ChromaDex® Corp. announced findings from a Phase 2/3 trial at the University of Mississippi Medical Center showing its patented nutritional ingredient pTeroPure® (pterostilbene) significantly reduced blood pressure in adults. The findings from the study, the first clinical trial of the pure compound, were presented today at the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions. pTeroPure, which was named the 2010 North American Most Promising Ingredient of the Year by the independent research company Frost & Sullivan, is a nature identical form of pterostilbene, an antioxidant found in blueberries.

“We saw reduced overall blood pressure in patients who received the high dose of pterostilbene,” said the study’s principle investigator, Daniel M. Riche, PharmD, Cardiometabolic Clinic Coordinator at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy. “The results of this study highlight that pterostilbene is a promising ingredient in the area of cardiometabolics.” 

Pterostilbene is believed by many experts to show great promise for supporting heart health, cognitive function, anti-aging, weight loss and other metabolic disorders. Pterostilbene has superior biological activity, better oral bioavailability and metabolizes more slowly in the body than other antioxidant polyphenols (substances from plants that tend to prevent or neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals), resulting in more prolonged antioxidant activity.

The study, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, included 80 adults averaging 54 years of age with high cholesterol (total cholesterol of 200 or greater and/or LDL cholesterol of 100 or greater). Most participants were women (71%) and some had been diagnosed with high blood pressure (55%). The mean average baseline systolic blood pressure (BP) was 127.4 mmHg and the mean average baseline diastolic BP was 79.3 mmHG. The American Heart Association guidelines state that >119 mmHg systolic BP and >79 mmHg diastolic BP are classified as pre-hypertensive. Twice daily, participants received high (125 mg) doses of pterostilbene, low (50 mg) doses of pterostilbene, pterostilbene (50 mg) with grape extract (100 mg), or placebo. The investigators assessed participants’ blood pressure, body weight and blood lipids at the beginning and end of the study.

By the end of the study, participants in the high-dose pterostilbene group (250 mg/day) achieved significant reductions in BP compared to placebo: 7.8 mmHg in systolic BP (p < 0.01) and 7.3 mm Hg in diastolic BP (p < 0.001), without serious adverse events. The only change in lipids was an increase in LDL cholesterol with pTeroPure (24.9 mg/dL, p < 0.001), which was less among participants on cholesterol-lowering medication and was not seen among those who also received the grape extract. Participants not on cholesterol medication also achieved a minor average reduction in body weight (reduced body mass index 0.59 kg/m2) with pTeroPure. ChromaDex plans to conduct further studies specific for weight reduction to evaluate this trend.

“With high blood pressure affecting more than 76 million adults in the U.S., we are thrilled that these findings show pTeroPure to be effective at reducing blood pressure,” said Frank Jaksch Jr., CEO and cofounder of ChromaDex. “With limited  non-prescription options to address this ‘silent killer,’ these results will allow pTeroPure to carry a claim of being ‘clinically proven,’ an attribute that should have a meaningful impact on demand for the ingredient.”

pTeroPure is the key novel ingredient in BluScience™, ChromaDex's recently launched line of dietary supplements. BluScience, is now available in more than 17,000 outlets in the U.S, including national drugstore chains, wholesalers and mass channel and internet distributors.