Pune-based Kay Bee Bio Organics is the parent company of 100x Ayurveda. Kay Bee primarily exports 14-15 metric tons of babycorn daily to European countries along with other fruits and vegetables such as okra, pomegranate, and chilies.
The company had been earlier throwing the husk and silk part of babycorn. “The company was aware of the medicinal properties of these parts of babycorn and soon started R&D on how these could be utilized. Kay Bee Bio Organics conducted some cell line studies on breast cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes and obesity and started working on the babycorn silk and husk extracts, which is a concentrated form of the active compound,” Sayali Dindorkar, consultant at 100x Ayurveda, said.
100x Ayurveda has babycorn silk extract in powder, liquid and granule forms, which can be used in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and pet food industry segments, Dindorkar said, adding different kinds of applications can be prepared with the extract such as combining it with moringa, and curcumin.
Tablets can also be manufactured from the extract, which has antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity properties. The extract has very high soluble and insoluble fiber, she said. It is also very high in flavonoids and vitamin C as well, she said, adding it can be used in the preparation of dog and cat food due to its high fiber content for anti-obesity applications.
Though the head office is located in Pune, the R&D and manufacturing is done at its plant in Phaltan, 100 kms away from the city.
The babycorn is sourced from all over India with the maximum produce from Maharashtra, Dindorkar said, adding the company is exporting the babycorn silk extract to the US and many European countries in different forms.
100X Ayurveda has Karnataka-based animal health care company Natural Remedies, a few nutraceutical and pharma companies among its clients. It is currently in talks with cosmetics companies as well, she told IndiFoodBev.
For the cosmetics industry, the liquid form of babycorn silk extract can be used as it has natural shine properties, smell, color, and stickiness, which are required for skincare products.
