derived from green tea phytonutrients, contains 2.2 times the amount of catechins by weight when compared with generic green tea extracts.

The testing, conducted by Professor Anne Grobler, Director of Preclinical Platform, Department of Pharmacology with North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa, included a full chemical profile. The results showed that Phytofare Catechin Complex contained 80-88% catechins by weight, compared with around 40% in the generic samples. As with the generic extracts, the dominant catechin in Phytofare Catechin Complex is EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), which has been the subject of numerous investigative studies testing its potential use as a therapeutic for a broad range of applications including HIV, cancers, malaria, neurodegradation diseases, weight loss and anti-ageing.

"While the increased level of catechins should not be confused with increased bioavailability, it does show that our live-plant extraction process is more efficient,” said Vice President of Sales Callum Baylis-Duffield. “The testing conducted by North-West University affirms our belief that the extraction methodology involved in producing Phytofare yields a superior finished product, which we believe will demonstrate superior clinical results.

“Further refinements to the system, as we draw closer to commercial production, should help us push that efficiency even higher towards our goal of 95% catechin purity by weight.”

He added: "Since we use living plant material rather than dried leaf, the antioxidants are still quite active throughout the process. The test data showed that a lot was happening to the overall structure of the molecules during our process in addition to merely increasing catechin yields, which we are further analysing to determine the effect on solubility, absorption and bioavailability."

Plandaí's first product to market will be Phytofare Catechin Complex, which includes the entire Catechin profile derived from live green tea that is grown and processed on the company's 30,000ft2 factory located on its Senteeko estate in South Africa. The company's Phytofare Citrus Complex, based on citrus bioflavonoids and limonoids, will start undergoing clinical testing later this year and is expected to be released in 2015.

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