BioActor and UM establish a Public Private Partnership to study the benefits of Aronia on cognition
BioActor and UM establish a Public Private Partnership to study the benefits of Aronia on cognition
Press release
BioActor already collaborates with Maastricht University in several areas, but this Public Private Partnership marks the start of an ambitious and comprehensive joint research programme, which will last three years, and aims to unravel possible mechanisms that make Aronia Melanocarpa such a powerful bioactive to improve brain fitness
The joint research programme will study the benefits of Aronia on cognition
BioActor and Maastricht University (“UM”) established a Public Private Partnership (“PPP”) to study the effects of Aronia Melanocarpa on brain fitness and cognition. This PPP received a competitive grant from Health Holland and will last for 3 years.
BioActor already collaborates with UM in several areas, but this PPP marks the start of an ambitious and comprehensive joint research programme to unravel possible mechanisms that make Aronia Melanocarpa such a powerful bioactive to improve brain fitness.
The PPP will be led by Dr. Peter Joris and Professor Jogchum Plat of UM’s Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences. BioActor will make available a senior scientist, Sanne Ahles, who has already coordinated a previous clinical study with BioActor’s proprietary aronia extract Brainberry®.
The research programme will comprise a comprehensive clinical study, where besides cognitive parameters and blood biomarkers, brain scans will be made by Scannexus, specialist in Ultra High-Field MRI.
Dr. Peter Joris, Assistant Professor at UM comments:
“I’m very pleased with the establishment of this partnership with BioActor as it will allow us to explore mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of Aronia Melanocarpa on cognitive function, which may contribute to the prevention of cognitive impairment and ultimately dementia. Focus will be on brain insulin-sensitivity and vascular function assessed with brain MRI imaging in people at increased risk of cognitive impairment.”
Dr. Yala Stevens, Chief Scientific Officer of BioActor comments:
“This partnership with UM underscores our commitment to science and our passion for exploring research areas that have hitherto not been touched by others. That’s why we have decided to take a deep dive together with Dr. Peter Joris into the effects and mechanisms of aronia melanocarpa in the cognition and brain fitness space. I’m really curious what will come out of this research programme and excited to be able to share the results with the global nutrition science community.”
About BioActor:
BioActor is a life science company based on the Maastricht Health Campus and dedicated to research, develop and sell health ingredients addressing healthy ageing and active living. BioActor has a targeted portfolio of patented and branded health ingredients that are all based on food crops, clinically researched and produced in Europe.
For more info: www.bioactor.com
About Maastricht University:
The current project is performed at the Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences within the School of Nutrition and Translational research in Medicine (NUTRIM), and will be integrated within an excellent scientific environment that offers facilities to perform state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary research, such as a unique Metabolic Research Unit (MRUM) and advanced MRI systems at Scannexus – an internationally focused brain MRI imaging center – facilities in Maastricht.
Naxus® positive clinical results on its contribution towards an effective vaccination in elderly individuals
Naxus® positive clinical results on its contribution towards an effective vaccination in elderly individuals
Press release
The results of the recent clinical trial displayed the significant benefits of Naxus® towards the efficacy of vaccines . Naxus® led to a significant positive changes in parameters such as, cytokine production, microbiota composition, and fecal PH compared to other non-digestible polysaccharides.
The Clinical Benefits of Naxus®
Immunosenescence is the process of deterioration of immune system functionality, mostly present in the elderly. Effective vaccination of the older adult is therefore a rising concern and a point to consider. BioActor has published the results of its recent clinical trial on Naxus®, an arabinoxylan extract from wheat endosperm on vaccination efficiency in Nutrients (Laue et al. 2021). Naxus® was compared to other non-digestible polysaccharides (NSPs): Wellmune®, Oatwell®, a beta-glucan from shiitake and exopolysaccharide preparation from L. Mucosae. NSPs are known for their promising effects on improving the immune response. From all investigated products, daily supplementation of Naxus® improved vaccination efficiency most effectively. Naxus® was further found to be safe, tolerable and feasible as a supplement.
The participants that completed the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study were 231 of 239 subjects. Participants where split into six groups, each consuming a different non-digestible polysaccharide or control: Naxus®, Oatwell®, Wellmune®, a beta-glucan preparation from shiitake prepared according to a pre-specified procedure or an exopolysaccharide preparation from L. Mucosae for the duration of 5 weeks. The study showed significant beneficial changes in the Naxus® group compared to control in several parameters such as, cytokine production, microbiota composition and fecal pH.
Some of these beneficial changes could be linked with the significant increase in the abundance of Bifidobacterium in the gut that Naxus® demonstrated in the study. This increase is associated with a reduced infection, duration of influenza and severity of the common cold. Furthermore, an increase in IFN-γ was observed as a result of Naxus® consumption. IFN-y cytokines are produced by natural killer cells, which function as the first in line of defense against viral infections.
The researchers conclude that Naxus® is the most effective compound tested, compared to other NSPs, in this study to promote an adjuvant effect on the immune response to vaccination. Although lack of understanding of the underlying mechanism, strong immunomodulatory are likely to explain the effect. Previous In-vitro work already demonstrated convincing links between the innate immune system and Naxus®. An enhanced vigilance of the immune system could therefore be the key to an explanation of the vaccination efficiency.
In conclusion, the findings in this study show a valuable contribution of Naxus® to our body, functioning as a prebiotic and enhancing protection against unwanted intruders!
BioActor’s Chief Scientific Officer, Yala Stevens says: “I am very happy with the publication of the vaccination trial, as it is the culmination of a great effort and collaboration involving multiple partners. These interesting results I believe are also very relevant and deserve to be shared within the scientific community and beyond.”
Naxus® can be applied in various finished dosage forms, including bars, granola, flapjacks, capsules, stick packs, scoopable powder.
About BioActor
BioActor, based in Maastricht, Netherlands, is a product development company that has developed a range of proprietary bioactive ingredients for the nutrition & healthcare industry. The company focuses on the development of innovative activities that address active living and healthy aging. The goal is to provide the nutrition & healthcare industry with science-based innovations that confer a real health benefit to the consumer.
Feel free to contact us via info@bioactor.com for more information on the possibilities Naxus® has to offer.
Further information can be found on: www.naxus.nl
