Luzixine™

a concentrate of benefits

The French company LRD recently started to market innovative raw material Luzixine™ on the human food market. Luzixine™ is a natural cocktail of proteins, omega 3, vitamins and minerals that is guaranteed to be free of GMOs and has the characteristics of a “super-food”.

This new vegetable ingredient, made in France from a sustainable cultivation, is the only concentrated extract in the world produced from the lucerne leaf. Luzixine™ is a natural cocktail of proteins, omega 3, vitamins and minerals that is guaranteed to be free of GMOs and has the characteristics of a “super-food”. Its protein and iron-rich composition has already proven itself through the company’s long-standing commercial activity in developing countries and notably earned it recognition for its benefits in fighting malnutrition.

Luzixine™: the only food supplement of its kind in the world

Luzixine™, the first commercial lucerne leaf extract designed for human consumption, produced and distributed by LRD, is the result of 10 million euros worth of investment and 15 year research and development. It is authorised to be marketed as an ingredient for food supplements is Europe in accordance with Directive no 2002/46 of 10th June 2002 transcribed into French law by Decree no 2006/352 of 20th March 2006, published in the OJ of 25th March 2006.

From an minimum and ecoresponsible process

The product is produced in France by means of a natural and responsible agro-industrial process (ensuring that no part of the plant is wasted) and the extraction process helps to concentrate all of the nutrients to enable Luzixine™ to take full advantage of the extraordinary composition of lucerne.

Much more than just a protein concentrate

- A good plant-based protein source

Luzixine™ is rich in proteins and in fact contains in average 54% easily absorbable proteins. It is also beneficial in terms of the amino acids it contains (Figure 1), which include the eight vital amino acids (AAs) that the body needs (46% of all AAs). In actual fact, it has a chemical score (CS) – the system used to assess the nutritional quality of the protein in relation to a benchmark chemical score determined by the WHO and equal to 100 – of 120, demonstrating its ability to provide essential amino acids, that is those that the metabolism cannot synthetise. The nutritional value of the proteins found in Luzixine™, characterised by their ability to be absorbed with carrying degrees of ease, is also assessed based on their digestibility, which varies from 7085% depending on the type. The PDCAAS score of Luzixine™ is between 0,84 and 1, depending on the variability of digestibility. By way of comparison, pea proteins have a score of 0.7 and wheat proteins 0.4.

FIGURE 1 Luzixine™ aminogram

- A natural source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals

A daily intake of 10g (maximum dose) of Luzixine™ significantly contributes to the recommended daily intake not only of proteins but also of iron, calcium, manganese, omega 3, vitamins A, B9, K1, and E (Figure 2).

FIGURE 2 Table of nutritional claims for a 10g dose

A super-food on the food supplement market

Luzixine™ is guaranteed to be GMO free, suitable for those on vegetarian and gluten-free diets and designed to be used directly as a food supplement or incorporated in the formulation thereof (Figure 3). It is particularly well suited to various applications in the food supplement market, as a super-food, or an alternative to animal proteins.

DESIGNATION: Lucerne (Medicago sativa) protein or Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) protein

COMMISSION DECISION of 13 Octobber 2009 authorising the placing on the market of a leaf extract from Lucerne (Medicago sativa) as novel food or novel food ingredient under Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document c(2009) 7641)

Helping to fight malnutrition in developing countries

LRD has been supporting the APEF (Association pour la Promotion des Extraits Foliares en nutrition) which helps fight malnutrition around the world) by providing Luzixine™ for developing countries, and the partnership that the association has formed with Prof. Bertin of the “CHRU” Reims (France) university hospital has enabled LRD to obtain evidence of the nutritional benefits of Luzixine™. Four clinical studies performed between 2004 and 2009 confirmed its efficacy and its innocuousness in undernourished populations, where it is used as a food supplement.

FIGURE 3 Luzixine™ at a glance

The observational data gathered on the ground in Peru, India and the Congo has highlighted an improvement in the state of health of undernourished populations as a result of consuming 10g Luzixine™, the main effect of which are as follows: • An improvement in cases of anaemia caused by an iron deficiency (Figure 4), • An acceleration in stature-ponderal growth in children and adolescents (Figure 5), • A reduction in respiratory infections and chronic diarrhoea

FIGURE 4 Observational data impact of Luzixine™ consumption on anaemia of malnourished population