Focusing on the innovative power of Foshan, Nanfang Daily made a special report on the patented technology of the application of marine biological small molecular peptides in high-end skin care products jointly developed by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Foshan An Beauty&Health Products Co., Ltd. This scientific research patent achievement has won the full support of the "Academician Workstation" expert research and development team of the CAE Member of Foshan An'an Beauty and Health Products Co., Ltd., and has successively won the "China Patent Excellence Award" and the "Guangdong Patent Gold Award". The full article of the report from Southern Daily is now reprinted as follows for the benefit of readers.

Foshan Innovation Power 2 | This Foshan enterprise has been tackling key issues for ten years, searching for a "biological gold mine" deep in the ocean

Opening remarks

Currently, Foshan is focusing on building a national innovative city and accelerating the promotion of all-round, systematic, and all-round innovation; The 2019 Foshan Deepening Innovation Driven Assistance Project, organized by the Foshan Science and Technology Association, is one of the important explorations. At present, the first batch of 22 projects have received funding for this project. Behind these projects, numerous technology teams, science and technology innovation enterprises, and R&D leaders are working in different fields to shape the core competitiveness of Foshan's manufacturing industry through technological innovation.

Starting from June 25th, Southern Daily will launch a series of reports on "Focusing on Foshan's Innovative Competitiveness", focusing on various science and technology projects throughout the city, including the "2019 Foshan Deepening Innovation Driven Assistance Project" funding project. Stay tuned.

Today we will launch series two:

"After introducing the academician workstation, we have achieved a real breakthrough in the technical difficulties of adding marine bioactive peptides, with huge market potential," said Guan Yonghong, Deputy General Manager of the An'an Management Center, at the An'an Beauty and Health Products Company (hereinafter referred to as "An'an") laboratory in Foshan.

Marine organisms hold enormous economic value and can be called "gold mines" hidden in the deep sea. In 2009, facing fierce market competition, Foshan An'an Beauty and Health Products Company began to invest more energy in scientific and technological research and development, participating in the joint construction of the "China Marine Biological Cosmetics Industry University Research Base and Industrialization Demonstration Base", focusing on the application of the marine biological industry.

After ten years of research and development, the "Yuanhai" series of products developed by An An with bioactive peptides (also known as "biological peptides") as raw materials have overcome technical difficulties, becoming a major breakthrough in the domestic marine skincare field and expanding the application scenarios of marine bioactive peptides.

Introducing scientific research talents

Breaking through the technical difficulties of marine skincare products

Bioactive peptides, a substance that lies between amino acids and proteins, are popular in the international cosmetics industry due to their beauty benefits such as cell proliferation and moisturizing, as well as their ability to be quickly and directly absorbed by the human body.

According to data, over 25 peptides have been found to be used in a range of skin care products in the United States. It is reported that general proteins are biomolecules composed of one or more peptide chains that bind in a special way, with a relative molecular weight of over 6000. Bioactive peptides are arranged in 2 to 15 amino acid molecules, which are more easily absorbed by the skin and do not cause pore blockage.

The extraction and application of marine bioactive peptides pose significant technical difficulties. The first step is to obtain marine bioactive peptides by enzymatic hydrolysis of marine protein substances. "From biological proteins to bioactive peptides, a series of complex processing procedures such as targeted enzymatic hydrolysis, deodorization, and deodorization are required," said Xu Feng, associate professor at Foshan University of Science and Technology.

Foshan An'an Beauty and Health Products Co., Ltd. is currently conducting a series of product research and development in its laboratory. Photo by Tang Xiaowei

How to maintain the stability of marine bioactive peptides after adding skincare products is a key and difficult point that the research and development team of An'an Technology has been focusing on. "We need to analyze the characteristics of each raw material and the anti-corrosion system. We need to ensure the stability of the formula and achieve efficiency enhancing functions," Xu Feng introduced. Once bioactive peptides are added, the stability of their original components will be disrupted.

It is reported that under the leadership of Sun Huili, professor of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhang Si, academician of the Academy of Engineering and other scientific research talents, the research and development team of An'an has finally made substantial progress in the research and development of bioactive peptides. In 2014, Anan launched its first high-end skincare product made from bioactive peptides, filling the gap in domestic marine biological skincare brands.

In 2017, the project of "A Cosmetics Containing Marine Shellfish Active Peptides and Its Preparation Method and Application" (Patent No.: ZL201110079404.0) jointly developed by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Foshan An'an Beauty and Health Products Co., Ltd. won the "Guangdong Patent Gold Award" and the "China Patent Excellence Award" issued by the China National Intellectual Property Administration.

After ten years of dedicated research and development, the third generation products of the "Yuanhai" series, in which An An participated in research and development, have broken through technological bottlenecks. They have successfully added bioactive peptides with anti wrinkle and whitening effects to skincare products, and the product can still maintain its component stability after various destructive tests. At present, the product is still in the experimental stage and is expected to be put into production in August this year.

The company occupies a leading position in the field of marine skincare in China, and the cooperation between industry, academia, and research has played a significant role. Photo by Tang Xiaowei

Establishing an Innovation Platform

Expand new space for product research and development

An'an has become a leading brand in marine skincare in China, and industry university research cooperation has played a significant role. In 2009, An An established the "China Marine Biological Cosmetics Production, Study and Research Base and Industrialization Demonstration Base", cooperated with the South China Sea Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, etc., to promote the transformation of scientific research achievements. In the same year, An An's cosmetics production workshop built in accordance with pharmaceutical standards was put into use.

In 2015, An An's 1500 square meter technology innovation research and development center was put into use. The center has also introduced a group of technical talents while introducing advanced foreign skin testers and cosmetic efficacy testers.

The center has become a comprehensive research and development base that integrates functional raw material preparation, product refinement analysis, and product functional effect evaluation, providing an important functional platform for safety technology research and development.

From then on, An An established an integrated development model from research and development, production to supply.

At present, An An has applied for 11 invention patents (7 authorizations) for marine biological cosmetics, developed 16 series of skincare products such as "Yuanhai", and achieved good economic benefits.

In 2017, the Guiding Opinions of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the National Development and Reform Commission on Promoting the Healthy Development of the Food Industry pointed out that during the 13th Five Year Plan period, strong support should be given to the development of healthy foods such as functional proteins and bioactive peptides. This sends a very positive signal for the peptide industry.

Next, An'an plans to integrate bioactive peptides into more products and extend the industry chain of bioactive peptides. This will further expand the application fields of bioactive peptides and bring new imaginative space for the development of Foshan's bioactive peptide industry.

[Source] Southern Daily

[Writing] Tang Xiaowei and Wu Xinning