Sami Labs Ltd., Sabinsa’s associated group, has established a cosmeceuticals claims substantiation laboratory at it’s Bangalore research facility.

A summary of the current capabilities of the cell culture and biochemical validation laboratory is as follows:

Facilities available:

• Class 100 safety Hood (Class II level)
• Class 10,000 lab (sterile lab)
• Carbon-dioxide Incubator (thermo)
• Inverted microscope (Olympus) with CCTV and fluorescence attachment
• Microplate reader (BMG, Fluostar Optima) with Absorbance, Luminescence, Fluorescence detectors
• Temperature control Ultra centrifuge(20,000 rpm)
• Cryofreezer (-80oC)

Cell cultures Testing:

1. Toxicity evaluation

• Human fibroblast
• Mutagenicity against bacterial tester strain TA 102

2. Efficacy studies:

1. Melanogenesis promoters / inhibitors: Efficacy screening for skin pigmentation promotion or skin lightening, required in validating efficacious agents in vitiligo or skin fairness respectively.
   • Melanocyte cell line (Melana A)
   • Tyrosinase inhibition assay

1. Hyperproliferative studies / psoriasis evaluation
   • SVK14 Keratinocytes proliferation, measurement of ATP/lactate dehydrogenase
     
     
2. Skin conditioning / anti-wrinkle properties
   • Fibroblast proliferation and release of various enzymes and cytokines
   • Anti-elastase activity
   • Anti-collagenase activity
   • Anti-hyaluronidase activity
     
     
3. Anti-inflammatory activity
   • Evaluation of COX inhibition
     
     
4. Wound healing activity
   • Proliferation of fibroblasts
   • Proliferation of Keratinocytes
     
     
5. Antioxidant assay
   • DPPH radical scavenging activity
   • In vitro lipid peroxidation
     
     
6. Anti-acne/Anti-bacterial activities, Effectiveness against
   • Propionibacterium acnes
   • Staph. aureus
   • Staph. epidermidis
   • Strept. mutans
   • E.coli
   • Bacillus subtilis
     
     
7. Anti-dandruff activities
   • Effectiveness against Pityrosporum ovale

One of the driving factors is the need for development of non-animal based efficacy studies. Alternative testing methods will be developed and validated at this laboratory