HealthTech Bioactives and Abolis Biotechnologies develop sustainable and innovative polyphenols

23 May 2024 --- Spain-based HealthTech Bioactives (HTBA) and Abolis Biotechnologies, France have joined forces to develop a new sustainable, valuable method of extracting polyphenol compounds — plant compounds that are increasingly popular in diverse nutrition sectors. HTBA develops polyphenol and vitamin B12 ingredients for human and animal nutrition.

“This partnership aligns with our innovation and sustainability goals in two ways. At present, our raw materials are side streams from the fruit cultivar. While being sustainable and providing an additional revenue stream, we have learned that it comes with inherent challenges,” Alexandre Valls-Coma, CEO of HTBA, tells Nutrition Insight.

“We are thrilled to contribute to HTBA’s growth through this strategic collaboration,” adds Cyrille Pauthenier, co-founder and CEO of Abolis. “We have a proven track record in microbial strain development for polyphenol products, while HTBA brings its extensive global market knowledge to identify innovative applications for our solutions. This partnership is, therefore, a perfect match for our complementary expertise.”

The two companies will focus on developing new microbial strains and addressing challenges related to the supply of high-quality polyphenols in the fast-growing sector. 

Valls-Coma continues: “HTBA has forty years of expertise in the development of polyphenols for pharmaceuticals, functional health, taste modulation and animal nutrition. Our applications for purified, sustainable polyphenols in each of these four markets and their projected demand in the near future have led us to invest in the collaboration with Abolis.”

Polyphenol innovation
Applying HTBA’s experience in bioactive manufacturing and Abolis’ know-how in microbial strain development and biotechnological production, the companies are seeking new natural bacterial fermentation and solvent-free extraction methods.

 The companies are seeking new natural bacterial fermentation and solvent-free extraction methods.“Some cultivars are in remission or, on some occasions, there are poor harvests, which translates in little raw material availability. Consumers on the other hand, want natural ingredients and they want to be able to enjoy the products whenever they want them, not just when the harvests are good,” explains Valls-Coma. 

“A second challenge lies in the low presence of polyphenols in the natural raw material. This makes it very challenging and expensive to extract and purify polyphenols by traditional means.”

The hope is to replace the artificial extraction methods that often have negative consequences for the environment. 

“HTBA has a proprietary technology to extract and purify polyphenols without solvents. This is already a significant step forward in comparison to traditional extraction methods (in terms of environmental preservation).”

Solvent-free 
Valls-Coma explains that using solvent free extraction, the developers will reduce energy consumption, improve the safety of the process and lower overall greenhouse gas emissions. 

“Combining our solvent free purification technology with precision fermentation allows us to obtain polyphenols with minimal environmental impact at the same time as overcoming the challenges mentioned earlier.”

The overall goal of the partnership is to expand and secure the scale of polyphenol manufacturing in order to reduce costs. 

In the beginning stage of the joint ingredient venture, the two companies will focus on two “high-value” molecules that are currently scarce. Following this initial phase, the partnering entities’ established protocols will be applied to up to eight other molecules, with the same goal of making the R&D pipeline more efficient. 

Polyphenols have been shown to have favorable prebiotic properties that can influence gut health, heart health, skin and immunity.“Our companies have been working successfully together since 2021. We are delighted to announce this new phase of our partnership and believe that it will take polyphenols to the next level and create more value for our customers.”

Beneficial compounds 
Polyphenols have been linked to various health benefits. For example, they have been shown to have favorable prebiotic properties that can influence gut health. They may enhance the intestinal barrier function by interacting with the gut microbiome, thus improving metabolic health. 

One promising area for the applications of polyphenol ingredients is the heart health space. Products containing the compounds could reduce glucose absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.

The natural compounds may also facilitate skin rejuvenation by protecting skin cells from oxidation damage while reducing advanced glycation end-product formation in the fibroblasts, preserving the skin’s biomechanical properties. They possess antioxidant, anti-aging, UV protection and anti-inflammatory properties that may simultaneously strengthen the skin’s structure and inhibit melanin production, reducing hyperpigmentation.

Polyphenols’ benefits to cellular health have also been shown to boost the functioning of the immune system, enhancing the body’s ability to fight off viral infections. 

By Milana Nikolova