These plant compounds offer multiple uses in different sectors of activity
Betaelegans Biotech SL is a new technology based company (EBT) of the University of Murcia dedicated to acquiring and selling betalains, natural pigments present in plants of the order ‘Caryophyllales’ (such as cacti, red or yellow beets , and in a large number of flowers) which are responsible for coloring these vegetables and which have different applications in different sectors. This spin-off is the only producer of high-purity betalains in the world, enabling it to offer differentiated and competitive products at an international level. This company is promoted by researchers from the research group ‘Biochemistry and Enzyme Biotechnology’ of the University of Murcia, which has more than 20 years of experience in betalain research and in the evaluation of bioactivities of natural and artificial compounds.
Betalains are plant pigments with a pronounced phytochemical character and enormous potential for application in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries due to their fluorescent and natural coloring properties, their powerful antioxidant activity and the scavenging of free radicals.
Betaelegans Biotech SL provides reference substances and support in the analysis and production of custom plant pigments in established and emerging areas.
In terms of food, these compounds are especially relevant if we take into account that they can act as natural dyes, which are increasingly in demand by industry and consumers, as they are presented as a healthier and more stable alternative to synthetic artificial dyes. .
More specifically, the services of this EBT focus on the synthesis and purification of betalains, offering adapted synthesis of these compounds or their extraction from natural sources.
It also carries out the evaluation of the biological activity of these substances and of the extracts they contain, in order to carry out their effective subsequent application in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
In addition, Betaelegans Biotech SL makes available to companies and other interested parties the experience gained by the professors of the University of Murcia regarding the characterization of in vivo bioactivities using the model organism ‘Caenorhabditis elegans’.
“This animal model is a tiny worm less than a millimeter in size that allows for in vivo studies on health-promoting evaluation and, more specifically, the effect that different molecules, extracts, foods, nutraceuticals or drugs can have on longevity, stress. oxidatively or for protection against diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s disease,” said Professor Francisco García Carmona, director of the new company.
«’Caenorhabditis elegans’ makes it possible to reduce experiments with rodents or with other animals with social or complex behavior. At the same time, analogies at the biochemical and genetic level make it possible to study the effects of multiple substances on an entire animal,” adds Professor García Carmona.
The combination of capabilities and technologies of this spin-off makes it a world leader in acquiring, marketing and studying the activity of betalains, compounds with great demand potential given their industrial qualities and health promotion.
Source: La Verdad
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