Sabinsa gets a US polyphenol process patent

The company, headquartered in India, has a strong patent portfolio, which it has vigorously defended of late. It manufactures herbal and botanical extracts for cosmeceutical, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications. According to Sabinsa, the patented manufacturing process simplifies the process for discovering unknown polyphenolic compounds, as well as enables easy access to several known polyphenols. Sabinsa has applied the process in the manufacture of polyphenols exhibiting various health benefits such as resveratrol, oxyresveratrol and pterostilbene. As the market for phytochemicals with healthy properties grows, any patents protecting extraction processes for compounds are bound to set a company apart. Resveratrol, for instance, has been linked to cardiovascular health, as well as brain and mental health. The antioxidant is found in plants such as grape skin, peanuts and mulberries. Sabinsa's new patent, US Patent 7,253,324, specifically protects the process for the synthesis of biologically active polyphenolic compounds by novel dealkylation. As part of the method, alkoxy aromatic compounds are dealkylated to the corresponding phenolic compounds by means of an aluminum chloride/N,N-dimethyl aniline complex. The patent is Sabinsa's thirty-fourth worldwide. "The review, acceptance and issuing of this patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office was completed in only six months, which is a testament to the hard work of our scientific team and the thoroughness of the information that was submitted with the patent application on the process, scientific support and previous references on the subject,"​ said Muhammed Majeed, Sabinsa CEO and founder. Sabinsa claims to have brought more than 50 standardized botanical extracts to market. The company employs over 100 scientists who conduct ongoing research in India and the United States, in order to develop and patent more phytonutrients.