Mibelle Biochemistry taps healthy aging “mega-trend” via cognition-longevity axis

10 Jan 2024 --- R&D is one of Mibelle Biochemistry’s core expertise, which it is leveraging extensively in its present focus on healthy aging. We catch up with Dr. Torsten Grothe, head of food and health, who reveals how healthy aging is the quintessential “mega-trend affecting most supplementation categories.”

Consumers are looking for solutions to improve or slow down the signs of aging and perceive taking supplements as a way to counteract the effects. In addition, the company is observing a steady increase in interest in natural bioactives within the beauty and supplementation space.

“During life, we age every day, resulting in a slowing of metabolism, decreased gut and cognitive performance, hair loss and the deterioration of skin quality. Such aging effects are accelerated by unhealthy lifestyles and are indeed noticeable for each consumer. We, therefore, see a strong fit between the benefits of our products and consumer needs,” Grothe tells Nutrition Insight.

“Aging brings a variety of physical and metabolic changes to the body and mind. We assume that one of the main drivers is the current lifestyle trend toward veganism, all-natural and plant-based.” 

Cognition-longevity axis
Key claims facilitated by the company include healthy aging, skin and hair beauty, collagen boosting, metabolically energizing, cognitive support, longevity and sports nutrition. Mibelle Biochemistry’s unique botanical actives for food supplements comprise ingredients that are easy to formulate into all major application forms, have been clinically tested and feature peer-reviewed published results.

“We are still focusing on healthy aging concepts for different categories. Longevity, epigenetic age, but also the gut-brain axis and the gut-immune axis will be further evaluated for existing and new products. New products supported by exciting scientific data can be expected to be launched in the next few years,” explains Grothe.

Mibelle Biochemistry has over 30 years of experience researching, developing and manufacturing high-quality, science-based, branded natural ingredients. “Our heritage lies in the field of cosmetic bioactives, and we use our know-how and experience for applications in the field of healthy aging and beauty-from-within,” says Grothe. 

“We understand the hallmarks of aging and, with our know-how, are able to translate them into appropriate applications and examine them scientifically. Furthermore, we focus on the cognition-longevity axis, energy boosters and sports endurance.”

Scientific approach to botanical actives
The company typically selects interesting categories or biological mechanisms for further R&D assessment, such as the “hallmarks of aging,” including telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, autophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction. 

“We then follow a so-called bioassay-guided development approach: pre-selected raw materials will be screened for such effects by established in vitro tests and the most promising candidate will enter clinical evaluation after a safety assessment,” explains Grothe.

“This approach generally leads to safe products based on sound scientific findings and substantial knowledge of the respective mode of action, which is often insufficiently tested in the case of herbal active ingredients.”Mibelle’s R&D and innovation focus is on supplements for healthy aging. 

Its plant-derived DracoBelle collagen booster DracoBelle Nu was developed using this approach. Most of Mibelle’s raw materials — including herbs, spices, vegetables and fruits — are produced locally in the Swiss Alps and its products are derived from biotechnology. 

PhytoCellTec Md Nu, for example, is comprised of an apple biomass derived from plant cell-culture technology, which recently received approval as a novel food by the European Food Safety Authority. 

“First, we screened a few plant extracts for protein modulating activities that lead to enhanced collagen production in skin tissues, without the supplementation of any collagen building blocks,” explains Grothe.

“The discovered activity of the Moldavian dragonhead extract was confirmed in a skin collagen-synthesis test before we entered clinical evaluation, which demonstrated the actives positive effects on improving skin density, elasticity and moisture.”

In addition, Mibelle Biochemistry developed an upcycled coffee silverskin SLVR’Coffee for moisturization alongside its NovoRetin, a natural alternative to retinol.

By Inga de Jong