DolCas Biotech has launched Bergacyn, a clean-label blend of botanical extracts for heart and liver health derived from the Italian bergamot citrus fruit (Citrus bergamia) and the wild-crafted Italian artichoke thistle leaf (Cynara cardunculus sylvestris), to the US market. The new formulation is now USDA and EU organic certified.

"Bergacyn is not simply a blend of two powdered herbs," said Vincenzo Mollace, a Professor at the University of Catanzaro. "The synergism activated by the patented, in-process combination reduces the clinically substantiated, individual dose requirements of Bergamot and Cynara — at 1,300 mg and 500 mg, respectively — to only 300 mg in Bergacyn."

Mollace said that Bergacyn is completely solvent-free and all-natural and that several grades of Bergacyn are available, depending on the needs of the final formulations, including an organic-certified grade and a free-flowing grade that includes bergamot fibres in a proprietary ration. This allows for a "hopper to bottle" formulation without the need for synthetic excipients.

"Nestled between the Mediterranean Seas Italian coast and the southern chain of the Apennine Mountains, the Calabrian region is a unique growing terrain for the ingredients in Bergacyn," Mollace added. "Its potent profile of flavonoids and sesquiterpenes systematically targets metabolically active fat within the liver, helping to mitigate the downstream effects of poor lifestyle choices."

Mollace explained that independently, bergamot and Cynara leaf extract have both anecdotal and evidence-based support; Bergamot for aiding healthy lipid metabolism, overall cardiovascular health, and blood glucose control; and Cynara for its support of both liver function and cardiometabolic health. However, unlike bergamot, Cynara appears to have potent, well-defined anti-inflammatory mechanisms, attributed less so to its commonly standardised chlorogenic acid and flavonoid profile, and more to its sesquiterpene lactone, cynaropicrin.

"Notably, the Calabrian wild-variety of Cynara found in Bergacyn has a much more concentrated content of cynaropicrin than the common Cynara cardunculus scolymus variety," Mollace said.

"Bergacyn was designed specifically to accommodate current ingredient trends for better-for-you products, including clean-label, plant-based, sustainability, and transparency," said Shavon Jackson-Michel, Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs at DolCas Biotech. "Our manufacturers control more than 80% of the raw bergamot fruit material produced in the Reggio Calabria region, as well as exclusively growing and harvesting the Cynara artichoke leaf that goes into Bergacyn."

Production

The bergamot compound derived from the fruit — the base ingredient for Bergacyn — is extracted from parts of the fruit leftover from its use in the perfume industry, upcycling a powerful product that would normally go to waste.

Both the process and novel formula of the trademarked bergamot polyphenol fraction (BPF) and Cynara extract used in Bergacyn are patented, with full traceability exercised from farm to shelf. The extraction process also is 100% natural, and uses no solvents.

Being able to provide protection in this low-dose format allows Bergacyn to support improved compliance and a better cost profile for the end consumer, as well as market differentiation in finished product formulations. Bergacyn is suitable for multiple applications, from capsules, tablets, and powders to medical foods, shots, and beverages.

"The collaboration with H&AD Srl, the Italy-based owners and manufacturers of Bergacyn, is energising," says K G Rao, CEO of DolCas Biotech.

"Bergacyn, and the diligent research conducted on it, signals a new direction in providing healthy support to the liver to create positive holistic change throughout the body. The productive interaction between Clinical Research Centers, H&AD Srl, and DolCas Biotech represents an innovative environment for further development of this 100% natural product," added Mollace.

This DolCas Biotech exclusive ingredient will launch at SupplySide West, 15–19 October in Las Vegas, booth #667.