Xenobiosis says GinkgoTerp consists of concentrations of the ginkgo active compound, terpenelactone, at 95 per cent purity, compared to about six per cent for most ginkgo offerings.
Sales and marketing manager, Ben van der Werff, said the high concentration meant costs were similar to market levels for standard ginkgo ingredients – most of which are sourced from China, including GinkgoTerp.
But the ingredient is yet to win either novel foods approval in the European Union or new dietary ingredient status from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US.
Pending approvals
“We expect to achieve these soon,” van der Werff told NutraIngredients.com this morning, adding Traditional Herbal Medicinal Product Directive (THMPD) registrations were also being considered.
“We are in discussions with the European Food safety Authority about our novel foods application and will lodge our application soon as is the case in the US.”
He said interest had been shown in the ingredient by nutraceutical, cosmetics and pharma companies.
Because of the ingredients high active compound concentration, less volume was required for formulations, he noted of the ingredient the company has been developing for 1.5 years.
For instance, in the case of food supplements, 10 to 20mg compared to 160-320mg of standard versions in small capsules and tablets.
Terpene trilactones have been shown to block three receptors – GABA, Glycine, and Platelet Activating Factor receptors – and act on mitochondria throughout the body.
The company recommended combing the herb with magnesium, potassium and zinc in sports formulations, vitamins B1 and 3 for stress formulations and vitamins B1,3,9, C and E for anti-ageing products.
Ginkgo is derived from the leaves of the ginkgo tree and has been used for thousands of years by the Chinese as a herbal remedy for a variety of ailments. It contains potent antioxidants called flavoglycosides that have been shown to have neuro-protective effects in animal models of spinal cord injury.