Deal strikes high hopes for bioactive ingredients from ancient apples

Foods and supplements containing bioactive ingredients from ancient apple varieties boasting "higher concentrations of polyphenols than green tea and cocoa" should hit the market in 2011 following a tie up between UK firm Coressence and Danish ingredients giant Danisco.

Unlike some of the high-profile superfruits like goji and açai, which are primarily sold on a free-radical-busting platform, the ancient apple varieties Coressence has been cultivating contain the kind of polyphenols found in cocoa and green tea, but in even greater concentrations, claimed chief executive Richard Wood.

While French rivals are exploring cider apple bioactives such as quercetin and phloridzin (for inhibiting glucose absorption), and fibres (for satiety and gut health), Coressence is focusing on resurrecting ancient apple varieties rich in (-)-epicatechin.

This could literally turn back the clock when it came to key biomarkers of cardiovascular health, claimed Wood, who struck the deal with Danisco to take his polyphenols to market. "(-)-epicatechin relaxes your arteries, reducing blood pressure and blood platelet aggregation [which is responsible for blood clots - the trigger for heart attacks and strokes. It could also help reduce the risk of DVT, which makes it a very exciting ingredient."

Coressence, which owns intellectual property covering the extraction process for its raw materials and the rights to its specific apple varieties, is also exploring collaborations with cosmetics firms and over the counter pharmaceutical applications, he said.

Under the deal, Danisco has gained exclusive rights to market the apple-based ingredients in food and supplements under the brand name Evesse.