Arkopharma and Orius focus on botanical precision

The phytotherapy specialist and the Toulouse-based startup specializing in high value-added botanical ingredients are deploying a Biomebox within Arkopharma’s R&D center in Nice.

Designed as a high-precision cultivation system, the tool is expected to strengthen research on botanical actives across the fields of natural health, nutraceuticals and cosmetics.

The cultivation chamber enables precise control of growth parameters – including light, temperature, humidity and nutrition – in order to generate robust and reproducible data over time. Arkopharma will thus be able to conduct comparative trials, develop its own phytochemical reference frameworks and access fresh control plants with verified composition.

The first plant under investigation is Bacopa monnieri, an Ayurvedic species known for its capacity to accumulate heavy metals from its environment. Research conducted in Nice aims to further characterize its phytochemistry, particularly bacosides, as well as the impact of cultivation conditions on its development.

Through this partnership, both companies aim to strengthen the scientific control of botanical resources and secure supply chains in a context of growing expectations regarding traceability, standardization and ingredient quality.