A Syrian research team wins gold medal at the 9th Canada International Invention Expo 2024

Damascus, (ST) –  A Syrian research team won first place and the gold medal at the level of medical innovations in the 9th Canada International Invention Expo 2024, held recently in Toronto.

756 medical innovations and inventions from 50 countries participated in the exhibition where the new medical beauty cream, through which the Syrian team participated, won first place in the medical category, and second place in the list of the top ten inventions in all categories participating in the exhibition.

The medical cream presented by the Syrian team is a natural product, an eco-friendly cream made of silkworm extract which is rich in silk protein “sericin” with Syrian algae marine collagen.

The research team consisted of Dr. Shadi Khatib, Head of the Syrian Scientific Society for Medicinal Herbs and Complementary Medicine, Dr. Ola Mustafa, Head of the Department of Pharmaceuticals and Toxicology at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Al-Baath University, Dr. Kamil Arnouk, General Manager of “Green Pharma” for pharmaceutical products in Tartous, and beauty expert Zein Floum, who specializes in the field of natural cosmetic products, and the young researcher Shafiq Arnouk from the University of Balamand in Lebanon.

According to Dr. Kamil Arnouk, the research team has come up with a product that consists of natural compounds that are available in Syria and that suit the biology of the skin, which reduces the risk of irritation and sensitivity caused by chemical compounds, as the regular use of skin care products rich in natural antioxidants, including this product, can significantly reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and skin pigmentation.

All of these matters are in context of research to invent natural solutions to overcome the signs of aging that worry many and to maintain the youthfulness of the skin,

According to Dr. Khatib, the invention contributes to maintaining the freshness and vitality of the skin through the protein “sericin” or what is called silk protein, which was extracted in an environmentally friendly way without chemicals that harm to the skin and the environment.

This protein helps give the skin of the face a graceful and flexible appearance, and is considered as filler that hides expressive wrinkles and fine lines, and it fights signs of aging in the face, around the eyes, on the forehead, around the mouth, and in the neck area.

According to Dr. Ola Mustafa, the green methods of extracting natural products that are in line with the new global trend of what is called “the environmental footprint of cosmetic products” is what distinguished the invention’s formula, as the term green chemistry is the secret to the success of the effective extraction of active compounds from natural sources, such as plants and algae.

According to inventor Zain Flom, participation in international exhibitions that focus on green products and enhance the concept of the green economy is very important, as it is an opportunity to display innovative environmentally friendly products and contribute introducing the Syrian product to new global markets.

According to the researcher Shafiq Arnouk, the cooperation between Syrian and Lebanese universities in conducting the research helped in focusing on using modern and effective methods in extracting marine collagen from brown algae that are naturally widespread on the Syrian coast, and many tests were conducted to obtain the highest extraction yield from the active form of collagen.

Besides the cream, work and research will for developing multiple pharmaceutical products, such as soap, serum and lotion.

It is worth noting that the new cream has obtained a patent from the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection at the beginning of this year.

Raghda Sawas