HARKE Pharma acquires patented Memory Complex: l-theanine and fructooli-gossaccharide combination clinically proven to boost memory

Established in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, HARKE Pharma GmbH announced in a recent press release that the company has acquired a nutraceutical Memory Complex that was created by Green Bioactives, UK.

According to the press release, the Memory Complex a patented combination of L-theanine and fructooli-gossaccharide, that is now in global control of by HARKE Pharma GmbH. A double-blinded, placebo-controlled human clinical study that was published in Food Science & Nutrition, titled, “Improvement of both human and animal memory by synergy between fructooligosaccharide and L-theanine function establishing a safe and effective food supplement,” investigated the Memory Complex’s role in memory support.¹ Results from the study found significant improvement in total memory of 10.1%. The Memory Complex ingredient is available for formulation in sachets, syrups, gummies, drinks, bars, soft gels, capsules, and tablets.

The study consisted of 120 healthy male and female participants. The study subjects were randomly assigned into the group that received the placebo or the group receiving two MT-01 capsules twice a day, which contained a total of 0.2 g L-theanine and 0.1 g fructooligosaccharides per capsule.¹ The placebo group was provided two placebo capsules that consists of the same weight and color, as well as a nonactive filling, two times a day. Individuals that did not follow administration protocols, were not included in the study. Researchers then collected urine, stool, blood, and biochemical tests on each study participants before the trial began and after. To analyze memory assessment, researchers utilized the Technical Standards for Testing & Assessment of Health Food and the Clinical Memory Scale (CMS) in PLA 254 hospital.

“In addition to animal tests, we carried out a human trial to further investigate the effect of a 1-month supplement of MT-01 on the memory of a cohort of aged, cognitively healthy individuals. The dose utilized for the human trial was that which showed a synergistic effect between FOS and L-theanine during animal testing (Nair & Jacob, 2016). Using CMS, we observed a significantly higher total memory and memory quotient between the treatment group and the placebo group following the trial,” the study mentioned.¹ “Thus, participants showed a significantly higher score in direct memory, graphic memory, and portrait retrieval compared to participants in the placebo group after the trial. Interestingly, a comparison of test scores from participants in treatment groups before and after the trial showed a significant increase of scores in all memory tests. It is also noteworthy that administration of MT-01 had no adverse effect on health parameters tested both before and after the duration of the trial. When combined with animal safety test data, our findings suggest that a combination of FOS and L-theanine is safe for human consumption.”

Researchers concluded, “In aggregate, our findings demonstrate that a combination of FOS from M. officinalis and L-theanine acts synergistically to enhance memory in rodents at a specific, defined dose range. Furthermore, our findings identified a formulation of FOS and L-theanine, MT-01, that enhanced multiple aspects of human memory in a 1-month trial. Presently, there are no dietary recommendations for FOS and/or L-theanine in relation to human cognitive function in either the United States or the European Union (EU). Our data highlight the importance of these two plant-derived natural products for human memory and significantly, provide a novel, safe, and effective dietary supplement to promote human memory and cognition.”¹

Christian Steinle, Head of HARKE Nutra, one of the Business Units of HARKE Pharma GmbH, said in the press release, “I am convinced by the scientifically proven combination of L-theanine and fructooligossaccharide, which naturally promotes cognitive per-formance. For me, our Memory Complex is a real booster for clear thinking and a strong memory.”

Countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom (UK), have had brands commercialize the Memory Complex ingredient. With new management, the ingredient in the future may expand farther into Europe, as well as North America within the next 12 months or so.

Reference

1. Li, Y., Jiang, Y., Zhang, Z., Loake, V. I. P., Bao, X., & Loake, G. J. (2024). Improvement of both human and animal memory by synergy between fructooligosaccharide and L-theanine function establishing a safe and effective food supplement. Food Science & Nutrition, 00, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.4145