Thanks to a new methodology patented by ENEA, the leftovers from lemon processing are transformed into supplements and nutraceuticals useful for preventing diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThe leftovers from lemon processing become precious allies for our health. ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), in collaboration with the Sicilian companies Navhetec Srl and Agrumaria Corleone Spa, has patented a revolutionary method to transform them into supplements and nutraceuticals useful for preventing diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and other cardiovascular disorders. An excellent idea that will help many people and reduce waste in the citrus supply chain.
But how exactly does this methodology work? The innovation is based on the use of the technology called "membrane separation", developed by ENEA, combined with subsequent encapsulation and drying phases through spray drying technology: in this way from the waste and by-products obtained during the processing of the lemon produces nanovesicles, that is very small spheres rich in bioactive compounds such as nucleic acids, polyphenols, lipids and proteins.
The circular economy that is good for the environment and also for health
Already in 2015 a series of in vivo and in vitro studies carried out by the start-up Navhetec had shown a strong action in reducing the growth of cancer cells, while other ongoing researches have highlighted its anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, in 2019, following the experimentation of the patented system on some healthy volunteers, a reduction in some cardiovascular risk factors, including LDL-cholesterol, emerged.
"The patent, also useful for the formulation of foods and beverages with nutraceutical properties, is inspired by the zero waste principle in production processes" - underlines Paola Sangiorgio, researcher of the Bioproducts and Bioprocesses Laboratory of the ENEA Research Center in Trisaia - and is able to respond to both environmental and economic needs, linked on the one hand to the reduction of disposal costs and on the other to the transformation of agro-industrial waste into bio-products with high added value ".
The new patent is also applicable to other vegetable matrices and allows to obtain a product that is easy to dose and use, with high stability and shelf life, easily transferable on an industrial scale, with reduced costs and production times compared to traditional ultracentrifugation techniques. The initiative was carried out as part of ENEA's research and development activities for the improvement and sustainability of production processes and the application of the principles of circular economy through the use of food waste.
The one patented by Enea is a circular economy model that is not only good for the environment, but also for health!
Source: ENEA
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