South Korean cosmetics firm to accelerate functional application of antioxidant-rich Jeju green tangerine

This comes after Jeju Technopark Biodiversity Research Institute found that the antioxidant functionality of two flavonoid compounds derived from green tangerine extract is twice that of vitamin C. The organisation completed patent application for them last August.

The technology transfer signing ceremony was held at the Research Institute on September 19.

At the event, Jeju Technopark announced that it has shared the “method of manufacturing compounds with antioxidant capacity from Jeju green tangerine extract” with Ronas Cosmetics Co Ltd.

Antioxidants are known for having the ability to prevent and improve wrinkles by removing active oxygen from skin cells.

“It is reported that green tangerines are very rich in vitamins, flavonoids, chlorophyll, dietary fibre, and limonoids, compared to ripe fruits. However, there have not been any functional cosmetics that contain green tangerine extracts. ​

“Although green tangerine extract is used in various ways as a raw material for cosmetics, it had been utilised more for marketing purposes rather than for its efficacy,” ​said the Research Institute.

As such, Ronas Cosmetics plans to develop functional cosmetics not only from green tangerine extract, but also other products using various agricultural and living resources on Jeju Island.

“With this technology transfer, we will strive to strengthen cooperation and achieve a win-win situation with local communities and Jeju companies beyond the development of functional cosmetics using Jeju green tangerine extracts,”​ said Han Sung-soo, CEO of Ronas Cosmetics.

Laying the groundwork​

Jeju Technopark Biodiversity Research Institute began research on functional materials using Jeju green tangerines in 2017.

Such initiatives are actively supported by the Startup Team of Future Strategies Bureau at Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, as part of “fostering the biotechnology industry using Jeju’s natural resources” in sectors such as cosmetics, health functional foods, and pharmaceuticals.

The Bureau operates a variety of business incubation programmes, invests in agricultural, fishery, and livestock start-ups for promotion of primary industries, as well as bolsters regulatory innovation to build an ecosystem for nurturing new industries.

“The value of Jeju’s biological resources continues to be recognised as more research is done. We will do our best to support technological research and industrialisation so that the island’s clean and natural ecosystem can sow the seeds for the bio industry to bloom [in the future],” ​concluded Jeong Yong-hwan, director of the Research Institute.