Development of new encapsulation and enzyme technology to produce biocatalysts and biologically active food components in order to increase its competitiveness, quality and safety

Principal Investigator: Branko Bugarski, PhD

            Incorporation of bioactive compounds-such as vitamins,probiotics, antioxidants, nutrients, bioactive peptides, and etc./ into food systems provide a simple way to develop novel functional foods that may have nutritional benefits or reduce the risks of diseases.  However, the production of these active ingredients and their incorporation in the variety of food products require new and innovative technologies because such ingredients are sensitive to a variety of environmental processing factors that may cause the loss of biological functionality, chemical degradation and/or premature or incomplete release. The project focuses on exploiting of novel extraction techniques, enzyme and encapsulation technologies, bioprocessing and combined processes for food ingredients production, modification and incorporation in food products to improve the sensory quality, health effects and safety of food. The program will organized in research teams working on screening , isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds, optimization of bioprocess based on the immobilized biocatalysts for synthesis and/or tailored modification of bioactive compounds, development of advanced micro-and nano-encapsulation technology with improved encapsulation and delivery properties, and in vivo and in vitro release study of the encapsulated food ingredients from the food matrix. Toxicological and safety studies of the produced functional food products will be also included.