Enhancing the immune system helps to maintain the quality of life. Therefore, a yet2 client is looking for “immunity-enhancing materials” that are suitable for food and beverage applications. Specifically, the material should have the following characteristics:
- Materials that can promote secretory IgA (s-IgA: a multimeric molecule secreted on the surface of mucous membranes); we are not interested in monomeric IgA, which is typically found in serum.
- Materials that can maintain s-IgA levels in situations where s-IgA levels are reduced in the placebo group as shown in clinical trials (e.g. Vitamin D)
Constraints
Must Have
- Must be applicable for food/beverage (no pharma products).
- Ingredient must promote the production of s-IgA in the oral mucosa (in saliva) and/or in the intestinal mucosa.
- Preference for clinical trial data if available.
- Data on healthy adults are preferable to infants or the elderly
- If clinical trial data are not available, data from animal or in vitro studies must be available.
- In addition to data on s-IgA levels, additional evidence is required showing the benefits of the ingredient on health outcomes such as fatigue/stress reduction, skin condition improvement, etc. in humans (clinical trials)
- Solutions involving probiotics (e.g. lactobacilli) must be dead bacteria.
Nice to Have
- We prefer a single active ingredient rather than a mixture. In the case of mixed ingredients, we would like to have an in vitro study showing the effect of a specific ingredient.
- Data on athletes are acceptable, but we prefer clinical trials on non-athletes (with or without exercise).
- In addition to the above mandatory requirements (Must have), we are also interested in materials for which the following data have been obtained:
- Data on NK cell activity, phagocytic activity, T cell activation, etc. in humans and in vivo/vitro.
- Human clinical trial on hay fever, allergy, and infectious diseases.
- Data on human body temperature elevation, which is linked to improved immunity
Desired Timeframe
Within 12 months
Possible Solution Areas
- Food/beverage/healthcare industry
- Lactic acid
Desired outcome of the solution
- Your proposed solution must be tested for food/beverage applications and be safe for consumption.
- Ideally your proposed materials are ready to be added and tested for a wide range of recipes.
Field of Use and Intended Applications
Food and beverage