Pharmaceuticals
Overview of future pharmaceutical offerings.
Mannitol
General description
Mannitol is a hexavalent alcohol with the chemical formula C6H14O6. The substance is a white, crystalline compound with a melting point of 166°C. It dissolves easily in water and tastes sweet.
Application examples
Sweetener for diabetic food, regulate intracranial and intraocular pressure, treatment of herniae.
Origin
Laminaria hyperborea.
Product benefits
Natural, nonsynthetic.
Market segments
Pharmaceutical, health & nutrition, food.
Solubility
Freely soluble in water, practically insoluble in ethanol (96%).
Fucoidan
General description
Fucoidans are sulfated polysaccharide predominantly composed of fucose (but also containing galactose, glucose, xylose and other sugars). Fucoidans are very heterogeneous and strongly differ in terms of sugar composition, molecular weight, degree of sulfation, glycosidic linkages and branching. Fucoidans display a large array of bioactive properties. The bioactivity is mostly based on physical properties like the amount of charges (degree of sulfation), the viscosity (molecular weight) and the ability of fucoidan to mimic the structure of glycosaminoglycans, functional carbohydrates in mammalian organisms (due to their heterogenous branching).
Application examples
Studies have found fucoidan to have a broad variety of biological activities, including, but not limited to antitumor and antiangionetic activites, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant activities. In medicine, fucoidan has been applied in 3D printing of organs, prevention of wound adhesion, wound dressing, age related macular degeneration (AMD). For cosmetics, fucoidan has been used e.g., in moisturisers, as replacement for hyaluronic acid, for UV protection, anti-aging, and enzyme inhibition.
Origin
Laminaria hyperborea.
Product benefits
Highly purified, highly characterised.
Highest Mw and highest degree of sulfation (DS) on the market.
Separation into different Mw ranges for different applications.
Market segments
APIs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics, health & nutrition
Cellulose
General description
Cellulose is a carbohydrate polymer consisting of repetitive connections of D-glucose building blocks. The linear stiff-chain homopolymer is of varying molecular structure length according to degree of polymerisation, and is characterised by its hydrophilicity, chirality, biodegradability, broad chemical modifying capacity, and is formation of versatile semicrystalline fiber morphologies. Cellulose is divided into six crystal structures whereof cellulose I is the native cellulose structure found in i.e. nature. The solid state of native cellulose consists of areas of both high order (crystalline) and low order (amorphous). Iα and Iβ are two allomorphs of cellulose I, which can be found alongside each other depending on the origin of the cellulose. Studies suggest that cellulose from L. hyperborea is of the cellulose Iα allomorph with a triclinic unit cell crystal structure.
Application examples
Film formation, gelling agent, viscosifier, cell growth medium, cosmetics, plastic replacement, wound dressings, skincare, contact lenses, 3D printing, textile industry, paper industry.
Origin
Laminaria hyperborea.
Product benefits
High molecular weight, crystallinity and tensile strength.
Native.
Market segments
Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, health & nutrition, food
Alginate
General description
Alginate is a linear polysaccharide predominantly occurring in nature in the class of brown seaweed Phaeophyta. Alginates form a polysaccharide family composed of (1à4)-linked β-D-mannuronic acid (M-unit) in 4C1 conformation and its C5- epimer, α-L-guluronic acid (G-unit) in the 1C4 conformation. These unbranched polyanionic block copolymers are composed of homopolymeric regions of M-units (M-blocks), G-units (G-blocks), and regions of alternating epimers (MG-blocks) of various lengths.
Application examples
Dental impression materials, tablets for controlled drug release, treatment of COPD and cystic fibrosis, wound healing fibres, antacids, gel forming stabilisers in food, industrial paper coating, welding electrodes, plastic substitutes, textile industry.
Origin
Laminaria hyperborea.
Product benefits
High guluronic acid (G) content that gives strong gelling power.
Unique viscosity-increasing properties.
No formaldehyde.
Market segments
APIs, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, health & nutrition, food, feed, chemicals/welding.
Solubility
Slowly soluble in water forming a viscous, colloidal solution. Practically insoluble in ethanol (96%).
Oligosaccharides
General description
Alginate oligosaccharides contain 2 to 25 monomers. Due to shorter chain length, alginate oligosaccharides have improved water solubility compared to higher molecular weight alginates of the same monomers. Oligosaccharides from alginate have unique bioactivities and health benefits.
Application examples
Treatment of cystic fibrosis, treatment of COPD, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anticoagulant, prebiotic, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antioxidant, feed supplements for aquaculture, swine and poultry, elicitors for microorganisms and plants, cryoprotectors for frozen foods.
Origin
Laminaria hyperborea.
Product benefits
Composed almost exclusively of guluronic acid.
Strong chelating ability at low viscosity.
No formaldehyde.
Market segments
APIs, pharmaceuticals
Polyphenols
General description
Phenols are a class of phytochemical compounds consisting of an aromatic hydrocarbon group with a hydroxyl substituent or functional derivatives. Polyphenols constitute one of the most extensive groups of chemicals in the plant kingdom and more than 8000 such compounds have been isolated and described, whereof 150 in seaweeds. The polyphenol family can be classified by their source of origin, biological function, and chemical structure and include phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes, lignans, and tannins. In marine macroalgae, phlorotannins, a group of complex polymers of phloroglucinol (1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene), are thought to be the most predominant phenolic compound. Phlorotannins vary greatly in size and complexity but can be classified into six major subclasses: eckols, fuhalols, fucophlorethols, phlorethols, fucols, and ishofuhalols, depending on their chemical composition. These phytochemicals have attracted much attention because, similar to other polyphenolic compounds, they are bioactive and have potential health benefits in treatment of numerous human diseases due to their enzyme inhibitory effect and antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.
Application examples
Antioxidants, immune stimulating, anti-bacterial, anti-aging, food supplements, UV-protection, animal nutrition, gut microbial balance, anti-tumor, food supplements, foods, beverages, personal care segments.
Origin
Laminaria hyperborea.
Product benefits
Unique composition.
High bioactivity.
Phlorotannins have the strongest antioxidant properties of known polyphenols.
Market segments
Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, health & nutrition, feed