One ingredient, seven delivery formats. Zembrin®, the standardized kanna extract from PLT Health Solutions, is now showing up in RTD energy drinks, stress and sleep gummies, capsules, liposomal sachets, and dissolvable strips.
The diversity of a finished-product portfolio tells you something about an ingredient.
A botanical that lands in a single delivery format is one thing. But Zembrin®, the standardized Sceletium tortuosum extract from PLT Health Solutions, has landed in at least seven: zero-calorie RTD energy drinks, stress gummies, sleep gummies, capsules, liposomal liquid sachets, and dissolvable oral strips. Every product in this roundup hits the same 25mg dose -- the amount studied across 8+ published, placebo-controlled human clinical trials.
PLT positions Zembrin® as "experiential", meaning users are supposed to feel it. Clinical data documents positive mood and cognitive changes within 2 hours of a single dose, an effect that sets the ingredient apart from botanicals that build over weeks and ask users to take the efficacy on faith. A supplement that consumers can attribute a noticeable effect to is a different (and better) kind of product story, and that's part of what's driven adoption across categories as different as sports nutrition, sleep support, healthcare practitioner lines, and even premium lifestyle meal delivery.
We covered the full clinical and mechanistic story in our Zembrin® ingredient deep-dive, and this article is sponsored by PLT Health Solutions. What follows is a format-by-format look at where the ingredient is showing up.
And if you want to sample Zembrin® across formats and meet the PLT team directly, they'll be at IFT FIRST 2026, Booth #3042, with both RTD and gummy samples on hand.
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The Science in Brief
Sceletium tortuosum, commonly called kanna, has a long history of traditional use in South Africa, where it was chewed, brewed into tea, or otherwise used to support mood, resilience, and endurance during demanding conditions. Zembrin® is not generic kanna -- it's a standardized hydroethanolic extract from a cultivated selection of the plant, with a consistent alkaloid profile led by mesembrenone and related mesembrine-type alkaloids.
Mechanistically, Zembrin appears to work through two complementary pathways. In the 2011 Harvey et al. study, the extract showed activity at the serotonin transporter and selective activity against phosphodiesterase-4, better known as PDE4. In plain English, that means Zembrin is not just a "mood" ingredient. One side of the story involves serotonin signaling, while the PDE4 side involves cAMP, a cellular messenger tied to focus, cognitive flexibility, and the brain's ability to adapt to stress. This dual pathway helps explain why Zembrin is often described as supporting calm focus or "alert serenity", rather than simply relaxation.
The human data is very consistent around the 25 milligram dose. Terburg et al. used pharmaco-fMRI and found that a single 25 milligram dose reduced amygdala reactivity and amygdala-hypothalamus coupling within hours, suggesting a measurable effect on the brain's threat-response circuitry. Chiu et al. found improvements in cognitive set flexibility and executive function over a 3-week crossover trial. Dimpfel et al. reported EEG changes during relaxation and cognitive tasks over 6 weeks, alongside improvements in select cognitive measures and a reduction in HAM-A scores. Nell et al. evaluated 8 and 25 milligrams daily over 3 months in healthy adults and found both doses were well tolerated.
The full research analysis with citations is at our Zembrin® deep-dive. But let's get into all of the categories that Zembrin® has recently broken into:
Ready-to-Drink
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On The Brightside
On The Brightside makes the single-ingredient case more directly than any other Zembrin® RTD in this roundup. Zembrin® is the only functional ingredient, sweetened with Onosweet® for zero sugar, zero calories, zero cannabinoids, and zero caffeine. Two flavors at launch: Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade and Sparkling Guava Passion Fruit Orange. On The Brightside is one of the tandout summer 2026 launches in the alcohol-alternative space alongside Drink GIÓ (below) but built around a single-ingredient story with Zembrin® carrying the can alone. Effects are expected within 20-30 minutes with a clean 1-2 hour duration and no crash on the other side.
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Wyse No. 1 Founder’s Blend
There's only one patented, standardized, and clinically-studied kanna extract on the market: Zembrin from PLT Health Solutions.
The Wyse No. 1 Founder's Blend has a direct line back to PricePlow. The formula inside the 12oz, zero-calorie, zero-sugar black can is the same stack that became XPO NRG, our industry-first collaborative energy drink created for SupplySide West 2024 alongside PLT Health Solutions and nine co-supplier partners. Wyse took the formula commercial and showcased it at Natural Products Expo West 2025.
The ingredient list confirms Zembrin® with support from goBHB® exogenous ketones, Cognizin® citicoline, enfinity® paraxanthine, MitoPrime® L-ergothioneine. Individual doses for the nootropic ingredients aren't disclosed on the label, which is standard for functional RTDs. In the XPO NRG predecessor formula, Zembrin® was dosed at 25mg. The formula's logic is deliberately layered: ketones as cellular energy substrate, citicoline and paraxanthine for neural signaling and alertness, ergothioneine for neuroprotection, and Zembrin® handling mood and stress support to round out the cognitive-performance picture.
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Drink GIÓ Berry Mule
The Drink GIÓ Berry Mule is a 45-calorie non-alcoholic "social elixir", and it puts kanna in unusual company. The supplement facts panel starts with kanna extract from Sceletium tortuosum at 125mg (a sizable Zembrin dose!) with Blue Lotus Extract at 225mg, followed by Kavalactones from Kava Kava Root at 125mg, Rhodiola Rosea Extract at 100mg, L-Theanine at 50mg, 25mg natural caffeine from green tea, and 10mg piperine from black pepper as a potential bioavailability enhancer.
The 8g of sugars come from white grape and plum juice concentrates rather than added sweeteners, yielding 0g added sugars. The 25mg caffeine keeps stimulation minimal. GIÓ's positioning is a sober social option for people who want a real mood-and-ease experience at gatherings without alcohol, which is a meaningfully different use case from the cognitive performance or sleep support framing elsewhere in this list.
Gummies
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Sakara Life Serene State
Zembrin® delivers an alert serenity that impacts mood, focus, and an overall sense of well-being. It's been clinically shown to deliver its benefits at a very low dose and can enhance cognitive function as soon as two hours.
Sakara Life Serene State is a wildberry-flavored stress release gummy with a fully disclosed panel: 25mg Zembrin®, 50mg L-Theanine, and 50mg of a Phosphatidylserine complex (standardized to 20%) per 2-gummy serving alongside the carrier matrix. The formula is sweetened with allulose rather than cane sugar, for 0g added sugars and 10 calories per serving. Each package contains 28 servings, designed for consistent daily use rather than on-demand dosing.
Sakara is a premium lifestyle and meal-delivery brand that sells primarily through its own direct-to-consumer channel, where subscribers discover supplements through food programs rather than supplement retail searches. The consumer finding Serene State is likely arriving from a meal delivery subscription or a wellness editorial recommendation, not a Google search for "kanna supplement". That's an excellent channel extension for Zembrin®, putting it in front of a premium-lifestyle buyer who have likely never before seen the ingredient. The fully disclosed, no-proprietary-blend panel is consistent with how Sakara approaches its supplement line across the board.
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First Day Nighttime Reset Magnesium
First Day built both its Women's Nighttime Reset Magnesium and Men's Nighttime Reset Magnesium gummies around the same three-ingredient core, with one slight panel difference between SKUs. Both use 25mg Zembrin® and 50mg L-Theanine per 2-gummy serving. The magnesium dose is what differs: the women's version uses 50mg magnesium (from magnesium citrate) per serving, while the men's includes 60mg elemental magnesium. The formulas are otherwise parallel, including 2g of sugars per 2-gummy serving from organic cane sugar and tapioca syrup.
The positioning is melatonin replacement. First Day makes the case directly in its marketing that melatonin is a hormone with no long-term safety studies specific to men's health, and builds its alternative around Zembrin® and L-Theanine as fast-acting, non-hormonal options for pre-sleep calm and mood support. First Day has sold over 100 million gummies across its line, giving Zembrin® major consumer exposure through these two SKUs alone.
Capsules
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Zahlers MasterPeace
Zahlers MasterPeace is a clean three-ingredient capsule built around a higher L-Theanine dose: 200mg per 2-capsule serving, paired with Zembrin® at 25mg and Chelamax® Magnesium Bisglycinate at 100mg. The bisglycinate form is known for absorption advantages over oxide and carbonate types, with minimal laxative effect at standard doses. At 200mg, the L-Theanine is at the upper range of clinical trial doses evaluated for acute relaxation support, making this the most L-Theanine-forward formula in this group.
Zahlers is a kosher-certified nutraceutical brand with pharmacy and healthcare practitioner distribution channels, where products are often purchased on professional recommendation rather than consumer search. The product's channel placement makes a credibility argument about Zembrin®: it's sitting next to ingredients serious enough for practitioners to recommend, in a product that's kosher-certified for the communities where that distinction matters.
Novel Delivery
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Cymbiotika Liposomal Brain Complex
Cymbiotika's Liposomal Brain Complex is the most botanically complex formula in this group. Each 5mL sachet delivers 25mg Zembrin® alongside 100mg Rhodiola rosea root extract, 50mg Bacopa monnieri whole plant extract, and 50mcg Huperzine A from Huperzia serrata. The liposomal matrix is built from 60mg Phosphatidylcholine derived from sunflower lecithin, which encapsulates the botanical actives. Each has 20 calories, with the formula's natural flavor built around organic almond butter, cassava syrup, cocoa extract, and warming spices including cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and clove.
PLT Health's "Feeling Active" research reveals a surprising barrier stopping people from exercising -- and it's not what you'd expect. Their study of 546 consumers shows why mood support may be the missing piece in sports nutrition.
Cymbiotika names Zembrin® as the headline ingredient, placing it above the adaptogens despite being the lowest-dose botanical by weight. That framing reflects the ingredient's fast-acting, experiential quality: Rhodiola and Bacopa bring longer-term cognitive support profiles, while Zembrin® provides the mood and stress response that users notice first.
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Aegis Formulas CalmAF
Aegis Formulas CalmAF is a dissolvable oral strip using buccal absorption, doctor-formulated by Dr. Jessica Peatross, MD. Each honey tea-flavored strip delivers 25mg Zembrin® alongside 20mg of Zynamite® S, a Mangifera indica mango leaf extract standardized to greater than 60% mangiferin. The pairing with Zembrin®: Zembrin® addresses the stress and emotional regulation side while Zynamite® S supports cognitive energy and clarity.
The strip dissolves on the tongue and absorbs through the oral mucosa, bypassing first-pass digestion entirely. Aegis reports noticeable effects within 10 to 15 minutes, consistent with buccal delivery kinetics we're seeing elsewhere in the industry.
The other ingredients include a list of ingredients that include steviol glycosides, lemon juice concentrate, vanilla extract, and other gums and materials used in the strip, providing a relatively clean carrier system with no added sugars. At 30 strips per tin, CalmAF is the most portable format in this group, designed for on-demand use in stress moments rather than a daily ritual.
For Brands and Formulators
The seven products in this article span channels that rarely overlap:
- Premium DTC wellness (Sakara)
- Subscription family wellness (First Day)
- Healthcare practitioner lines (Zahlers)
- Functional beverage retail (Wyse)
- Sober social RTD (Drink GIÓ)
- Premium DTC nootropics (Cymbiotika)
- Functional health DTC (Aegis)
That channel breadth is not something we see too often. Zembrin® is working in stress relief, cognitive support, sleep, sports nutrition, and social wellness simultaneously, each use case grounded in the same 25mg clinical dose and the same dual-mechanism story.
An Ingredient That Supports Its Community
On the supply chain side, PLT holds the first-ever Export and Bioprospecting permit (#001) from the South African government, and a portion of income supports the indigenous community there. Health Canada has issued an approved Natural Health Product claim for Zembrin®: "helps support cognitive function in adults", making it one of the few botanicals with a licensed cognitive function claim in Canada. Certifications cover most channel requirements: non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, halal, and kosher. Seed-to-shelf quality control and multi-patent protection round out a supply chain that PLT describes as identity-verified from cultivation through finished ingredient.
PLT Health Solutions supports Zembrin® development across beverage, soft chew, capsule, and novel delivery formats, with development and technical support available to brand partners. If you're building in mood, cognitive, or stress support and want to explore Zembrin® for your next product, the conversation starts with PLT's team.
Sample Zembrin® at IFT FIRST 2026: Booth #3042
PLT Health Solutions: Growth Through Innovation
PLT Health Solutions will be exhibiting at IFT FIRST 2026 at Booth #3042, with Zembrin® available to sample in both RTD and gummy formats. If you're a brand, formulator, or product developer building in the mood, cognitive, or stress support space, the booth is a direct way to experience the ingredient in finished form and start a conversation with PLT's application development team about dosing, format fit, and certifications.
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