In vitro based cultivation of plant stem cells
In vitro Plant-tech offers high-quality extracts from in vitro cultivated cells produced in a controlled, clean room laboratory environment with full traceability. In vitro cultivation is a way to mass propagate genetically identical plants on a well-defined nutrient medium under sterile, controlled conditions. This ensures a production of uniform, high quality plant material, free from pests, hazardous chemicals (e.g. heavy metals) and unwanted plant species (adulteration).
The technique is based on the fact that if the appropriate conditions are met, every part of a plant has all the genetic information needed to form a new plant. By altering the contents of the nutrient medium, the growth is controlled, and plant cells are directed to form undifferentiated stem cells or differentiated tissue, e.g. shoots and roots. This way cell lines from specific plants can be established.
An innovative and sustainable production platform
In vitro Plant-tech offers high quality extracts from in vitro cultivated cells.
In our large-scale production platform, we use a hybrid single use system based on wave-like bioreactors. Hybrid single use systems use less water and has less impact on climate change, human health, ecosystem and resource consumption than traditional stainless-steel bioreactor systems.
Science based plant selection
Since an extract can never be more powerful than the plant it originates from, it is crucial to make a careful plant selection.
For the development of new extracts, we perform a science based selection of plants focusing on their traditional use within skin care. By selecting plants which have a known beneficial use within skin care, wound healing or as health supplements, we can enhance the effect of the plant stem cell technology.
A multi-step optimisation process
Metabolite enhancement technology (MET), is a multi-step optimisation process we have developed for cultivation, cell type enrichment and induction of secondary metabolites.
MET ensures maximum accumulation of bioactive compounds in the cells prior to harvest, allowing us to maximise the production of active substances.
Reliable and sustainable production
A large portion of plant raw material available on the market is still produced through traditional methods: harvesting of wild populations or field and greenhouse cultivation. It is estimated that about 70% of plant collections are performed by destructive harvesting, leading to the endangerment of wild populations*. Field and greenhouse cultivation also have a large water usage and pesticides are frequently used. Plant raw material produced in this way can have low or varying quality.
In vitro based plant cell cultivation does not deplete the natural populations, no pesticides are used during production and it uses less water as compared with field cultivation. In our large-scale production platform, we use a hybrid single use system based on wave-like bioreactors. Hybrid single use systems use less water and has less impact on climate change, human health, ecosystem and resource consumption than traditional stainless-steel bioreactor systems. The production takes place continuously all year round and is not affected by variations in weather or seasonal changes. Cell cultures are also often produced much faster and at a higher quality through cultivation in bioreactors, than through traditional cultivation in field.
*Report of the Task Force on Conservation & Sustainable use of Medicinal Plants, Government of India, Planning Commission, 2000