Location: Healthy Processed Foods Research
Project Number: 2030-30600-005-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Aug 12, 2025
End Date: Aug 11, 2030
Objective:
Objective 1: Process engineering approaches for sustainable and healthy food ingredients.
Sub-objective 1.A: Extract pulse and edible insect proteins and investigate the effects of fermentation on the physicochemical and functional properties of the derived proteins.
Sub-objective 1.B: Extract pulse and edible insect dietary fibers and investigate the effects of hydrothermal on the physicochemical and functional properties of the derived dietary fibers.
Sub-objective 1.C: Perform techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) of the treatment processes
Objective 2: Evaluate plant-based ingredients and their bioactive components for preventing/reducing obesity, memory loss and other metabolic dysfunctions.
Sub-objective 2.A: Determine the linear concentration range for inhibition of adipogenesis in Drosophila from a list of phytochemicals known to have anti-obesity effects in rodents and humans.
Sub-objective 2.B: Identify synergistic interactions of binary combinations of anti-obesity compounds by the isobole method in Drosophila
Sub-objective 2.C: Determine the metabolic pathway and/or site(s) including the brain of bioactive effects of binary formulations that act synergistically in drosophila model of obesity
Objective 3: Define and measure quality attributes of food proteins that affect overall quality.
Sub-objective 3.A: Define new food allergens in specialty crops
Sub-objective 3.B: Measure the thermostability of food allergens as a function of water content.
Approach:
For Objective 1: The proposed research starts by evaluating the nutritional and functional properties of whole pulse, pulse milling by-products, and edible insect flours to provide baseline information. This will be followed by fermentation and hydrothermal-based modification and thorough characterization of the modified pulse and edible insect proteins and dietary fibers. The economic feasibility of these processes will be evaluated.
For Objetive 2: Drosophila will be used to screen the large number of compounds found in food processing and agricultural wastes. Binary combinations of compounds with anti-obesity properties will be tested simultaneously to determine synergistic activity. Isobole charts of binary compounds in the linear range plotting drosophila dose vs. fat content will be calculated to determine whether the combinations result in additivity, synergism, or anti-additivity. The metabolic pathway and/or site(s) including the brain of bioactive effects of binary formulations will be also determined.
For Objetive 3: Nonpareil almonds will be used for protein isolation and purification of 2S albumin. After the natural and recombinant 2S albumins are purified, standard Western blot experiments and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) will be carried out, and the presence of IgEs in sera from patients with almond allergies specific to 2S albumin will be tested. Furthermore, the recombinant form of almond ¿-conglutin will be used to assess its IgE binding properties. The bacteria-expressed almond thaumatin-like protein will be purified with immobilized nickel affinity chromatography and gel filtration, and the ability of the recombinant thaumatin-like protein will be tested with patient and control sera to assess whether it is a bona fide food allergen. Finally, the thermostability of food allergens as a function of water content will be determined.