The research grant, set to provide a minimum amount of between RM100k (US$24k) and RM150k (US$36k) in cash per year, is aimed at supporting local Malaysian research, as well as facilitating research connections between the company and the local research fraternity.
“As long as the research is meaningful, with interesting measurement endpoints and markers that we think have a market value, we will be keen to support it,” Bryan See, vice president, business development and technical support, at PhytoGaia told NutraIngredients at the recent Vitafoods Asia 2026.
Even before the introduction of the grant, the company has been working with tertiary institutions such as Monash University Malaysia to conduct various clinical studies, including the impact of mixed tocotrienols and squalene supplementation on telomere length and telomerase activity – two well-established biomarkers of biological aging.
Another study examines how oral supplementation of squalene and tocotrienols could benefit dry skin, including eczema.
“The company has been doing research for the past five to six years and sometimes, it is difficult to find and pin down the right researchers,” See said.
He cited an example in which the company spent about three years identifying experts and doctors specializing in pet nutrition, and hopes that the announcement of a research grant will help the company reach a wider group of potential researchers.
“Since we are funding the research and our spending has increased significantly over the years, we have decided to come out with a policy to support local researchers,” he said.
Some of the research areas that the company is interested in include how palm phytonutrients can benefit areas such as sarcopenia, stress management and cognitive health.
“We will set the policy, the terms and conditions for researchers to come to us on the areas that we are researching. They can also come to us if they have a bright idea to share; we evaluate and sign an NDA,” he said.
Recent studies
At the moment, the company has 12 ongoing or upcoming clinical studies with tertiary institutions on areas such as palm phytonutrients’ bioavailability and their potential benefits for scalp health, cognitive help, sleep and diabetic complications.
Recent studies completed include the use of palm phytonutrients on alcoholic fatty liver disease and sports endurance.
For example, it was found that tocotrienol use in mice with alcoholic fatty liver disease resulted in reductions in body weight, serum cholesterol, glycerol, liver enzymes, and an increase in antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione.
A subsequent clinical study involving 113 subjects diagnosed with alcoholic fatty liver disease was also conducted, where the effect of two softgels, each containing 100mg of full-spectrum tocotrienols/tocopherol complex marketed as TocoGaia, per day for three months was assessed.
See said that the study conducted in China showed that visceral fats in the liver had reduced significantly after six weeks of supplementation, alongside improvements in liver stiffness, hepatic fats and liver enzymes. Results are pending publication in a journal.
Its sports endurance study, on the other hand, assessed the effects of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) together with TocoGaia.
“MCT was used as they comprise short-chain triglycerides, which could help support absorption. TocoGaia was used to inhibit free radical oxidative stress generated during exercise,” said See on the study conducted in Malaysia.
