Turmeric and White Mulberry Extract Blend May Reduce Joint Discomfort
A new pre-clinical animal study suggests Unigen’s Romatol may have potential for alleviating symptoms of arthritis.
Photo © iStockphoto.com/PicturePartners
New pre-clinical study results suggest Romatol, a blend of turmeric extract and white bilberry extract from Unigen (Seattle), may be able to reduce joint discomfort in rats. Researchers found that Romatol supplementation resulted in a significant improvement to pain resistance compared to placebo, and achieved similar results as an ibuprofen treatment.
Romatol contains a blend of extracts from turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome and the root bark of white mulberry (Morus alba). In a press release, Unigen acknowledged that Romatol is still being tested for its capabilities in aiding joint support, but that it is just one of “multiple new joint health ingredients in their pipeline.”
“Joint health is a category that continues to be dominated by a few ingredients, and we would like to see that offering expanded, adding value to Unigen’s clients,” said Grant Bergstrom, vice president of sales and marketing, Unigen.
Study Details
The study involved rats with carrageenan-induced paw edema that were treated with either 200 mg/kg of ibuprofen, a placebo vehicle control, or Romatol doses of 100, 200, 300, or 400 mg/kg.
Researchers found statistically significant improvements in pain resistance and paw edema suppression in animals treated with Romatol, compared with the placebo group. The highest does of Romatol (400 mg/kg) was also found to have a similar effect as the 200-mg/kg does of ibuprofen.
Additionally, an in vitro aspect of the study to evaluate inflammation found that Romatol showed a dose-dependent inhibition of enxymatic activities of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase. It was also found to act as a bradykinin receptor BI and B2 antagonist.
“UP1304 [Romatol] could potentially be considered as a dietary supplement product for the management of arthritis,” concluded researchers.
Read more:
Onion Juice May Combat Osteoporosis
UC-II Collagen More Effective for Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms than Glucosamine and Chondroitin?
Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook Magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com
References:
Yimam M et al., “Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of UP1304, a botanical composite containing standardized extracts of Curcuma longa and Morus alba,” Journal of Integrative Medicine, vol. 14, no. 1 (January 2016): 60–68
