The University of Nottingham and Aboca have launched a scientific collaboration aimed at clinically studying the mechanism of action of natural substances on the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract.
The feasibility study will be conducted at the Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center and will be the first to use MRI technology to visualize, in a human subject, the protective film that NeoBianacid, a product based on natural substances, forms on the mucosa of the esophagus and stomach.
The Research
A recent multicenter, controlled, randomized, double-blind, and with double placebo clinical trial published in July 2023 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology demonstrated the non-inferiority of NeoBianacid to a standard dose of omeprazole (20 mg) in symptomatic patients with heartburn and epigastric burning without erosive esophagitis and gastroduodenal lesions (endoscopy negative).
The new study is designed to demonstrate how the formula builds its protective barrier in vivo.
As explained by Maura Corsetti, a professor and researcher in gastroenterology at the University of Nottingham, “It is the first time that magnetic resonance imaging will be used to evaluate the effect of the protective coating of a natural product on the upper gastrointestinal tract, and it represents an important step toward a better understanding of how natural therapies work inside the human body.”
Moreover, the study aims to validate the use of MRI, a noninvasive technology, to monitor the presence and persistence of the protective layer formed by NeoBianacid on the stomach and esophageal mucosa in healthy volunteers, paving the way for future clinical applications.
“Our team has developed advanced techniques to visualize the contents and coating of the digestive tract, but this will be the first attempt to visualize the protective mucosal layer formed by a natural product like NeoBianacid,” says Caroline Hoad, a GI MRI expert. “If successful, it will be a milestone for noninvasive, real-time evaluation of natural products.”
NeoBianacid
The product is based on natural, biodegradable substances and is characterized by Poliprotect, a patented plant-and-mineral complex built on polysaccharides from Aloe vera, Malva sylvestris, and Althaea officinalis and natural minerals (Limestone and Nahcolite) and a flavonoid fraction from Matricaria recutita and Glycyrrhiza glabra.
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