Two patent applications were submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office in November-December 2002:

Manufacturing processes for Se-alkylselenocysteine, Se-allylselenocys-teine, Se-arylselenocysteine, developed by our R & D scientists were the subject of one patent application. The invention describes novel efficient methods for the commercial manufacture of D, L and DL froms of methylselenocysteine, an effective and safe organic selenium supplement.

Commercial processes for isolation and purification of glabridin with high tyrosinase inhibiting activity were the subject of the second patent application. The invention describes efficient, cost-effective methods, developed in our R & D facilities, for the isolation of glabridin from licorice, and its use in skin care compositions. The skin lightening agent, glabridin, is combined with other functional ingredients including antioxidants, sunscreens, skin texture supporting agents and other natural ingredients to provide compositions with multifaceted benefits.