Ceapro Inc. Announces Publication of Results for PGX-Processed Alginates in the Journal of CO2 Utilization
May 11 2022 - 8:00AM
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, announced today that results
from a collaborative project with University of Alberta researchers
have been accepted for publication in the Journal of CO2
Utilization in an article titled, “Drying of sodium alginate using
Pressurized Gas eXpanded (PGX) liquid technology,” authored by Liu
Z, Couto R., Seifried B, Yépez B, Moquin P and Temelli F.
“This peer-reviewed paper originates from a
prolific three-year collaborative project completed in April 2021
under the leadership of Dr. Feral Temelli at University of Alberta.
This project has generated a wealth of data and insight which, to
date, has resulted in two published articles, two University
theses, one poster and nine oral presentations at international
scientific conferences. Such an extensive screening program has
enabled Ceapro to expand its pipeline and retain the most promising
products, such as PGX-processed alginate as a stand alone and/or in
combination with other bioactives like Co-enzyme Q10 to form new
chemical complexes that can act as delivery systems under different
forms of administration. While alginate is poised to become a key
commercial strategic asset for the Company along with beta glucan
from yeast, findings of this study illustrate the untold potential
of the PGX Technology in generating the next generation of products
enabling Ceapro to expand into a high-end Life Science company,”
commented Gilles Gagnon, M.Sc., MBA, President and CEO.
From a technical standpoint, this study
investigated the effect of PGX processing parameters on the
physicochemical properties of sodium alginate (SA), a water-soluble
polysaccharide from brown algae. Investigators also studied the
effect of scaling up the PGX Technology while comparing it to other
conventional drying technologies. It was found that the PGX
Technology could effectively dry, purify and increase the surface
area of SA while producing a unique fibrous morphology that cannot
be obtained by any other conventional drying method.
The study compared PGX processed SA (PGX-SA)
with SA dried using conventional spray drying and freeze-drying.
The PGX-processed SA (PGX-SA) had an open-porous structure with a
delicate network of fibrils. This was dramatically different to the
non-porous spherical spray-dried particles or the foam-like flaky
freeze-dried material. In addition, the PGX-SA was white and formed
colourless solution while the other drying methods maintained the
yellow/brown color of the initial SA leading to light yellow/brown
coloured solutions.
“Upon quantifying the specific surface area, we
were delighted when we found that the PGX Technology had increased
it by 90 times compared to the conventionally dried SA,” reported
Dr. Bernhard Seifried, Senior Director Research & Technology of
Ceapro. “The large specific surface area and unique fibrous
morphology makes PGX-processed SA ideal carriers for bioactive
compounds or to improve dispersion of hydrophobic materials in an
aqueous system.”
The PGX-SA generated in the study did not only
have more surface area than the raw conventionally dried SA, but it
also proved to have a highly ordered open-porous structure that was
also more thermally stable. The study also revealed that the
molecular weight of the SA was not affected by the PGX processing
given the mild PGX processing conditions.
This study also included scale-up work.
Physicochemical properties and the delicate open-porous
interconnected network structure of fine polymer fibrils produced
at both scales were identical thereby showing that the PGX
Technology can be scaled up to larger flow rates.
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, open-porous polymer structures and novel
biocomposites. PGX Technology 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 Technology 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
plant 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
www.ceapro.com.
For more information contact:
Jenene ThomasJTC Team, LLCInvestor Relations and Corporate
Communications AdvisorT (US): +1 (833) 475-8247E: czo@jtcir.com
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