Pre-commercial Development of a New Generation of Cosmetic Products Based on Biosourced Active Ingredients Extracted From Microalgae

For over four years, the Laboratoires Iso-BioKem (IBK) has been working to develop a production platform for active ingredients extracted from microalgae biomass to supply the nutraceuticals and cosmetics sectors. For the cosmetics sector, IBK has initiated the development of several active ingredients derived from microalgae and protista biomass, with the aim of bringing to market compounds rich in ceramides, peptides, omega-3s and hyaluronic acid derivatives.

To validate the bioactive properties of these extracts, the company has developed an innovative validation platform specifically dedicated to cosmetic properties, including approaches in bioenergetics, genomics and lipidomics. These in-vitron and ex-vivo approaches make it possible to assess the structural, antioxidant, repairing, anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory properties of the active ingredients tested. This platform was successfully used in a collaborative project with SCF Pharma and DCP Dermoscience to develop a patented active ingredient extracted from Sphaeroforma arctica, an Arctic protist whose development is in the pre-commercial phase.

The current project aims to use this platform to validate the commercial potential of active ingredients for which IBK has validated the biomass extraction protocols. Each of these active ingredients is derived from microalgae, the cultivation of which IBK has mastered and which represent interesting and alternative sources of ceramides, peptides, omega-3s and hyaluronic acid derivatives for the marketing of a new range of cosmetic products.

More specifically, the project was subdivided into four main sub-objectives. (1) To validate the bioactive properties (anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, antioxidant, skin structure, bioenergetics) of the organic and/or aqueous fractions extracted from the microorganism strains. (2) To scale up production in order to validate all the production parameters for the various strains selected, from cultivation to harvesting of the biomass, including the extraction and purification protocols for the extracts in order to be able to process a larger quantity of biomass. (3) To test the formulations of the active ingredients by validating their compatibility and stability with the composition of the matrices of the targeted cosmetic products. (4) Evaluate the business and marketing strategy in order to determine potential subcontracting needs, the issues involved in negotiating commercial agreements, the deployment of the sales force and the integration of active ingredient production into the company's current commercial activities.