Daebong LS, a platform company for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and bio-materials, has successfully developed and commercialized a high-performance cosmetic ingredient utilizing beta-glucan derived from the marine microalga Euglena gracilis, marking significant technological progress.
This research initiative was carried out as part of the 'Domestic Technology Development Project for Marine Bio-Industry Materials', overseen by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and executed by the Korea Marine Science and Technology Promotion Agency (KIMST). Daebong LS and Pusan National University have been collaborating since April 2022 to contribute to comprehensive technology development until December 2026.
Pusan National University focused on the cultivation and production process of Euglena, while Daebong LS was responsible for the extraction and purification of beta-glucan, formulation of cosmetic ingredients, and evaluating efficacy and safety to yield research results.
Basing its developments on these studies, Daebong LS optimized the purification process and successfully developed and commercialized a nano-emulsion liposome ingredient, ‘Lipo β-Glucan-U’, containing 35% high-concentration beta-glucan.
In vitro tests indicated a tendency to inhibit the secretion of skin irritation-inducing factors (β-hexosaminidase), while human application tests confirmed calming effects, moisturizing, and improvement of skin barrier function under physical and chemical irritation conditions. The primary skin irritation test also showed non-irritating characteristics, demonstrating high safety.
Moreover, Daebong LS is accelerating efforts to protect its technology and establish a foundation for commercialization. The company has successfully registered patents (10-2819388) covering the entire process, from efficient extraction and purification methods of the Euglena ingredient to the formulation techniques for high-performance cosmetics, securing exclusive technological rights.
In addition, the company has built a stable supply foundation through the reproducibility of a 500L large-scale cultivation process and standardizing the procedure. Development of a subsequent compound liposome ingredient combining 2.5% niacinamide with the existing beta-glucan liposome is concurrently underway.
The new ingredient has demonstrated approximately 355 times higher skin absorption rates compared to the control group in transdermal absorption tests, exhibiting excellent physical characteristics with an average particle size of about 139nm and a PDI of about 0.21.
A representative of Daebong LS stated, “Through this project, we have secured technological competitiveness from Euglena cultivation and process standardization to concentration of beta-glucan, liposome formulation, and product commercialization. We will complete the validation of the 500L large-scale cultivation process without delay and proceed with the development of next-generation high-performance ingredients coupled with whitening functionality as well as customer-specific technological marketing to continuously expand our marine bio-based cosmetic material portfolio.”
