Alpha-lipoic acid plays an important role in the body in maintaining healthy antioxidant levels and has become popular in recent years as a dietary supplement, produced through chemical synthesis by companies like Degussa and Antibioticos.
It is also increasingly requested for use in foods for diabeteics, says Degussa, as it has been shown to have a positive effect on blood glucose levels.
But formulating the ingredient in foods has been severely limited by the product's stability, which significantly declines under key processing conditions like heat and powder blending, and its irritation on the throat, making it most common in capsules.
Degussa's new alpha-lipoic acid has been microencapsulated on a molecular level with alpha-cyclodextrin produced by chemicals group Wacker, giving it a much-improved shelf life and taste.
The development will lead to entirely new foods fortified with alpha-lipoic acid, according to Degussa, including shelf stable foods in which shear forces are used during production.
"Additionally, the particle size can be adjusted by grinding," says Dr Martin Purpura, technology manager at Degussa Food Ingredients.
In the past, manufacturers of certain foods such as bars or powders could not guarantee the ingredient's presence at the end of the product shelflife, even with the maximum permitted amount of 20 per cent overdosing during manufacture and 10 per cent decline by the end of shelflife.
The pantent-pending formula also allows manufacturers that previously used overages to reduce costs. The ingredient is expensive, ranging from $100-200 per kg, depending on whether it is sourced in Europe or China.
"Companies producing powder blends really have to overdose to ensure that significant amounts remain. It is more cost-effective using this material in its encapsulated form than overdosing," said Dr Ralf Jäger, manager of strategic projects at Degussa Food Ingredients.
Alpha-lipoic acid fits into Degussa's portfolio of ingredients that target the pre-diabetes condition, such as its double-fermented wheat fibre launched at Health Ingredients Europe in November, and a new herbal extract currently under development. Animal studies have recently shown that ALA prevents diabetes in obese, diabetes-prone rats by reducing lipid accumulation in adipose tissue.
However the German collaboration is relying on novel foods approval for alpha-cyclodextrin before the new product can be marketed in Europe. Wacker submitted an application for alpha-cyclodextrin last year and it is expected to clear by the end of 2005.
The ingredient has already gained GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status for food applications in the US in December and is also approved for use in foods in Japan.
Japan has also recently approved alpha-lipoic acid as a food, a development that is likely to further boost the current double-digit growth in the antioxidant.
Degussa already produces alpha-lipoic acid, marketed as Alipure, under a patented chemical synthesis process. The new formula will be produced, without solvents, in Wacker's cyclodextrins plant in Eddyville in the US. Degussa already works with Wacker in flavour development.
Degussa is also planning to offer its Alipure product in a liquid formulation for beverages and soft gels, probably by the end of the first quarter. Early trials on this version suggest that it offers improved bioavailability over standard alpha-lipoic acid.
"There is growing demand from people making low volume beverages looking to incorporate this ingredient," explained Dr Jäger.