Booth 2999

Helaina, a biotechnology company specializing in human-equivalent bioactive proteins, will be exhibiting at Natural Products Expo West for the first time. The company will feature its ingredient, Effera, which it reports is the world’s first clinically-studied human lactoferrin equivalent for adult supplementation.

It recently entered the market as a novel health ingredient backed by preclinical and clinical data demonstrating safety, absorbability, and a digestive profile comparable to that of native human milk lactoferrin.

Effera is believed to have potential beneficial roles in gut, immune, and women’s health, the company reports. An ongoing ex vivo study is currently evaluating the immunomodulatory potential of the ingredient, by analyzing the cytokine production of primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The research will compare the ingredient against both native human and bovine lactoferrin for comparability. The aim of the study is to assess potential advantages over bovine lactoferrin.

Last year, an in vitro study found that Effera may have a greater digestion and tolerability profile over bovine lactoferrin, and that its digestion, structural integrity, and peptide release is more similar to native human milk lactoferrin.

A study published in the Journal of Toxicology showed that participants taking bovine lactoferrin produced antibodies against the protein, while those who took Effera didn’t produce these antibodies, suggesting again a greater tolerability.

According to the company, Eurofins testing results indicated that Effera can enable brands to include 15-times more lactoferrin per dose than standard colostrum ingredients, and seven times more lactoferrin as a percentage of total protein consumption than leading colostrum brands.

Effera’s purity, stability, and GMO-free and vegan status makes it suitable for a wide variety of dietary supplements, functional foods, and beverages positioned for women’s health, gut health, immune health, and active nutrition.