Bio Serae launched the extract, called Serenzo, in late 2009, making it among the newest additions to the company’s portfolio. Spokesperson Karen Jaunatre told NutraIngredients.com that it has been well received in both the US and Europe. It is already being used in a number of finished products.
The company does not reveal the precise identity of the citrus plant from which it comes nor where it is grown, but Jaunatre said the company wanted it to be organic from the beginning. It was simply a matter of going through the certification process.
Two studies are cited by Bio Serae to support the use of the ingredient to combat stress: an in vitro study that found it could reduce the inflammatory factors induced by stress by reducing ICAM-1 expression, molecules which are responsible for the inflammatory response.
In a behavioural study on rats, the ingredient as seen to significantly reduce behavioural stress symptoms, the company says.
Bio Serae does not hold a health claim for the ingredient, and Jaunatre was not at liberty to disclose whether the company will submit a dossier in the future.
Other organics
This is not the first time Bio Serae has obtained Ecocert certification for its ingredients. It also offers organic versions of its weight management ingredients Cacti-Nea and NeOpuntia. Both come from the North African-sourced Opuntia ficus-indica cactus plant (prickly pear) – Cacti-Nea from the leaves and NeOpuntia from the fruit.
In this case, non-organic versions are available as well as organic, with the latter understood to be marginally more expensive.
Acquired
The company was purchased by compatriot the Iranex Group for undisclosed amount in April 2008, as Iranex made a concerted move into the health and wellness sector.
That acquisition meant that Colloides Naturels International (CNI), the Iranex arm that specialises in prebiotic acacia gum and wheat-derived soluble and insoluble fibres, has worked closely with Bio Serae.