The surface of berry seeds is rich in antimicrobial compounds making berry extracts useful for food, cosmetic and medical applications.
The role of these compounds in nature is to protect the seed from microbes such as moulds before germination, but they can also help prevent the growth of dangerous microbes on human skin. Even a tiny amount of berry extract can kill pathogenic bacteria such as MRSA without harming the skin’s beneficial microbiota.
“The fast-acting surgical spray and efficacious dressing are based on a manufacturing process we have developed, where the surface and pores of a nanocellulose film are impregnated with a berry extract so that the antimicrobial compounds do not get trapped inside the fibre network. VTT has more than 15 years of experience in the laboratory-scale and pilot-scale manufacturing of nanocellulose gels and films”, says Panu Lahtinen, a Senior Scientist at VTT.
The next step for the berry extract, which is produced using VTT InnoBerry Technologies™ manufacturing method, is to find companies interested in developing, producing and commercialising the products, so they can be launched onto the market in the next few years.
(MRSA infection is caused by a type of staph bacteria that’s become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections.)
Photo: Wikipedia CC
