Director Erminia Bianchino - PhD

The Nutraceuticals laboratory responds to the renewed and growing interest in substances of natural origin that can offer a beneficial function for the human body.

One of the main aims of the laboratory is to provide companies operating in the field of natural health products with services aimed at developing new products (food supplements, nutraceuticals, bio-cosmetics) and improving their quality, guaranteeing, on a robust scientific basis, safety and efficacy, in accordance with the relevant regulations. 

Extraction and freeze-drying from natural sources

Thanks to the innovative Naviglio Estrattore® technology and our freeze dryers, we are able to offer high quality services (from cold extraction to freeze drying of a wide range of vegetable products/matrices), for small-medium production scale. The application of solid know-how allows to reduce activity times and ensure the high efficiency of the extraction process at room temperature. Extraction at low temperatures avoids thermal stress caused by thermolabile substances, allowing to faithfully reproduce the composition of the substances contained in medicinal plants, without inducing changes in the active ingredients.

Chemical characterization of natural extracts

Through a multi-methodological approach, with the use of advanced analytical techniques (chromatographic techniques in addition to mass spectrometry), it is possible to define the metabolic profile of the extracts of interest, also evaluating the reproducibility of the chemical composition of the extracts, according to the culture conditions of the species from which they are obtained, as well as determine both qualitatively and quantitatively the phytochemical markers.

In vitro and in vivo preclinical studies on active ingredients of natural origin

The Test Center has laboratories, operating units and equipments for the use of cellular and animal models (reported in the scientific literature or customized) useful for identifying the nutraceutical properties and the mechanisms of action of natural extracts and pure biomolecules.

Experimental Activities

• Praparation of fluid extracts, mother tinctures, glycerin preparations, oleolites
• Extract from officinal plants for the pharmaceutical, homeopathic, botanical and cosmetic sectors
• Extract from vegetable substances for the food, diet, nutraceutical and zootechnical sectors
• Cold extraction of thermolabile analytics
• Lyophilization
• Quali-quantitative analyses through chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques
• Analysis of biological activity
• Micronization processes through spray drying

Equipments

• 6 Naviglio Estrattore® with different capacity (2L, 20L, 40L)
• Lyophilizers Stellar Millrock
• Mini Spray-dryer B290
• Grinding Mill Albrigi in Herba
• CHPLC / MS