IFF Health, part of International Flavors & Fragrances, and DolCas Biotech have partnered together on the sale and marketing of Curcugen, a next-gen, all-natural turmeric extract for both the dietary supplement and food and beverage industries.

Curcugen is a clean, highly concentrated and highly dispersible curcumin ingredient, boasting a wholesome turmeric base and a high (50%) curcuminoid concentration produced by a patent-pending technology.

The unique profile of Curcugen is supported by the results of a new human bioavailability study showing a significant increase of bioavailability compared with standard extracts. Incoming data from several ongoing clinical trials further evidences this brand’s superior functionality.

“Curcugen has a great potential in key categories of food supplements and functional foods owing to its versatile delivery system,” says Mark L. Dewis, PhD, President of Natural Product Solutions of IFF.

“We are happy to include this innovative ingredient in our portfolio of science-based natural ingredients. This enables us to expand our activities in the market for curcumin nutraceuticals in better-for-you products.”

Curcugen is the only curcumin ingredient to provide “whole rhizome synergism” similar to the food format of the turmeric spice used as a staple in Indo-Asian cuisine. The dispersible curcumin contains 50% curcuminoids concentration, registering significantly higher than many of the dispersible curcumin brands recently flooding the market and strongly competing with older, more established brands.

The composition of Curcugen provides a spectrum of native bioactive compounds, including the three major curcuminoids in their natural ratios, turmeric essential oils, polar resins and other natural constituents from turmeric that make its bioactive profile as robust as the rhizome itself.

The standard formulation grade is palatable, disperses quickly without the need for agitation, and is suitable for use in dietary supplements, foods, and beverages. Published clinical data and safety dossiers are expected later in 2020.

Curcugen’s innovative production begins with turmeric oleoresin, a base ingredient already having long-standing use in the food flavour and colouring industry — an arena in which IFF has decades of proven expertise.

The oleoresin is then optimised by the patent-pending SELF-D platform technology, which takes otherwise discarded resins of turmeric and makes them functional by giving priority to those that are naturally more polar. The process simultaneously concentrates the natural curcuminoids to the 50% standard.

“DolCas and IFF Health are both strongly committed to the mission of ‘redefining how we live in and care for the resources of our world’. This mutual effort will not only meet the growing interest in curcumin throughout Europe, but support our commitment to reinvesting in the science behind our ingredients and pave the way to increased market confidence and brand exposure along the way.”

“The functional polar resins in Curcugen add significant value to the ingredient, avoiding the common practice of adding non-turmeric bio-enhancers or nanotechnology,” explains Dr Shavon Jackson-Michel, Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs for DolCas-Biotech.

“The polar resins are believed to increase the surface area of otherwise clustered curcumin molecules, enhancing their interaction with water. based on human bioavailability data, this mechanism effectuates a significant increase in absorption."

"Compared with unformulated curcumin, this results in a bioavailability increase of 39 times for free curcumin, 52 times for total curcuminoids and 31 times for tetrahydrocurcumin, which is the most beneficial and active metabolite. This concept provides a complete picture on the bioavailability of curcumin.”

Prototyping for Curcugen’s differentiated delivery capabilities is already under way, and includes proof-of-concept formulations for non-traditional formats, including powdered drinks, oral dispersible powders, hard candies, ready-to-drink beverage shots and gummies. In fact, these have already been targeted as options for specific turn-key projects on the ingredient’s capabilities.