Carrington adds new patent and product for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets.

Carrington Laboratories, Inc. (Irving, TX; 972-518-1300) announced it has been granted a new patent for the discovery and isolation of a new pectin (complex carbohydrate) from natural Aloe vera L. or other aloe species. The new patent covers the composition of matter of this unique pectin processed from the rind or pulp (inner leaf gel) of Aloe vera L. which features unique chemical and functional properties that distinguish it from other commercial pectins. Pectins are complex carbohydrates associated with plant cell walls. Other commercial pectins have been traditionally used as food additives and more recently for pharmaceutical applications such as drug delivery. The uniqueness of this new pectin allows for development of novel products in the nutraceutical area as well as possible therapeutic applications.

More than 40 metric tons of Aloe vera L. leaves are processed each day at Carrington's bulk pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Costa Rica. Until now, Carrington's proprietary processes have utilized only the gel from the inner leaf to produce raw materials, such as Acemannan hydrogel for use in the manufacture of wound and skin care products, and Manapol powder for nutraceuticals.

The plant rinds, or the outer green shells, comprise about sixty percent of the total weight volume, that have heretofore been discarded and/or recycled as mulch. With the discovery of the new pectin, these plant rinds, with the development of production capacity, could potentially be the source of new products for the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets.

Dr. Kenneth Yates, Carrington's vice president of research and development and a co-inventor of the patent, commented, "This is an exciting discovery.

We will investigate this pectin's possible applications in wound care, an area in which we already have considerable expertise using natural complex carbohydrates, to further extend our exceptional line of advanced wound care products. We also see great possibilities for this material to be used as an encapsulating vehicle to enhance the bioavailability of certain drugs."

Dr. Carlton Turner, president and CEO, added, "The research project team, headed by Dr. Yawei Ni, is applauded for isolating and identifying this extraordinary product from nature. This new material has the potential to be the foundation for many new and unique products, and further demonstrates the intrinsic value of our complex carbohydrate technology. It is this technology that allows Carrington to preserve all the complex carbohydrates from the gel and rind of fresh Aloe vera leaves, whereas the traditional enzymatic method used by the industry to prepare most raw materials destroys the prized complex carbohydrates by converting them into simple sugars. Thus, I expect our patents related to pectins to be a total surprise to the aloe industry."

A spokesperson for the company declined to elaborate further on the pectin's potential applications pending the issue of a use patent expected by Carrington in the near future.

Carrington is a research-based biopharmaceutical company currently developing therapeutics for ulcerative colitis and mucositis. The company also manufactures and markets nutraceuticals, raw materials, consumer products and wound care products. All products derived from naturally-occurring complex carbohydrates are protected by more than 119 patents in 26 countries.