Olives and Wine: Conagen Makes Accessible Antioxidant Hydroxytyrosol by Fermentation

Bedford, Mass., Sept. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leveraging its robust phenolics platform, Conagen announced the expansion of the health ingredient portfolio of its commercial partner Blue California, with the successful scale-up and commercialization of the powerful natural antioxidant ingredient hydroxytyrosol.

With its health-promoting properties, hydroxytyrosol is a phenylethanoid found in olives and wine. Most hydroxytyrosol is naturally found in the juice of olives, minorly in oil. Current hydroxytyrosol ingredients on the market are produced mainly through processed olive juice or are synthetic.

Conagen’s high-purity hydroxytyrosol is virtually colorless and odorless, making it ideal for formulating different products. The hydroxytyrosol is produced by using a cost-effective, sustainable natural fermentation process that has led to the filing of several patent applications, making it a preferred option compared to its olive juice concentrate and synthetic counterparts.

“Hydroxytyrosol is derived from one of our four small-molecule platforms.  The flexibility of our phenolics platform has enabled us to rapidly scale and commercialize hydroxytyrosol and other novel ingredients, highlighting our productive innovation engine and reliability as a strategic service partner,” said Vice President of Innovation, Casey Lippmeier, Ph.D. at Conagen.

Hydroxytyrosol has received increasing attention in the dietary supplement world due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that contribute to the many health benefits of consuming olives. Preclinical and clinical studies demonstrate the positive effects of hydroxytyrosol on heart health and support healthy cholesterol levels.

“The Mediterranean diet is consistently rated as one of the healthiest diets, partially attributed to the use of olives,” Blue California’s Research, Science and Innovation Officer, Linda May-Zhang, Ph.D. “Hydroxytyrosol is one of the most potent antioxidants in olives, and research suggests the great promise of this molecule in healthy aging and potential immune support applications.”

In addition to immune health, emerging research suggests hydroxytyrosol supports heart health, metabolic health, bone health, brain health, and beauty.

Immune health will remain a top priority for consumers as 64% of global consumers are looking to improve their immunity over the next 12 months, reported by FMCG Gurus, Top Ten Trends for 2021, Dec. 2020.

“Conagen is unlocking unprecedented access to sustainable compounds which are only sparingly found in nature,” said Lippmeier. “We expect this and other related compounds will prove useful as cost-effective food or cosmetic ingredients or as additives to other products in which oxidation must be mitigated.”

Using precision fermentation, Conagen produces an extensive portfolio of ingredients, with a recent focus on phenolic antioxidants and natural preservatives such as Rosmarinic acid (Rosavel®), Capsaicin, and the recently announced p-Coumaric Acid (PCA). These ingredients add to a long list of health-promoting flavonoids such as Dihydroquercetin (DHQ), also known as Taxifolin.

Blue California is a provider of solutions and manufacturer/distributor of specialty ingredients, flavors, and fragrances and has a long-standing innovation partnership with Conagen. Conagen focuses on developing sustainable, nature-based ingredients that improve existing options in the market or represent completely novel ingredient solutions.

About Conagen

Conagen is a product-focused synthetic biology R&D company with large-scale manufacturing capabilities. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high-quality, sustainable, nature-based products by precision fermentation and enzymatic bioconversion. We focus on the bioproduction of high-value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. www.conagen.com

About Blue California

Blue California is a vertically integrated technology company providing innovative ingredient solutions to global partners. With more than 20 years of innovation success, our ingredients are used in commercial products and applications in nutrition, personal care, healthy aging and wellness, functional food and beverage, and beauty. www.bluecal-ingredients.com

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