Inside BENEO’s new pulse plant: pioneering sustainable protein from faba beans
Shafiulla Hirehal Nuruddin, Founder & Managing Director, GreenSpace Herbs
As the nutraceutical industry shifts from extract standardisation to performance-driven formulation science, ingredient innovation is moving beyond conventional potency metrics. With increasing scrutiny around bioavailability, dosage efficiency, and measurable outcomes, botanical companies are exploring new scientific frameworks that combine traditional knowledge with engineering and material sciences. Ashwagandha, one of the most researched adaptogens globally, continues to evolve through advanced processing approaches aimed at improving functional delivery. In this context, GreenSpace Herbs has introduced AshwagandhaQA, positioned around a concept it terms “Quantum Ayurveda.” Shafiulla Hirehal Nuruddin, Founder & Managing Director, discusses the science, commercial implications, and regulatory considerations behind this approach. Edited excerpts:
AshwagandhaQA is positioned as a “Quantum Ayurveda” ingredient combining engineering, acoustics, and traditional Ayurveda. What inspired this convergence approach, and how did the concept evolve into a commercial product?
Our work began with a fundamental question: why does a botanical’s efficacy vary so widely even when the extract is chemically standardised? We realised that the answer did not lie in chemistry alone, but in understanding how energy, structure and biological environments interact. This led us to explore disciplines that traditionally do not intersect with Ayurveda—material engineering, vibrational acoustics and structural mapping of plant matrices. Ayurveda has recognised concepts like “guna”, “virya” and “prabhava” for centuries, describing qualities beyond measurable chemistry. Quantum Ayurveda is our effort to bridge these ancient principles with modern engineering tools. After three years of studying how structural reorientation reduces internal resistance and improves biological receptivity, AshwagandhaQA evolved into a scalable process that maintains the herb’s natural identity while significantly enhancing its functional performance.
You describe AshwagandhaQA as shifting the innovation focus from “mass + more” to “vector + energy.” How does this fundamentally change the way botanical ingredients are developed and evaluated?
Conventional innovation is quantity-driven, assuming that higher actives automatically translate into better outcomes. Our approach shifts this thinking by focusing on vector alignment—orienting the botanical’s molecular configuration for better biological interaction—and energy efficiency, which reduces the internal oxidative load so the body expends less effort to utilise the herb. This reframes the development model from extraction yields to performance architecture. Instead of maximising mass, we optimise directionality, bio-flow and cellular compatibility, enabling stronger outcomes at lower doses.
The product claims improved bioavailability and functional performance at lower doses. What key scientific principles or mechanisms underpin this efficiency model?
The efficiency of AshwagandhaQA is built on several scientific mechanisms. Structural Resonance Engineering modifies the micro-architecture to improve dispersibility and interaction at biological interfaces. The body has less “biological friction” during activation because the matrix’s oxidative resistance is lower. A more cohesive molecular structure helps create a homogeneous matrix, which keeps responses the same. Our modulation based on sound affects how the plant acts in water and living things, making it easier for it to absorb. These mechanisms work together to make AshwagandhaQA work just as well or better at far lower milligram doses.
In a category where dosage and extract potency are often the primary benchmarks, how do you convince both consumers and industry stakeholders to adopt “outcome per milligram” as a new performance metric?
Dosage has long been the industry’s benchmark simply because it is easy to quantify—not necessarily because it reflects true performance. Our approach is to present comparative, outcome-driven data that show how lower-dose ingredients can reduce formulation bulk, improve user compliance and enhance cost-effectiveness. The benefit of outcome-per-milligram becomes obvious when brands realize that increasing potency without efficiency doesn’t always lead to meaningful results. In the end the mix of scientific proof and business advantage is what makes people want to use it.
Oxidative stress is highlighted as a major barrier to ingredient efficacy. How does AshwagandhaQA address this biological resistance differently from conventional ashwagandha extracts?
Conventional extracts often contain internal oxidative “noise”—processing byproducts that the body must neutralise before accessing therapeutic benefits. AshwagandhaQA overcomes this through low-thermal, low-friction processing, acoustic modulation and matrix-restructuring techniques that reduce oxidative distortion. This creates a cleaner, more biologically ready ingredient. By lowering the internal resistance the body encounters, AshwagandhaQA allows for more efficient interaction and stronger functional response.
While the launch highlights clinical evaluation, full datasets and protocols have not been publicly disclosed. How do you plan to build scientific credibility and transparency around such advanced formulation approaches?
We follow a structured pathway for scientific disclosure. We will first publish pilot-scale findings that explain the underlying efficiency mechanisms. This will be followed by clinical summaries independently reviewed by external researchers. Under NDAs only certain scientific partners will be able to access certain methods. We are also working with colleges and universities to get a third-party evaluation. We want to be open about results while keeping our proprietary procedures safe. In the next quarters, more peer-reviewed papers and technical white papers will be published to help people comprehend science better.
From a commercial perspective, how could lower-dose, high-efficiency ingredients impact supply chains, cost structures and sustainability in the nutraceutical industry?
Lower doses have a big effect on the value chain. When you need less plant material, it’s easier to find and allows for longer growing cycles. When the doses are smaller, they need less packaging and encapsulation materials which is better for the environment. Transportation and logistics operate better when things are lighter and take up less room. This improves the cost-per-outcome curve for brands which means they can develop high-quality products and keep prices affordable for customers. This approach of doing business is good for the environment and the company’s growth.
Greenspace Herbs positions Quantum Ayurveda as the next convergence layer in lifesciences. How do you see this approach influencing future innovation in herbal and functional nutrition products?
Quantum Ayurveda is a novel field that brings together physics and phytochemistry, structural engineering and Ayurvedic principles and energy sciences and formulation design. This will make the industry look at plants not just for their active ingredients or strength, but also for how they behave structurally, how they align energetically, and how they respond biologically. Over time this change will transform the industry from extracting plants based on their value to making botanicals with precise designs that always work the same way.
Ashwagandha is one of the most scrutinised botanical ingredients globally. What challenges do you anticipate in gaining regulatory and scientific acceptance for a concept-driven innovation like AshwagandhaQA?
New ideas that are based on new ways of thinking are generally put through a lot of tests. We think that authorities will want to see thorough information about how our processing works, how it compares to established extracts, and whether it changes the identity of the plant. Our plan is to make sure that the integrity of the plants stays intact, prove that the safety is the same and show strong data based on outcomes. It’s good to ask questions like these since it makes science more rigorous and builds trust over time.
Looking ahead, your research focuses on “guided energy” and precision targeting within the body. How realistic is this vision for nutraceuticals and how could it redefine the future of botanical formulation science?
This notion is not just a guess; it fits with how biological systems naturally work. Cells respond to more than just chemicals. They also respond to structure, charge, resonance, and energy gradients. By making botanicals that work with these natural communication routes, it is possible to target with accuracy. We expect that in the next ten years, botanicals that are led by design, matrix-level regulation and nutrition that is unique to organs or pathways will become common. This change will turn botanicals from plant extracts that don’t do anything into functioning systems that work.
Mansi Jamsudkar Padvekar