Seaweed-focused biotech BioMara has completed commercial-scale trials of its fucoidan extraction process at the UK Centre of Process Innovation (CPI).
This marks the first successful scale-up of the company's flagship nutraceutical, Thalivra fucoidan, bringing it one step closer to commercialisation.
Thalivra fucoidan is a high-purity brown seaweed extract designed to support gut health and immunity through its prebiotic function.
Trials conducted at the CPI found that BioMara's extraction process is currently at a Technology Readiness level of 6–7, which is considered an industry benchmark for pilot-scale demonstration in a relevant production environment.
Through this successful trial, BioMara scaled its operations from 500L pilot batches to 1,000L, with no discernible effect on product purity, quality and yield.
The ingredient was also produced at scale without the use of harsh chemicals, making BioMara's process competitive in terms of cleanliness and efficiency.
One step closer to commercialisation
Via the success of this project, BioMara can now produce commercial-grade fucoidan samples, which it will provide to players in the nutraceutical and functional food sectors.
“We’re seeing solid demand for fucoidans as an ingredient in nutraceuticals and wellness,” noted Jay Dignan, CEO of BioMara.
“However, supply remains a challenges, with limited stocks available — especially in the UK and Europe. By successfully scaling up our fucoidan extraction process at CPI, we hope to fill this gap with a robust process that produces high-quality product."
"Through this development, partners can now rely on us as a secure, UK-based fucoidan supplier," he added.
This milestone positions Thalivra closer to commercialisation, while also reducing risks associated with future production rollout through CMO partners.
Studies to assess the product's efficacy
Alongside its efforts to scale-up its fucoidan production, BioMara has teamed up with Abertay University to conduct a three-phase study, which will evaluate Thalivra's bioactivity and bioavailability.
First, researchers will simulate digestion by using an in vitro digestion model, which will assess how the Thalivra behaves throughout the human digestive process.
They will then use the Caco-2 cell assay to determine how the ingredient may be absorbed in the gut, and how successfully it passes across the intestinal barrier.
Finally, they will test the nutraceutical in an ex-vivo setting, looking at the impacts of both digested and undigested Thalivra on the human gut microbiome — specifically looking at how it might influence the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
BioMara will also be on hand at this year's Vitafoods Europe 2024, where the compaby will showcase both Thalivra and its co-productm Seafibrex.