Allium Vitalis has developed innovative antioxidant products for personal health care use. These products are currently being manufactured under license by Viola Vitalis (Dhaka, Bangladesh) and are being distributed by both Viola Vitalis and Allium Vitalis.
Although some antioxidants (such as vitamin C and vitamin E) have been extensively researched in the past and are well known to provide various health benefits, the "membrane permeable mercaptans" are a class of antioxidants that has received little research in the past. Allium Vitalis has discovered that membrane permeable mercaptans are antioxidants with potent anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. Experiments conducted by Allium Vitalis, Viola Vitalis, the Plant Bioactives Research Institute (Orem, UT), and Presque Isle Cultures (Erie, PA) have confirmed the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties of membrane permeable mercaptans and have demonstrated their various uses for personal health care.
New (and patentable1) uses for membrane permeable mercaptans as a dietary supplement include:
1. Increasing the bioavailability of the amino acid cysteine, which is essential for protein synthesis and is also necessary for glutathione synthesis. (Glutathione is an essential antioxidant in the body.)
2. Increasing the level of cysteine in blood plasma, reversing the age-related decline in the cysteine level that would otherwise naturally occur.
3. Decreasing the "glycation" damage to proteins from blood sugar2, which occurs not only in those diagnosed with diabetes and is associated with increased overall mortality even at subclinical levels3.
4. Decreasing the damage to LDL from blood sugar, which in turn reduces the buildup of arterial plaque4.
Membrane permeable mercaptans are incredibly effective at suppressing inflammation, which is most dramatically illustrated by our "Feeling Is Believing" skin lotion, which rapidly eliminates the pain and itching associated with insect bites, poison oak, sunburn, and minor skin burns.
Because our products use ingredients that are already classified as "Generally Recognized As Safe" by the US FDA, they are relatively inexpensive to develop and produce. The goal is to provide inexpensive dietary supplements that are suitable for personal care, reducing the need for expensive health care treatments, especially in the less developed regions of the world.
5. Increasing the level of cellular glutathione, which in addition to its antioxidant properties serves as a cofactor in many detoxification processes, including the detoxification of arsenic and its elimination from the body5.
1. D. M. Ott; Method to Increase the Bioavailability of Cysteine; US Patent and Trademark Office, US 7,678,833.
2. B. S. Szwergold, et al; Transglycation - A Potential New Method for Deglycation of Schiff Bases; Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1043:845.
3. S. Rahbar; The Discovery of Glycated Hemoglobin; Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1043:9.
4. A. Ravandi et al; Glycated Phosphatidylethanolamine Promotes Macrophage Uptake of Low Density Lipoprotein and Accumulation of Cholesterol Esters and Triacylglycerides; Journal of Biological Chemistry 274:16494.
5. S. V. Kala et al; The MRP2/cMOAT Transporter and Arsenic-Glutathione Complex Formation are Required for Biliary Excretion of Arsenic; Journal of Biological Chemistry 275:33404.