The Californian firm, which specializes in botanical reference standards and analytical tools, said its technology could result in a consistent, cost-effective supply of the antioxidant compounds.
The patented process, which ChromaDex liscensed from the University of Buffalo, uses fermentation through cell culture or recombinant organisms to produce anthocyanins, leucoanthocyanidins and anthocyanidins for use in the supplements and functional food sectors.
Commercial scale
The company has been testing the process over the past year, and has confirmed that it works on a pilot scale. A $100,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will be used to test if the process can be scaled up.
ChromaDex CEO Frank Jaksch said the Small Business Innovation Research grant it was awarded will be used over the next six months as the first step in commercializing the technology.
“If we prove that Phase I is successful, then we can apply for a $750,000 Phase II grant to help us bring it to market,” he said. Phase II would take up to two years, he said, so in theory the new compounds could be on the market within the next three years.
“Our goal is to streamline the technology and license it to another company that will use it to supply ingredients to industry,” he told NutraIngredients-USA.com.
Price and quality
According to ChromaDex, this is the first time – to its knowledge – that a fermentation method would be used to create anthocyanins. Other nutraceutical ingredients that are made using fermentation include CoQ10, resveratrol and certain vitamins. The advantages of such a process are said to be a stable supply and consistent quality and price.
“Most anthocyanins are made from plant extracts, meaning that the anthocyanin content is specifically tied to some biomass. That can be challenging because uncertain supply issues often lead to ingredient costs skyrocketing,” said Jaksch.
“This process will create a much more cost-effective means of selectively producing anthocyanins.”
Jaksch would not reveal if the fermentation process would employ yeast, or what the starting compound for the antioxidants would be. However, he said this latter is a plant-based waste material, that is produced in large quantities as a by-product of a particular industrial process.