Plant Advanced Technologies (PAT), a specialist in natural active ingredients, presented HydraQueen Exudactive, an active ingredient extracted from the roots of Spiraea ulmaria.

Also known as Meadowsweet, Spiraea ulmaria is "a natural treasure trove of molecules with proven biological activities for the skin", according to the company. Its richness in secondary metabolites is multiplied by 8* thanks to a stimulation process.

Hydration and pollution control

HydraQueen Exudactive is a moisturizing, skin barrier-restructuring, anti-pollution and energizing active ingredient. Efficacy tests have been carried out. PAT reports the following results:

• Restores the fragile balance of the skin's barrier function (+52% at D14)
• Helps defend skin against pollution (TEER +17% on stressed mature skin), dehydration and environmental stress
• Maintains internal hydration (+60% at D14) and protects against external irritants
• Helps repair and strengthen sensitive skin

PAT also reports that HydraQueen Exudactive has demonstrated antioxidant and anti-free radical activities (via biological efficacy tests). in vitro and in vivo).

Exudactive technology (the new name for the "milking plant" process developed by PAT) provides easy access to the plant's roots. Spiraea ulmariaunder controlled and optimized conditions, leading to responsible sourcing and production of agrimonine, the original active compound first discovered in plants - particularly abundant in roots grown and stimulated in PAT aeroponic systems.

The combination of these skills has enabled us to produce 96 times more active compounds over the course of a plant's lifetime than with a soil-grown plant. This method of cultivation limits the impact on agricultural land.

Responsible production

Responsible innovation is at the heart of Plant Advanced Technologies' approach. The group has two research centers, one in Lorraine and the other on Reunion Island. Their credo: to explore the products of tomorrow while preserving nature and natural resources. 

HydraQueen Exudactive meets these objectives:

• reduced cultivation area, with four harvests a year and a life expectancy of at least three years with aeroponics
• by limiting water consumption by recycling 100 % of crop water (closed cycle)
• using biological control and biocontrol in a natural greenhouse - zero pesticides
• by multiplying by 96 the quantity of molecules harvested vs. in open fields.

The HydraQueen Exudactive ingredient is manufactured in France, with a fully controlled and traceable production chain from seed to active ingredient on the PAT site, guaranteeing quality: all the company's activities are ISO9001-2015 certified, and the horticultural activities and aeroponics in Lorraine are certified "high environmental value" (HVE) level 3. PAT ingredients are also RSPO MB certified, and all plants are sourced in accordance with the current Nagoya Protocol, which aims to protect global biodiversity. In addition, the ingredients are Cosmos and ISO16128 - 100 % natural origin compatible.

HydraQueen Exudactive is the first ingredient in the growing Exudactive range. Other products in pre-launch, Rhus chinensis and Equisetum hyemaleare also concentrated in highly active root molecules, offering different cosmetic benefits such as anti-aging, radiance and protection.

"We are extremely proud of the launch of HydraQueen Exudactive, the fruit of many years of R&D and our new commercial strategy. We chose Cosmet'Agora, one of the key venues to present this new ingredient to the market. At PAT, our commitment to sustainable innovation is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to offering superior quality ingredients for the cosmetics industry while preserving the environment", says Jean-Paul Fèvre, President of PAT.

_{* Based on internal calculations. Figure valid for one plant life cycle.}

The scalp is exposed to daily aggressions, particularly from the exposome. This can influence hair health. In fact, in China, over 90 % of hair product users believe that scalp care can improve the health of their hair*. 

Seppic therefore decided to re-explore the potential of Alariane CV (Inci: Aqua/Water - Butylene Glycol - Alaria Esculenta extract) to offer a dual effect on the scalp: protection of hair follicle cells and scalp lipids against the exposome.

Alariane CV is an extract of Alaria esculentaa food traditionally consumed along the coasts of the far north Atlantic Ocean, for its excellent health properties and its binding/detoxifying effect against heavy metals, also known as "Irish wakame". 

Tests were carried out during exposure to cadmium, a heavy metal present in global pollution from cigarette smoke or phosphate fertilizers, for example.

In contact with cadmium, the scalp is weakened and subjected to inflammation, so hair follicles are no longer able to produce healthy hair.

Seppic points out that the use of Alariane CV has demonstrated, through protocols in vitroA significant 2 7% reduction in hair follicle inflammation compared to an untreated follicle, after Cadmium stress.

Microscopic observations of cells in the presence of Alariane CV showed an increase in their number and an improvement in their morphology, similar to cells not exposed to Cadmium.

Seppic claims that Alariane CV has a protective action on the hair follicle against Cadmium-induced inflammation, and helps preserve scalp function and maintain healthy hair. According to the company in vitro have also shown protection against lipid peroxidation after UVB stress.

<sub>Sources :
* Mintel
** Bailey, Susan E., Trudy J. Olin, R.mark Bricka, and D.dean Adrian. "A Review of Potentially Low-cost Sorbents for Heavy Metals." Water Research 33.11 (1999)</sub>

The search for effective, sustainable ingredients remains constant in a rapidly evolving cosmetics industry. Startup Gaia Tech uses food by-products to create high-performance ingredients that meet the industry's need to respond to growing consumer and regulatory pressure for sustainability.

Peels, pulp, pomace, pits, shells, hulls, skins, seeds and other food by-products are often a burden for producers and must be disposed of at some cost. Gaia Tech founder Claudio Reinhard has seen first-hand how large quantities of olive oil production residues create environmental problems in Spain. 

Back at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, he developed a process for extracting high-quality antioxidants from olive pomace. 

The innovative treatment begins by separating the solid and liquid components of the olive pomace. The liquid part then passes through a material specially designed to absorb the antioxidants. The absorber is made from a fully biodegradable material and can be used several times before being applied as an agricultural fertilizer at the end of its life cycle. In the final stage, the antioxidant extract is purified for incorporation into industrial products.

The demand for natural antioxidants is strong in industry. The startup's first product, an antioxidant olive extract, is currently being tested by leading industrial partners for a variety of applications, from anti-aging cosmetics to natural food preservation. One cosmetics industry researcher claims that Gaia Tech has "the best antioxidant technology they've tested to date". Analytical trials have been launched in the cosmetics sector, and a dossier has been submitted to Efsa (European Food Safety Authority) for use in food.

Following a successful spin-off from ETH Zurich, Gaia Tech has closed a first round of financing and secured support from the Migros Pioneer Fund, Innosuisse, the Berne Economic Development Agency and the University of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences (HAFL). The company aims to expand its product range and apply its technology to other types of agri-food by-products, to help the industry fully replace synthetic and fossil ingredients.