Cell-based bioactives: Novella sustainably cultivates berry compounds for nutraceuticals

04 Oct 2023 --- Novella is set to introduce its line of cell-cultivated berry-derived bioactives. The nutri-tech start-up claims its sustainable and environmentally friendly cultured nutrition compounds – grown as intact cells in a controlled setting, without gene editing – will help overcome supply bottlenecks in the high-demand global supplement market.

Cellular agriculture, while still considered a grassroots-stage emergent science, is still largely constituted within the food and beverage industry. It is currently being scaled in countries like Singapore, Israel and the US — where the development of regulatory frameworks for the new industry is being expedited — to feed growing populations with slaughter-free protein.

However, Novella’s research indicates the burgeoning movement may be reaching into the nutraceutical space for the first time.

“The current industry for bio compounds derived from berries manages an extensive supply chain that commences with farmers in various global locations, followed by traders dealing in plant materials, typically semi-dried berries,” Novella co-founder Itay Dana tells Nutrition Insight. “The chain extends to ingredient companies responsible for the extraction process based on specific bio compounds of interest.”

“This intricate process involves multiple stakeholders, potential cross-contamination during shipment or storage, and the need for pesticide control and traceability from all involved parties,” he explains.

“Seasonal and geographic variations often result in less uniform products, prompting companies to blend batches or implement full standardization protocols.”

Unlocking berries’ potential
Berries have long been recognized for their antioxidant capacity and overall wellness benefits. Recent research has shed light on the specific health conditions that various phytochemicals in berries can target. Novella says its proprietary cultivation platform adopts a unique “whole-cell strategy” that eliminates the need for traditional extraction processes.

Instead, the company meticulously screens the plant’s tissues to identify the regions with the highest concentrations of beneficial compounds. These selected cells, known as callus, are then nurtured in a closed, controlled system that mimics natural propagation. The culturing process allows Novella to bypass the need for cultivating the entire plant.

The company says it can replace acres of berry fields and their accompanying resources with bioreactors.

“Plants serve as a remarkably versatile source of materials, offering diverse products through the manipulation of inputs like media and growing conditions,” Dana emphasizes. “The key lies in understanding the metabolic processes, particularly those of secondary metabolism.”

“For instance, if we identify that specific compounds thrive in a cold environment, we can recreate those conditions. Similarly, knowledge of specific metabolic pathways allows us to provide the necessary sugars or bioactives for activation. This requires intensive research and the extensive experience and expertise of our team.”

However, he adds that this brings dozens of combinations that could translate to specific compositions of interest, without the need for any genetic manipulation.

Pilot plant and processing
Novella recently inaugurated a “state-of-the-art” pilot plant, which is located alongside its operational headquarters. The company says the facility is designed to accelerate the cultivation of whole-berry fruit cells from five distinct varieties, each catering to specific demands in the supplement market.

Dana highlights that what sets Novella’s approach apart is its ability to preserve the integrity of the phytonutrients in berries and its sustainable process, achieved by nurturing intact cells in a precision-controlled environment.

“We streamline the supply chain by minimizing the process to a single instance — once we obtain berry tissue from the field, in a controlled procedure, we transport the tissue to the lab and initiate cell growth within various vessels and bioreactors,” Dana reveals. “The same source is preserved in our cell bank and will be utilized for all future productions, eliminating any seasonal or location-based variability.”

“The cells are cultivated without the use of pesticides in a sterilized facility, and there is no need for compound extraction. Instead, we select tissue with the highest compound concentration and grow it in bioreactors under optimal conditions. We employ a proprietary protocol, which includes tailored media and growing conditions, along with controlled elicitation (Strass protocol) to maximize concentration.”

Toward maximum bioavailability
Novella says its approach capitalizes on this knowledge by providing a new supply channel for high-value nutraceuticals currently in high demand.

According to Novella, the cultivated cells are transformed into a highly bioaccessible and potent powder without resorting to solvents. Moreover, the powder is designed for easy absorption by the gastrointestinal system, which Dana says ensures consumers can reap the full benefits of the berry-derived bioactives.

This includes the berry’s natural complex of phytonutrients, such as essential vitamins, minerals and polyphenols like anthocyanins. Additionally, he says the cell wall of these intact cells acts as a natural form of encapsulation, safeguarding the bioactive compounds from oxidation and ensuring maximum absorption within the body.Berry phytonutrients have been shown to have numerous health benefits. (Image Credit: Novella)

“Traditional extraction protocols target specific groups of compounds, meaning that when you extract a compound, you only capture the compounds within that extraction’s scope,” says Dana. “In our approach, we preserve all the valuable components — the essential ‘building blocks’ of the relevant compounds.”

Cultivating a sustainable supply chain
Dana underscores that in existing supply chains, acres of plants are cultivated, requiring water and land resources for months at a time. He further adds that, following harvesting and the extraction of the desired bio compounds, only 0.1–0.5% of the plant’s entire weight is used.

“This results in over 99% waste, much of which cannot be repurposed due to solvent residues,” Dana stresses. “Often, fields and factories are not in proximity — berries are grown in North America and North Europe, while factories can be in Asia.”

“Novella presents a more sustainable approach, utilizing less than 1% of the water for an equivalent quantity of end products. Instead of requiring acres of fields, we need only a few hundred square meters for the bioreactors and downstream process.”

Furthermore, he reveals that energy consumption is low and, since they exclusively utilize cells without extraction — the process eliminates a majority of waste. 

“100% of the cells — biomass from the bioreactors — become our product,” Dana concludes. “Our transportation strategy aims to produce where the market is, consolidating the entire supply chain in one location.”

Extracting the most from plants
Novella’s efforts are the latest in a series of industry advancements to extract the most out of nutritional bioactive plant compounds. Previously, researchers at Brightseed leveraged AI systems to develop black pepper and garlic varieties with the highest levels of bioactives.

Brightseed has previously teamed up with large scale industry movers like Danone and Pharmavite. In January 2021, it identified special plant molecules for clearing liver fat and promoting metabolic health. 

In other developments out in the field, Ocean Spray Cranberries tapped into the emergent fields of plant biotech and AI to profile the compounds in its cranberries and their impact on human health.

Last month, innovators at Circe Scientific managed to fuse an anti-aging extract of blueberries with a natural molecule found in the human body — using “crystal engineering” — to create a multifunctional “cocrystal” that stimulates more effective absorption in skin health applications.

By William Bradford Nichols