Blue California Files Additional Patent for Ergothioneine

Aug 31 2020

Company details potential therapeutic use of Ergothioneine for oxidative stress.

Blue California has filed for a patent on therapeutic uses of Ergothioneine, claiming the ingredient may mitigate oxidative stress that triggers an inflammatory response common to many chronic health conditions.

Specifically, it claims that Ergothioneine can mitigate oxidative stress triggering the inflammatory response in many chronic health conditions

“Blue California has been at the forefront of research and development regarding Ergothioneine using our branded ingredient ErgoActive,” said Dr. Priscilla Samuel, chief science officer at Blue California, “We have found through our research that Ergothioneine has tremendous potential to combat oxidative stress and health conditions associated with it.

Ergothioneine is a naturally occurring amino acid normally provided to the body from dietary sources such as mushrooms, in which it is particularly rich. Humans produce a highly specific transport protein called OCTN1 for Ergothioneine, leading many to speculate about its importance to human health.

“The possibilities for ErgoActive to be incorporated in an immune health supplement or in a functional food or beverage are immense,” said Katie Ferren, vice president of sales and marketing at Blue California. “This opens up the door for support in some exciting health applications.”

Blue California has also received a no-objection from FDA related to its GRAS notification on ErgoActive Ergothioneine. The company exclusively manufactures and distributes ErgoActive for Conagen, a greater Boston area biotechnology company with a portfolio of products for the food, nutrition, and pharma markets. Vice President of Innovation at Conagen Dr. Casey Lippmeier said, “ErgoActive is an ideal nutrient and we produce it with a proprietary fermentation process.”

Blue California and Conagen are eager for next steps. “Blue California recently invested in both in vitro and in vivo research of ErgoActive. We will be studying how Ergothioneine supplementation can support various health benefits, including immune health. We also look forward to clinical studies that further test and demonstrate these novel benefits included in our patent application, and in the emerging scientific literature,” said Samuel.