Entering the forest and coming out with perfumes. Between one act and another, 12 years of research. This is the story between the Agronomic Institute (IAC) and Natura, the largest Brazilian multinational in cosmetics. An immersion in the biota of the Atlantic Forest carried out by the IAC team together with Natura, which began in 2006, sought native species with aromatic potential in this one of the richest regions of biodiversity. From this robust project, which acted on the Brazilian vocation for the use of biodiversity with environmental conservation, the perfumes “Química do Humor” and Urbano Noite were born, launched by Natura in 2019 and 2018, respectively. These fragrances, unprecedented in global perfumery, bring for the first time the essential oil of Piper, a pepper from the Atlantic Forest.
In the perfume #urbano, the approach is that of a young brand from Natura with a fragrance marked by vibrant, modern, and aromatic notes, with the pepper bringing a touch of boldness and unique personality. In the Química do Humor perfume, a relaxed brand also aimed at a younger audience, the ingredient is included to provide contrast and add a surprising experience alongside the notes of pomegranate, an explosive and aphrodisiac fruit, according to Natura's Ingredients Team.
From the initial prospecting, carried out in the existing reserves in the areas of IAC and in the regional hubs of the São Paulo Agency for Agribusiness Technology (APTA), present in São Paulo municipalities, to the stage where the essential oils were transformed into products, several studies were conducted.
Under the leadership of Márcia Ortiz Mayo Marques, a researcher at IAC, from the Secretary of Agriculture and Supply of the State of São Paulo, the study was conducted to assist the personal hygiene, perfumery, and cosmetics industries, which seek sustainable technologies for the proper management of the national aromatic flora. According to Márcia, it is necessary to know the plant species and their potentials, as well as how to cultivate them. In this scenario, Natura found in IAC the knowledge and experience.
The species that gave rise to the newly launched perfumes is cultivated. According to the researcher, after the study developed with funding from Natura, the cultivation technology was transferred to the company. “Although the species used is abundant, we cultivated it precisely to preserve it,” says Márcia. In the research, other promising species were also discovered, all passed on to Natura, and the partnership project was completed.
For Natura, this partnership is considered very relevant and a reference of success. “We combined complementary competencies and efforts to provide globally innovative ingredients applicable to our main product category,” says the Ingredients Team.
In 2014, IAC was among the awardees by the company, the largest Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer, in the Qlicar Program, in the iQlicar category – Technology Development. The recognition was made for the bioprospecting of ingredients. “In 2010, we had also received another award for the research, which shows the recognition of this study that resulted in a national product,” says the IAC researcher, who continues to study native plants from the Cerrado.
The beginning in 2006
The Agronomic Institute's research on native species gained momentum in 2006 when IAC secured funding for biodiversity research within the first call from Natura in partnership with the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), in the Partnership for Technological Innovation program (Pite). “The partnership allowed the studies that began in the preserved forests at IAC to yield an unprecedented result in global perfumery,” says Márcia.
According to the researcher, the partnership between IAC and Natura allowed for the study of the biodiversity of these regions in search of new essential oils. These studies included chemical, olfactory, genetic, taxonomic analyses, and the physiology of the plants, as well as the propagation of selected species with olfactory potential—all native to the Atlantic Forest.
The team aimed to discover whether, in addition to genetic factors, environmental ones also influence the chemical composition of essential oils. The analyses showed that essential oils differ according to the places where the plant occurs.
According to the researcher, the information resulting from the research enables the sustainable use of the species, their domestication, and cultivation, eliminating the impact of predatory extraction. “The commercial exploitation of these genetic resources must take into account, in addition to the continuous supply of essential oils, the fundamental conservation of ecosystems,” says Márcia.
Without scientific knowledge, opportunities for the sustainable adoption of Brazil's natural wealth, composed of more than 55,000 cataloged species, out of a total estimated between 350,000 to 550,000, may be lost. “Brazil has the largest plant diversity in the world, with possibilities for sources of dyes, vegetable oils, fats, phytotherapeutics, antioxidants, and essential oils for production sectors,” says the researcher.
This is an example of a partnership where the company and the research institute collaborated on a long-term project for the development of new technologies and products capable of generating a positive impact through income and quality of life, while promoting the conservation of genetic heritage following rigorous standards of sustainability and safety for human use and consumption.
According to Natura's Ingredients Team, the company believes that one of the ways to boost the country's development is through investment in science and technology. “Companies, in their essence, need innovation to differentiate themselves in their markets, and thus, they demand a lot of innovation and are capable of absorbing the knowledge and technology generated in research institutions. From this context, companies are co-responsible for the country's development and should increasingly finance and support applied research in the country,” says the Ingredients Team.
