The firms say they will collaborate on the research and production of science-based anti-ageing ingredient formulations.
These will focus on fighting cellular oxidative stress which leads to ageing and ageing-related diseases, as well as supporting intracellular health in the mitochondria to potentially regulate longevity.
Maider Gutierrez, director of marketing at IFF Health told NutraIngredients-Asia and NutraIngredients-USA the team was evaluating several botanical ingredients to explore its anti-ageing potential.
“We are looking at botanicals and their synergies among other natural ingredients.”
She said while some of these ingredients already have proprietary science supporting their activity, “now new research is being done specifically on the potential beneficial effects against cellular oxidative stress, and intracellular health telomerase activity.”
However, she declined to give specific details on which botanicals would be studied.
Ageing Asia
According to the World Health Organization, the global population over the age of 60 will reach two billion by 2050. Moreover, the population of those living past 80 years is projected to reach 0.5 billion.
Euromonitor found that 57% of global consumers expect to be fit and healthy in old age.
Gutierrez said the single most important challenge for this ageing population was “the prevention of physical and mental disabilities and the extension of active life expectancy.”
Both firms agreed that it was important to develop ingredients and technologies to support this rapidly expanding demographic.
Strategic collaboration
The firms will also conduct research on telomerase, according to the official press release.
Telomeres are the repetitive nucleotide sequences that protect chromosomes from deterioration or fusing with neighbouring chromosomes and prevent healthy cell replication. They have been studied as key factors in the ageing process.
Dr Raimund Hoenes, general manager at IFF Health said: “IFF Health aims to be more than a healthy ingredients company that gives consumers new products to support their healthy lifestyle, it’s also about how we deliver that capacity.”
According to Gutierrez, the development and production of the anti-ageing ingredients will take place at IFF Health facilities in Europe, while research will be conducted by By-Health in China.
While there is no official launch date, Gutierrez told us, “The selected ingredients will be incorporated by By-Health into anti-ageing formulations in a very near future.”
By-Health has recently established a string of R&D collaborations with Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences for anti-ageing, Fonterra on probiotics and functional dairy protein, and DuPont on probiotics with anti-ageing functions.
According to By-Health, it also plans to establish an overseas R&D center in the near future.