Sonomaceuticals’ novel WellVine™ is the subject of a poster presentation at the prestigious American Society for Nutrition Conference
June 25, Geyserville, Calif. — Sonomaceuticals, LLC announces its WellVine™ whole-food “smart prebiotic” ingredient is the subject of a poster presentation at the annual conference of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) in Chicago, to be given by Fanny Lee, PhD, RD, Research Program Manager for Sonomaceuticals.
The presentation, “Leveraging AI to Improve Research Strategies Investigating the Complex Interaction Between Chardonnay Marc and Its Potential Impact on Gut Barrier Function,” will occur on Sunday, June 30, 2024 at the McCormick Place Convention Center–West Building, Hall F1 Display: 8:00 AM–5:00 PM. Dr. Lee will be present to answer questions between 11:45 AM–12:45 PM that day. WellVine is the first whole food prebiotic made solely from Coastal Chardonnay grapes, providing polyphenols and oligosaccharides. It promotes gut health—a key foundation for immune function—in multiple ways. As a modulator of the gut microbiome, WellVine supports beneficial communities of bacteria while minimizing the growth of pathogenic bacteria. In turn, the beneficial bacteria increase production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) which have been shown to promote healthy blood cholesterol and modulate the hormones that encourage satiety and reduce hunger, leading to better weight management.
WellVine is made from pressed non-GMO Coastal Chardonnay grapes sourced from Jackson Family Wines in California. The leftover pressed grapes from winemaking (known as “marc” or “pomace”) are dried and milled, preserving the oligosaccharides and polyphenolic compounds.
Great LEAP Forward
Sonomaceuticals’ research team worked with PIPA, LLC (Process Integration & Predictive Analytics) and its AI platform, LEAP™, an “AI co-pilot for evidence synthesis and bioactive discovery.” LEAP “combines scientific literature with vetted knowledge bases, omics data and proprietary datasets to provide a unified, interconnected map of health and nutrition, augmented with novel insights and predictions.”
Together, PIPA’s and Sonomaceuticals’ scientists used LEAP to validate and characterize experimentally identified compounds and decode their impact on gut health. It further identified potentially novel mechanisms of action and predicted associations between Wellvine compounds and gut barrier function. In total, LEAP scanned millions of scientific data points to identify known and predict novel health associations for WellVine.
The system AI results included hundreds of synergistic combination possibilities with other ingredients for use in better-for-you products across seven categories, including synbiotics and herbal formulations. “As a whole-food prebiotic ingredient system, WellVine is uniquely positioned for across-the-board application in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements,” commented Scott Forsberg, Sonomaceuticals’ COO. “Moreover, the entire approach was able to substantially shorten a process typically taking up to three years to just six months, saving not only time but also considerably reducing costs and resources.”
“WellVine Chardonnay marc delivers a winning combination of health, flavor, and sustainability,” notes Eric Hamborg, PIPA’s CCO. “Sonomaceuticals is setting a new standard for the industry, demonstrating how embedding AI into ingredient R&D unlocks an evidence-based, cost-effective, and scalable approach to product innovation. This approach reduces risk and accelerates commercialization, positioning Sonomaceuticals as a visionary leader in the field of sustainable, functional nutrition.”
About Fanny Lee, PhD, RD: A former Biological Science Technician for the USDA-ARS, Dr. Lee is the Research Program Manager for Sonomaceuticals, LLC, where she is responsible for leading, implementing, directing, and steering the company’s research initiatives. With a PhD in nutrition biology from the University of California, Davis and an MS in nutrition science from San Diego State University, Dr. Lee is an expert in designing and coordinating human clinical research trials studying individual metabolism.
About Sonomaceuticals, LLC and WellVine: Sonomaceuticals is a woman-owned biotechnology company founded in 2009 by Jackson Family Wines chairperson Barbara Banke and Peggy Furth, former proprietor of Chalk Hall Winery. Sonomaceuticals is the maker of WellVine™, the first ingredient company to offer a zero-waste, whole food prebiotic ingredient sourced from upcycled pressed Chardonnay wine grapes. Visit www.wellvine.com to learn more about this new upcycled, whole-food prebiotic ingredient.
About PIPA: PIPA, LLC is an AI company on a mission to create a healthier planet by being the intelligence engine for its partners that feed plants, animals, and people. PIPA accelerates science and innovation for nutrition and ingredient industries by embedding AI in their R&D, manufacturing, and commercial business, decreasing development times and improving productivity. PIPA’s AI apps, LEAP and Ingredient Profiler, coupled with in-house pipelines, offer a comprehensive suite of solutions to advance scientific breakthroughs and deliver innovation opportunities for our partners. Learn more about us at www.pipacorp.com and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.
