DolCas Biotech: Next-generation marine collagen enables palatable chocolate formulations
05 Sep 2025 | DolCas Biotech
DolCas Biotech’s CEO, K.G. Rao, introduces Morikol, a marine collagen with a unique tripeptide structure and low-dose solubility, which makes it ideal for functional foods and beverages, particularly chocolate. Rao explains how this ingredient, which supports skin, joints, and whole-body health, is making collagen more convenient and effective than ever before.
This is Benjamin Ferreir for Nutrition Insight and I'm speaking to Keji Rao, who is the founder and CEO of DLCcas Biotech.
Here to explore the expanding category of multi-functional collagens with us and share some insights about related innovations.
Keji, thank you so much for joining us and can we just kick it off by asking you to share some of your latest company innovations in multi-functional collagens.
Thank you for having me at this AI interview.
Yeah, , collagen is really becoming really the in thing here now in the United States, you know, it's been in the East for multiple decades, but now here it's becoming the in thing.
And of course, our latest product is Moriol, which is basically a marine-based collagen, you know, and the clinical dose is just with 1 g, where you can see like there are multiple other collagen products where You have to take between 5 to 10 g, and that is what is recommended, or that is what is clinically studied, but with Moriol, all you need is just 1 g.
And this is basically derived from marine like tilapia, and there is a very good traceability, we are ASC certified, so traceability is not a problem.
And we standardize for, like, you know, trip peptides and certain other activities.
It's a smaller molecular weight, but at the same time, you know, the GPH is something that we standardize as , which is glycine, chlorine and hydroxychlorine.
That is what we standardize.
And, you know, with this, people have really started seeing it is noticeable.
You know, within like a week or two, people start seeing a big difference in their skin, such as like for wrinkles, for hydration, skin elasticity, that is what we have noticed.
And and especially with the low dose, it is quite an interesting product for us.
And what are some of the new and unique product applications that are trending for your collagen products?
With our Morio, it is very much diversified, you know, we can use it in multiple different applications, you know, not just like powdered drinks.
You know, powdered drinks, yes, you need 5 or 10 g, but that's great, but here you only need 1 g.
And with 1 g, it is really, you know, it's kind of amazing that we can put them in 2 capsules per day, which is easy.
Then you can also do it into oral dispersable, you can make it into chewable tablets.
The good part about this is it's completely tasteless, odorless, and doesn't leave any kind of aftertaste in your mouth as.
So you can also use it in any kind of fruit-based.
Beverages, you can put them in any kind of candy, hard candy, soft candy, any kind of, cookies, gummies.
The, the one of the latest thing that we discovered was, you know, especially in chocolates, you know, not only in dark chocolate or white chocolate, or any kind of chocolates, you know, milk chocolate.
You will not even notice the difference, you know, when I did some blind taste with quite a few of our colleagues here, and nobody can tell there is collagen in there, so it is absolutely doesn't change any taste or flavor or no smell.
That is the best part about the chocolate bar.
And there are so many other kind of applications.
It can go into bakery products.
It can go into confectioneries, like a lot of different confectioneries.
Can you comment on which markets are seeing high demand and activity in collagen innovation?
The, the biggest markets that we have really seen right now is in beauty from within.
That has been one of the biggest markets where it helps in skin hydration, as I've mentioned, in, you know, it's smoothness of the skin and looking more youthful.
That is what we have, you know, seen.
But besides that, We also have done some research on joint health, you know, joint health, you know, with tendonitis and, you know, tendons and joint support.
We have also, , used it in several different formats as I may, as I've mentioned, for overall, you know, wellness and enjoyment of this delivery forms.
And the best part is about, you know, it's, it's a clean label.
That's one thing that we can say, like, you know, there's nothing, no enhancers, nothing added, it's 100% all natural collagen derived from tilapia.
In what other exciting ways are you expecting the category to evolve?
This is really, it's becoming a big thing, you know, beauty within is something, it is one of the biggest areas where it is evolving.
And like, you know, basically, it's basically a lifestyle, you know, you just have to take it on an everyday basis.
And that is what we see.
It also, we have seen that in energy bars as , beverages, of course, in beauty foods, you know, so it is kind of , we believe that collagen has become more personalized with blends designed for different ages and different lifestyle.
So that is what we have been noticing, and it is kind of, it's a growing, emerging kind of, you know, sector where we are in right now.
And what can you comment on any other interesting category crossovers?
Interesting crossovers, yes, you know, it is, so a collagen is something that most companies are focusing on, you know, beauty within, but there are so many other areas because it's, it is a kind of antioxidant.
It's, you know, that is what we have noticed.
It also is used as a sports nutrition.
Where, you know, with athletes, you know, with joint issues or aches and pains that, you know, this is really something that protects against, you know, stress and aging.
That is what we are seeing also.
And especially vascular health is also, it's a very interesting area where we are looking at and where we have done some pre-clinicals on vascular health.
And of course, bone health is becoming a big thing as now.
Thank you so much for your insights.
Yeah, you're very welcome.
Thank you very much for having me over and you know, we are very happy to be with you.
