Preventing cognitive decline: Microphyt gains FDA approval for microalgae dietary supplement ingredient

22 Oct 2019 --- Microalgae-based natural solutions company Microphyt has received New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) status from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its patented PhaeoSOL dietary ingredient. Proprietary preclinical data on PhaeoSOL have demonstrated significant nutritional benefits in the prevention of age-related cognitive decline. Microphyt is the first European microalgae company to receive NDI Status from the FDA.

Microphyt's CEO Vincent Usache notes that this status marks a significant milestone in the company's development. “The next steps will focus on developing the sales of PhaeoSOL in the dietary supplement market. The NDI status is of course opening the door to the US market. In addition to backing the safety data of our product PhaeoSOL, NDI status is also offering a better visibility to our customers on what we are able to deliver in terms of quality and innovation,” he tells NutritionInsight.

Compared to standard natural ingredients, the higher efficacy of PhaeoSOL was demonstrated,associated with the synergy of unique bioactive compounds.

Click to EnlargeThe patented production process is based on 5,000-liter tubular photobioreactors, which offer high differentiation potential.After having raised €28.5 million this year to bring microalgae-based natural solutions for nutrition and wellbeing to the market, Microphyt is now pursuing the development of its portfolio with 10 active nutritional ingredients and 20 cosmetic active and functional ingredients. 

Microphyt’s microalgae are sourced from its proprietary strain collection, Usache explains. “We have selected PhaeoSOL’s strain among dozens for its ability to produce high level of bioactive compounds such as omega 3 fatty acids, sterols and fucoxanthin, the latter present in PhaeoSOL is known for several benefits in nutrition and health.”

In a first approach, Microphyt evaluated PhaeoSOL on preclinical studies, demonstrating evident benefits on brain health, stress and anxiety. The company plans to launch a clinical study to further confirm these results.

R&D challenges
The company states that its proprietary production technology solves the “usual drawbacks of microalgae production.” According to Usache, only a handful of microalgae can be produced at a large scale and with sufficient quality to manage the following steps of ingredients production. This is due to biological features of most of the microalgae that are difficult to produce in traditional technologies.

“Thanks to its patented process, Microphyt’s technology Camargue allows simultaneously to produce unique microalgae that cannot be scaled-up through alternative methods and also to deliver the highest yields of bioactive compounds from more common microalgae,” he explains. 

Microphyt showcased PhaeoSOL at SupplySide West in Las Vegas, US, the largest gathering of health & nutrition professionals that took place October 15-19, 2019. The company notes that the world market for ingredients for the microalgae markets represents more than US$70 billion with a share of natural ingredients. Usache mentioned the feedback from the show was “great”, and that microalgae are one of several natural ingredients which offer unique opportunities to provide safe and sustainably produced ingredients. 

Eye on microalgae
Other companies have recognized the potential in microalgae. Touted as a sustainable source of food and nutrients, microalgae are a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Algae has become a highly sought after raw material for numerous products in the pharma, chemical and food sectors.

Click to EnlargeMicrophyt's portfolio will soon include products targeting joint health prevention and weight management, Usache says.Spanish biotechnology company AlgaEnergy, currently specializes in microalgae with its new, in-house R&D project, called PhycoAlgae. The endeavor seeks to design a novel process of production, extraction, concentration, purification and stabilization of phycocyanin, derived from blue-green microalgae.

Meanwhile, Tokyo-headquartered AstaReal is specializing in an astaxanthin product based on Haematococcus pluvialis green freshwater microalgae. Dubbed “nature’s most powerful antioxidant,” Andie Long, Sales and Marketing Manager at AstaReal, explains that astaxanthin is 2.6 times stronger than lutein, 110 times stronger than vitamin E and 6000 times stronger than vitamin C.

According to Innova Market Insights data, there has been an average annual growth of 18 percent of product launches tracked with astaxanthin, between 2014 and 2018. Among the top ten health claims in products with astaxanthin are eye health, skin health, bone health and muscle health, the market researcher notes. 

Earlier this year, research uncovered new biological pathways by which the microalgae compound fucoidan could tackle cancer cells. A new in vitro study conducted at the University of Tasmania, Australia, used Maritech fucoidan produced by Australian biotechnology company Marinova. The findings showed that fucoidan can limit cancer cells in their ability to make proteins, utilize energy and repair damage to themselves. Marinova highlights the seaweed-derived bioactive extract’s potential as an adjunct to cancer treatment.

By Anni Schleicher

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