Although he could not go into details about the resulting plant-based products or the indications, Dr Bueter, CEO of VitaPlant, said that they will be suitable for use in both the food (including supplements) and pharmaceutical sectors.
He explained that VitaPlant is following a scientific approach, including pharmacology, toxicology, phytochemistry and phytopharmaceutical technology, to develop the means to extract ingredients from plants - that is: "ready made extract recipes for industrial production". The customer can then engage whichever manufacturer it prefers to carry out the extraction, giving them far greater flexibility.
Customers can also source the raw material from VitaPlant. Although this is not mandatory, Dr Bueter said that it does help ensure standardization in the finished product, which has a positive effect on quality and safety.
VitaPlant's combined capabilities in phytopharmaceutical development and medicinal plant breeding allows it to identify the most promising plant candidates and bring out the best possible results. Moreover, when the content of the active principals and biomass may vary within a plant species, and if the same source is not always used, the results may vary.
"The scientific approach leading to a safe, pharmacologically active extract and the parallel development of suitable, homogeneous plant raw material are key to quality in natural products," said Dr Bueter.
The research is jointly funded by VitaPlant and EuroPharma, the latter having the North American rights for the products, which are expected to be available within the next 12 to 18 months.
In the Japanese market, VitaPlant partners with ASK Intercity. VitaPlant handles the central Europe market itself, where it has been very successful in finding major customers for its services in the past.
According to Dr Bueter, VitaPlant's head of pharma Dr Matthias-H Kreuter is very well known in phytopharmaceutical circles and has had a major part to play in the company's success in Europe since he joined two years ago.
The company hopes to build on its success in the home market, and is seeking partners to represent it in other countries.
As for the prospects for the new products themselves, Dr Bueter said: "I hope they will become very well known - we are optimistic that we will get a good share in the market."
VitaPlant's emphasis on science and standardisation is indicative of the trend towards scientifically-researched ingredients in the dietary supplements industry.
Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council, said: "Consumers, healthcare practitioners and the public in general are demanding high quality supplement products that are well documented for their safety and health benefits."