Research & Development

Recognized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Sami R & D is a multi-disciplinary division pursing diverse fields of research.

The R&D also works closely with the Government of India and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Committee on preparation of Standard Operating Procedures for Ayurvedic herbs and monographs for Indian herbs.

Equipped with the best of talent and facilities, Sami research is geared to constantly innovate and sustain high quality output to broaden the product portfolio, enrich its intellectual property and build up a robust pipeline of products.

Natural Drug Division:

This division focuses on identifying, isolating and developing drugs from various natural source having a potential to become a drug. As on date Forskohlin Eye Drops for Glaucoma and BSM 01 for Psoriasis have been approved by the Indian FDA. Pre-clinical studies are going-on for three other natural molecules in various therapeutic areas.

Phytochemistry:

This division forms the core activity of the company and has played a significant role for the organization to reach its present status. Standardized Phytoextracts that function as nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals or nutricosmetics have been skillfully commercialized to meet the ever increasing global needs.

Identification, isolation, characterization of the bio-actives and optimization of the extraction methods form the core activities of this division. A range of Supercritical extracts have been developed using SC CO2.

Synthetic Chemistry:

Several innovative products from this division have made its way into the global markets.

Synthesis of a novel compound is a problem solving task, where a synthesis is designed for a target molecule by selecting optimal reactions from optimal starting materials.

The focus is on,

Development of new reactions and methodologies for the efficient synthesis of bioactive molecules
Design and synthesis of molecules having unique biological activity.

To this day, more than 40 compounds have been scaled up and successfully commercialized. Our key focus has been on the Selenium based organic molecules, Chiral molecules, Peptides and Natural Actives.

Tissue Culture:

The focus here is mainly on micropropagation of elite clones of plants with significant bioactivity. It also works on selected rare plants for propagation, through tissue culture techniques in the laboratory.

The typical steps followed are:

Isolation of high yielding varieties.
Rapid multiplication of selected plants through tissue culture technology.
Field trials of the multiplied varieties
Supply the plant to contract farmers for large-scale cultivation

Some of the plants that have been cultivated through tissue culture are Coleus forskohlii , Curcuma longa, Allium sativum, Olea europaea and Melissa officianalis. Techniques are being developed for secondary metabolite production through callus culture.

Enrichment of amino acids and essential minerals by a Hydroponic technique has also been successful and a few new innovations are being tried in this area.

Biotechnology Division:

Biotechnology Division has developed stable probiotics and enzyme complexes. Experiments on biocatalytic conversion to enhance better recovery of certain bioactives are carried out here. Mineral Enriched Yeast is another specialty product developed here.

Analytical R&D:

Analytical R&D has been audited and NABL accredited for its validated testing protocols.

Equipped with the state of art facility to meet international standards, this division plays a pivotal role in setting the product standards and ensuring the adherence to these set qualities.

Characterization of extracts and molecules and evaluation of product quality is done using an array of modern techniques such as HPLC, GC, LC-MS, HP-TLC, GC-MS, NMR (300 MHz), ICP-OES, AAS and other chemical analysis methods.

To comply with the varied quality requirements globally, the Analytical R&D and QC ensures the quality of the finished products with regard to

Bio active content (Assay/ Purity)
Limitations of Heavy metals, Residual solvents Other physical and chemical parameters as per the specifications.

Microbiological Division:

Microbiological Division screens the various extracts and fine chemicals for microbial compliance in accordance with global requirements. The antimicrobial activity and the preservative efficacy of the various bioactives are also evaluated in this division.

Bio-Research Division:

Bio research division focuses on developing the safety & efficacy profile of the products by screening through an elaborate series of in vitro methods that does not involve testing on animals.

Also NABL accredited, the Bio-Research Division has set up a wide range of in vitro testing technologies in the following fields of research,

Anti oxidant studies
Anti Inflammatory studies
Skin lightening/tanning studies
UV protection studies
Wound Healing studies
Hair growth studies
Sebum regulation studies
Anti Obesity studies
Anti Diabetes studies
Dermal Irritation studies
Ocular Irritation studies
Cytotoxicity studies
Mutagenicity studies

Flow cytometry

Flow cytometry is a technique for counting and examining microscopic particles by suspending them in a stream of fluid and passing them by electronic detection apparatus. It allows simultaneous multiparemetric analysis of the physical and chemical characteristics of up to thousands of particles/second.

A flow cytometer is similar to a microscope except that instead of producing an image of the cell 'flowcytometry' offers high throughput automated quantification of set parameters.

Formulations R & D:

The Formulations R&D division forms the convergence of the various product concepts that have been developed as ingredients. Bioactives, based on their the activity and functionality, are molded into various forms – with Nutraceutical, Cosmeceutical, Nutricosmetic as well as Food & Beverage applicatitons.

The three major functional areas include….

Nutraceutical and Nutricosmetic formulations
Cosmetic and Personal Care formulations
Functional Food and Beverage formulations

Prototypes development of a number of solid, liquid and semisolid dosage forms, dietary supplements, personal care range cosmetics and functional food concepts is the core activity of this division.

Formulations R&D division plays a major role in providing a solid foundation for the business development activities.

Pages

R & D