Solid Gold Pet LLC Substantiates SeaMeal™ Coat Benefits Using CytoSolve®’s Systems Architecture to Model Skin-Barrier and Oxidative Pathways In Silico

Partner Description

Solid Gold Pet LLC is a pioneering company in holistic pet nutrition, creating natural-ingredient foods and supplements designed to promote the health of companion animals. One of their well-established products, SeaMeal™, is a supplement designed to improve the appearance of pets' coats. While SeaMeal™ has shown empirical benefits in improving coat appearance, the underlying molecular mechanisms of its action were not fully understood. Solid Gold Pet partnered with CytoSolve® to build a systems-level, mechanistic understanding of how SeaMeal™ influences pet skin and coat biology.

Challenge

The appearance of a pet's coat is influenced by complex, interconnected skin processes, particularly:

  • Skin Barrier Formation: The synthesis of the cornified envelope, a crucial component of skin barrier integrity.
  • Oxidative Balance: Maintaining redox homeostasis within skin tissue to prevent oxidative damage.
Although SeaMeal™ has demonstrated benefits for coat appearance, the molecular mechanisms behind its effects, particularly how individual ingredients and the full formulation interact, were not well-characterized. Traditional experimental approaches struggle to evaluate how multiple bioactive ingredients act simultaneously across interconnected pathways and fail to capture the synergy within complex formulations. Solid Gold needed a systems-level approach to explain the observed benefits, evaluate ingredient interactions, and support evidence-based product development.

How CytoSolve Helped

CytoSolve® used its computational systems biology platform to develop an integrative, in silico model of skin biology and pet coat appearance. This approach enabled Solid Gold Pet LLC to evaluate the combined effects of SeaMeal™ ingredients on skin health and coat quality.
  • Systematic Literature Review and Pathway Blueprint: CytoSolve® conducted a thorough literature review to identify molecular pathways influencing coat appearance and skin health, focusing on:
    • Cornified envelope synthesis (skin barrier formation)
    • Oxidative stress pathways (redox balance in the skin)
    • Pathway-to-Model Translation: The identified pathways were converted into validated mathematical models, independently confirmed for accuracy before integration into a unified framework.
    • Subsystem Identification: CytoSolve® organized coat appearance biology into two primary subsystems:
      • Cornified envelope synthesis for skin barrier integrity
      • Oxidative stress pathways affecting redox balance in the skin
    • Systems Integration: Validated models were integrated into a single in silico environment, preserving pathway interdependencies for comprehensive simulation.
    • Ingredient-Level and Combination Simulations: Five key SeaMeal™ ingredients—bladderwrack kelp, dulse flakes kelp, flaxseed, alpha amylase, and bromelain—were modeled individually and in combination at recommended dosages to compare single-ingredient versus full-formulation effects.
    • Synergy Assessment: Simulations quantified emergent synergy within the multi-ingredient formulation, showing how the combination enhanced skin barrier integrity and reduced oxidative stress, supporting improved coat appearance.

Key Benefits Realized

  • Mechanistic Insight into Skin Biology: CytoSolve® provided a comprehensive understanding of pathways influencing pet coat appearance, including the effects of SeaMeal™ ingredients on skin barrier integrity and oxidative stress.
  • Quantitative Assessment of Ingredient Contributions: The model analyzed how each of the five ingredients contributed individually and in combination to the formulation’s overall effectiveness.
  • Demonstration of Synergy: Simulations confirmed that the combined SeaMeal™ ingredients produced synergistic effects, enhancing coat appearance beyond the impact of any single ingredient.
  • Systems-Level Understanding: The model enabled linkage of improved coat appearance to two primary mechanisms: enhanced cornified envelope synthesis and reduced oxidative stress in the skin.
  • Reduced Need for Isolated Experimental Testing: The holistic in silico approach minimized reliance on fragmented experiments, providing a more efficient assessment of complex ingredient interactions.

Outcome

CytoSolve®’s in silico modeling demonstrated that the ingredients in SeaMeal™ work synergistically to improve pet coat appearance by targeting two key mechanisms: increasing cornified envelope synthesis, which supports skin barrier integrity, and reducing oxidative stress within the skin, which helps prevent damage and supports overall skin health.

The collaboration provided Solid Gold Pet LLC with a robust, systems-level mechanistic foundation for SeaMeal™, aligning with the product’s observed benefits. The study validated the use of computational systems biology in evaluating multi-ingredient dietary supplements for pets, offering a more evidence-based approach to product development and formulation decisions.

This case study exemplifies how CytoSolve®’s computational platform can be used to evaluate complex, multi-ingredient formulations in pet nutrition, providing scientifically grounded insights into their efficacy and enhancing confidence in product development.