Conagen develops kaempferol by fermentation, seeks research partners to break ingredient into new markets

11 Jan 2022 --- Biotechnology company Conagen has created its own precision fermentation method for manufacturing kaempferol, a flavonoid with nutritional and personal care uses.

Representatives tell PersonalCareInsights that the technique is more sustainable than chemically or botanically derived kaempferol. The procedure is cost-effective, meeting the rising demand for kaempferol at affordable prices.

Blue California, a specialty chemical and personal care ingredient provider and Conagen’s commercialization partner, welcomes the news. The fermentation method means partners and clients will soon have expanded access to the kaempferol market at a lower cost and with a fraction of the emissions.

The consumer base for kaempferol is large and still growing, representing a US$5.7 billion global consumer market.

An antioxidant that affects key cellular elements
According to Dr. Linda May-Zhang, research, science and innovation officer at Blue California, kaempferol has been found to combat oxidative stress, which is responsible for many age-related conditions.

According to May-Zhang, kaempferol has been found in multiple non-FDA studies to affect “key cellular elements” in a manner that could provide anti-cancer benefits, “including pathways linked to Conagen is open to partnerships researching kaempferol's clinical and agricultural applications.cellular apoptosis, inflammation, angiogenesis and metastasis.”

Dr. Casey Lippmeier, vice president of innovation at Conagen, states that animal studies conducted as recently as 2018 show kaempferol may play a significant role in preventing and treating diabetes. 

He adds, however, that clinical studies are necessary to understand kaempferol’s effect on humans, adding that Conagen is “open to partnerships toward this goal.”

Kaempferol for cosmetics, foods and… agriculture?
Kaempferol is often used as an ingredient in products focusing on aging, cognitive function, anti-inflammation and immunity support. According to May-Zhang, the flavonoid is also used to protect the skin against UV-induced free-radical damage.

She remarks that kaempferol products perform best among consumers interested in holistic, “nature-based clean-label solutions” to support health and wellness. Increasing consumer awareness of health and wellness drive the expanding market for the flavonoid, she says.

“Kaempferol is a polyphenol found naturally in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables with potent antioxidant activity. It fits perfectly as a nutritional supplement for consumers’ daily regimen,” May-Zhang continues.

Products containing kaempferol can include topical cosmetic creams, dietary supplements and functional food bars. Lippmeier says it could also combat the spoilage of foods rich in high-energy nutrients.

“To that end, we seek partners who might like to test it as an antioxidant preservative in their specific food or cosmetics application,” he says.

Lippmeier believes the ingredient may even have applications for agriculture, citing a 2020 study of the ingredient as an environmentally friendly crop protectant.

“The potential applications are diverse and extend well beyond supplements and food and personal care ingredients – to potentially anything where degradation by oxygen must be mitigated,” he expounds.

Fermentation versus traditional kaempferol synthesis
Most chemically synthesized versions of kaempferol begin as hydroxybenzoic acid, a precursor to kaempferol. Hydroxybenzoic acid is primarily derived from phenol and carbon dioxide. Both of these chemicals are derived from petroleum and other fossil fuels.

Conagen’s process avoids using fossil fuel derivatives, starting with sugar derived from plants. “Our microbes use the same biology that other organisms use to naturally convert sugar into kaempferol,”The ingredient is naturally found in vegetables like kale, spinach, and broccoli.

The ingredient is naturally found in vegetables like kale, broccoli and spinach.

Other industry players are also expanding into fermented kaempferol, as seen with a recent Biosyntia and Lantana Bio partnership. 

In response, Lippmeier emphasizes Conagen’s extensive experience as a chemicals and ingredients manufacturer. 

“Biosyntia and Lantana Bio are both excellent companies with talented people,’ Lippmeier insists. 

However, he believes Conagen’s kaempferol strain and process is more mature. “It has already been de-risked by scaling to commercially-relevant volumes, and is thus ready for commercial development today.”

Sustainability factor
Precision fermentation is more sustainable than using petrochemicals to make molecules, usually on the basis of fossil carbon emissions alone, says Lippmeier. 

“A molecule made from fossil carbon will almost always be less sustainable than making the same molecule with biology.”

“Precision fermentation is usually also more sustainable than extraction from botanical sources, particularly for molecules that are only present in diminishingly small amounts in the plant, as is the case for kaempferol and many other antioxidant flavonoids and phenolic compounds,” Lippmeier adds. 

The quantity of carbon converted to kaempferol during Conagen’s precision fermentation process is far greater than with botanically-derived kaempferol.

“This means that the total amount of water consumed by sugar-producing cane or cornfields is much less than would be used if those same fields were used to produce kaempferol from spinach,” Lippmier states.

“Sustainability and efficiency aside, humanity would much rather use kale fields for making kale as produce rather than using them to make a single purified antioxidant. Precision fermentation permits us to use our farmlands better,” Lippmeier affirms.

By Olivia Nelson