A new supplement registry study has shown that Casperome, the Indena Phytosome formulation of Boswellia serrata delivering the full natural bouquet of triterpenoids, rapidly alleviated the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) (Belcaro G, Gizzi G, Pellegrini L, Corsi M, Dugall M, Cacchio M, FeragalliB, Togni S, Riva A, Eggenhoffner R, Giacomelli L. “Supplementation with a lecithin-based delivery form of Boswellia serrata extract (Casperome) controls symptoms of mild Irritable Bowel Syndrome”).

The study enrolled 71 otherwise healthy subjects with idiopathic IBS that knowingly decided to follow one of these management strategies: Hyoscine butylbromide, administered when needed (Group 1); papaverine hydrochloride 10 mg + belladonna extract 10mg, administered when needed (Group 2); supplementation with Casperome, 1 tablet of 250 mg per day, for 4 weeks (Group 3). All groups were comparable in term of age and gender distribution and they presented similar clinical characteristics at inclusion. Abdominal pain, altered bowel movements, meteorism and cramps were evaluated by subjects before the inclusion and during the last week before the end of the observational period (4 weeks). Furthermore, conventional drugs were considered as rescue medications in case Casperome supplementation failed to alleviate IBS symptoms.

All IBS symptoms investigated improved during the period with the three management strategies, but only in the Casperome-supplemented group did the number of subjects with any IBS symptoms significantly decrease, from 58% to 12.5%. Consistently, in Casperome-supplemented group, the number of subjects who needed medical attention significantly decreased to 4.1%.

In addition, the prevalence of side effects was significantly higher in the two groups treated with the Standard Management Strategies (28% for group 1 and 26% for group 2) compared to Casperome supplemented subjects (8.2%). 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic, relapsing, gastrointestinal disorder in which abdominal pain or discomfort is associated with defecation or change in bowel habits. It affects 10-20% of the adult population and is often unrecognized or untreated. Considering the chronic nature of this disorder, IBS has a strong negative impact on subjects’ work and social life. 

Indena suggested this study demonstrates that Casperome supplementation may represent a promising alternative approach to manage symptoms associated with IBS in otherwise healthy subjects. 

CASPEROME is a purified extract rich in triterpenoid acids from the gum resin of Boswellia serrata. Given the poor bioavailability of these compounds (Buechele B. et al. Journal of Chromatography B, 2003.), Indena has formulated the extract with Phytosome technology to optimize their absorption and further support their functions in modulating physiological response to various challenges.