Harnessing innovative prowess to develop a biotechnological application utilizing ExoPolySaccharides

Unique expertise in microorganisms

Lallemand is a world leader specializing in the development, production, and marketing of natural ingredients, based on live microorganisms, bacteria, yeasts, and their derivatives. Our globally recognized expertise goes back more than a century in yeast and more than 40 years in bacteria. The group, which was recently strengthened with the acquisition of the Swiss biotech Evolva, offers cosmetics and dermo-cosmetics players new ways to innovate sustainably.

Bio-sourced ingredients par excellence

Lallemand offers cosmetics players ingredients for the development of personal care products. Specifically formulated for skin, hair and oral care, its cosmetic active ingredients are exclusively composed of fractions or derivatives of microorganisms. These microorganisms represent an incomparable bio-sourced raw material. They meet consumers’ ever-increasing expectations to use the most natural products possible, with a limited impact on resources and the environment, and that provide visible efficacy. Microorganisms embody a new path of innovation for cosmetic players, particularly in the field of the skin microbiota, where knowledge is constantly evolving. Lallemand customers do not only benefit from our expertise as a supplier, but we also offer you a true partnership in a very promising and rapidly expanding field.

Exopolysaccharides, biotech’s powerful active biopolymer

Lallemand has developed unique exopolysaccharides (EPS) from different marine bacterial strains, the majority of which are naturally sulfated up to more than 16% sulfate:

Thanks to its expertise, Lallemand obtains pure, high-molecular-weight biopolymers composed of neutral sugars such as fucose, rhamnose, mannose, glucose, galactose, glucuronic and galacturonic acid as uronic acids as well as hexosamines N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine, which play a role in various biological processes.

These EPS have specific properties which enable them to have beneficial effects on skin, hair and dental care

Lallemand EPS have a preventive effect against dysbiosis and plaque formation. They form a stable, homogeneous film for up to 1 hours, as demonstrated by combined Quartz Crystal Microbalance ( QCM) and X-ray Photo electron Spectroscopy (XPS) measurements This very thin film (2 to 15 nm) modifies surface parameters (polarity, surface energy, hydrophobic/hydrophilic character), thus preventing the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria on the skin, scalp or teeth.

What’s more, using confocal laser scanning and/or crystal violet microscopy, these EPS have been shown in vitro to have an inhibitory effect of up to 60 % on the formation of biofilms of pathogenic bacteria such as S. aureus, S. mutans and C. acnes, starting at 100 ppm,.

These high-molecular-weight, electrolyte-resistant biopolymers have viscoelastic properties and rheofluidifying behavior down to 0.4% pure weight. Their film-forming power reduces insensible water loss and maintains a moisturizing effect.

Highly sulfated EPS are also promising, offering anti-inflammatory properties to reduce redness and even out skin tone, as well as anti-free radical, anti-pollution and anti-aging properties thanks to their chelating power against the free radicals responsible for photoaging.

EPS derived fromone Alteromonas sp strain has exceptional biocompatible, Fe³⁺-crosslinked hydrogel-forming capacities, with mechanical resistances (G’) suitable for the delivery of specific active molecules.