London, 28th August 2006 -- Frost & Sullivan has awarded the “2006 Excellence in Technology Award” to Aquanova German Solubilisate Technologies (AGT) GmbH for developing the highly sophisticated solubilisation technology, based on nanoscaled encapsulation of nutrients and ingredients, for functional foods and dietary supplements.

 “With this technology, nutrients are delivered in the micelle form in accordance with nature’s ‘nano architecture’. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances are converted into liquid NovaSOL® solubilisates that are soluble in both fat and water,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Ms. Kasturi Nadkarny. “In doing so, the solubilisation technology enables cutting down on the amount of the active ingredients, which would have otherwise been lost in the conversion process.”

The human body needs to convert fat-soluble nutrients into micelles prior to absorbing them.
Here, the Aquanova technology enables the formation of micelles, which are just 30 nm in diameter, for the encapsulation of active functional food and supplement ingredients, thereby enhancing its bioavailability many times over.

Nutrients in NovaSOL® solubilisates are encapsulated and delivered as nanosized micelles of approx. 30nm in diameter, as required for enhanced absorption. This results in superior bioavailability of the encapsulated ingredient (e.g. vitamins, phytoextracts, coenzyme Q10 or fatty acids). High standard clinical studies such as the 2005 study for Coenzyme Q10 (“NovaSOL® Q”), have proven a bioavailability up to four times higher when compared to straight CoQ10.
 
Droplet sizes in conventional emulsions and microemulsions are up to approximately 3,000 nm. They do not enhance absorption or penetration. Moreover, these formulations have a limited stability. NovaSOL® solubilisates contain stable nanosized micelles, which encapsulate and deliver the nutrients / ingredients, and offer great advantages with respect to bioavailability, loading capacity, stability and ease of use.

Besides improving the efficacy of nutrients by improving their absorption, the solubilization Technology also allows adding fat soluble nutrients to crystal clear beverages, which had never been possible before.
 
“NovaSOL®  solubilisates  are crystal-clear, even in water and offer excellent antioxidant capacity,” states Ms. Nadkarny. “It also offers advantages of processing without the utilisation of additives, uses patent-protected formulas (more than 30 patents are already issued) and the process leaves substances chemically unmodified, providing thermal, mechanical and pH stability.”

The technology, which has its roots back in 1995 (when AQUANOVA was founded), has been applied to a broad variety of substances such as ascorbic acid in the patented NovaSOL® C (the first and only fat-soluble and chemically unmodified vitamin C worldwide) and Coenzyme Q10 (“NovaSOL® Q”), among others. It also offers innovative features for phytoextracts, making them available as fully water and fat-soluble (‘ambiphilic’) solutions, which are easy to handle and integrate into end-products.

Aquanova has recently been granted a European patent for its new ambiphilic (both water and fat soluble) isoflavone solution (“NovaSOL® ISO”). This holds special significance since soyisoflavones (which belong to the category of phytostrogens), exhibit a weaker effect than that of estrogen and the efficient absorption of the active substance has been always been a major challenge. These NovaSOL® features allow the easy processing with softgels or beverages.

Underpinned by the company’s commitment to high production and material standards (such as ISO, GMP, Kosher, Halal, etc.) the unique benefits of its technology offer potential for its application in functional foods and dietary supplements, as well as innovative clear beverages, cosmetic products and pharmaceutical products.

Frost & Sullivan’s Excellence in Technology Award is bestowed upon a company that has pioneered the development and introduction of an innovative technology that has either impacted or has the potential to impact several market sectors. This award recognises a company’s successful technology development that is expected to contribute significantly to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture. It also recognises the company’s overall technical excellence and its commitment toward technology innovation.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About AQUANOVA

AQUANOVA is a leading supplier of innovative liquid solutions (“solubilisates”) for a broad spectrum of well known raw materials and active substances (e.g. vitamins, fatty acids or phytoextracts). Completely in accordance with the era of nanotechnology and nature´s architecture, AQUANOVA develops, produces and together with partners markets these solubilisates (product brand “NovaSOL®”) utilizing its proprietary and patent protected technology in close cooperation with renowned scientists and experts. The basis are nanostructured carriers (so called “product micelles”), which are thermally, mechanically and pH stable. These carriers, which are structured according to nature´s architecture, exhibit an average diameter of only approx. 30 nm. AQUANOVA solubilisates are ready to use enablers for the development and production of innovative and pioneering products in the fields of nutraceuticals, (functional) food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The absorption of the active substances, carried by the solubilisate (product micelles) and the resulting bioavailability is significantly increased and optimized. In addition the solubilisates generate unique technical features and benefits such as superior antioxidative capacity for oils and fats. The ISO certified company, who also works for global players such as BASF and Degussa, was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Darmstadt (near Frankfurt), Germany. For more information, visit www.aquanova.de

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community, by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit www.frost.com