INNOSEA: INNOvative Seaweed Extraction & Application
Lead Participant:
BIOMARA LIMITED
Abstract
More than half of over-45s are living with diet-related noncommunicable health conditions, which is putting an enormous strain on NHS resources _\[National-Food-Strategy-Ch16-2021\]_. Fortifying functional ingredients to increase food's nutritional value is needed to 'make us well' and result in a healthier planet.
BioMara and Aberystwyth University are focused on advancing nutritional health claims for BioMara's fucoidan using innovative stabilisation steps through spray-drying techniques, and testing in human health trials.
Fucoidan, a bioactive polysaccharide, has numerous biological activities. However, fucoidan faces a restricted market size due to its lack of research-backed credentials for applications in its relatively restricted existing nutraceuticals market while competing with a predominantly Asian supply of low-quality, low-bioactive seaweed.
Fucoidan holds promise in solving pressing health concerns, but it faces challenges because industrial production and application are limited due to low yield and little rigorous scientific backing for health claims. Optimised purification and stabilisation methods are key to retaining fucoidan's bioactivity through the process_._
Collaboration with Aberystwyth University looks to build on and advance the knowledge in health potential for BioMara's unique fucoidan outputs. This feasibility project will separate fucoidan using BioMara's innovative zero-waste cascading biorefinery process generating maximum value from sustainably-farmed UK seaweed. Applying Aberystwyth University's novel advanced compositional and antimicrobial research to multiple high-quality, bioactive and food-grade samples will seek to evidence fucoidan bioactivity and gut microbiome impact before and after atomisation of formulations is applied. Understanding ideal stabilisation parameters is important to retain fucoidan bioactivity and enable production scale-up. Human trials will generate preliminary feedback focused on gut health to ascertain the _in vivo_ impact of fucoidan and will ensure findings align with food manufacturers and health-conscious consumers.
The project outputs will position BioMara as a market leader with a product ready for further clinical trials. Producing a sustainable, high-purity, and traceable product from UK feedstocks provides a distinctive provenance advantage and advances UK food production to meet the rise in global demand for healthy convenience foods, accessible and available to all.
BioMara and Aberystwyth University are focused on advancing nutritional health claims for BioMara's fucoidan using innovative stabilisation steps through spray-drying techniques, and testing in human health trials.
Fucoidan, a bioactive polysaccharide, has numerous biological activities. However, fucoidan faces a restricted market size due to its lack of research-backed credentials for applications in its relatively restricted existing nutraceuticals market while competing with a predominantly Asian supply of low-quality, low-bioactive seaweed.
Fucoidan holds promise in solving pressing health concerns, but it faces challenges because industrial production and application are limited due to low yield and little rigorous scientific backing for health claims. Optimised purification and stabilisation methods are key to retaining fucoidan's bioactivity through the process_._
Collaboration with Aberystwyth University looks to build on and advance the knowledge in health potential for BioMara's unique fucoidan outputs. This feasibility project will separate fucoidan using BioMara's innovative zero-waste cascading biorefinery process generating maximum value from sustainably-farmed UK seaweed. Applying Aberystwyth University's novel advanced compositional and antimicrobial research to multiple high-quality, bioactive and food-grade samples will seek to evidence fucoidan bioactivity and gut microbiome impact before and after atomisation of formulations is applied. Understanding ideal stabilisation parameters is important to retain fucoidan bioactivity and enable production scale-up. Human trials will generate preliminary feedback focused on gut health to ascertain the _in vivo_ impact of fucoidan and will ensure findings align with food manufacturers and health-conscious consumers.
The project outputs will position BioMara as a market leader with a product ready for further clinical trials. Producing a sustainable, high-purity, and traceable product from UK feedstocks provides a distinctive provenance advantage and advances UK food production to meet the rise in global demand for healthy convenience foods, accessible and available to all.
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| BIOMARA LIMITED | £138,873 | £ 97,211 |
Participant |
||
| ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY | £87,720 | £ 87,720 |
People |
ORCID iD |
| James Dignan (Project Manager) |