Teavigo, as the compound is called, is a natural, pure and highly purified extract made from green tea, and contains a high level of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) - the predominant catechin in green tea.
Green tea consumption has long been associated with weight loss and other beneficial effects, particularly in Asian cultures, and DSM Nutritional Products claims that the Teavigo compound has already been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties.
A study carried out by the company, and presented to scientists in Washington earlier this year, investigated whether Teavigo could also contribute to weight loss, another supposed attribute of green tea.
DSM's researchers used a mouse cell model to study the development of fat cells, a process called adipogenesis. When grown in the presence of insulin, a hormone that promotes fat cell formation, cells developed into fat cells with an accompanying massive lipid accumulation. Adding Teavigo to the cells significantly inhibited this process, the researchers noted.
In addition, Teavigo was also said to prevent the adipogenesis induced by TZD, a medication widely used for treating type 2 diabetes.
A further study by DSM saw wild-type mice fed with a high-fat diet for five months. When compared to mice fed with a normal diet, the high-fat diet group gained more weight (14.8 per cent) and showed a 62 per cent increase in body fat. When 1 per cent Teavigo compound was added to the high fat diet, DSM said that the mice fed with this diet managed to maintain the same weight as the normal-diet group without any increase in body fat.
DSM Nutritional Products, the successor to Roche's Vitamins & Fine Chemicals Division, produces Teavigo EGCG at a plant in Shanghai. When the company announced plans to begin producing the compound back in March last year, it claimed to be the world's first industrial manufacturer of pure EGCG.
Teavigo can be widely used in beverages, solid foods, pharmaceutical products and dietary supplements without impairing the colour or taste profile of the final product, the company said.