Biotech firm launches bioavailable curcumin in honey and cognitive drinks

DolCas Biotech has introduced Curcugen, a full-spectrum curcuminoid complex from turmeric, into two new functional products: a recovery-focused Mānuka honey and a cognitive support drink. The ingredient, positioned as highly bioavailable without synthetic enhancers, now appears in Mānukora’s Body Recovery & Gut honey and Numin’s decision-fatigue beverage, both tailored for specific wellness needs.

Key Advantages Over Standard Curcumin

Unlike typical curcumin extracts, Curcugen preserves natural compounds—including curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin—as well as turmeric’s essential oils. Internal studies demonstrate its bioavailability exceeds standard extracts by over 50 times, enabling lower-dose formulations. The company highlights its safety, neutral flavor, and broad applicability across foods, beverages, and supplements beyond capsules.

KG Rao, founder and CEO of DolCas Biotech, explains the industry’s evolving priorities: The focus has shifted beyond absorption to what can be created with Curcugen. Its design supports better absorption, formulation flexibility, and a mild profile, allowing developers to explore uses like honey, gummies, or ready-to-drink formats where traditional turmeric extracts fall short.

Clinical evidence supports Curcugen’s benefits in exercise recovery, joint health, and gastrointestinal wellness, with additional research underway. DolCas emphasizes its self-affirmed GRAS status for specific applications, reinforcing its suitability for functional foods. The ingredient’s water solubility and neutral taste further broaden its potential in consumer products.

Reviving Tradition with a Modern Twist

Mānukora’s new MGO 850+ Mānuka honey integrates Curcugen with concentrated ginger and Sicilian lemon oil, aligning with Ayurvedic principles where honey serves as a carrier to enhance turmeric’s effects. Benjamin Nahar, head of Product Development at Mānukora, describes the approach: Honey and turmeric have a long history together. In Ayurveda, honey is traditionally described as a yogavahi, a medium that delivers and enhances the effects of the herbs it’s combined with. Pairing turmeric with Mānuka felt less like inventing something new and more like bringing a traditional idea into a modern formulation. The result is a honey with an earthy yet citrus-bright profile, where Curcugen’s high bioavailability delivers potency without isolated curcuminoids.

Consumers gain a functional honey that merges Mānuka honey’s antimicrobial properties with turmeric’s anti-inflammatory benefits. The absence of added bioenhancers sets it apart from competitors, relying instead on the extract’s natural composition. Mānukora’s strategy reflects a broader industry trend: incorporating Curcugen’s versatility into everyday foods without the bitterness or low absorption issues of standard turmeric extracts.

Cognitive Support in a Convenient Format

Numin’s functional beverage targets decision fatigue, addressing cognitive strain from prolonged mental effort. The single-serve powder sachets, available in orange flavor, combine Curcugen with complementary ingredients supported by the company’s human trials. Numin’s internal evaluations report improved mental clarity and sustained decision-making, with effects observed within approximately 60 minutes of consuming the drink and lasting up to six hours.

Arun Hozack, CEO of Numin, notes the drink’s emphasis on validated outcomes: We didn’t want to just stack trendy ingredients and call it cognitive support. We wanted a formulation validated on outcomes people would actually feel. The formulation avoids isolated curcuminoids, instead leveraging Curcugen’s full-spectrum profile for sustained benefits. Early consumer feedback indicates the orange-flavored powder disperses easily, overcoming a common challenge in functional beverages.