(LEAD) Researchers develop tangerine gel for artificial skin material

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SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korean researchers have developed a
tangerine-based gel that has the potential to be used to make artificial skin and
various cosmetic products, a state-run rural development agency said Tuesday.

The gel, made using fermentative bacteria called SEA623-2, absorbs nutrients
found in the citrus and is harmless to humans, the Rural Development
Administration (RDA) said, adding it can effectively protect damaged skin from
infections. The cellulose gel is the world's first to be made from tangerines.
"Products that can cover burn wounds and protect against infections are to be
made within the year, while use of the material to make artificial skin may take
two-three years," Choi Dong-ro, head of the RDA's institute of horticultural and
herbal science, said. Specially made gauzes and creams are currently being
developed.
He said detailed clinical tests are planned for 2011 and 2012 with permission to
use the material being sought from such agencies as the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration.
"Since it is made from natural bio-polymer, no bacteria can thrive in the gel,
making it ideal as a base material for medical products," the director general
said.
He said that because the gel is a non-conductive substance, there may be
applications for it in the information technology sector.
The official also said that the locally made tangerine gel was of a higher
quality compared to gels made with coconuts in many Southeast Asian countries.
The agency under the farm ministry, in addition, said fermentative bacteria
utilized in the gel can cut production time in half compared to other ordinary
bacteria currently utilized to make similar plant-based gels. Coconut gel is
currently in production but does not have the necessary purity for medicinal
purposes and is usually added to food.
The new tangerine gel has a "high" purity rate of 80 percent and can also be used
in such cosmetics as facial masks, skin and massage creams as it has a 97.5
percent moisture retention ability.
The RDA, meanwhile, said that with the development, the country can turn 50,000
tons worth of tangerine by-products such as the discarded skin into high value
added materials. Roughly a quarter of tangerine by-products can be turned into
the new gel, while the remainder can be used for animal feed and fertilizers.
Research on the gel began in 2002 at a cost of 600 million won (US$520,000) with
the local market alone reaching over 500 billion won 2008. The total includes use
of gels in cosmetics, food and medicine.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)

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