| Project Title | FROM EXTRACTION TO BIOACTIVITY: OPTIMIZING ULTRASOUND-ASSISTED RECOVERY OF POLYPHENOLS FROM ARONIA MELANOCARPA (MICHX.) ELLIOTT POMACE WITH PRE-ENZYMATIC TREATMENT AND LAB FERMENTATION” |
| Project Registration Code | PN-IV-PCB-RO-MD-2024-0341 |
| Project Acronym | OPEn-LAB |
| Main domain | Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, biodiversity, agriculture and environment (ASC) |
| Main subdomain | Circular bioeconomy |
| Secondary domain | Health (ASC) |
| Purpose and project planning | The “From extraction to bioactivity: Optimizing ultrasound-assisted recovery of polyphenols from Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott pomace with pre-enzymatic treatment and LAB fermentation (OPEn-LAB)” research proposal aims to develop an optimized method for extracting polyphenols from A. melanocarpa pomace, following pre-enzymatic treatment and followed by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation to develop a dietary supplement for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevention. By integrating ultrasound-assisted extraction, the project will maximize polyphenol yield while preserving the bioactivity of the compounds. The extract will undergo comprehensive characterization, including analysis of total phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin content and HPLC-MS profiling to assess the transformation of bioactive compounds during fermentation. Antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and cytotoxic activity tests will evaluate the fermented extract’s bioactivity potential. The project also includes in vitro digestion using the INFOGEST protocol to simulate bioaccessibility in the human gastrointestinal tract and in vivo bioactivity evaluation in an animal model of T2DM. With an interdisciplinary team from Romania and Moldova, the research addresses sustainable resource utilization and provides a novel approach to functional food development, ultimately aiming to improve cardiometabolic health. |
| Project Start Date | 01/09/2025 |
| Project End Date | 31/08/2027 |
| Project Duration | 24 months |
| Total budget value | 600.000,00 lei |
| Coordinating institution | „George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș |
| Partener (P1) | Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of Moldova |
| Project leader | Prof. dr. Corneliu Tanase |
| Partner manager | Senior Researcher dr. Sergiu Parii |
