Enovita® (Grape Seed Extract) by Indena

Vitis Vinifera L. Procyanidins as Strong Aint-inflammatory Polyphenols at Gastrointestinal Level

Human gastrointestinal mucosal inflammation can be generated mostly by a dysregulated interaction between human host and microbial population leading to gastritis, ulcer, IBD besides representing an important risk factor for gastric cancer development. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been identified as one of the most relevant agent for the development of gastric inflammation. During H. pylori infection, gastrointestinal epithelial cells activate different pro‐inflammatory processes through NF‐κB mediated over‐expression of genes, including IL‐8. Several studies have already reported a potential role of dietary polyphenols in modulating inflammatory processes at gastrointestinal level. The present work has been focused on the in vitro investigation of the potential anti‐inflammatory effect of a highly standardized grape seed extract from Vitis vinifera L. (Enovita®, lndena Tours, Tours, France) containing a well-characterized amount of procyanidins with different molecular weight. For this purpose, human gastric (AGS) and intestinal (CaCo‐2) epithelial cells have been stimulated in vitro with pro‐inflammatory cytokines (TNF or IL‐1β) and treated with the grape seed highly standardized extract at increasing concentrations (0.05‐1 g/ml) for 6 hours. IL‐8 release was assessed by ELISA kit. The results obtained demonstrated a strong capacity of the extract to reduce IL‐8 release, with an IC50 0.070 ± 0.013 g/ml (mean ± S.D.) in AGS cells. These preliminary results reveal a peculiar anti‐inflammatory effect of procyanidins higher than other classes of polyphenols, which seem weaker modulators of inflammatory responses when tested in comparable experimental conditions. The data suggest a possible clinical testing in subjects with inflammatory related disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Grape Seed Procyanidins in Pre- and Mild Hypertension: A Registry Study

The efficacy of a standardized grape seed procyanidins extract (GSPE, Enovita) to decrease blood pressure when associated with nondrug intervention (diet and lifestyle modifications) was investigated in a controlled registry study involving 119 healthy, pre- and mildly hypertensive subjects. Two dosages of Enovita were evaluated (150 and 300 mg/die), using blood pressure and heart rate as the primary endpoints and complementing these observations with a laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) investigation of the microcirculation state and an evaluation of the plasma oxidative status. After four months of treatment, a statistically significant higher, and dose-dependent, improvement in all endpoints was observed in the treatment groups compared to that of the control, with blood pressure normalizing in 93% of the higher dosage (300 mg) treatment group. Taken together, these observations suggest that GSPEs have beneficial cardiovascular effects that complement current intervention strategies in the hypertension area. The effect on blood pressure adds to the beneficial effects of GSPEs on the cardiovascular disease (CVD) phenotype associated with the oxidation of membrane lipids (endothelial dysfunction, formation of oxidized LDL, and activation of phagocytic cells).

Grape Seed Extract Positively Modulates Blood Pressure and Perceived Stress: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study in Healthy Volunteers

Abstract: It is well established that maintaining healthy blood pressure is fundamental in order to avoid disorders to the heart and blood vessels. In prevention, and alongside pharmacological therapy, the use of natural substances has been proven to be extremely helpful for pre- and mild hypertensive subjects. Our study was therefore focused on the effects, both in vitro and in humans, of a grape seed extract, Enovita (GSEe), a highly standardized extract in polyphenols of Vitis vinifera L. The in vitro human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) model was chosen to explore the extract properties related to vascular inflammation/vasodilation. A significant reduction of both soluble Inter-Cellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (sICAM) and endothelin-1 secretion/release was induced by GSEe in HUVEC cells. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study in healthy volunteers was further performed to investigate GSEe benefits. In healthy volunteers, both supplementations significantly modulated blood pressure, with a pronounced effect after GSEe tablets (300 mg/day for 16 weeks) in respect to placebo. In the male gender subgroup, no placebo effect was observed as it was for the female group. As an additional outcome, an overall GSEe positive modulation emerged on mood-related to stress perception. Thus, GSEe resulted in a benefit of modulating endothelial functionality and blood pressure. It was noteworthy that GSEe relieved the perceived stress, promising new future perspectives on mood comfort.