Ayana Bio, a company which specializes in plant bioactives produced through cell culture, announced the launch of its first health and wellness ingredients, lemon balm and echinacea.
 
The lemon balm and echinacea ingredients are non-GMO plant powders with standardized hallmark bioactive compositions. The ingredients were developed to overcome the challenges of agriculture with these two plants, such as adulteration, pesticides, contamination, inconsistent quality, seasonal weather variation, infection, and limitation of active metabolites.
 
“The dietary supplement industry is in desperate need of bioactives that are traceable and more sustainable,” said Frank Jaksch, chief executive officer. “Bringing plant cell-derived health and wellness ingredients to these markets will help CPGs access the full spectrum of bioactives characteristic of these plants without the supply chain challenges. Consumers are seeking out products for healthier lifestyles and a healthier planet.”
 
Ayana Bio’s ingredients are produced using plant cell cultivation technology, which allows the company to produce plant materials without putting plants in the ground. This type of cultivation avoids traditional production challenges while yielding the identical molecular composition and same health and wellness benefits as agricultural counterparts. Compared to conventional agriculture, the materials can be tailored to higher concentrations of bioactives. These ingredients are DNA-fingerprint certified, can help keep labels clean, are fully standardized, can have increased bioavailability, full traceability, and a neutral taste and color.
 
“Agricultural limitations have long been a hurdle in harvesting our most beneficial ingredients,” said Effendi Leonard, co-founder and chief technology officer of Ayana Bio. “Plant cell technology is creating a sustainable future of standardized botanical ingredients as CPG companies partner with innovative companies to incorporate clean label bioactives across their product lines. We’re proud to be the first to commercialize the products of this technology for health and wellness in these key markets.”
 
Frank Jaksch, CEO, recently discussed Ayana Bio’s product development process and journey toward commercialization with NW in the March 2023 issue.