Benefits
Accelerated innate antiviral immune response
Low-dose cRG-I has been associated with faster interferon-induced antiviral responses to rhinovirus infection in humans, supporting an immune-priming effect of dietary RG-I beyond classical prebiotic fermentation. The accelerated response may underpin observed reductions in symptom severity.
Reduced common cold-type symptom severity and duration
Low-dose cRG-I was associated with reduced symptom severity and shorter symptom duration versus placebo in healthy adults, supporting Benicaros™ as a low-dose immune-resilience ingredient during cold-and-flu season.
Microbiota modulation in healthy adults
Daily supplementation with rhamnogalacturonan-I has been shown to modulate the gut microbiota composition in healthy adults in randomized trials. Shifts in selected bacterial groups support broader gut-immune axis effects beyond direct mucosal immune signalling.
Effective at low daily doses
Unlike traditional fiber-style prebiotics that often require multi-gram doses, cRG-I appears clinically active at sub-gram intakes (~0.3 g/day). This makes Benicaros™ suitable for capsule, sachet, and functional food formats that cannot accommodate bulkier fiber dosing.
Mechanism of action
Direct gut immune signalling via pattern recognition
RG-I pectic polysaccharides interact with pattern-recognition receptors on intestinal epithelial cells and resident immune cells, modulating cytokine and interferon signalling. This direct receptor interaction differentiates cRG-I from purely fermentation-driven prebiotics and supports observed low-dose effects.
Innate antiviral priming of interferon pathways
Daily cRG-I supplementation is associated with faster type I interferon responses upon viral challenge in human trials. Priming of the innate antiviral interferon axis is the leading mechanistic explanation for the observed reductions in cold-type symptom severity and duration.
Microbiota composition modulation
Despite low dosing, cRG-I supplementation modulates the gut microbiota in healthy adults, with shifts in selected bacterial groups. Microbiota-mediated immune signalling likely contributes to the broader immune-resilience phenotype observed in cRG-I trials.
Clinical trials
Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of carrot-derived rhamnogalacturonan-I (cRG-I) at 0, 0.3, or 1.5 g/day in 177 healthy individuals aged 18–65 years before and during experimental rhinovirus-16 challenge. Outcomes: interferon response, symptom severity, symptom duration. Published in Nutrients.
177 healthy adults aged 18–65; randomized rhinovirus challenge trial.
At 0.3 g/day cRG-I, participants experienced a faster interferon-induced response and reduced symptom severity (~20%) and duration (~25%) versus placebo. The 1.5 g/day dose showed diminished benefit, suggesting a non-linear low-dose immune-priming pattern.
Randomized trial assessing the effects of carrot-derived rhamnogalacturonan-I (cRG-I) on accelerated protective immune responses and quality of life in healthy volunteers challenged with rhinovirus. Published in Nutrients.
Healthy adult volunteers; rhinovirus challenge protocol.
cRG-I supplementation was associated with accelerated immune responses and improvements in quality-of-life measures during rhinovirus challenge, reinforcing the low-dose immune-priming effect first seen in the lead cRG-I rhinovirus trial.
Randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of daily supplementation with rhamnogalacturonan-I on the gut microbiota in healthy adults. Published in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
Healthy adults; randomized microbiota intervention trial.
Daily supplementation with rhamnogalacturonan-I modulated the gut microbiota composition in healthy adults, supporting the hypothesis that low-dose cRG-I exerts measurable effects on the gut microbial ecosystem alongside direct gut-immune signalling.