N°65 - Ingrédients /Santé cardiovasculaire A segment at the end of its rope? No more hope for the (already small) market for heart health supplements mainly due to the regulatory suspicions related to red yeast rice? So it seems. Nevertheless, everything depends on the distribution channels, advertising campaigns carried out by the pharma companies and, last but not least, on the market players’ innovation capacity. When red yeast rice iscoughing... the wholemarket for supple-for cardiovascular health and cho-lesterol reduction launched over thepast two years, 12 contain this yeast.L. casei, L. rhamnosus GG, L. plan-ctis.tarum or L. laVF Bioscience is exploring this path. ments for heart health is getting a Namely one quarter of launches - Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 is cold. EFSA’s recent call for caution just like Coenzyme Q10. More pre- a probiotic strain with antioxidant (3 August 2018) as regards red cisely, it is the formulations based on effects demonstrated by nine cli- yeast rice has not produced any fruit extracts with antioxidant effects nical studies carried out in humans visible effects yet. In the best case- that are the most frequent (one in and targeted on parameters related scenario, food supplement brands three launches); garlic formulations to cardiovascular health. Supple- have taken a “wait-and-see” or account for 20% of launches - just mentation with this strain makes it minim risk attitude - simply stopped as vitamin (B mainly) formulations. possible to reduce the formation 106 the production of food supplements of oxLDL (oxidized LDL), which is formulated with yeast, such as Arko- ◗Formulas that must the main risk factor for the develop- pharma with its Arkogélules. reinvent themselves ment of atherosclerosis. The strain Red yeast rice has undoubtedly also has a benefi cial effect on the been the fl agship ingredient of heart Several studies have highlighted liver, reducing hepatic infl ammation health formulations. Even if it can the capacity of certain probiotic and stimulating glutathione produc- bear a “generic claim” (“monacolin strains to lower total cholesterol tion (hence its antioxidant effect). K from red yeast rice contributes to and LDL levels in hypercholeste- A recent study has demonstrated the maintenance of normal blood rolemic subjects. Several mecha- the efficacy of ME-3 in subjects cholesterol levels”), almost since nistic hypotheses have been pro- with metabolic disorders, with a the very recognition of its effect by posed and the most probable one positive effect on the regulation of the European authorities, it has been seems to be bile salt deconjuga- blood glucose levels, and a signifi - the subject of“special warnings and tion carried out by bile hydrolase. cant reduction in hepatic triglyceride precautions”. Thus, in 2013, ANSES Studies have shown that several accumulation (NASH/steatohepa- (French Agency for Food, Environ- species of Bifidobacterium and titis). mental and Occupational Health Lactobacillus can produce bile “The distribution channel (pharma- & Safety) was publishing a similar hydrolase thereby increasing bile cies, health stores, e-commerce...) warning. salts synthesis from the cholesterol and communication on the proper- What could be the consequence of in the intestinal lumen, which are ties of the strain depends on the the market withdrawal of red yeast further excreted into the faeces. distributor, country and localrgue- rice formulations? This is diffi cult to Nevertheless, the capacity to lower lation constraints,” Marc Frémont quantify in economic terms. On the cholesterol levels depends on the says. “The idea that probiotics may one hand, because the heart health considered strain. Lactic bacteria have cardiovascular health bene ts market does not even appear in the also secrete many peptides with functions in the Benelux, Northern statistics provided by IQvia. On the antihypertensive effects. Several Europe, Southeast Asia (Malaysia, other hand, because the share of studies have highlighted reduced Philippines). A customer has deve- supplements formulated with this systolic and diastolic arterial pres- loped a heart health product in yeast is not even known. An estima- sures in hypertensive subjects after South Africa, and we are starting tion: out of the 52 food supplements supplementation with L. helveticus, one in Japan, too.” ■ / Octobre - Novembre - Décembre 2018 / N°65 / L’Actualité des Ingrédients Fonctionnels & Santé