Co-products: sustainable resources
Published on 3/1/2023
Updated on 4/12/2024
For many years, SILAB has applied criteria of sustainability to its choices of natural raw materials. With the objective of promoting the use of all agricultural resources and helping to limit the production of plant waste, the company has focused on using co-products
Double benefit: technical and societal
Co-products contain larger quantities of active molecules of interest and generate increased revenue for the producer at the same time as limiting the environmental impact.
A variety of cosmetic benefits
SILAB offers more than 19 natural active ingredients obtained from co-products. Their properties cover a number of areas of application: anti-aging, firming, repairing, anti-irritant, etc.
Press cakes: co-products of interest
When certain seeds such as soybeans or certain fruits such as cranberries are pressed, a co-product called a press cake is created.
Cranberry press cake
In an upcycling process, SILAB specifically selected the cranberry press cake, a co-product of this super-fruit, when developing PEPTILIUM®, particularly for its high molecular potential. The company have prioritized environment-friendly sourcing by working with a supplier that shares its desire for sustainable development.
Soybean press cake
Soybean press cake, the raw material of RIDULISSE C®, is a perfect illustration of this approach. The entire French supply is guaranteed non-GMO by producers certified organic farming. This choice shows the SILAB’s desire to encourage farmers using environment-friendly culture.
From the flower to the root: example of the peony
SILAB selected a French peony supply with a guaranteed traceability back to the field in order to secure the origin of its active ingredient VOLUNAGE®.
Attention was drawn to recognized French horticulturalists in the region of Orleans who have developed two distinct activities: the sale of cut flowers and the sale of plants to professionals and individuals. The preparation of these plants for propagation requires harvesting the roots. Root fragments without any buds had previously been considered to have no value and were removed when sorting and destroyed.
Communication between SILAB and horticulturalists resulted in considering these fragments as a potentially valuable co-product. The company then made a commitment to purchase them at a fixed price for six years. This is a good example of a collaboration leading to added value obtained from the plant, from the flower to the root!
Rice bran, a source rich in plant proteins
Observe nature, decrypt its processes, take inspiration from it… this was SILAB’s approach when developing its innovative active ingredient ERISIUM® based on the necessity of preserving the equilibrium of proteins produced by cells.
Accompanying its novel concept of maintaining cell proteostasis by UPR (Unfolded protein response), SILAB Research studied the outer layers of rice (Oryza sativa L.) that are rich in plant proteins and that can induce a UPR when plant cells are stressed.
When brown rice is whitened to white rice, the bran and the germ are mechanically removed. These co-products contain 60% of the nutritional values of rice (proteins, fibers, minerals, etc.). SILAB then developed a unique enzyme engineering process to specifically extract the peptides responsible for efficacy.
This responsible supply chain illustrates the company’s mastering natural and its committed approach. In addition to added value from a co-product, it ensures the traceability of its raw material all the way to the Italian producer and proposes a novel and biomimetic approach, directly inspired by biological mechanisms present in nature.