Total Nutraceutical Solutions, Inc. (TNS) (OTCBB:TNUS), announced today that it has filed a Provisional Use Patent application on the ability of a proprietary natural organic mushroom formula to control oxidative stress. Oxidative or inflammatory stress is caused by the release of free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) within cells and tissues of the body. Healthy cells and tissues normally neutralize ROS in order to stay alive. When production of ROS overwhelms the body’s normal defense mechanisms, oxidative damage to cellular DNA occurs and can lead to cell death. Research indicates a strong link between oxidative stress, release of ROS and inflammation and disease, examples being diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and even early aging.
Oxidative or inflammatory stress was dramatically induced in the Drosophila melanogaster fruitfly model by the toxic agent, Paraquat, and the end-point of death was evaluated. The proprietary formula consisted of the organic edible mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) produced by Sylvan Bio, Inc. that was stimulated with Ultraviolet-B light to produce a specific amount of increased natural Vitamin D2. This TNS investigator-blinded study showed that AbM with D2 was able to counteract and/or neutralize the oxidative stress effect and resulted in a 30% increase in survival. Vitamin D2 by itself had no effect on survival.
TNS has acquired, from The Penn State Research Foundation, an option to license the technology used to stimulate increased levels of Vitamin D2 within mushrooms, such as AbM. This patent, “Methods and Compositions For Improving The Nutritional Content of Mushrooms and Fungi,” was published in the United States on October 29, 2009 and has an initial filing date of April 23, 2008.