New capacity is being added to its existing plant in Nansha, in the southern province of Guangdong said the company, which claims the strategic proximity to Hong Kong was one of the considerations for boosting production output at that plant.
The company was contacted prior to publication by Nutraingredients.com to determine which markets in particular were driving the surge in demand for its Carnipure products but the Lonza spokesperson was unavailable for comment.
Lonza currently produces Nicotinates (Vitamin B3) as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients at the Nansha facility and said that its audited R& D services there are supported by 70 scientists working in an in-house laboratory.
L-Carnitine, a vitamin-like nutrient, occurs naturally in the human body and is essential for turning fat into energy. It is frequently used as a dietary supplement by physically active people to help with post-exercise recovery.
It can be synthesized in the human liver, but insufficient amounts may be produced in infants, in adolescents and in adults under certain physiological conditions.
Lonza, which claims to be the world's largest manufacturer of L-Carnitine, has said that extensive scientific research shows the supplement promotes cardiovascular health and that other studies suggest the nutrient may be useful in weight management.
A study supported by the company and published last July showed that daily supplements of L-carnitine during pregnancy may reverse the decline in the nutrient’s levels that occurs naturally during pregnancy.
Levels of carnitine have already been shown to decrease during pregnancy, while the reason is unknown. The new study suggests that this may be due to decrease in the rate of carnitine biosynthesis, which may be due to an inadequate iron status in the women.
Supplementation with L-carnitine was found to prevent that reduction in plasma carnitine levels that was observed in the women in the placebo group.
In the control group, there was a marked reduction of plasma carnitine concentration from the 12th week of gestation to term. This reduction was prevented by the supplementation of carnitine.
“We’re glad to be the first to show that even with a daily dose of 500 mg L-Carnitine the low plasma levels can be restored in pregnant women,” said lead researcher Professor Klaus Eder from Martin-Luther University in Germany.
Findings of the study, which used Lonza’s Carnipure ingredient and was funded by the Swiss company, were published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Lonza maintains that the crystalline form of its Carnipure product is suitable for all liquid formulations such as syrups, sport drinks, infant formula and whey drinks while the tartrate version is non-hygroscopic and thus is suited to solid products including capsules, tablets, effervescent tablets, bars, powder mixtures, and chewables.