Sourced from the Tetradesmus obliquus Mi175.B1.a strain and sustainably produced in the south of France with the company’s patented hydro-biomimetic technology, ZenGut has been clinically shown to improve intestinal function, digestive comfort and gut microbiota diversity.
“This is a new extract of microalgae, and it is the first time that the strain is being commercialized into food supplements in the United States,” said Christel Lemaire, marketing manager at Microphyt, at the recent SupplySide West trade show.
She added that the extract received New Dietary Ingredient status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in September and that Microphyt is also preparing to submit a Generally Recognized as Safe notification to the agency.
Tetradesmus obliquus
Since its founding in 2007, Microphyt has explored over 40 microalgae strains and is currently able to cultivate 15 strains at an industrial scale for applications across dietary supplement and cosmetics categories.
All strains are grown in Microphyt’s fully integrated two-phase flow process photobioreactors, which mimic the optimal conditions for microalgae growth and enhance the efficiency of bioactive compound extraction.
In the supplement space, Tetradesmus obliquus is Microphyt's second strain to market after launching extracts of Phaeodactylum tricornutum as BrainPhyt for brain health in 2019, GamePhyt for esports in 2022 and PhaeOptim for weight management in 2023.
Tetradesmus obliquus contains a blend of bioactives that function as prebiotics, essential fatty acids, carotenoids, essential amino acids, sterols and naturally occurring neuromodulator phenylethylamine (PEA).
“Harmony starts from within, and our research demonstrates that ZenGut positively influences the gut-brain axis, which is central to both gut health and mood regulation,” said Dr. Jonathan Maury, clinical research manager at Microphyt. “Neurotransmitters that regulate mood are largely produced in the gut, so imbalances in the gut microbiota can lead to both digestive issues and emotional strain.”
Previewing the science
MicroPhyt’s discovery of the Tetradesmus obliquus strain’s gut-brain axis modulating properties initiated close to two years ago, beginning with gut cell and mouse studies.
“We saw really good data on specific biomarkers around gut cells—on all on the inflammatory biomarkers, as well as those linked to oxidative stress and interestingly zonulin at the in vitro level, which is a marker of leaky gut,” Lemaire said.
She also previewed results of a yet unpublished double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted in 56 healthy adults (60% women) between the ages of 25 and 50 years with gastro-intestinal disorders.
“A daily serving of 250 mg of ZenGut significantly alleviated gastrointestinal discomfort, enhanced mood and mental well-being, and improved the diversity of gut microbiota within four weeks,” she said.
The study, sponsored by MicroPhyt and led by researchers from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Colorado State University, is slated for publication by the end of the year.
