Natrol, Inc., a premier marketer, manufacturer, and distributor of nationally branded nutritional products, introduces three new nutritional supplements — Natrol® MaquiBerry, Natrol® Resveratrol Diet, and Natrol® Resveratrol Weekend Cleanse — with superfruit antioxidant capacity. These three new products join Natrol’s popular line of açaí superfruit offerings — including Natrol® AçaíBerry 1,000 mg, Natrol® AçaíBerry Diet, and, Natrol® AçaíBerry Weekend Cleanse — making Natrol the #1 Acai supplement brand at U.S. grocery stores, drug stores, and mass merchandise retailers.

Natrol® MaquiBerry — The Maqui (pronounced “Mah-kee”) plant, indigenous to the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina, bears a deep-colored berry that has been consumed for centuries by the Mapuche Indians for its health benefits. These powerful little berries have been traditionally used to support energy and immune health. Maqui berries also contain one of the highest known anthocyanin levels of any berry. Anthocyanins are naturally occurring antioxidants that are found in the dark skin of the berry. These antioxidants help protect the body against oxidative stress commonly associated with aging. Natrol® MaquiBerry provides 1,000 mg of super antioxidant fruit extract per serving (available at Walgreens and health food retailers nationwide).†

Natrol® Resveratrol Diet — While regular exercise is a healthy activity, it can generate free radicals. Resveratrol Diet features polyphenols with the powerful antioxidant capacity to help neutralize free radicals, which is especially important when increasing physical activity to get in shape. With a triple-action formula of antioxidants, enzymes, and other nutrients, Resveratrol Diet is designed to assist weight-loss by boosting the body’s calorie-burning and energy, and promoting fat metabolism with the following key ingredients:

1) Resveratrol (from Red Wine Grape Extract and Japanese Knotweed), an emerging nutrient with potential antioxidant capacity, based on preliminary laboratory research;

2) Green tea extract, providing the antioxidant EGCG; and,

3) Metabolic Activator, a targeted caffeine blend that helps rev up metabolism and calorie-burning (it also promotes energy and alertness).†

Resveratrol Diet also contains Berry Digest, a special enzyme blend to help support digestion; and, Chromium (from Chromax® Chromium Picolinate) to promote fat metabolism. Two capsules can be taken once daily with a meal (available at U.S. Walgreens and Walmart stores).†

Natrol® Resveratrol Weekend Cleanse — This specialty supplement offers a smarter way to cleanse and detoxify, and helps promote a flatter looking stomach in just one weekend, with a three-step program that supports digestive health quickly and effectively (available at Walgreens nationwide):

Step 1. ResV-X Cleanse Now™ (10 capsules) — Helps to minimize occasional constipation and bloating;

Step 2. Detox Now™ (10 capsules) — Helps to reduce toxins, and provides liver support via antioxidant protection and cell regeneration; and,

Step 3. Replenish Now™ (10 capsules) — Provides probiotics to help restore the friendly bacteria that protect and strengthen the GI tract.†

“As a company committed to consumers, technology, and nutrition, Natrol is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2010 by introducing unique new products such as Natrol® MaquiBerry, Natrol® Resveratrol Diet, and Natrol® Resveratrol Weekend Cleanse,” says Michael Yatcilla, Natrol’s Vice President of Research and Development.

Natrol kicked off its 30-year anniversary in January by re-launching its website at www.Natrol.com, to communicate the company’s commitment to consumer health, and to provide a website that helps educate visitors on the benefits associated with dietary supplements. The new Natrol.com website includes several unique and user-friendly features for consumer health education and nutritional information.

Natrol is also launching new online initiatives on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube; the company will also be offering promotions, and events for charity, consumers, employees, retailers and the industry, media and celebrities, and the community. For instance, for the first time ever, Natrol will offer FREE Carb Intecept® Sprinkles to GO! samples in April and May (while supplies last) at five Southern California Simon Malls (at mall customer service and/or the food court). More details regarding these events and other Natrol 30th anniversary activities will be announced throughout the year.

Natrol products are available in health food stores, drug and grocery stores, mass-market retailers, Natrol.com, and other online retailers. More information is available at www.Natrol.com, or by calling 1-800-2-NATROL (1-800-262-8765), or emailing Customer-Service@Natrol.com.

About Natrol – CONSUMER. TECHNOLOGY. NUTRITION.

Natrol, Inc., headquartered in Chatsworth, CA, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Plethico Pharmaceuticals Limited. Plethico Pharmaceuticals Limited (BSE: 532739.BO: PLETHICO), an herbal/nutraceutical-focused Indian Company, engages in the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of pharmaceutical and allied healthcare products in India and internationally.

Natrol, Inc. has a portfolio of health and wellness brands representing quality nutritional supplements, functional herbal teas, and sports nutrition products. Established in 1980, Natrol’s portfolio of brands includes: Natrol®, MRI, Prolab®, Laci Le Beau®, NuHair®, Shen Min®, Promensil®, and Trinovin®. The company also manufactures supplements for its own brands and on behalf of third parties.

Natrol distributes products nationally through more than 54,000 retailers, as well as internationally in over 40 other countries through distribution partners and its UK subsidiary.

Consumer needs are central to Natrol’s focus. The company pledges to deliver nutritional products with uncompromised service, quality, and innovation through the best that science, nature, and technology can offer. For more information, call 1-800-2-NATROL (1-800-262-8765) or visit www.Natrol.com.

Long known to be beneficial in heart disease, diabetes and some cancers, a new study finds a specific green tea extract may delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. A. Holliday & Company’s “Teawell 50,” is a 50 percent pure extraction of EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) – a flavonoid which is the most potent of four major catechins in green tea.

Sponsored by A. Holliday & Company, the study was performed by Dr. Stephane Bastianetto at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University in Montreal.

In the study, rats were fed food that contained Teawell 50, compared to a control group whose food did not contain the extract. Results showed that rats who ate Teawell 50 had an 18 percent reduction of free radicals in a key region of the brain involved with learning and memory. This region is severely damaged when Alzheimer’s is present.

“This suggests regular consumption of green tea may protect against the deleterious effects of oxidative stress, delaying or preventing age-related memory deficits,” said Dr. Bastianetto.

According to Dr. Bastianetto, discovering Teawell 50’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier in sufficient concentrations and actually reach the brain is significant.

“Green tea has higher concentrations of beneficial catechins ? especially EGCG,” said Christine Renken of A. Holliday & Company. “Extracting this substance allows it to be used in foods such as yogurt and beverages as well as supplements, pet foods and even beauty products.”

EGCG has been associated with decreasing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s and some forms of cancer. Studies have shown that EGCG may inhibit production of inflammatory molecules associated with rheumatoid arthritis; reduce blood clotting and cholesterol; enhance the immune system, boost metabolism and burn fat as well as protecting against gum disease and reducing cavities.

For more information, go to: www.teacoff.com/(linktonewsrelease)

About A. Holliday & Company

Based in Toronto, Canada, since 1975 A. Holliday & Company Inc. has been a major distributor of coffee and tea products. The company has a wide range of EGCG extracts available with purities as high as 99 percent.

A. Holliday & Company products are used with many well known international brands and private label products from food and beverage, to baking and dairy, to flavour and ingredient manufacturers, to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Complete information can be found at: www.teacoff.com

Nutrigenomics is the study of how foods affect genetics and how individual genetic differences can affect the way bodies respond to nutrients and other naturally occurring compounds. Glavonoid™ is the first supplement to be referred to as a “nutrigenomic” supplement—a nutritional substance that actually works at the genetic level. Swanson Health Products announced that the patented ingredient, Glavonoid, is now available in Swanson Best Weight-Control Formula Licorice Flavonoid Oil.

There are two primary types of fat: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is located just underneath the skin, while visceral fat is located beneath the muscles and surrounding vital organs. Glavonoid is an ingredient that has been clinically shown to reduce fat—especially visceral belly fat.

Dr. Fumiki Aoki, Senior Scientist with Kaneka Nutrients L.P., explains, “People often say they can’t lose weight because it’s ‘in their genes.’ To an extent, this may be true. We know that information from our genes has broad influence on our biological makeup. Glavonoid represents a new and emerging field known as ‘nutrigenomics,’ which refers to the study of how nutrients interact with our genes. Research suggests that Glavonoid helps mediate lipid [fat metabolism by influencing related gene expression in the liver. This does not mean it alters your DNA in any way. Rather, it means that it affects the biological output of those genes related to this specific metabolic activity.”

In an exclusive interview regarding Glavonoid™ Licorice Flavonoid Oil, Dr. Fumiki Aoki shares his firsthand experience with developing this remarkable nutraceutical. He explains how it can help us face the challenges of metabolic health and weight maintenance so pervasive in today’s society.

Swanson Health Products is an industry leader in bringing vitamins direct to consumers at the lowest prices possible. Swanson Health Products, located in Fargo, ND, offers the highest quality vitamins, supplements and natural health care products and is Good Manufacturing Practices certified.
swansonvitamins.com

Unsweetened cocoa and dark chocolate appear to be healthier choices than other kinds of chocolate. Blood pressure, cardiovascular health and insulin sensitivity have all been shown to profit from the flavonoids in the cocoa bean. Chocolate milk drinkers in one study showed marked improvement in heart health including a boost to the “good” HDL cholesterol. It’s notable that the chocolate milk consumed in this study was made with unsweetened cocoa powder (containing 82 percent cocoa) stirred into skim milk as opposed to the highly processed and sweetened version typically found on supermarket shelves.

Other research suggests eating chocolate makes us feel good – something self-professed chocoholics already know. Chocolate may reduce stress and have other positive psychological effects. Chocolate may be connected to neurotransmitters boosting mood and lowering anxiety. This research is still preliminary, so nutrition experts still don’t recommend eating chocolate for those health benefits, but this research is something chocolate lovers will watch.

Not all chocolate is created equal but consider choosing your chocolate fix based on what we know:

• The higher the cocoa content the greater the health benefits from flavonoids which help protect against aging and some chronic disease conditions. Following unsweetened cocoa powder on the list for percent cocoa is unsweetened baking chocolate and dark chocolate. Studies suggest that eating dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa improves cardiovascular health. Semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate drop down further on the list for cocoa content.
• White chocolate contains no cocoa — which indicates it contains none of the healthy flavonoids.
• Cocoa butter, the key ingredient in white chocolate, has been shown to primarily contain stearic and oleic acids. On the plus side, cocoa butter doesn’t raise cholesterol. Cocoa butter combined with cocoa powder give that satisfying melt-in-your-mouth experience but makes it a high fat, high calorie food.
• Some chocolate on supermarket shelves has added cocoa flavonoids and other cholesterol-lowering sterols. Choose these if your budget can afford such a treat and you enjoy the flavor. Flavonoids can be obtained from other foods for less money and possibly fewer calories.

Pure chocolate is bitter. The more commonly consumed chocolate is cocoa mixed with sugar and other ingredients. However, we can choose to prepare or purchase healthier chocolate treats with a lower level of sugar. Magnify the benefits of flavonols by:
- Combining dark chocolate with fruit and nuts.
- Dip fresh strawberries into melted dark chocolate.
- Stir together melted dark chocolate with dried blueberries, cherries and nuts and drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper until they solidfy into a berry-cluster treat, or create your own favorite combination for chocolate drops.
- Prepare a dessert platter of red and green grapes, assorted fresh berries and squares of dark chocolate for choices rich in flavonols.
- Bake brownies with unsweetened cocoa powder or unsweetened baking chocolate. Minimize added sugar to the brownies by adding naturally sweet fruit to the recipe.

To add even more antioxidant benefits enjoy your creations with flavonol-rich red wine or a cup of black or green tea.

How much dark chocolate or unsweetened cocoa powder is the potential ticket to good health? None of the studies to date have determined the optimal daily serving. Many health experts are comfortable recommending daily dark chocolate in small amounts—an ounce or two daily—if it’s a food you already enjoy and can afford it in your calorie budget.

As a final word of caution, check the ingredients on the label to see where sugar is listed. The further down the list the better because that indicates a smaller amount of sugar in the product. Weigh the extra calories in chocolate before you spend them … and then enjoy every morsel!

Perryman Nutrition Column – www.news.colostate.edu

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the USDA have identified factors that influence the antioxidant content of oats. In part, these benefits are likely derived from avenanthramides (Avns), a metabolite with potent antioxidant properties found exclusively, among food crops, in oats.

At the Cereal Crops Research Unit in Madison, Wisconsin, chemist Mitchell Wise is exploring the full extent of the biological function Avns have in oats. Previous studies have found that an Avn-enriched diet boosted antioxidant activity in serum and certain tissues in mammals, including humans. Insight into how Avn production is regulated may lead to increased Avn levels in the grain, which could, in turn, lead to higher antioxidant levels in the foods we eat.

The specific purpose of Avns is still largely unknown, but previous studies have found an increased production of Avns in oat leaves when the plant is attacked by a fungus, leading researchers to believe it plays an antimicrobial role.

But the amounts of individual Avns, says Wise, are highly variable and appear to be strongly affected by environment, genotype, and genotype-environment interactions. Wise and colleague Doug Doehlert, a fellow chemist with the ARS Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota, examined the correlation between crown rust pressure and Avn concentration in the grain. They tested 16 oat cultivars and 2 breeding lines at three locations in North Dakota over 2 years.

The researchers found genotypes with the strongest crown rust resistance typically had the highest Avn concentrations in environments where crown rust occurred. They also found Avn production is likely influenced by additional environmental factors, as not all cultivars with strong crown rust resistance produced high Avn concentrations. Nevertheless, their results suggest that oat breeders—taking into account crown rust pressure during growth—can select certain cultivars for enhanced production of Avns.

Wise is also making an important contribution to human nutrition studies involving oats. Though there are at least 25 structural varieties of Avns found in oats, three forms—avnA, avnB, and avnC—are most abundant in the grain. Wise is able to create pure synthetic compounds of each type, which he supplies to colleagues for use in nutrition studies. Recently, Avns have been found to help reduce the risk of heart disease.

This research is part of Plant Biological and Molecular Processes, an ARS national program (#302) described at www.nps.ars.usda.gov.

Mitchell Wise is in the USDA-ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit, 502 Walnut St., Madison, WI 53726-2335; (608) 262-9242.

“Uncovering the Nutritional Value of Oats” was published in the February 2010 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

www.ars.usda.gov

Plant Research International has discovered the gene that makes tomatoes pink.

Tomatoes generally turn red but a mutation in the tomato genome makes them turn pink instead. This mutation was described in the literature as early as 1925 but it was still not known what caused it. In this month’s Plant Physiology Magazine a research team led by Arnaud Bovy explains that the pink colour is due to a mutation in a single gene. This mutation blocks the production of a key group of compounds, the flavonoids. They are found in the tomato skin and are yellow in colour. They combine with another pigment, red lycopene, to create the typical red colour of ripe tomatoes. If the yellow flavonoid is missing, the tomato becomes pink.

Bovy’s group carries out a great deal of research into flavonoids, not so much because of their role in determining the colour of various plants but because they are considered healthy food components of fruit and vegetables. Flavonoids probably function as antioxidants, reducing the likelihood of cardiovascular illnesses.

His group carried out biochemical studies of pink tomatoes and discovered that one important flavonoid was missing. Further research showed that a whole series of genes involved in the production of this compound were no longer expressed. It finally turned out that a single regulating gene was responsible for switching these genes on and off. ‘When we tested our findings on different tomato varieties, the relationship between this gene and the pink colour turned out to be one hundred per cent’, says Bovy.

Wagingen University and Research Center – www.wur.nl

Three plant extracts Hypericum mysorense, Hypericum hookerianum and Usnea complanta, exhibited significant antiviral activity, at a concentration non toxic to the cell line used

Plants have been used as folk remedies and ethnobotanical literature has described the usage of plant extracts, infusions and powders for centuries for diseases now known to be of viral origin. There is an increasing need for search of new compounds with antiviral activity as the treatment of viral infections with the available antiviral drugs is often unsatisfactory due to the problem of viral resistance coupled with the problem of viral latency and conflicting efficacy in recurrent infection in immune-compromised patients. Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) are ubiquitous agents which cause a variety of diseases ranging in severity from mild to severe, and in certain cases, these may even become life threatening, especially in immune-compromised patients. After primary infection, HSV persists in the host for the lifetime. HSV infection is thus considered lifelong infection.

Nucleoside analogues such as aciclovir (ACV), penciclovir etc., are the only approved drugs for the treatment of HSV infections. However, the widespread use of nucleoside based drugs has led to the emergence of resistance in HSV. This indicates the need for search of newer antiviral agents to treat such infections.

The present study was undertaken to test the extracts of 18 plants for their antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1, a DNA virus).

Material & Methods
The plant materials were collected from in and around Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu, India and were authenticated by the Botanical Survey of India, Government Arts College, Ootacamund where sample specimens were deposited. Extracts of different plants were prepared by using Soxhlet extraction unit as per the standard procedure. The essential oils from different parts of plants were isolated by water distillation using Clavenges apparatus.

Sixteen cells were used for each concentration of the test sample. The morphology of the cells was inspected daily and observed for microscopically detectable alterations, i.e.,loss of monolayer, granulation and vacuolization in the cytoplasm.

The cultures were treated with different dilutions of plant extracts in fresh maintenance medium and incubated at 37ºC for five days. Every 24 h the observation was made and cytopathic effects were recorded. Anti-HSV-1 activity was determined by the inhibition of cytopathic effect compared with control, i.e., the protection offered by the test samples to the cells was scored. In virus yield assay, reduction in the yield of virus when cells were treated with the plant extracts was determined.

List of selected medicinal plants –
Bacopa monnieri, Solanum trilobatum, Hibiscus vitifolius, Allium cepa, Derris brevipes, Hypericum mysorense, Hypericum hookerianum, Berberis tinctoria, Mahonia leschenaultia, Usnea complanta, Stirt Usneaceae, Tagetes minuta, Leucas lavandulaefolia, Melia dubia, Azadirachta indica, Santolina chamaecyparissus,
Cryptostegia grandiflora, Daucus carota, Rosmarinus officinalis,

Results
Of the 18 plant extracts tested, three (H. mysorense, H. hookerianum and U. complanta) were found to exhibit potent antiviral activity. H. mysorense and H.hookerianum are used in the treatment for anxiety and inflammation traditionally. Hypericum perforatum from the same species is reported for its antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus. Three plant species Hypericums connatum, Hypericum caprifoliatum and Hypericum polyanthemum (Guttiferae), growing in Southern Brazil were chemically investigated and tested for their antiviral activity against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Our results showed that H. mysorense and H. hookerianum suppressed HSV-1 infection.

Discussion
The results from this preliminary investigation provide evidence of the importance of ethnopharmacology as a guide to the screening of biologically active plant materials. We used 100 per cent inactivation to define an extract with antiviral activity, but many extracts had partial antiviral activity. These extracts may have compounds that are true antiviral, but are present at quantities insufficient to inactivate all infectious virus particles. It is possible that the elucidation of active constituents in these plants may provide useful lead to the development of new and effective antiviral agents.

P. Vijayan, C. Raghu, G. Ashok, S.A. Dhanaraj & B. Suresh JSS College of Pharmacy, TN, India

References
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3. Hudson JB. Antiviral compounds from plants. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press; 1990 p. 200.
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5. Yoganarasimhan SN. Medicinal plants of India, Tamil Nadu. vol 2, Bangalore: Cyber Media; 2000.
6. Vijayan P, Vinod Kumar S, Dhanaraj SA, Badami S, Suresh B. In vitro cytotoxicity and antitumor properties of the total alkaloid fraction of unripe fruits of Solanum pseudocapsicum. Pharm Biol 2002; 40 : 456-60.
7. Vijayan P, Vinod Kumar S, Dhanaraj SA, Mukherjee PK, Suresh B. In vitro cytotoxicity and antitumour properties of Hypericum mysorense and Hypericum patulum. Phytother Res 2003; 17 : 952-6.
8. Chiang LC, Cheng HY, Liu MC, Chiang W, Lin CC. In vitro antiherpes
simplex viruses and anti-adenoviruses activity of twelve traditionally used medicinal plants in Taiwan. Biol Pharm Bull 2003; 26 : 1600-4.
9. Cinatl J, Vogel U, Cinatl J, Kabickova H, Kornhuber B, Doerr HW. Antiviral effects of 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucin on replication of Herpes Simplex Virus type-1. Antiviral Res 1997; 33 : 165-75.