A study on 60 human healthy volunteers, males and females, aged 20-45 years, which had been characterized by a 5 - 15 kg. overweight for at least 6 months was conducted to evaluate safety and efficacy of a food supplement intended to help weight loss by reducing absorption of calories from carbohydrates, comparing such a product vs. a placebo. The study was performed upon request from Consorzio RTC - Ricorche e Tecnologie Cosmetologiche.

The considered products were identified as Blockal batch D106B and Blockal batch 1600301.

An envelope containing qualitative and quantitative formulations of the samples and the key for the identification of the products was given to the Study Responsible and, if necessary was available for the researchers during all the study. At the end of the study the envelope was opened, and products and formulations identified in front of the Study Responsible and of a RTC delegate.

To highlight the activity claimed by the considered product, volunteers were asked to take a tablet before a meal rich of complex carbohydrates.

In this sense, 30 days before starting the test (t-30) each subject was controlled by a Dietician, that gave him/her a table with nutritional suggestions, recommending the daily assumption of complex carbohydrates during one of principal meals, so that they could get used to this regimen.

All volunteers undertook to take the Dietician's advice and their weight was registered after 10, 20 and 30 days. Only 60 volunteers whose weight remained stable in such a period were recruited for the study.

A 30-day double blind test for home use of the food supplement, with LAB control, was then performed.

Volunteers were divided in two homogenous groups (sex, age, weight) and took 1 tablet a day of the considered products, in the correspondence of the meal with complex carbohydrate high content, for 30 days as follows:

Group 1: Blockal batch D106B

Group 2: Blockal batch 1600301

Volunteers undertook to maintain their regular habits (such as sport, or any other habits that could affect the study) and to follow the Dietician's nutritional advises.

At the beginning (t0) and at the end of the study (t30), weight of each subject was measured. Fat body mass and lean body mass were calculated (bioelectric impedance measure method).

At the same time (t0 and t30) a cutaneous echographia was performed on each subject to determine adipose membrane thickness. Such an evaluation was performed at trochanter zone in women and at abdominal zone in men. Waistline, hips circumference and thigh circumferences were also measured.

Furthermore, at the end of the study, volunteers' opinions concerning tolerability and efficacy of the products were considered.

Results

Group 1: (Blockal batch D106B)

At the end of the study (t30) results highlighted that the product determined a weight loss of kg 2,933 (corresponding to 3.90% of total body weight). Such a weight loss also determined a 10.45% reduction of fat body mass, without significant modifications of lean body mass.

Results also highlighted that the product determined a 11.63% reduction of adipose membrane (by echography), a 3.44% reduction of waistline, a 1.39% reduction of hips circumference and a 1.44% reduction of thigh circumference.

Personal evaluation also highlighted a good tolerability and a good efficacy of the considered product.

Group 2: (Blockal batch 1600031)

At the end of the study (t30) results highlighted that the product determined a weight loss of kg 0.348 (corresponding to 0.47% of total body weight) without significant modifications of fat body mass and of lean body mass.

Results also highlighted that the product determined a 1.30% reduction of adipose membrane (by echography), a 0.53% reduction of waistline, a 0.10% reduction of hips circumference and a 0.39% reduction of thigh circumference.

Personal evaluation also highlighted a good tolerability and a low efficacy of the considered product.

At the end of the study, the Study Responsible compared the formulations of considered product that resulted as follows:

Blockal batch D106B (Group 1): food supplements containing active ingredients inhibiting carbohydrate absorption (includes 500mg of Phase 2® )

Blockal batch 1600031 (Group 2): placebo

Conclusions

Results suggest that Blockal batch 1600031 (placebo) did not determine significant modifications of the considered parameters, while Blockal batch D106B demonstrated a good efficacy in reduction of calories intake form complex carbohydrates for an easier, correct and balanced weight loss (calculated by impedance measure), with reduction of adipose membrane thickness (echography) and a reduction of waistline, hips circumference and thigh circumference.

Such results have to be correlated with the specific composition of the product that contains a vegetal glycoprotein capable of inhibiting pancreatic a-amylase. Such a protein (weight 49,000 Daltons) demonstrated in vitro an inhibition corresponding to 14.638 units per gram).

It should also be stressed that in this study, food supplement was administered in correspondence of a complex carbohydrate high content meal, and that complex carbohydrates can be absorbed only after enzymatic parting trough pancreatic amylases.

Weight loss, particularly of fat body mass, can be reconducted to a lower absorption of complex carbohydrates, due to the activity of the vegetal glycorprotein included in the food supplement taken before the meal.