A 100% natural soap without artificial preservatives was developed by the Frederick Research Center (FRC), the Cyherbia Botanical Park and the General State Chemistry as part of the NatCySoap research project
According to a statement from the FRC, the aim of the research was to study the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of saponins isolated from the endemic plant of Cyprus Saponaria Cypria, with the aim of creating an innovative, 100% natural soap without artificial preservatives. The results of the project were presented at an online event on October 20.
The beginning was made in the laboratories of the Department of Pharmacy of Frederick University, which has a team for analysis and characterization of natural products. The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of saponins were evaluated and their suitability for the production of this natural product was judged. Furthermore, in the framework of the project, the researchers proceeded to compare the properties of the saponins of the endemic plant of Cyprus with saponins of the common species Saponaria Officinalis that grows in other countries.
"The results of characterization of the extracts showed that the plant Saponaria Cypria has stronger antioxidant and antimicrobial properties than the common species Saponaria Officinalis, probably due to the microclimate of Cyprus" says Dr. Despina Charalambous, Researcher at FRC and Lecteris
In addition, as stated by Dr. Maria Pantelidou, President of the Department of Pharmacy at Frederick University and Researcher at FRC: "The difference in these properties of the endemic species may be due to the existence of different types of saponins in relation to the common species." All experiments to study the properties of saponin extracts were carried out by Michalis Christoforou, lead researcher of the project, while Dr. Marios Andreou, a researcher at FRC and a member of the Nature Conservation Unit of Frederick University, played an important role in the development of seedlings. the Department of Forests.
The participation of the General Chemistry of the State in the chemical characterization and in the identification of the saponins present in the plant Saponaria Cypria was important, something that takes place for the first time. Dr. Aristides Katsos had a leading role in the design of the project, while the company Cyherbia Botanical Park undertook the production of the final formula of the natural soap which will be developed from the extracts and will be marketed within the next two-three years.
"We attach great importance to the cooperation with the industry and the productive fabric of the place in terms of research, innovation and technology transfer, something that this project has achieved to a great extent," says the Director of FRC and the University Research and Liaison Office. Frederick, Alexis Onoufriou. "As in other similar projects, based on the positive results and the very good cooperation with Cyherbia, the immediate next goal will be to jointly optimally exploit the results of the project, both research and commercial."
The project has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Government of Cyprus, through the RESTART Framework Program 2016-2020 of the Foundation for Research and Innovation.