IRVINE, CALIF. — Layn Natural Ingredients on Nov. 3 launched a new plant-based ingredient solution specifically for pet nutrition products, TruGro® Weight Management. The ingredient contains standardized, polyphenol-rich botanical extracts from green tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves.

The ingredient is certified by the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC). Functional benefits of this metabolic antioxidant ingredient include support for healthy inflammation responses, blood sugar, lipid profile and metabolism. It is all-natural and can be incorporated in dog and cat food, treat and supplement formulations.

“The bond between humans and their pets has never been stronger and pet owners love to reward their pets with treats, which can have some weighty consequences,” said Collette Kakuk, vice president of global marketing at Layn Natural Ingredients. “COVID-19 has exacerbated obesity and weight gain problems in both humans and their pets. Fifty-three percent of pet owners reported giving their pets treats for no particular reason since the start of COVID-19. However, just like in humans, being obese also isn’t healthy for pets.

“Helping pets stay healthy by losing weight requires a combination of diet and exercise, and supplementing pet diets with ingredients that help support healthy weight can give pet owners a jump start to stay ahead of pet weight challenges.”

TruGro Weight Management is formulated with “scientifically supported EGCG” (epigallocatechin gallate) and other catechins to break down excess fat cells, support metabolism, and aid glucose absorption, according to Layn. It also includes polyphenols. The company stated its new TruGro solution can be used to complement other effective weight management strategies.

“Obesity-related metabolic dysfunction, or ORMD, is related to metabolic syndrome described in obese humans, and involves obesity, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, high insulin levels and low levels of adiponectin,” added Juan Javierre, senior nutrition scientist at Layn Natural Ingredients. “According to recent studies, the rate of obese canines suffering from ORMD is over 20%. Research has shown that green tea extracts can help improve the metabolic status of obese dogs by reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines, resulting in lower levels of liver inflammation induced by high fat diets. Studies have also identified the metabolic pathways linking metabolic oxidation with inflammation and helping to confirm that the root causes of ORMD in obese dogs is exacerbated by oxidative stress.”

Read more about product development, ingredients and formulation.