Scientists of the Vyatka State University are working on the creation of an alternative to carbohydrate sugar and offered a new way to produce sweet Brazzein protein - a harmless sugar substitute. The development of industrial technology of its production is one of the effective ways to reduce the content of the so-called “hidden” sugar, calorie content and, as a result of the spread of obesity
Useful alternative to sugar
Brazzein is a protein that is about 2 thousand times sweeter than sugar. Technologies for obtaining sweet proteins and products based on them exist in the world, for example, in Israel. In Russia, such developments are conducted by a number of institutions and research institutes - the Kurchatov Institute, the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry named after Akademics M.M. Shemyakina and Yu.A. Ovchinnikova RAS, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Sirius University and others.
"The development of a wide line of low-calorie products requires effective technologies for the production of Brazzein. Therefore, our ideas are primarily aimed not at obtaining the sweeter protein, but at the development of technological solutions to reduce the cost of the resulting product. At the first stage, using protein engineering methods, we have developed genetic constructions for the biosynthesis of mutant forms of Brazzein, which are more than 2 thousand times sweeter than sucrose. This study is unique to Russia. In the future, we plan to develop a genetically engineer producer, as well as effective selection and cleaning technology. Work is now at the stage of assembly of genetic structures and the selection of optimal genetic elements that provide a high output of the target product" - said the vice-rector for science of VyatSU Sergey Litvinets.
Bio-ink will help to compose a balanced diet
In addition to “sugar for losing weight”, VyatSU develop another healthy diet-ink for food 3D printing, the use of which will dispose of waste in food production and reduce financial costs for storage and transportation of products.
"At the moment, cell cultures have been grown, they are being assessed by their suitability as a component for a bioink. By the end of the year, we will evaluate the physicochemical properties of food bio-cherishing containing plant cells, develop ways to manage their nutritional value. In the future, we will have to develop food management technologies due to a change in the composition and structure of food bio-inks and the internal structure of the resulting 3D products. Several large food manufacturers have already shown interest in work. Additative technologies in the food industry are actively developing, and our goal is to make the products obtained by the food 3D printing by functional, to control their nutrition, and ultimately make a person healthy by optimizing their nutrition" - Says Sergey Litvinets.
Food ink is created on the basis of hydrocolloids containing cells of such plants as ordinary mountain ash, narrow -leaved lupine, a field-leaved lupine and Sosnovsky hogweed, obtained by a biotechnological way, that is, by growing cells secreted from artificial nutrient media.
All work in this direction is carried out as part of the strategic project of the University of Health University under the Priority 2030 program as part of the National Project “Science and Universities”.
