Health-promoting substances from soft fruit in the focus of a joint project Giessen

1,8 million Euro total funding for Giessen nutritionists, physicians and chemists and research facilities

So-called smoothies, pureed fruit drinks, are not only fashionable, but could be very healthy, according to many scientists also. Basic include the natural dyes of the fruit, known as anthocyanins, which are particularly frequent in soft fruit. A new joint project of the Justus-Liebig-University, as part of the funding measure "nutrition research - for a healthy life" is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with a total 1,8 million, intended among other things, new foods on the basis of soft fruit better supply of the population can be achieved with anthocyanins.

"Anthocyanins in fruit juices from soft fruit - In vivo studies on bioavailability and effects on the microflora" is the project in which besides three faculties of the University of Giessen (FB08, FB09 and FB11) and the Research Institute, the Research Institute of Child Nutrition Dortmund and Max Rubner Institute in Karlsruhe are involved. The kick-off event will take place on Monday, 8. June 2009 to take 14 pm at the Institute of Food Science, Wilhelmstrasse 20 in the local auditorium. The leadership of the project is Prof. Dr. Clemens Kunz (Chair of Human Nutrition - Nutritional assessment of food).

The focus of the joint project is, among other things, investigations into the content of anthocyanins in berries, the analysis of these substances, the influence of anthocyanin and fiber-rich products on inflammatory processes and on the microflora of children, adolescents and adults or the recording of the usual intake of these substances in children . One goal is, among other things, to use new food technology processes in the production of beverages in such a way that the desired secondary plant substances are retained in the end product together with roughage.

Source: Giessen [ jlu ]