In addition to the opportunity to discuss the details of the project's implementation, the meeting provided insight into the complex production process of dietary supplements. Thanks to the company's courtesy, it was possible to become acquainted with the functioning of the physical-chemical and microbiological laboratories, in which preparations together with substrates and intermediates used in their production are tested. A visit to ICHEM sp. z o.o. offered a comprehensive view of modern technological, forwarding, and logistics solutions used in the production process of dietary supplements and medical devices.
Cooperation with ICHEM sp. z o.o. and subject of the study
ICHEM sp. z o.o., a Research and Production Centre of the Technical University of Łódź, focuses on developing and producing dietary supplements, medical devices, and food for special medical purposes. Currently, the company offers a wide range of product manufacturing options - capsules, tablets, sachets, syrups, and vials. ICHEM has achieved a strong position in the industry through its collaboration with a world leader in dietetics and nutrition, for which it manufactures dietary supplements to aid weight loss. The investments made in recent years, including those co-financed by the EU, have enabled the expansion of the plant, the purchase of innovative production lines, and the creation of its own brand of dietary supplements - VITADIET.
The cooperation with the University of Łódź was initiated as early as 2015 during the implementation of the project entitled: "Development of a dietary supplement supporting the treatment of symptomatic H. pylori infections.", POIR.02.03.02-10-0003/15 (PLN 332,100.00) and was continued in the next six projects. It resulted in 2 scientific publications, a patent and a patent application with co-authorship of the authors from the University of Łódź, and the implementation of a dietary supplement and food for special medical purposes, HelicoComplex and HelicoFood, respectively, on the domestic and foreign markets.
The collaboration with ICHEM as part of the Science Hub project of the University of Lodz aims to investigate, contained in the commercially available dietary supplement Dervit Andro, the compound Androdiet® at the cellular level. Androdiet® is a unique formula of plant active ingredients (sabal palm fruit, green tea leaves, small-flowered willow herb, African plum bark), proven in the scientific literature to reduce excessive androgen-induced hair loss. The dietary supplement Dervit Andro with the AndroDiet® formula is available in Polish and German markets. It is one of the brand's most popular products, recommended by specialists in trichology.
Research findings and further cooperation
The results obtained were presented as partial reports and a final report. A meeting with company representatives is planned as part of further cooperation. The project is an additional step in building cooperation between scientific institutions and external companies with the participation and benefits for students of the University of Lodz.
About the project
The project is being implemented as part of Science Hub of the University of Lodz - a university-wide collaboration platform that aims to support the UL academic community in implementing scientific projects in cooperation with the environment.
Project title: Understanding the cellular and enzymatic mechanisms that determine the effectiveness of Androdiet® in reducing androgenetic alopecia.
Supervisor: Dr Aleksandra Szwed-Georgiou, Department of Immunology and Infection Biology
Student: Wiktoria Barczyk, Microbiology
Partner: ICHEM Sp. z o.o.
Project description: The aim of this project is to address the problems associated with androgenetic alopecia and to test the current Androdiet® compound produced by ICHEM against the inhibition of 5α-dihydrotestosterone production in the LNCaP cell line model. The implementation of the work will provide information on the cellular mechanism of action of the Androdiet® blend and the effect on the production of 5α-dihydrotestosterone, whose action damages hair follicles leading to excessive hair loss.
Material: Project Team
Edit: Science Hub of the University of Lodz