Innobic (Asia), the life science arm of national oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc, continues to team up with university scholars and researchers to grow its food supplement business, launching two new nutritional products.
The company developed its "Open Innovation Platform" as a base for business operations, exchanging knowledge among experts and commercialising their health research, said Buranin Rattanasombat, senior executive vice-president of PTT and chairman of Innobic (Asia).
Innobic launched Innobic Pro Beta-Glucan+, a food supplement jointly developed by researchers from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The product, in the form of broccoli powder, contains vitamins C and D3 as well as quercetin.
Vitamin C is known for properties that maintain healthy skin and blood vessels while vitamin D3 helps strengthen bones.
Quercetin, a substance found in produce such as onions and apples, is an antioxidant.
Innobic also worked with the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research to develop Innobic Probiotics GD, said Mr Buranin.
The product is made of certain strains of probiotics believed to match the health of Thai people.
Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria and/or yeast) which are good for the body's digestive system.
"These two products will help people make a good balance of living," said Mr Buranin.
Innobic earlier joined hands with Mahidol University to commercialise sauce son phak (vegetables hidden in sauce), a new health product developed by its researchers for people who dislike vegetables.
The sauce, made up of various kinds of vegetables, has nutritional value similar to that of vegetables, according to researchers at the university's Institute of Nutrition.
This collaboration will add value to the university's R&D and is part of the company's strategy to look for new business opportunities in the food and medicine sectors, Mr Buranin said earlier.
Innobic is expanding its businesses to speed up growth for PTT Group.