THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH VALUABLE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTS AND ADDITIVES

This project proposal is aiming to the isolation and implementation of the nutritional and biological high valuable extracts obtained from the by-products of berry (bilberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry) and vegetable (organically grown tomato and beet root) processing. The research work will develop the procedures for obtaining these important valuable health-promoting components and their characterization in order to define them as functional additives. Application of environmentally benign technologies (freeze drying) will enable the production of powderous additives suitable for food enrichment and the obtained final products will be of high-quality and economically, price-competitive and energetically effective. Bioactive compounds are unstable during thermal treatment and using freeze-drying and vacuum drying of fruits and vegetables it is possible to keep functional ingredients and sensorial properties stable. Also, this project includes the investigation and optimization of parameters of drying fruits which contain high content of bioactive compounds. It is planned to examine the kinetics of drying, physico-chemical properties, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. The mathematical models will be used for the optimal design of the process of freeze-drying and vacuum drying. Also, based on the antioxidant and antiproliferative activity of obtained dried powderous products two dietary supplements will be formulated in the form of tablets and/or capsules.