Manufacture

ARKOPHARMA GROUP

Arkopharma Group is a conglomerate of research and manufacturing facilities. The head office and main factory is located in Carros, 15 km off Nice, South France. Production facilities total area is about 65,000 sq.m. At these facilities modern equipment is installed - about 70 production units and conveyors allow working with all galaenic forms (powder capsules, fatty capsules, cosmetic forms, etc.).

During 1998 at the facilities 2 extractors 400 liters each for supercritical carbonic plant extraction were installed. This equipment allows for obtaining extracts of which purity, absence of solvents and preservation of active plants components are the main characteristics, and this makes such extracts superior to those received with the use of traditional extraction processes.

Some figures about Arkopharma

The Arkopharma Group is also represented in England, Germany, U.S.A., Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Ireland and Belgium.

BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE FOOD SUPPLEMENTS MANUFACTURE

In manufacture process the laboratory uses the GMP standards for pharmaceutical laboratories. The GMP standards are the rules of pharmaceutical products manufacture designed in the USA. in 1963.

What does the technological process look like - starting from the raw materials arrival and ending with the ready packages going out of the doors? The raw materials are received and undergo the ten days quarantine - for ten days they are kept in three different zones with different temperature conditions - 4'C, 15'C and normal temperature. During the quarantine the components of the materials are analyzed, microbiological purity is tested and toxicological safety is ensured. The reference samples are kept in special containers and the samples taken for analysis are checked with them.

After quality check raw materials are processed. At the first stage the materials undergo low temperature refinement. This is the so-called cryogrinding process. Grinding under low temperatures in nitrogen allow to minimize the loss of active components including flavonoides and vitamins.

After cryogrinding the crude powder is sifted to get rid of unnecessary fibers, and then the materials are once again checked in the laboratory for microbiological purity and toxicological safety. If the materials comply with all requirements they undergo a second stage of processing. Initial parts are mixed in proportions in a special mixer to get a homogeneous mass. The whole process is automated and controlled by computers which allows each capsule to contain exactly the same ingredients.

Next stage involves packaging of the powder into capsules. In the processing facilities where this operation takes place the purity regulations are especially strict. The automated dosage dispensers guarantee the exact amount of powder to be placed into each capsule, at the same time another device allows to get rid of broken or wrong capsules.

And the last stage is about packing the ready capsules into plastic jars on an automated conveyor. Every 30 minutes at the end of the conveyor a jar is checked as for number of capsules contained and the packaging quality.

MANUFACTURING OF THE "MILLENIUM" COSMETIC KIT

Arkopharma is among most dynamically developing French companies and is now one of the world's leading cosmetics manufacturers. Manufacturing facilities allow for combining the old recepies with advanced technologies which provide the best quality of the end product. Creams are manufactured within the unique vacuum turbine which allows for producing microemulsion under such temperature conditions that do not harmfully affect the natural components. This guarantees the stability of the emulsion. All manufacture processes are automated and controlled by computers which allow for observance of all parameters in manufacturing of every cosmetics product. This technology also allows for decrease of emulgator and conservants substances in the composition and as the result we receive products of light consistence giving maximum comfort to the skin. All cosmetic products manufactured with this technology are easily applied, do not leave greasy shine, moisturize and protect skin from the unfavorable environmental effects, and what is most important do not lead to allergy.

The raw materials used in cosmetics manufacture are received from the ecologically healthy regions of the world and before the manufacture process starts they are all tested for toxicalogical and bacterialogical purity. Later on all needed components are extracted from the raw materials and then applied to the base of each product in necessary proportions taking into account the specific features of each product. Arkopharma is the world leader in plant extracts manufacture. The most advanced technologies used in the manufacture process allow for preserving all the natural components making it possible to provide people with products which help them stay healthy, young and happy.

AROMA STICK MANUFACTURE

To manufacture the Aroma Stick product Arkopharma, the leading European concern, has for the first time used the low-temperature vacuum-microwave technology. The basis of the vacuum-microwave technologies of low-temperature thermal processing is the utilization of the microwaves (electromagnetic oscillations in the 380 MHz - 2,450 MHz range) used as energy resource. The result of such waves' oscillations is the volumetric absorption of energy by the product. This technological process is environmentally friendly and guarantees microbiological purity which allows for preservation of all valuable components of the ether oils making the new product unique.

In the Arkopharma production cycle they use also a new approach to ether oils extraction - the so-called supercritical extraction of components with the use of carbon dioxide. This extraction method has several advantages: First, both the extracted substances and the process are highly ecological. Second, only this method allows for maximum microbiological purity. Third, this method allows extracting substances without changing their structure and characteristics, which was proved by chemical tests. And finally, fourth, among all available technologies the supercritical extraction is the only one which allows extracting substances out of the natural raw materials most completely.

The supercritical parameters allow preserving in an extract the spectrum and concentration of components which cannot be achieved with the use of any other technology.

"TRIOVITAL" MANUFACTURE

To maximally extract active components and, in so doing, to preserve all their useful properties, different conditions are used at the Arcopharm laboratories.

The use of CO2 for extraction makes it possible to derive only useful compounds from the plant, by preventing different impurities and inert constituents which determine the allergenicity of a product from coming into the latter.

An extracting process of biologically active substances is accomplished at a temperature of not higher than 35o, which can preserve their maximum activity.

All the basic stages of production of cosmetics go on without air, which prevent the oxidation of plant extracts and active substances and the entry of microorganisms into the product.