ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE October 2025 45 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Control Intestinal Leakiness Stressor (H2O2) Control Trolox Product A Product B Vitanox effectiveness may be over-estimated. Additionally, new alternatives—such as polyphenols—are emerging as great solutions for oxidative stress management. POLYPHENOLS WITH FRINGE BENEFITS Intestinal integrity is a critical health parameter for all classes of livestock, and today there are few products on the market that directly target intestinal integrity. A myriad of products make gut health claims, but the lion’s share of them focus on pathogen control (e.g., organic acids, medium-chain fatty acids). Vitanox, a powerful natural antioxidant composed of specifically selected polyphenolic compounds, was developed using an ex-vivo model featuring the Boyden Chamber, with the goal of finding molecules that are biologically suited to improving gut integrity in vivo (Figure 1). In this laboratory set-up, a mono-layer of intestinal epithelial cells is grown. Once this layer is confluent (i.e., there are no gaps in it), polyphenol test products can be added to the medium (so that the cells can absorb them) and after a brief period washed away again. Subsequently, free radical precursors, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), can be added to mimic real-life stressors. Polyphenols, which are effective antioxidants, then protect the enterocytes from free radical damage. Polyphenols that are not bio-efficacious result in the failure to neutralize H2O2, allowing it to damage the enterocytes, which can be measured using a permeability test (Figure 2). Vitanox was developed based on this technique, with intestinal integrity as the main selection criterion. CONFIRMING VITANOX’S EFFICACY Additional in vitro results further support the findings obtained in the Boyden Chamber study, confirming Vitanox’s efficacy in enhancing gut integrity and mitigating oxidative stress. These complementary trials, conducted at independent research facilities, provide additional validation of Vitanox’s mode of action, including its effects on intestinal permeability, epithelial resilience, and mitochondrial function. A white paper summarizing these Vitanox results is available upon request. Luminal site (lumen of small intestine) Serosal site (systemic circulation) cells Confluent monolayer of epithelial cells porous membrane Figure 1. Illustration of the Boyden Chamber in vitro screening tool Figure 2. Vitanox prevents intestinal leakiness as observed in the Boyden Chamber of enterocytes after exposure to hydrogen peroxide as a stressor at Antwerp University (Belgium). Comparison was made with various antioxidants and Trolox as positive control (Trolox is vitamin E without its lipophilic tail, which renders it water-soluble and consequently usable in in vitro systems. Trolox is therefore not completely comparable with intact vitamin E).
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