A study published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology showed that Nutriventia brand TurmXTRA 60N, a proprietary water-dispersible turmeric extract containing 60% curcuminoids from Mumbai-based Inventia Healthcare Ltd., has superior pharmacokinetics than a standardized 95% turmeric extract.
 
Turmeric (curcumin) has become a popular herb to manage health and consumer demand is expected to grow substantially. Because turmeric is known to be poorly absorbed, it has become imperative for formulators to use a turmeric ingredient that is proven to be highly absorbed.
 
“Turmeric is inherently challenging to process, and its therapeutic utility is limited due to the inherent low bioavailability of its active constituents, curcuminoids, making efficacious doses extremely large between 1,500 mg and 1,800mg,” said Anand Godbole, assistant vice president of marketing and strategy for Nutriventia.
 
Study Details
“Our new study, and second one published for TurmXTRA 60N in 2021, evaluated and compared the pharmacokinetic characteristics of TurmXTRA 60N and standard 95% turmeric extract,” Godbole continued. “In the randomized, two-way crossover, single oral dose, comparative pharmacokinetic study one capsule of TurmXTRA 60N (150 mg curcuminoids) was compared to three capsules of STE95 (500 mg curcuminoids each) in 14 healthy subjects. 250 mg of TurmXTRA was found to present the same level of curcuminoids in plasma as compared to the 1,575 mg of turmeric extract standardized to 95%. Thereby establishing that 250 mg of TurmXTRA could be said to be bioequivalent with a 1,575 mg of turmeric extract 95% curcuminoids.”
 
The authors found that while peak plasma levels of free curcumin, total curcuminoids, tetrahydrocurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin werecomparable, Cmax of total curcumin was higher for TurmXTRA 60N. Additionally, the mean AUC0-t was higher for free curcumin and comparable for total curcumin and total curcuminoids with TurmXTRA 60N than with STE95. 
 
The study authors concluded that the data showed TurmXTRA 60N has an optimized higher absorption and comparable exposure for free curcumin, total curcumin, and total curcuminoids from a significantly lower dose (10-fold lower) of curcuminoids than STE95.¹
 
‘Efficiently Available’
“This study is enlightening in that it demonstrates a priority attribute for consumers, that the active compounds are more efficiently available in the body apart from the enhanced convenience of a reduced dose—one pill in place of the three for an efficacious dose,” Godbole said. “As there are many turmeric supplements and functional foods and beverages touting curcuminoid benefits, those containing TurmXTRA 60N can be expected to deliver on label claims at a substantially lower dose.”
 
Joint Health Study
This study closely follows the publication of a trial showing benefit of consumption of TurmXTRA 60N for joint support. The 90-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial was conducted in 96 healthy adults who experienced chronic knee pain following physical exertion. The study showed that supplementation with 250 mg TurmXTRA 60N resulted in significant improvement in joint comfort, mobility, and performance post physical exertion. Of note, those in the supplement group reported significant and clinically relevant improvement in efficacy variables as early as day 45.²
 
References
1. Thanawala S, et al. “Comparative bioavailability of curcuminoids from a water-dispersible high curcuminoid turmeric extract against a generic turmeric extract: a randomized, cross-over, comparative, pharmacokinetic study” Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 2021 73(6), 816–823,
 
2. Thanawala S, et al. “A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Assessing Efficacy and Safety of a Novel Low-Dose Turmeric Extract Formulation in Healthy Adults with Chronic Knee Pain” Clinical Pharmacology: Advances and Applications 2021