Natreon Granted U.S. Patent for Shilajit Bioactive for Weight Management

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Botanical ingredients supplier Natreon (New Brunswick, NJ) announced that it has received a U.S. patent for a shilajit bioactive for weight management.

This U.S. patent (US 9901596) is for 3-hydroxy-dibenzo-α-pyrone (3-OH-DBP), also known as urolithin B. Urolithin B is a natural bioactive present in shilajit, a sticky, tarlike substance that is said to help to regulate weight gain. The company says that international patents for its urolithin B are pending. 

In 2014, Natreon received a U.S. patent for a combination for either 3,8-dihydroxy-dibenzo-α-pyrone (3,8-(OH)2-DBP), also known as urolithin A, or 3-OH-DBP (urolithin B) and CoQ10/ubiquinol, “as mitochondria-targeted antioxidants for treatment of mitochondrial disorders” (US 8894993). Both urolithins, the company says, are bioactive components of shilajit and of shilajit’s fulvic acids.

Research on these urolithins’ mechanisms of action, the company says, has increased significantly in recent years. The company points to one of the recent theories about how urolithins exert their health benefits, which suggests that the ellagitannins in a person’s diet (especially from fruits like pomegranate) are converted to urolithins by the microbiome in the GI tract. These ellagitannins, or bioactive polyphenols, are then absorbed into the bloodstream, where they provide potential immune-health benefits. Research sponsored by Natreon at Ohio State University showed that urolithins are present in animal tissue and “have significant mitochondrial activity.” Given this preliminary research, the company says that it is planning additional clinical studies on these compounds.