Stressed is Best

Xenomis licenses Harvard’s “Stressed Plant” technology for cutting-edge resveratrol supplement applications.

By
Joanna Cosgrove
Online Editor

Resveratrol has long been known as a potent antioxidant most typically associated with the “French Paradox” red wine phenomenon. Although the benefits of this component of grapes have been well-documented, researchers at Harvard Medical School have harnessed the science of Xenohormesis to concentrate resveratrol’s health benefits, recently licensing its proprietary science to Pittsburgh, PA-based Xenomis LLC to assist in the development of nutraceutical products with “potentially far reaching physiological benefits.”

Xenohormesis is a term coined by researchers to describe the hypothesis that molecules derived from stressed plants can have positive health benefits in mammals. The process was originally postulated by Harvard University’s David Sinclair and Konrad Howitz, director of molecular biology at Biomol International, (Plymouth Meeting, PA). Sinclair hypothesized two to three million years ago a drought or stress, stressed humans and plant life. He also hypothesized that “eating the molecules in stressed plants might help activate the Scarcity Gene, or Sirtuin Gene, that over the last 10 years has been shown to have very powerful effects on longevity and preserving health by way of helping protect against cardiovascular and Alzheimer disease, cancer and diabetes,” explained Joseph Maroon, MD, director of research at Xenomis and professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “Sinclair and Howitz discovered a series of molecules, gave one in particular – resveratrol – to animals, and found that indeed this molecule from stressed plants (and other polyphenols) had very beneficial health-giving effects and activated this Sirtuin Gene.”

In this case, Southern Australian Pinot Noir grapes are stressed primarily by fungal infection, as well as temperature, humidity and UV radiation. “In the past, vintners would use chemical modality to kill the fungus but the fungal infection prompts the grapes to manufacture polyphenol compounds, which are the grapes’ antibacterial or antifungal. It stresses the immunity of the plant, just like infection stresses the immunity of humans,” said Dr. Maroon. “Nietzsche once said ‘that which does not kill me makes me stronger.’ In the plant world stresses can be good in the sense that making molecules that end up being protective for the plant. And these molecules, when ingested by humans can activate genetic pathways that enhance our own metabolic processes, such as improved immunity against various diseases.”

Jeff Bost, research director, Xenomis, explained that the last 100 years has demonstrated quantifiable differences when comparing the quality of protective polyphenols of modern wines with 100-year-old bottles of wine. The older wines were made with organically-grown grapes and subjected to higher natural stress levels and therefore had much higher levels of protective polyphenols. Modern wines, according to Mr. Bost, are bombarded with chemicals that don’t allow the plant to be stressed, which is why they don’t produce the same quality of protective polyphenols.

In addition to resveratrol, a series of other polyphenols are currently being studied, including quercetin, fisitin, miricin and others, because “the combination of compounds found in particular in stressed grapes enhances absorption and body utilization of the combined product,” said Dr. Maroon.

The Pinot Noir grapes undergo a proprietary Australian extraction process, whereby the resveratrol is extracted and then concentrated over 100 times.

According to Dr. Maroon, Xenomis has already completed a clinical trial using the products in humans and are “very pleased” with the results. The data will be formally presented at an upcoming medical meeting in early 2008. In the meantime, the company is currently developing products and sorting through distribution deals in search of the best way to introduce the product to the nutritional supplement market. The company is currently in discussion with a couple of “significant players” and plans to have a distribution deal in place by early 2008.

Bill Watts, co-founder of Xenomis, LLC, and formerly of GNC, expressed excitement about the potential the partnership between his company and Harvard Medical School holds. “When I was at GNC, I always felt the shortcoming of this [nutritional supplement] category was the lack of real science and credible research behind the products,” he said. “Here we have a situation where I don’t think it gets any better than Harvard University in terms of prestige and credibility, doing the research and licensing the nutraceutical application through their patents to Xenomis.”