Conagen develops antioxidant kaempferol through precision fermentation

Photo © iStockphoto.com/tpzijl

The biotechnology company Conagen (Bedford, MA) has announced the successful development of the antioxidant kaempferol, produced using its proprietary, precision fermentation. Kaempferol is one of nature’s most potent antioxidants; a flavonoid that can be found in tea, fruits, and vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale.

“We’re bringing to market a pure and natural kaempferol at affordable prices that were not possible or available until now,” said Casey Lippmeier, PhD, vice president of innovation at Conagen, in a press release. “Conagen’s scalable, precision fermentation for producing flavonoids like kaempferol is more efficient and sustainable than what can be achieved with the chemically-synthesized or botanically-sourced molecule.”

Plants protect themselves and their fruits from biological intruders such as fungi and bacteria by using phenolic phytochemicals, that include flavonoids. Because of this, kaempferol may provide powerful anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and immune health benefits to humans. Research has shown that dietary kaempferol may offer a wide range of benefits, primarily as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that may reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

“This launch further demonstrates our talent for delivering innovative compounds which are ideal for dietary supplements and ‘clean-label’ ingredients for functional foods, beverages, and cosmetics,” said Lippmeier. “Our vision for promoting health and wellness is to continuously leverage our precision fermentation capabilities for high-quality phenolic and flavonoid phytonutrients, thus confirming our position as a leader in the development of strains and processes for making clean-label ingredients and nutraceuticals.”

Conagen’s commercial partner is Blue California, which has a long-standing partnership with the biotechnology company.