Daily Circulation

Aristotelia chilensis commonly known as maqui berry is a native South America evergreen shrub that grows wild in the Patagonia region mainly in Chile and Argentina. The Mapuche Indians used the maqui berry leaves, stems and the purple-black colored astringent berry fruit in Chile for thousands of years as an anti-inflammatory, anti-hemorrhagic, and used to reduce fever.

Maqui berry is naturally rich in many nutrients including alkaloids, cinnamic and benzoic acid derivatives, mineral elements and polyphenols. The polyphenols and especially the anthocyanins present in maqui berries, water-soluble plant pigments have a strong antioxidant activity, the delphinidins are the most potent antioxidative group. Indeed, Delphinol[reg] is a maqui berry standardized extract with 35% anthocyanins and 25% delphinidins, the richist source.

Ginger or Zingiber officinale is a widely known herbaceous plant with irregular shaped roots (rhizomes) and used as a flavoring agent or spice in food and a herbal medicine for centuries in China and India (Ayurveda) among others to support digestive imbalances, pain, heartburn, nausea, indigestion and vomiting. Ginger consists in compounds gingerol, shogaols, zingiberene and zingerone, as well as terpenes, vitamins and minerals.

French Maritime Pine Bark is an extract from the outer pine bark of Pinus pinaster a mono-species growing in Southwest France in Les Landes de Gascogne, also France's largest forest. The use of pine bark was first documented back in 1535, during Jacques Cartier's expedition to Canada the fleet lay stuck on a frozen a river for several months, lacking of fresh supplies. The members of the crew who had suffered from severe scurvy, were treated with a tea made of pine bark and needles several times a day, recommended by the Iroquois Indians. It was later discovered that besides a small content in vitamin C, pine bark contains bioflavonoids in abundance.

Pycnogenol[reg], as a standardized extract of pine bark, contains a combination of 65-75% procyanidins, bioflavonoids (catechin, taxifolin) and various organic acids in naturally defined constant proportions, which offer health benefits including in circulatory health.

The support on well-being provided by Daily Circulation (Zinopin[reg]) significantly benefits from the combined antioxidant potency delivered by all active constituents. Maqui berry, with its a high content of phenolics with considerable antioxidant capacity, may protect LDL from oxidation and endothelial cells (innermost layer of the arteries) from intracellular oxidative stress.|1|$Romanucci V., et al. (2016). Curr. Pharm. Biotechnol., 17(6), 513-523.$

A group of researchers showed that after four weeks intake of Delphinol[reg], a significant reduction of oxidized LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol and F2-isoprostane is observed in human moderately overweight volunteer smokers, compared to placebo.|2|$Davinelli S., et al. (2015). J Am. Coll. Nutr., 34(SI):28-33.$

Pycnogenol[reg] French maritime pine bark extract is known as a strong antioxidant demonstrating the potent neutralization of free radicals in humans, beneficial activities particularly for the cardiovascular system. In one investigation, Pycnogenol[reg] intake significantly increased antioxidant capacity of plasma, as determined by ORAC, and shows favorable effects on human lipid profile.|3|$Devaraj S., et al. (2002). Lipids, 37(10):931-934.$

These results were confirmed by a twelve-week clinical trial including young healthy volunteers supplemented with Pycnogenol[reg], which indicate an increased endothelial nitric oxide synthesis, present in endothelial cells, that act on blood platelets to decrease their tendency to form aggregates.|4|$Nishioka K., et al. (2007). Hypertension Res., 30(9):775-780.$ Thus, Pycnogenol[reg] was shown to improve vascular function by improvement of endothelial function, enabling vessels to naturally dilate in support of a smoother blood flow.

Ginger root active constituents have been documented for their pharmacological activities including anti-platelet aggregation and vasorelaxing effects.|5|$Liao Y.R., et al. (2012). Molecules, 17, 8928-8937.$ Although In vitro studies demonstrate ginger compounds inhibit platelet aggregation, a systematic review of several existing human studies on the potential effect of ginger compared to placebo or baseline, reported inconsistent results.|6|$Marx W., et al. (2015). PLOS One, 10(10), e0141119.$

Furthermore, a meta-analysis on the effects of ginger reveal a significant lipid-lowering effect, in particular with a favorable effect on total cholesterol, LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol and triglycerides.|7|$Fakhri Z., et al. (2018). J. Herb. Med., 3(3), 120-131.$ 

1 Romanucci V., et al. (2016). Bioactive compounds of Aristotelia chilensis Stuntz and their pharmacological effects. Curr. Pharm. Biotechnol., 17(6), 513-523.

2 Davinelli S., et al. (2015). A randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of anthocyanin-maqui berry extract Delphinol[reg] on oxidative stress biomarkers. J Am. Coll. Nutr., 34(SI):28-33.

3 Devaraj S., et al. (2002). Supplementation with a pine bark extract rich in polyphenols increases plasma antioxidant capacity and alters the plasma lipoprotein profile. Lipids, 37(10):931-934.

4 Nishioka K., et al. (2007). Pycnogenol[reg] French maritime pine bark extract, augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humans. Hypertension Res., 30(9):775-780.

5 Liao Y.R., et al. (2012). Anti-platelet aggregation and vasorelaxing effects of the constituents of the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale. Molecules, 17, 8928-8937.

6 Marx W., et al. (2015). The effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on platelet aggregation: A systematic literature review. PLOS One, 10(10), e0141119.

7 Fakhri Z., et al. (2018). The effects of ginger supplementation on lipid profile: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J. Herb. Med., 3(3), 120-131.