Value Added Functional Products from Less Utilized Biomaterials Locally Available in the Sultanate

In order to address the food security and sustainable production it is important to explore the possibility of developing value added functional products using waste or less utilized local bio-materials. The development of these types of functional products usually does not require mass production and does not utilize excessive resources since the source of raw materials already exists locally. However significant research activities need to be conducted in order to develop the new technology and to assess its structural characteristics, functionality and safety for human consumption. The objectives of this research project are to develop functional products using less utilized bio-materials available locally in the Sultanate. In this project only 3 locally less utilized bio-materials (date-pits, seaweeds, and pomegranate skins and seeds) will be used to develop value-added functional ingredients or products. The developed technology and materials? characterizing techniques could also be used for other bio-materials processing. Several functional products (such as food ingredients as fibers, biodegradable packaging materials, and fuel source for fish smoking) will be developed using less utilized date-pits. Different treatments will be performed on the date-pits in order to change its structure for desired functionality. The potential polysaccharides from sea weeds will be extracted from the treated or untreated sea weeds, and extract will be precipitated or dried by different methods as compared to the conventional methods. The structural/functional characterization of the dried polysaccharides will be performed in order to determine its potential functionality in food products as well as health functional products related to immune system. The functional components will be extracted from pomegranate skin using different solvents. The extracts will be further dried with or without additives by different methods. The health functionality of the dried extracts will be evaluated considering in-vitro and animal model. Structural characteristics at molecular, nano and micro levels will be analyzed by HPLC, FTIR spectroscopy, NMR analysis, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and modulated DSC (MDSC) thermal analysis, rheological analysis by Oscillatory, Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA) and Texture Profile Analysis (TPA), Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) analysis and GC-MS methods. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity risks will be monitored using standard battery of biological assays to assess the suspected mutagenicity or carcinogenicity of the developed products. Short-term mutagenicity assays such as Ames test will assess the DNA damage resulting from exposure to the sample. The genotoxic effects will be further evaluated using chromosomal aberrations assay by examining dividing bone marrow cells. In order to explore the beneficial health effects of the developed products different assays in-vitro and animal model will be used for studying the biomarkers, such as antioxidant activity, insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, glycated hemoglobin levels, plasma lipid profile, markers of fat deposition, systemic inflammation and oxidative stress as well as body composition changes in animal models for different targeted diseases. The project will develop scientific and research skills and expertise within the Sultanate, which is needed to flourish the food and bio-processing industry. This will be achieved by providing training to the graduate students, technical staffs, research assistants; and developing laboratory and pilot scales facilities in the department. The scaling up of this process will be studied in order to define a relevant industrial technology, valorization through adequate IPR and industrial policy. The main results will be communicated to the foods and bio-processing industry by organizing workshops and developing related flyer and brochures. The developed scientific knowledge will be published in the refereed journals related to food and health sciences. An attempt will be made to make new international links for collaboration and fostering existing collaborating institutes in different countries.

In order to address the food security and sustainable production it is important to explore the possibility of developing value added functional products using waste or less utilized local bio-materials. The development of these types of functional products usually does not require mass production and does not utilize excessive resources since the source of raw materials already exists locally. However significant research activities need to be conducted in order to develop the new technology and to assess its structural characteristics, functionality and safety for human consumption. The objectives of this research project are to develop functional products using less utilized bio-materials available locally in the Sultanate. In this project only 3 locally less utilized bio-materials (date-pits, seaweeds, and pomegranate skins and seeds) will be used to develop value-added functional ingredients or products. The developed technology and materials? characterizing techniques could also be used for other bio-materials processing. Several functional products (such as food ingredients as fibers, biodegradable packaging materials, and fuel source for fish smoking) will be developed using less utilized date-pits. Different treatments will be performed on the date-pits in order to change its structure for desired functionality. The potential polysaccharides from sea weeds will be extracted from the treated or untreated sea weeds, and extract will be precipitated or dried by different methods as compared to the conventional methods. The structural/functional characterization of the dried polysaccharides will be performed in order to determine its potential functionality in food products as well as health functional products related to immune system. The functional components will be extracted from pomegranate skin using different solvents. The extracts will be further dried with or without additives by different methods. The health functionality of the dried extracts will be evaluated considering in-vitro and animal model. Structural characteristics at molecular, nano and micro levels will be analyzed by HPLC, FTIR spectroscopy, NMR analysis, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and modulated DSC (MDSC) thermal analysis, rheological analysis by Oscillatory, Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA) and Texture Profile Analysis (TPA), Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) analysis and GC-MS methods. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity risks will be monitored using standard battery of biological assays to assess the suspected mutagenicity or carcinogenicity of the developed products. Short-term mutagenicity assays such as Ames test will assess the DNA damage resulting from exposure to the sample. The genotoxic effects will be further evaluated using chromosomal aberrations assay by examining dividing bone marrow cells. In order to explore the beneficial health effects of the developed products different assays in-vitro and animal model will be used for studying the biomarkers, such as antioxidant activity, insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, glycated hemoglobin levels, plasma lipid profile, markers of fat deposition, systemic inflammation and oxidative stress as well as body composition changes in animal models for different targeted diseases. The project will develop scientific and research skills and expertise within the Sultanate, which is needed to flourish the food and bio-processing industry. This will be achieved by providing training to the graduate students, technical staffs, research assistants; and developing laboratory and pilot scales facilities in the department. The scaling up of this process will be studied in order to define a relevant industrial technology, valorization through adequate IPR and industrial policy. The main results will be communicated to the foods and bio-processing industry by organizing workshops and developing related flyer and brochures. The developed scientific knowledge will be published in the refereed journals related to food and health sciences. An attempt will be made to make new international links for collaboration and fostering existing collaborating institutes in different countries.