Novella unveils strawberry bioactive for nutraceutical innovation

U.S.A. – Biotech start-up Novella Innovative Technology has announced the launch of Novella Strawberry∞, a patent-pending bioactive ingredient derived from whole strawberry cells. 

The innovation, which will debut at SupplySide West 2025 in Las Vegas, represents the company’s first release from its fruit-cell nutraceutical collection.

At the heart of this breakthrough is Novella’s AuraCell technology, a proprietary cultivation platform that grows botanical ingredients directly from plant cells in a controlled, closed environment. 

By avoiding the need to grow entire plants, this approach ensures purity, consistency, and sustainability. The method reduces resource use, water, land, and labour, by 99% while producing zero waste.

Unlike conventional strawberry extracts that capture only a fraction of the fruit’s compounds, Novella Strawberry∞ is a whole-cell matrix. 

This means it keeps the whole natural goodness of the fruit, working together for stronger, consistent benefits.

Tests conducted by Novella show that the new ingredient provides an antioxidant effect up to 100 times stronger than traditional extracts, thanks to its ability to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human-cell assays.

Expanding the boundaries of nutraceutical innovation with strawberries

Strawberries are well known for their anthocyanins, but they also contain a diverse range of bioactive compounds, including ellagic acid, phenolic acids, terpenoids, and alkaloids. 

Most commercial products focus narrowly on anthocyanins, leaving much of the fruit’s natural richness underutilized. 

Novella Strawberry∞ captures the entire spectrum of bioactives, creating new opportunities in metabolism, weight management, skin health, and healthy ageing.

Yet, integrating strawberry extracts into supplements has always been challenging. Their delicate bioactive compounds are highly unstable, degrading rapidly under heat, light, oxygen, or time. 

Industrial processing often causes further nutrient loss, while farming strawberries requires intensive irrigation and delivers inconsistent yields. These hurdles have limited their broader use in nutraceuticals and driven up costs.

Novella’s cultivation method overcomes these obstacles. By growing intact strawberry cells in stable, climate-free environments, the company ensures a reliable, standardized supply of bioactives. 

Application

This process also acts as natural microencapsulation, protecting sensitive compounds until consumption. As a result, Novella Strawberry∞ achieves higher bioavailability, ensuring nutrients are absorbed efficiently and perform effectively in the body.

The ingredient also brings strong commercial value. Its potency allows manufacturers to use smaller concentrations without losing effectiveness, which helps reduce costs. 

In addition, it is water-dispersible, making it versatile for use in powders, capsules, nutrition bars, or beverages.

“Our solution will significantly relieve the bottleneck in the nutraceutical industry’s growing demand for strawberry-sourced nutrients while leaving field-grown strawberries to be enjoyed as refreshing natural treats,” said Itay Dana, founder and Chief Business Development Officer of Novella. 

He added that the ingredient’s ability to work both as a standalone product and as a booster in formulations makes it “exactly what the next wave of dietary supplements needs.”

With consumer demand surging for clean-label, natural, and effective supplements, Novella Strawberry∞ positions itself as a powerful new tool for brands and formulators. 

Combining science, sustainability, and performance, it signals a next-generation approach to nutraceutical innovation that could reshape how strawberries are used in health and wellness products.

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