Microalgae for the skin: Yemoja’s algae-derived bioactive rejuvenates and boosts healthy aging

13 Apr 2021 --- Marine cultivation start-up Yemoja is introducing a red microalgae bioactive ingredient that brings to the market “new levels of quality, yield and consistency.” The launch is intended for topical skin care applications and boasts anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating properties.

“The red microalgae ingredient is currently mostly used by the cosmetics industry as a topical anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, soothing and hydrating agent. We are further examining its scope for use in treating skin ailments such as atopic dermatitis,” Amikam Bar-Gill, PhD, chief technical officer of Yemoja, tells NutritionInsight.

Porphyridium polysaccharide bears a high affinity to skin support and already is in use in around 300 cosmetic formulations worldwide. The company also plans to investigate its possible capacity for alleviating medical dermal issues, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis in the near future.

“We are exploring possibilities for integrating our aqueous solution into food supplements and branching out to the beauty-from-within sectors,” adds Erez Ashkenazi, CEO of Yemoja.

New production technology
The ingredient is an external polysaccharide sulfate (EPS) and serves the “skin-deep” beauty sector, the company states. 

The ingredient, branded EPS-Revive, is the first bio-active ingredient to be produced from red algae in a tightly controlled lab environment using high-precision and fast-track photobioreactor technology. 

This topically applied bioactive ingredient from the Porphyridium cruentum species of microalgae is in high demand by the cosmetics industry, Yemoja further supports.

“Our high-precision bioreactor indoor cultivation methodology was specifically designed to overcome many of the common hurdles that characterize algae cultivation,” says Bar-Gill.

“This is essentially producing standardized wholly pure wild algae species at consistently high yields to meet the quality and quantity demands of our customers in the cosmeceuticals sphere with rapid-time to market capabilities,” he adds.

Vitamin sea
The cosmetics market is forecast to hit US$430 million in global sales by 2022, the company supports. 

Yemoja is exploring possibilities for integrating the active into food supplements and branching out to the beauty-from-within sector.This is powered by increasing consumer demand for natural products and is driving the discovery and research of new natural compounds within the marine biosphere. 

The sea environment has been generating heightened recognition in recent years as a promising source of skin-health benefits due to its rich biological and chemical diversity. 

Available peer-reviewed research data point to the soluble EPS fraction’s prodigious antioxidant, moisturizing, and anti-aging activities. 

A consistent supply
More and more companies are working to create an all-natural brand by using plant-based or algae-based substances, with an emphasis on green processes and chemical-free end products, notes Ashkenazi. 

“While the demand for the product is high, Yemoja is a rare player in that we can provide a steady supply of the valuable and standardized raw material.”

“We cultivate only natural wild-strain algae through an automated, fully controlled and contaminant-free downstream process. We use no chemicals or solvents, and we do not exploit any natural resources from the environment,” he adds.

Yemoja’s deployment of this closed-cultivation system means there’s no dependency on external environmental factors or impact from climate fluctuations. 

This enables the company to provide the cosmetics market with high-quality EPS year-round customized exactly per the desired composition; the product can be delivered at variable concentrations in gel form or delivered as pure powder.

Furthermore, Yemoja possesses the capability to increase the amount of sulfate bound to the EPS using unique protocols that take place during the cultivation phase of the algae. 

“EPS molecules are synthesized within the red Porphyridium cruentum microalgae under high-stress conditions,” explains Bar-Gill. 

“This exerts a protective mechanism that safeguards the algae’s cells from dehydration, pH shifts, and bacterial infections. During cultivation, the EPS is secreted by the algae and dissolved within the growth media (seawater), which is later separated from the biomass for ultra-filtration in order to concentrate the EPS into its final gel form.”

The red microalgae ingredient is used as a topical anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, soothing and hydrating agent.Repurposing waste
The biomass that was earlier separated undergoes an additional process in order to produce the intercellular polysaccharide sulfated (IPS). 

This product is still under research and development and is believed to hold extremely high potential for cosmetic use; the IPS contains all the benefits of EPS with the inclusion of the algae’s red pigment, phycoerythrin. 

This pigment has already proven to have an immune-modulation activity by previous research. The product can be added into natural cosmetics formulations as an active ingredient as well as a colorant, the company highlights.

Moreover, a recent ex-vivo trial has already endorsed the anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effects of EPS Revive. 

In the study, the EPS was shown to preserve the integrity of the connective tissue between the dermal layers in a depleted culture medium. 

Expanding uses for algae
It is believed that its sulfate content and structure is what renders it an excellent reactive oxygen species scavenger and protects the skin from aging, Yemoja supports. 

It also inhibited various inflammatory markers, specifically TNF-a and IL6 cytokines.

EPS-Revive is formulated to be easily integrated into creams and lotions and various other topical applications. 

Further clinical trials are in the works over the next year to evaluate all the effects of this product for maintaining skin health with regard to all skin types.

Porphyridium cruentum is known for its ability to secrete a viscous mucilage called EPS – External Polysaccharide. This substance comprises several mono sugar chains.

It has been investigated over the last decades for its ability to act as a bioactive agent that can be used in various industry disciplines. 

In recent years, EPS has been integrated into more than 270 different cosmetic formulations acting as an anti-aging and antioxidant agent. 

In extensive research carried out over the past few years, it has been found that EPS is a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-viral agent, the company notes.

“Orally it is being studied for its role as dietary fiber and we are exploring its place in the beauty-from-within sector,” Bar-Gill underscores.

 By Kristiana Lalou