A platform for safety assessment of novel products containing multifunctional bioactive peptides

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

The 3-Biotic is an international project aiming at developing and characterising a complex multifunctional product based on bioactive peptides, with subsequent production and characterisation of a range of bioactive cosmetic and nutritional products including food and dietary supplement as well as functional sports foods. The project involves controlled fermentation of colostrum with an enhanced kefir culture, producing new foods and supplements, and generating a novel technological platform in safety assessment of the bioactive products developed in the project. The key components of the products developed in the project are bioactive peptides. They possess antimicrobial, antithrombotic and antioxidant activity; are able to lower the level of cholesterol and normalise blood pressure; enhance bioavailability of minerals; accelerate fat burning processes and have immunomodulatory effects. A major source of bioactive peptides is dairy products, among which colostrum contains the highest number of various biopeptides, including encrypted biopeptides. Until now there have been very few attempts at colostrum fermentation. In this project colostrum will be fermented with kefir culture enriched with strains showing high efficiency in generating bioactive peptides. Norwegian company Norgenotech AS will invent a platform for safety assessment of the new bioactive products provided by the partners of the project, and will apply it for toxicity, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity evaluation of these products. The platform will be available for further use in safety assessment of many other substances requiring testing and will thus contribute to promoting a general awareness of benefits and toxicity of various man-made substances demanded by society.