FORMULATION

Monacolin K and KA

Monacolin K is a natural molecule obtained from the fermentation of red rice by the yeast Monascus purpureus, used since ancient times, especially in the East, for its cholesterol-controlling abilities.

However, fermented red rice extract, contrary to what one might think, does not only contain monacolin K; it presents at least 12 different monacolins. However, not all of these are useful; in fact, some are less active or even inactive. The only two monacolins with a marked cholesterol-lowering activity are monacolin KA and its precursor, monacolin K.

Berberol® K features a red yeast rice extract with a high content of Monacolin K and KA. This is because, thanks to an exclusive methodology, it is cleaned of its content in other inactive or poorly active monacolins which, if present, would affect the quality of the final product.

Berberine is a plant alkaloid found in plants of the genus Berberis, such as Berberis aristata, usually extracted from their rhizomes or bark. This substance has been used for centuries for various reported properties, such as its antimicrobial activity, or in case of diarrhea. Today, it is mainly exploited for its ability to control glycemic and lipid parameters, which is undoubtedly one of the most widespread issues in the modern world.

Berberine’s activities on cardiovascular risk factors (cholesterol, blood sugar, and triglycerides) seem to be due to its ability to act on specific pathways that lead to the advantageous modulation of these parameters. Studies indicate that berberine increases LDL receptors and decreases PCSK9, an enzyme that degrades these cholesterol receptors.

However, there is an important drawback in the use of berberine, that is its high hydrophilicity, meaning it is very poorly lipophilic. This results in berberine being poorly absorbed in the intestines and mostly eliminated through feces.

The real obstacle to using berberine is, therefore, its poor bioavailability, i.e., the limitation of the absorbed quota, active at the glycemic and lipid levels.

Berberine

Berberine Phytosome®: the solution to berberine's issues

The solution to the poor absorption of berberine has been found in the development of a particular combination of natural molecules called BERBERINE PHYTOSOME^®, the result of years of careful research in the field.

Thanks to the lipophilic molecules it contains and the presence of inhibitors of extrusion pumps (which expel substances identified as foreign from the cell and decrease their absorption), Berberine Phytosome^® has increased both the absorption and bioavailability of berberine, consequently enhancing its beneficial activities.

Scientific literature data reveal that Berberine Phytosome^® is up to 10 times more bioavailable than berberine alone.

From the knowledge of all the properties of the individual components, obtained by studying hundreds of natural compounds on major global scientific databases, the idea arose to associate monacolin K and KA and Berberine Phytosome^®, a unique combination that allows harnessing the full potential of each component.

Berberine, on one hand, and monacolins K and KA, on the other, collaborate in cholesterol control with amplified action, acting on two different aspects of the same problem. The Phytosome^® form of berberine completes the spectrum of synergy, increasing both the absorption and bioavailability of berberine, thus serving as a natural bioenhancer for berberine itself.

Berberine Phytosome® and Monacolin K: a winning combination

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