11 Apr. 2007 – New scientific evidence of Svetol’s unique mechanism of action.

For the first time, the green coffee extract Svetol^® has been demonstrated to inhibit the glucose-6-phosphatase explaining its fat burning action.


A recent study carried out by Bordeaux University (Polyphenol Biotech), permitted to elucidate Svetol’s unique mechanism of action. According to this study, Svetol^® inhibits the glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc-6-Pase).
“We demonstrated for the first time that Svetol^®, a unique green coffee bean extract, is able to inhibit the Glc-6-Pase in a significant and competitive manner,” explained Sophie Lafay, Ph.D. in Nutrition and Scientific Director at Berkem. “The in vitro active doses are equivalent to the daily recommended dose of Svetol^®,” she added.

Numerous epidemiological studies reported a link between a high consumption of coffee (more than 6-7 cups/day) and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In vitro and in vivo complementary tests suggested that chlorogenic acids (CGA) – especially 5-caffeoylquinic acid mainly found in green coffee beans – could regulate glucose metabolism. In fact, in vitro studies have shown that pure 5-caffeoylquinic acid inhibits glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc-6-Pase), hepatic enzyme involved in the glucose release from the liver in blood circulation.

However, the mechanism of action of a total extract of green coffee beans has never been studied. The analytical characterisation of Svetol^® permitted to identify more than 12 different chlorogenic acids – including 5-caffeoylquinic acid – in specific ratios. These results bring to light Svetol’s uniqueness compared to other green coffee extracts.
That’s the reason why Berkem decided to validate Svetol’s activity on Glc-6-Pase. Three concentrations have been tested, equivalent to 157 mg, 315 mg and 472 mg of Svetol^® per liter of solution. After incubation of human liver microsomes with or without Svetol^®, we observed that Svetol^® is able to inhibit competitively the Glc-6-Pase, especially its T1 unit, at 315 mg/L and 472 mg/L.

These results are really promising in terms of innovation. Berkem established, for the first time, that Svetol^® – a complex ingredient extracted from selected green coffee beans – is able to inhibit the T1 unit of the Glc-6-Pase in human microsomes. These results are primarily linked to the fat burning action of Svetol^® demonstrated in a previous clinical study (published work). Indeed, a daily 400 mg supplementation with Svetol^® induces a significant reduction in the body mass index (BMI) as well as a significant 4% increase of the lean mass to fat mass ratio.

Successfully launched in Europe, Svetol^® is an original active ingredient for weight management. Svetol^® is perfectly suited to dietary supplements, and could also achieve high success in a variety of foods, as well as beverages. Its unique and identified mechanism of action permits to combine Svetol^® easily with other weight management ingredients for a synergic result.