About BioPerine®
BioPerine® is a patented extract obtained from black pepper fruits (Piper nigrum) standardized minimum to 95% Piperine. Piperine is what gives peppers their spicy taste. This extract is marketed as a nutritional supplement and has been found to increase the absorption of different nutrients.
BioPerine® has been around in its current form since it was developed in 1988 by Sabinsa Corp. and has been used as a bioavailability enhancer for over 20 years. Sabinsa’s purpose in researching, pioneering, and optimizing this extract was to a safer, easier, more potent method of acquiring the health benefits of black peppercorn without having to ingest that much pepper in foods.
BioPerine® was found to enhance absorption of nutrients by at least 30%.
Why BioPerine® stands out in the crowd?
- BioPerine® distinguishes itself by being the sole product derived from Piperine to secure a patented status, specifically recognized for its capacity to enhance the bioavailability of nutritional substances.
- BioPerine® is the exclusive Piperine source to have undergone rigorous clinical trials in the United States, providing solid evidence of its safety and effectiveness for nutritional purposes.
Studies
Study 1: Influence of Piperine on the Pharmacokinetics of Curcumin in Animals and Human Volunteers
Study details
- Albina Wistar rats (n=96) of both sexes (150-200g), were divided into 2 groups, including one for the administration of curcumin and the other for concomitant curcumin (2g/kg) and piperine (20mg/kg)
- 10 healthy male volunteers, 20 to 26 years, weighing 50 – 75kg, joined in a randomized cross-over trial, supplemented with curcumin alone or when combined with piperine.
- Vein blood samples were collected from groups.
Results
- In rats, administering Curcumin alone at a dose of 2g/kg resulted in moderate serum concentrations sustained for 4 hours. However, when administered concurrently with piperine at 20mg/kg, there was a significant increase (P < 0.02) in bioavailability, which rose by 154%.
- In humans, administering a 2g dose of Curcumin alone resulted in either undetectable or very low serum levels. However, when piperine was administered concurrently at 20mg, significantly higher concentrations were observed from 0.25 to 1-hour post-drug (P < 0.01 at 0.25 and 0.5 hours; P < 0.001 at 1 hour), leading to a remarkable 2000% increase in bioavailability.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that piperine, at the dosages employed, enhances serum concentrations, absorption extent, and bioavailability of curcumin in both rats and humans without causing any adverse effects.
Figure 1: Serum concentrations µg/ml (mean ± SEM) of curcumin 2g oral alone and with piperine 20mg in humans (n= 8). Significance as compared to curcumin alone; *P <0.01 **P <0.001
Study 2: Piperine, an alkaloid derived from black pepper increases serum response of beta-carotene during 14-days of oral beta-carotene supplementation
Study details
- 14-day supplementation
- 12 adult male volunteers (22-43 years), divided into two groups.
- Randomly selected to ingest a daily beta-carotene dose (15 mg) either with 5 mg of piperine or placebo.
Results
- Supplementation with beta-carotene plus piperine resulted in significantly greater increases (P<0.0001) in serum beta-carotene compared to beta-carotene plus placebo.
- During a 14-day supplementation period, the addition of piperine to beta-carotene resulted in a 60% greater increase in the area under the serum beta-carotene curve (AUC) compared to supplementation with beta-carotene plus placebo.
Conclusion
The serum response to oral beta-carotene supplementation is enhanced by the non-specific, thermogenic properties of piperine, which are described in this paper as the action of a thermonutrient.
Figure 1: Serum beta-carotene levels before and after 14-day supplementation
Study 3: An Evaluation of Bioavailability Enhancement of Organic Elemental Iron with BioPerine® in Rabbits
Study details
- 12 rabbits, split into two groups
- The Sample I received orally a single dose of either BioIron with BioPerine®
- The Sample II received orally a single dose of BioIron without BioPerine®
- Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, 120, 240, 360, 480 minutes, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 hours
- Analyzed by ICP-MS method
Results
The results revealed that at the 8-hour time point, the serum concentration of iron was significantly higher in the group treated with BioIron containing BioPerine® (36.55 ± 9.97 μg/ml) compared to the group treated with BioIron without BioPerine®.
Conclusion
Sample I exhibited higher iron bioavailability compared to animals from Sample II. Therefore, it can be concluded that Sample I of BioIron containing BioPerine® possesses greater iron bioavailability.
Figure 1: Iron levels in the serum samples from animals treated with BioIron with BioPerine® (FD/JJ0715/SD-14) and BioIron without BioPerine® (FD/JJ0715/SD-04)
