CARO-CAST

unique ingredient with chestnut tree and carob tree combined.

CARO-CAST is a synergic blend of medical plant composed of carob fruit (Ceratonia siliqua) and chestnut powder extract rich in ellagitannins (Castanea sativa).

CARO-CAST has different functions. It can be an antioxidant and an anti-aging, an anti-bacterial and it can counteract the proliferation of tumor cells.

Technical information

COMPOSITION: Ceratonia siliqua: 90 – 93% (P/P), Castanea: 7 – 9% (P/P), total polyphenols (HPLC/DAD): 1 – 2% (W/W).

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY: Carob fruit – 8,26 mgGAE/g, | CARO-CAST*36,4 mgGAE/g
*CARO-CAST has a major antioxidant activity compared with that of carob fruit alone.

SUGGESTED DOSAGE: 250-500mg mg/die.

USAGE: nutraceuticals and cosmetics.

Free radicals are the usual product of mitochondrial activity; in physiological conditions, there’s a balance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide (O2-), and anti-oxidative substances found in our body, among which superoxide dismutase enzyme (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase enzyme (GPxs). The breaking of this balance increases ROS levels which leads to the oxidation of biological molecules such as lipids, proteins and DNA; therefore, the oxidative stress is defined as the imbalance between ROS levels and anti-oxidant enzymes that help to abolish ROS (Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in aging and cancer, Anna V. Kudryavtseva et al., 2016).
Aging is described as the progressive loss of tissue and organ functions over the years; according to different hypothesis, ROS accumulation is linked to aging since ROS cause the oxidation of biological molecules and consequently their loss of function perturbing cells, tissues and organs functions (Oxidative stress, aging, and diseases, Ilaria Liguori et al., 2018).
Bacterial infections are the largest cause of death among children and immunocompromised patients. Bacteria can penetrate our body by skin injury or by air; once they are inside our body, bacteria create biofilm, they expand and communicate through Quorum sensing evading the immune response. The treatments we use are essential to achieve success; however, microorganisms often develop some form of resistance complicating the treatment. Herein, the use of some natural substances with anti-microbial powers gives advantages in the healing process.
Cancer is one of the most common disease in the world; a lot of studies have shown that some natural substances counteract the proliferation of tumor cells by promoting apoptosis, arresting the cell cycle and down-regulating the MMP-2 and MMP-9, essential for the metastatic process.

Active substances

Ellagitannins are an heterogeneous class of molecules present in plants and fruits such as pomegranate, chestnut-tree and raspberries. They can fulfil different functions

Anti-tumor: for example, in prostate cancer they can trigger the apoptosis of tumor cells;
Anti-proliferative: they can promote the arrest of the cell cycle and inhibit angiogenesis;
Anti-inflammatory: they inhibit pro-inflammatory pathways, such as NF-kB, and downregulate the transcription of genes involved in survival, such as Bclx and other apoptosis inhibitor.

Different in vitro, studies have demonstrated that ellagitannins remain stable in stomach physiological conditions; in vivo, ellagitannins are hydrolysable in Ellagic acid which is metabolized by the intestinal microflora in Urolithin.

Urolithin

is a stress oxidative modulator

It plays an important role in most of chronical diseases by modulating aging process.
A recent study has shown the involvement of Urolithin in improving cognitive functions in Alzheimer’s models.
In a clinical trial (NCT04160312) was observed that Urolithin assumption improved the mitochondrial functions of skeletal muscle. Thanks to mitophagy, Urolithin leads to the elimination of damaged mitochondria accelerating their replacement with new functioning.
An in vitro study has demonstrated that Urolithin strengthens the integrity of the intestinal barrier so it is essential for colitis treatments and for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Ellagic acid

fulfils an anti-metastatic action against different kind of cancer

For example, in CRC it inhibits tumor growth by suppressing the migration of cancer cells through the downregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Plus, it induces cell cycle arrest and leads to apoptosis by regulating Bcl-2 activity.
In prostate cancer, ellagic acid fulfils an anti-proliferative action and it promotes apoptosis. In vitro, this molecule inhibits cells motility and invasiveness typical of cancer cells through the inhibition of MMP-2.
We only employ chestnut-tree from controlled cultivation, paying great attention to the selection of the best Italian qualities.

Quercetin

is a flavonoid present in different kinds of food such as carob tree, apples, berries and onions.

This compound is known for its anti-oxidant and antibacterial functions, since it blocks E. coli gyrase enzyme activity; quercetin is also an antiviral compound and different in vitro studies prove its efficacy: a 2018 study shows that quercetin counteracts Enterovirus71 (EV71) infection in RD (Human rhabdomyosarcoma cells) and Vero (African green monkey kidney cells) cells. It is also an anti-tumorigenic molecule because it modulates the cyclin activity; quercetin fulfills an anti-inflammatory function and a neuro-protective activity since it preserves neurons from the beta-amyloid toxicity.

Catechins

are natural polyphenol present in various foods and plants such as carob fruit, tea and cocoa.

The most aboundant catechins are epicatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallate-catechin. This class of compound fulfills different functions among which an anti-oxidant activity: some studies show that catechins activate glutathion peroxidase and glutation leading to a decrease of oxidative stress in the colon. They also have an anti-inflammatory activity, since they adjust the pathways correlated with inflammation, such as NF-kB pathway, and they fulfill an anti-tumorigenic function, since they inhibit tumor cells proliferation and neo-angiogenesis by suppressing VEGF factor. Catechins also show a protective effect for atherosclerosis and they regulate the microbiota reducing inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract (IDB).

Our products are made exclusively with certified chestnut trees provided by the best farmers of Italy.

Our products are made exclusively with certified carob trees provided by the best farmers of the Hyblaean Coast, in Sicily, which can be considered the most suited Italian territory to cultivate such fascinating trees.

To develop our extracts we follow safe, effective as well as environment- and use-friendly methods. Furthermore, we benefit of the valuable cooperation with the University of Florence.

Studies

  • Enhancement of the gut barrier integrity by a microbial metabolite through the Nrf2 pathway,  (Rajbir Singh, Sandeep Chandrashekharappa, Sobha R. Bodduluri, Becca V. Baby, Bindu Hegde, Niranjan G. Kotla, Ankita A. Hiwale, Taslimarif Saiyed, Paresh Patel, Matam Vijay-Kumar, Morgan G.I. Langille, Gavin M. Douglas, Xi Cheng , Eric C. Rouchka , Sabine J. Waigel, Gerald W. Dryden, Houda Alatassi, Huang-Ge Zhang, Bodduluri Haribabu, Praveen K. Vemula & Venkatakrishna R. Jala)
  • Ellagitannins in Cancer Chemoprevention and Therapy (Tariq Ismail, Cinzia Calcabrini, Anna Rita Diaz, Carmela Fimognari, Eleonora Turrini, Elena Catanzaro, Saeed Akhtar and Piero Sestili)
  • Ellagic Acid-Derived Urolithins as Modulators of Oxidative Stress (Jasmina Djedjibegovic,  Aleksandra Marjanovic, Emiliano Panieri and Luciano Saso)
  • Experimental Evidence of the Antitumor, Antimetastatic and Antiangiogenic Activity of Ellagic Acid (Claudia Ceci, Pedro M. Lacal, Lucio Tentori, Maria Gabriella De Martino, Roberto Miano and Grazia Graziani)
  • Main components of pomegranate, ellagic acid and luteolin, inhibit metastasis of ovarian cancer by down-regulating MMP2 and MMP9 (Huidi Liu,&, Zheng Zeng, Siwen Wang, Ting Li, Emilio Mastriani, Qing-Hai Li, Hong-Xia Bao, Yu-Jie Zhou, Xiaoyu Wang, Yongfang Liu, Wei Liu, Sijing Hu, Shan Gao, Miao Yu, Yingying Qi, Zhihang Shen, Hongyue Wang, Tingting Gao, Lingqin Dong, Randal N. Johnston and Shu-Lin Liu
  • Urolithin A attenuates memory impairment and neuroinflammation in APP/PS1 mice (Zhuo Gong, Jingyi Huang, Biao Xu, Zhenri Ou, Le Zhang, Xiaohong Lin, Xiujuan Ye, Xuejian Kong, Dahong Long, Xiangdong Sun, Xiaosong He, Liping Xu1, Qingqing Li and Aiguo Xuan)
  • Anti-inflammatory potential of ellagic acid, gallic acid and punicalagin A&B isolated from Punica granatum (Lamees A. BenSaad, Kah Hwi Kim, Chin Chew Quah, Wee Ric Kim and Mustafa Shahimi)

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