
Purissima’s microalgae fermentation platform can produce more than 70 compounds, many of which are minor cannabinoids as well as new plant-powered chemistries with potential therapeutic value. Photo: ©Liudmila Moseichuk | Dreamstime.com
Purissima, a health and wellness biotechnology company using microalgae to produce more than 70 ingredients, has announced the official commercialization of their Cannabichromene (CBC). The CBC, an anti-inflammatory which may contribute to the pain-killing effect of cannabis, has been produced in partnership with Open Book Extracts (OBX) and sample availability has begun.
With this launch, San Francisco-based Purissima claims to be the first biotech company to reach commercial scale production of natural cannabinoids using microalgae fermentation. “Open Book Extracts is excited to continue our partnership with Purissima to unlock the potential of natural biosynthetic cannabinoid production,” said Dave Neundorfer, Chief Executive Officer of OBX. “We are eager to introduce the market to a more sustainably produced cannabinoid that delivers the efficacy, purity, and safety consumers need.”
In June, Open Book Extracts and Radicle Science released its findings from a large IRB (Institutional Review Board) approved, placebo controlled cannabinoid trial. The study showed that a formulation which included CBD, CBN, and CBC led to meaningful improvement in sleep disturbance, pain, and anxiety. Their most recent study highlighted a significant positive impact of CBC to relieve and soothe stressed and irritated skin.
“In bringing this first-of-its-kind ingredient to market, Purissima is excited to showcase the potential that our biotechnology platform has on beauty, wellness, pharmaceutical industries and more,” said Robert Evans, Purissima Co-Founder and Chief Business and Strategy Officer.
“The effectiveness of CBC in both topical and ingestible formulations is a testament to the clear advantages that algae fermentation brings to the natural sourcing of hard-to-access ingredients. Algae fermentation offers more reliable and repeatable purity and dosage as well as a vastly more sustainable profile than plant sources.”
Purissima considers microalgae their “secret weapon” when it comes to creating plant-based compounds. As their website attests: For something so small, it’s powerful stuff. All plant life evolved from microalgae, so it makes sense that it’s the perfect way to create a natural source of both existing compounds and ones not found in nature. More compatible and productive than either yeast or bacteria, microalgae have a short crop cycle of just five days and substantially higher yields. Now, we can create almost any compound efficiently, from a single, perfectly selected cell.
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