Awaiting Public Summary

To evaluate chemical imaging tools to improve our understanding of the skin penetration of compounds, to optimize the delivery of those compounds and to embed the use of these tools in our product innovation process.

This project is a collaboration between Boots (a leading Pharmacy, Health and Well Being company), the University of Liverpool (a member of the Russell Group of Universities) and an innovative SME. The project aims to develop a smart release technology to deliver ingredients on demand within a cosmetic delivery system for a healthcare application. The University of Liverpool will provide specific expertise in the smart release components and advanced spectroscopic and imaging characterisation, and the SME will provide materials expertise. Boots provide both a potential route to market and an extensive knowledge of the market and application area.

Plant polyphenols have been associated with reducing indices of cardiovascular disease such as oxidative stress, insulin resistance and blood pressure. In-vitro assessment of polyphenol rich mixtures from plant based foods will reveal the mechanisms of their vascular activity. Candidate mixtures will then be assessed for human pharmacokinetics of target components with and without the use of a novel encapsulation technology. This prelimanary work will then be used to undertake a double blind placebo controlled clinical trial to determine the modulatory activity of the chosen polyphenol preparation on clinical parameters of cardiovascular risk; in-particular endothelial function, blood pressure control, insulin resistance parameters and inflammation. The economic benefit for this technology will be undertaken at the same time to ascertain the feasibility of application to the European Food Safety Authorities for Article 13.5 or Article 14 functional food claim. A successful EFSA claim would increase demand for manufacturing and employment across Europe from 2013.

Lycopene is an antioxidant compound in the body that may help to maintain reduced levels of oxidative stress and may have a physiological role related to a reduced risk of heart disease and cancers such as prostate. Lycopene is derived solely from the diet, the main source in the UK diet being processed tomato products. It exists in different isomeric forms, the (all-E)-form being the most common in tomatoes and tomato products (85-97percent) in all tomato products and 95-97 percent in commonly consumed tomato products in the UK. It also exists in Z-isomeric forms, the most common Z-isomers in foods and in the body being 5Z-, 9Z- and 13Z-lycopene. Recent research suggests that these Z-isomers may have higher bioavailability (uptake in the gut) and higher antioxidant activities (over the all-E form) in the body and so may offer increased health benefits. Lycopene supplements are already available commercially, but consist of high all-E lycopene content (95 percent). This project aims to use a waste product from the tomato processing industry as a starting material, in combination with an environmentally friendly isomerisation process, to provide a unique and more affordable supplement with high-Z lycopene content (50 percent). The project also aims to test the bioavailabilty of the product and conduct a clinical trial in such a manner that a positive outcome would lead to a European health claim for the supplement.

To determine the link between mitochondrial DNA damage and skin cell function allowing the capability and opportunity to screen a number of technology options.

No abstract available.