Comet Bio has announced the successful completion of its randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial evaluating the gastrointestinal (GI) tolerability and prebiotic effects of its arabinoxylan plant fibre extract, Arrabina.
Results reveal that consumers can take up to 12 g/day of Arrabina with no negative gut or bowel reaction. The study also found that Arrabina promotes the growth of bifidobacteria, confirming its prebiotic function.
The outstanding tolerability makes Arrabina unique within the prebiotic market. Prebiotics play a pivotal role in the microbiome by supplying the crucial, non-digestible ingredients that fuel the growth of good bacteria, including probiotics.
Unfortunately, many popular prebiotics can cause GI distress and bloating, making it difficult for consumers to incorporate them into their healthy diets. Arrabina provides a solution to this prebiotic problem.
The clinical trial administered by the leading research organization, Biofortis, was completed with 44 healthy individuals who consumed Arrabina for 3 weeks at 6 g or 12 g/day or a placebo.
Participants ranked eight areas for gut and bowel discomfort, including gas, bloating and nausea, to compare any potential differences in GI tolerance of the three treatments. The study concludes that even at a high dosage of 12 g/day, there were no statistical differences in GI scores between Arrabina and the placebo.
"We are thrilled that the clinical trial results prove that Arrabina is exceptionally well-tolerated," said Andrew Richard, CTO of Comet Bio.
"These results add to the body of the clinical evidence we have assembled, including structure-function claims that our arabinoxylan plant fibre Extract, Arrabina is a prebiotic that helps maintain healthy blood sugar and supports immunity."
Despite its exceptional prebiotic and health benefits, Arabinoxylan has not been widely available for use due to inefficient extraction technology. Comet Bio saw this market need and determined its patented upcycling technology would be the answer.
"Our proprietary water extraction technology makes it possible to produce Arabinoxylan and other nutrition from upcycled crop leftovers," said Comet Bio CEO, Rich Troyer.
"Our process uses water and pressure to produce Arabinoxylan as a fully soluble powder with superior functionality. Arrabina’s low viscosity means it will not gel or impact texture when added as a supplement to protein powders or as a fibre boost for nutrition bars, baked goods and drinks."
By using upcycled crop leftovers to produce Arabinoxylan, Comet Bio enables farmers to use their whole harvest and prevent food waste.
Every year, vast amounts of food waste occur, costing consumers an estimated $46 billion. Comet Bio's Arrabina mitigates this industry waste by extracting nutrients from these leftovers and providing supplement and food companies a healthy, sustainable ingredient.
