Food & Beverage Asia February/March 2022

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INGREDIENTS
healthy and intact and can withstand
external threats. Lipids found naturally
in the uppermost layers of the skin,
such as ceramides, are also essential
to maintaining the surface barrier. A
sub-group analysis of 19 participants
from a pilot study performed in
cooperation with the University
of Hamburg 3 showed a significant
increase in the lipid content of the
skin barrier, after supplementation
with skin-specific BCPs.
BCPs have also been shown
to regulate the metabolism of
other highly specialised cells
of the connective tissue that
produce structural and functional
extracellular matrix components,
particularly ECM fibroblasts.
The fibroblast-specific BCPs optimally
regulate fibroblast cell metabolism,
stimulating the biosynthesis of several
ECM proteins involved in the immune
response. Effects in humans were
shown in a randomised controlled
trial involving 114 women aged
45-65 years, performed by Proksch
et al. (2014). The results showed a
statistically significant increase in
Procollagen Type I (65%), a marker
of collagen formation, after eight
weeks of daily supplementation with
2.5g of fibroblast-specific BCPs.
showing the importance of bone-specific
BCPs in regulating the metabolism
of the human bone-remodelling
cells osteoblasts and osteoclasts.
The benefits of specific BCPs for bone
health have been confirmed in the human
randomised controlled trial by König, et
al. (2018). Osteopenic postmenopausal
women were supplemented daily with
5g of bone-specific BCPs for 12 months
and over this time saw a significant
increase in bone mineral density (BMD).
It is possible that the positive effects
of specific BCPs to bone health may
also contribute to immune health.
Product-specific trials indicate that
the BCPs in IMMUPEPT are also able
to downregulate important biomarkers
of inflammation, tissue damage
and oxidative stress, suggesting an
immune-modulatory effect from
IMMUPEPT. With the introduction of a
family of Bioactive Collagen Peptides,
GELITA can offer manufacturers of
nutraceuticals and functional food and
drink producers solutions to support a
well-functioning immune system:
the selected BCPs in IMMUPEPT 25
stimulate skin barrier keratinocytes
and whole-body ECM fibroblast
cells, while IMMUPEPT 50 adds
bone-specific BCPs to the mix,
contributing also stimulatory effects
to the metabolism of the bone cells
osteoblasts and osteoclasts.
The reason for the success of
GELITA’s selected Bioactive Collagen
Peptides – used in the IMMUPEPT
range – is that they are designed to
optimally stimulate the collagenrich
tissues that are becoming
increasingly recognised for their role
in supporting a well-functioning
immune system – the skin epidermis,
the ECM and the bone marrow. FBA
REFERENCES
1
FMCG Gurus Survey, July 2019
‘Changing consumption habits in the
wake of COVID-19’
2
Collagen Research Institute (CRI), data
on file.
3
ibid.
The dynamic relationship
between the connective tissue
and the immune response
is also shown by the cross-regulation
between bone metabolism and the
immune system. Bone cells, which
were previously thought to only
regulate each other and take care
of remodelling the bone collagen
matrix, have now been shown to
regulate immune cells (Ponzetti
and Rucci, 2019). Equally, immune
responses often disturb bone
metabolism, particularly when the
immune system has been activated
or becomes diseased (Sirufo
et al. 2020; Del Fattore and Teti 2012).
As more is learnt about the importance
of maintaining healthy bones to ensure
a healthy immune system, findings are
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022