University Produces Cosmetic Products

Cosmetic Products Derived from University Research The Plant, Pharmaceutical and Scientific Research Application and Research Center at Anadolu University extracts oils and essences at the desired purity levels from medicinal and aromatic plants such as lavender, laurel, sage tea, thyme, mint and rosemary sourced from numerous cities including Istanbul and Kayseri, and performs their analyses. Center Director Prof. Dr. Temel Özek stated: "We are able to obtain products for use in the cosmetic and perfumery industry, as well as in the food and health sectors." ESKİŞEHİR (AA) - DENİZ AÇIK - The Plant, Pharmaceutical and Scientific Research Application and Research Center (BİBAM) at Anadolu University (AÜ) extracts oils and essences at desired purity levels from medicinal and aromatic plants such as lavender, laurel, sage tea, thyme, mint and rosemary brought from numerous cities, and contributes to companies' production in this field. Medicinal and aromatic plants brought to BİBAM, which was established in 1982 at the Yunus Emre Campus of AÜ, from cities such as Eskişehir and its districts as well as Istanbul, Kütahya, Bilecik, Afyonkarahisar, Bursa and Kayseri undergo various processing steps. At the center where plant oils and essences are extracted, analyses of the products in question are also conducted and reported to relevant parties. BİBAM, which has 10 different laboratories necessary for these processes, also performs improvements and purification studies for certain substances in the plant that are undesirable or exceed limits in their essence. The center provides opinions on solving problems encountered by companies in their production stages as well as on the design of systems to be used in production. BİBAM, which produces solutions for the research and development and analysis needs of researchers at universities, public institutions and the private sector, has recently been conducting studies on propolis and products containing it. Center Director Prof. Dr. Temel Özek told the AA correspondent that they also provide training on medicinal and aromatic plants at the facility on behalf of the United Nations (UN). Stating that they evaluate medicinal and aromatic plants as desired, Özek said: "Turkey is quite rich in terms of aromatic plants, possessing plant diversity equivalent to the entire European continent. Aromatic plants have been particularly in the foreground in our country recently. At our center, we extract volatile oils from plants. Recently, lavender in particular has been in the foreground. The work of extracting volatile oils from plants with similar aromatic properties such as lavender, laurel, sage tea, thyme, mint and rosemary has increased recently. In addition, we have work on propolis and products containing propolis. We receive requests from many cities in Turkey. In addition to Eskişehir and its districts, we receive medicinal and aromatic plants from a very wide area covering neighboring provinces and districts as well as from Istanbul to Kayseri."

"We are able to perform improvements and purifications"

Özek noted that plants are brought to them either immediately after harvesting in their season or after being stored under certain drying conditions. Özek continued as follows: "We also perform quality control analyses of the oils we obtain. They are evaluated and reported on whether they meet the desired quality for use. Depending on the product quality, companies conduct evaluation either in accordance with their own requirements or in export and import operations. We are able to perform improvements and purifications for certain substances in the plant that are undesirable or exceed limits. We are able to obtain products for use in the cosmetic and perfumery industry, as well as in the food and health sectors. In accordance with demand, research and development work is first conducted, followed by production work at large capacity that complies with the desired values." he said. Temel Özek noted that as they are a research and development quality center, they also provide consulting services to market demands or projects created, and stated that some companies bring requests to them for launching new products to the market. Noting that the center also has a cell culture laboratory, Özek said: "Within this scope, we are able to conduct cell culture studies in terms of evaluating whether products that have reached a certain maturity have effects on cells. We are a center with 10 different laboratories. We also have a pilot area where we conduct larger capacity studies."