Scientists in Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv have developed a combination of plant-based substances that supports metabolic health. The combination of natural compounds has undergone laboratory testing and preclinical experiments. The team is now in the final stages of developing a food supplement containing substances from traditional medicine to support metabolic balance in the body.
The discovery comes against the backdrop of one of the pandemics of modern life – the rising incidence of obesity. How is science seeking ways to tackle the problem, and why is there still no magic pill for weight loss, health and longevity?
The new combination of natural bioactive substances that affects metabolic health is the result of a five-year scientific study conducted by the team of Prof. Milen Georgiev at the Center for Plant System Biology and Biotechnology and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Prof. Milen Georgiev, head of the research team at the Center for Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: “You can see what we might call the semi-final version in my hands.”
The capsule contains natural substances that have undergone precise laboratory testing, with the results documented in two dissertations and numerous scientific publications.
Assoc. Prof. Lilia Mihaylova, pharmacologist at the Center for Plant System Biology and Biotechnology and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: “Three main ingredients: betulinic acid, maackiain and piperine, which are known compounds, and we established that their combined interaction works through different mechanisms that support the control of metabolic health.”
For the compounds showing the greatest potential, opportunities are already being explored to move on to clinical trials involving human subjects.
Prof. Milen Georgiev, head of the research team at the Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB) and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: “We have already received a proposal from China to conduct a clinical study at a large clinic on the product and how it affects metabolic health and obesity-related conditions.”
For the compounds showing the greatest potential, opportunities are already being explored to move on to clinical trials involving people.
Prof. Milen Georgiev, head of the research team at the Center for Plant System Biology and Biotechnology and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: “We already have a proposal from China to conduct a clinical study at a major clinic to examine the product and how it affects metabolic health and obesity-related conditions.”
The team is therefore already looking towards bringing the development to market.
Assoc. Prof. Lilia Mihaylova, pharmacologist at the Center for Plant System Biology and Biotechnology and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: “Protecting our combination at the utility model level and transferring it to an industrial partner, ultimately in the form of a completely natural product as a food supplement for metabolic health management.”
The global food supplement market is worth €250 billion. Around one-third of products are marketed as effective for weight management and obesity prevention. However, some preparations have been found to contain substances banned for use in the EU and the United States.
The head of the research team in Plovdiv says he is prepared to put his signature on every package as a guarantee that the contents of the Bulgarian supplement exactly match its description. But he warns that there is still no magic pill for weight loss.
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