Contact Details
Mr Rod Lewis
Commercial Director
NSW
W www.protechltd.com...E rod.lewis@protechltd...
Protech
Encapsulation of Bioactives using Nanotechnology
This technology enables compounds used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries to be protected during processing by liposomes and delivered more efficiently than other technologies.
The process is being trialled by global food producers to enhance the delivery of food flavours and other sensitive food ingredients.
Its encapsulation technique and enzyme technology saw Protech named as runner up in the 2007 NSW Bio First Commercialisation awards.
The company has had funding from federal and NSW governments over the past eight years and is developing and commercializing this new technology with an international corporation.
Protech’s encapsulation technologies are focused on creating lower cost, high encapsulation efficiency liposome nano-particles.
To date the technology has been expensive so it has primarily been used as the encapsulation vehicle for the delivery of anticancer and gene therapy drugs. Protech has lowered the cost of this mature technology, making it available to the food and cosmetic industries.
Protech has also extended the use of encapsulation for multiple chemotherapeutic drugs which will be able to be released to specific sites and provide earlier treatment after surgery.
Protech has also found a way to encapsulate water- and oil-soluble multiple compounds into liposomes more effectively. This can provide a practical alternative to conventional spray dried flavours that are applied as powders to consumer foods.
Ingredients currently used in food in encapsulated form include flavours, aromas, omega 3, antioxidants and nutriceuticals such as lycopene and vitamins.
Independent reviews on the science Protech is undertaking has been completed and it is being examined and researched with indications that Protech’s research and methods will have a huge international market.
Production of Non-Genetically Modified Enzymes
Enzymes are traditionally manufactured using bacterial or fungal fermentation. But often they are required to be genetically modified to enable them to produce the specific enzyme in the quantities required for commercial manufacturing processes.
Sydney company Protech Research has developed cutting edge technology to extract and purify enzymes from grains and legumes. It believes this is a world first at commercial scale.
Commercial director Rod Lewis said the development was a significant step forward in the production of non-genetically modified natural enzymes that can still meet the high volume requirements of commercial manufacturers.
“Protech enzymes are low cost to manufacture, have higher activities than conventional bacterial enzymes and function over a wider range of processing conditions,” he said.
“The significant improvement that Protech has delivered to the billion dollar global enzyme manufacturing industry is a natural selection of enzymes from grain.
“The result is that Protech enzymes have no association with genetic modification and can be used by organisations that want to market natural products. To our knowledge, Protech is one of only a handful of organisations that can offer non-GM enzymes, and the only organisation to commercially offer these enzymes’ sources from grain.”
Demand for the technology is understandably high and Mr Lewis said trials were underway in the food, detergent and brewing industries.
Protech has already sold licensing rights for the technology to a global food ingredients corporation. He said the company planned to use it globally.
In addition, Protech is working with a global detergent manufacturer in the UK who are interested in the technology as these enzymes provide a more functional and natural differentiation for their products, particularly in Europe,’’ said Mr Lewis.
Food Flavour Enhancers
Natural flavor enhancers with the potential to revolutionise the flavor industry have been developed by Protech Research Pty Ltd.
Flavors and flavor enhancers are added to foods to improve and enrich their taste, aroma and texture and have been used for centuries in many Asian foods. The vast majority of processed food available today utilizes these products.
The flavor enhancers produced by the Protech technology are derived from viable yeast and can be used in a similar way to existing products but are produced for a fraction of the current manufacturing costs. They are not genetically modified and can be added to a range of food products such as soups, sauces, gravies, frozen and canned prepared meals, snack foods, meat and fish-based products, bakery items as well as fermented beverages including beers and wines.
Manufacturers utilizing Protech's technology will find it involves little or no additional capital investment; only minor procedural changes are required. In some industries, the processing time to manufacture the flavour enhancer will be reduced significantly.
The science behind Protech's technology is based on the interaction of specific encapsulated enzymes and yeast cells. The enzyme-liposome complex binds to the yeast cell membrane, enters the cell and releases its contents. This synergy produces an end product capable of improving the flavour of food. Protech developed this process in-house and has all patent and intellectual property rights to it.
At present nearly all flavors and flavor enhancers used in Australia are imported. The potential worldwide market for products that would benefit from the use of this technology exceeds US$2 billion each year. Protech Research is keen to capture part of this market through associations with organizations involved in food, yeast and flavor manufacture or sales.