Wash your hands with flaxseed oil

Start-up company Kayban, in collaboration with CSIRO, has developed what is claimed to be the world’s first antimicrobial healthcare range made from organic flaxseed oil.

The company has plans to take its range of topical lotions and washes, called Bio3 Guardian, to the global healthcare market.

Flaxseed oil contains alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid with known antimicrobial properties. With the support of a Victorian Government Innovation and Technology Voucher, Kayban and CSIRO developed a method for extracting alpha-linolenic acid from organic flaxseed.

The technology has since been transferred to Melbourne-based CSIRO spin-out Boron Molecular to extract the flaxseed component for Kayban on a multikilogram scale. Kayban will then work with another local manufacturer to formulate the end product.

Independent tests have shown that Bio3 Guardian is fast-acting and effective at killing golden staph (Staphylococcus aureus), a prevalent superbug that led to 1621 hospital-acquired infection cases in 2013–14. This is because it contains “a unique antimicrobial formula that uses natural flaxseed oil properties, instead of ethanol, to kill bad bacteria while leaving essential good bacteria intact,” according to Kayban Director Frank Palermo.

“It’s a moisturising, all-natural alternative to ethanol-based products that can cause skin to dry and crack upon repeated use and increase chances of developing conditions like dermatitis,” Palermo continued.

“That’s going to benefit nurses, doctors and patients in hospitals and aged care homes who regularly need to use sanitisers and disinfectants to maintain hygiene or care for wounds.”

Image caption: Kayban Director Frank Palermo with the Bio3 Guardian range.