STEVENSON, Wash., Sept. 28, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Total Nutraceutical Solutions, Inc. (TNS) (OTCBB:TNUS), announced today that a mushroom under study by TNS was found to have the ability to suppress and prevent Alzheimer's disease (AD). A classic transgenic model of AD was used in which the brain produces increased amounts of the toxic neurodegenerative protein, called amyloid. Amyloids are insoluble fibrous protein aggregates that have been implicated in the development of various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. The clinical study was performed at an independent biotech research center owned by Model BioSystems, Inc of San Clemente, California and Bangalore, India. A transgenic AD fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) model was used to evaluate effects of various test substances including natural whole mushroom powders. The genetically modified fruit fly over expresses and over produces amyloid within its brain tissues and is a well accepted model of human neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. This AD strain lives for only a few days after birth as opposed to 65 days or more for wild type normal strains.
TNS, a global biotechnology leader in whole food mushroom research, tested the ability of edible specialty mushrooms under proprietary development (patent pending), with and without naturally enhanced levels of organic Vitamin D2, to extend the lifespan of the Alzheimer's disease mutant fruit fly. Synthetic vitamin D2 and synthetic Vitamin D3 were also individually tested as well as added to unenhanced mushroom test powders. A specific mushroom, Agaricus blazei Murrill (AbM), with enhanced levels of natural organic vitamin D2 dramatically suppressed and prevented Alzheimer's disease. Synthetic Vitamin D2 marginally improved survival of the AD flies, while synthetic Vitamin D3 worsened survival. Also of interest was the finding that synthetic Vitamin D2 became protective when added to natural AbM powder; added synthetic Vitamin D3 showed only marginal improvement in survival. These evidence based nutritional findings may represent the first time that a natural organic food has been shown to have the potential to suppress and prevent a neurodegenerative disorder, such as Alzheimer's disease. Statistically significant findings also reveal a physiologic difference between activity of synthetic forms of Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 in this neurodegenerative disease model. Study results suggest that neurons may have both Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 receptors and that these neuronal cell receptors may be more responsive to Vitamin D2 as compared to Vitamin D3. TNS ongoing research may uncover further significant findings.
"Alzheimer's disease has become one of mankind's most devastating diseases and the potential ability of a natural whole food to suppress and prevent this disease is a remarkable finding," stated Marvin S. Hausman MD, CEO, TNS. "There has been minimal progress over the past 10 years in the development of AD preventive drugs. Our company is moving quickly to produce a mushroom-based product with naturally enhanced levels of vitamin D2 for human dietary nutritional use."
About Total Nutraceutical Solutions, Inc.:
TNS, a global biotechnology leader in whole food mushroom research and development, focuses on discovering, formulating and marketing products composed primarily of organic natural whole mushroom foods, containing bioactive nutrients, such as L-Ergothioneine and Vitamin D, with potential health benefits. Our scientific strategy is to specialize in the development of production and analytic technologies for food and nutritional supplements mainly composed of mushrooms and their mycelial biomasses. Novel clinical models and biomarkers are used to show nutritional and clinical efficacy of our products. In addition to our novel preventative healthcare formulations and nutritional approaches for a wide variety of human conditions and illnesses, we are also involved in the development, acquisition and ownership of breakthrough nutritional tools and products in the fields of animal husbandry and livestock feeds.
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Any statements contained in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risks associated with the transaction described in this press release, and other risks identified in the filings by Total Nutraceutical Solutions (TNS), Inc., with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Further information on risks faced by TNS are detailed in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These filings are or will become available on a website maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov. The information contained in this press release is accurate as of the date indicated. Actual results, events or performance may differ materially. TNS does not undertake any obligation to publicly release the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.