Sodium Alginate

Soon, you'll be able to get a box of freshly picked, sweet strawberries from the grocery store or local farm stand. But it's disappointing when you get them home and find that the ones at the bottom have started to rot. To increase the berries' shelf life, researchers have incorporated cannabidiol -- a non-hallucinogenic compound from cannabis known as CBD -- and sodium alginate into an edible antimicrobial coating. Soon, you'll be able to get a box of freshly picked, sweet strawberries from the grocery store or local farm stand. But it's disappointing when you get them home and find that the ones at the bottom have started to rot. To increase the berries' shelf life, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have incorporated cannabidiol -- a non-hallucinogenic compound from cannabis known as CBD -- and sodium alginate into an edible antimicrobial coating. CBD is popular because of its potential therapeutic effects. But this cannabinoid has also been shown to have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. In previous studies, CBD limited the growth of some bacteria and pathogenic fungi, such as the ones that cause fresh fruits and vegetables to rot. However, the oily compound needs to be evenly distributed in water before it can be widely incorporated into foods or used for food preservation. One possible way to do this is to encapsulate the CBD molecules in edible polymers. So, Pongpat Sukhavattanakul, Sarute Ummartyotin and colleagues wanted to see if a food coating made using CBD-filled nanoparticles could promote antimicrobial activity and extend the freshness of strawberries. The researchers encapsulated CBD in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide), a biodegradable polymer used in drug delivery, producing 400-nm-wide particles. They mixed the most stable nanoparticles, containing 20% by weight CBD, with sodium alginate in water. Strawberries were then submerged into solutions containing different amounts of nanoparticles before a second dip into a mixture of ascorbic acid and calcium chloride to turn the colorless coating into a gel. Untreated and treated strawberries were then placed in open plastic containers at refrigerator temperatures. After 15 days, CBD-treated samples ripened and decayed much more slowly than untreated ones, possibly because of reduced microbial growth. The coating with the most CBD-loaded nanoparticles preserved the berries' dark red appearance, enhanced their antioxidant activity the most and exhibited the largest antimicrobial protection over the storage period, suggesting that this version would lead to the longest shelf life. The researchers say that their results demonstrate how encapsulated CBD could be used to create a colorless antimicrobial coating for active food packaging.

Findings from this collaborative project with the University of Alberta using a unique surgical methodology illustrate how PGX-processed carriers can successfully be uniformly loaded with a fat-soluble active ingredient to generate superior bioactive delivery systems Superior bioavailability data further confirm potential for the development of first-in-class slow-release formulations Strength of data further support investment decision for next scale-up level of the PGX Technology EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ceapro Inc. (TSX-V: CZO; OTCQX:CRPOF) (“Ceapro” or the “Company”), a growth-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of active ingredients for healthcare and cosmetic industries, today announced positive results from its collaborative project led by Dr. Donna Vine, Professor at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science of University of Alberta. In this study, titled “Pre-clinical Testing of Intestinal Bioavailability of CoQ10-Formulations,” four PGX-processed highly purified carriers, outlined in the table below, were loaded (impregnated) with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and compared against two positive controls: a food-grade lipid-based formulation (CoQ10 in triolein or oil) and one of the best commercially available dry powder formulation: Cyclodextrin loaded with 22.1% CoQ10. Sample code Carrier used CoQ10 load (%w) iYBG PGX Yeast b-Glucan 5.80 iAL PGX Sodium Alginate 20.2 i(AL+OBG) PGX (Sodium Alginate + oat b-Glucan) 15.8 i(AL+YBG) PGX (Sodium Alginate + yeast b-Glucan) 22.5 In the summary report of the project, Dr. Vine concludes, “This in vivo pilot study shows that following 8 hours, the 5.8% iYBG and 20% iAL CoQ10 formulations have increased bioavailability of CoQ10 up to 2-3 fold higher compared to food grade CoQ10 in triolein and 22.1% commercial complex (Cyclodextrin) formulations.” Furthermore, an additional four hours of tissue collection (up to 12 hours) demonstrated an additional 30% increase in CoQ10 absorption in the 22.5% i(AL+YBG) formulation, highlighting the prolonged or delayed metabolism-absorption of CoQ10 which may also infer long-acting metabolic benefits of CoQ10. “With our recent announcement of the successful development and publication of new chemical conjuguates like PGX Alginate loaded with CoQ10, we are very pleased to have demonstrated invivo a superior bioavailabilty for these new chemical complexes with CoQ10 even when it is mixed in water formulation where bioavailabilty has always been a challenge for most commercial CoQ10 supplements. Knowing that Ceapro’s PGX-processed carriers can deliver CoQ10 into the tissues, we will advance to the next stage which includes looking for efficacy of these new chemical entities along with a partner involved in the marketing and sales of various forms of delivery systems that can be included in food, drinks, cream formulations, medical supplies like thin films, skin patches and up to nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals,” said Gilles Gagnon, M.Sc., MBA, President and CEO. “Additionally, we are excited about some data strongly suggesting that we have a slow release formulation when combining i(AL+YBG) with CoQ10 (8-12 hours), which would be a first-in-class product. In summary, these results with alginate and yeast beta glucan as carriers for CoQ10 and possibly other bioactives support our investment decision for the next scale up level of the PGX Technology and the expansion of our pipeline targeting a large market potential.” About Pressurized Gas eXpanded Liquid Technology (PGX) Ceapro’s patented Pressurized Gas eXpanded (PGX) technology is a unique and disruptive technology with several key advantages over conventional drying and purification technologies that can be used to process biopolymers into high-value, fine-structured, openporous polymer structures and novel biocomposites. PGX is ideally suited for processing challenging high-molecular-weight, water-soluble biopolymers. It has the ability to make ultra-light, highly porous polymer structures on a continuous basis, which is not possible using today's conventional technologies. PGX was invented by Dr. Feral Temelli from the Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science of the University of Alberta (U of A) along with Dr. Bernhard Seifried, now Senior Director of Engineering Research and Technology at Ceapro. The license from U of A provides Ceapro with exclusive worldwide rights in all industrial applications. About Ceapro Inc. Ceapro Inc. is a Canadian biotechnology company involved in the development of proprietary extraction technology and the application of this technology to the production of extracts and “active ingredients” from oats and other renewable resources. Ceapro adds further value to its extracts by supporting their use in cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, and therapeutics products for humans and animals. The Company has a broad range of expertise in natural product chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology and process engineering. These skills merge in the fields of active ingredients, biopharmaceuticals and drug-delivery solutions. For more information on Ceapro, please visit the Company’s website at . For more information contact: Jenene Thomas JTC Team, LLC Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Advisor T (US): +1 (833) 475-8247 E: czo@jtcir.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release