Testosterone supplements made from New Zealand pine pollen may give you more than just the sneezes, one supplement company claims.

Carl Meyer, founder of pine pollen supplement company Bio Gold, said the discovery of a plant-based testosterone in pine pollen could mean a new revenue stream for the New Zealand forestry sector.

The pine pollen health supplement industry was already worth $4 billion globally, with consumers believing the product supported the immune system and helped the libido, Meyer said.

The discovery of testosterone came after Meyer read a scientific paper from the 1970s that claimed testosterone was found in US pine varieties.

Meyer asked a local scientist to look into the claim. The request was initially met with scepticism as testosterone was not commonly found in plants, but further investigation proved the paper right. The company was now making a liquid testosterone extract, and a powdered health supplement.

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Bio Gold had received $288,500 in Government funding through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund. The ministry believed the rare plant-based testosterone held high value export revenue potential.

Pine pollen has been consumed for health and wellbeing in China, South Korea and Japan for more than 3000 years. The discovery of the testosterone content had seen renewed interest in countries like the United States and Canada, Meyer said.

The final product was expensive because the seasonal window to harvest pine pollen was often less than three weeks long, Meyer said.

The product was selling online for $168 for 100ml of testosterone droplets and $90 for a 70ml immune booster powder.

The pollen for the company’s products was harvested from near Hanmer Springs and Kaikōura from trees on land owned and operated by Ngāi Tahu Forestry. Meyer did not want to disclose how the pollen was harvested.

Callaghan Innovation had funded a master’s student to investigate the biochemistry and extraction of the pollen. The University of Canterbury had assisted with harvesting trials, and was developing technology for large-scale harvesting, Meyer said.

Steve Penno, Ministry for Primary Industries’ director of investment, said investing in high value products fitted with the Government’s Fit for a Better World roadmap for the food and fibre sector.

Pine pollen was the fine yellow powder released by pine trees every spring that formed part of the reproductive life cycle of the tree. The male flowers of the tree produced it.