The aim of the project is to isolate structurally related microbial communities formed during berry processing in vitro, perform their metagenomic analysis, and, in combination with cultured microorganisms, to apply them to the fermentation of secondary berry processing products, with the aim of optimizing structural changes in the processed raw material and the qualitative and quantitative extraction of the functional substances contained therein.
Project objectives:
• In vitro isolation of structurally related microbial communities formed during the processing of berries and other agricultural raw materials, and conducting their metagenomic analysis to create synergistic microbial communities for the fermentation of berry pomace;
• Combining the isolated and metagenomically evaluated communities of structurally related microorganisms with cultured microorganisms and applying them to the fermentation of berry pomace;
• Application of the resulting combinations of structurally related microorganisms and cultured microorganism compositions to assess the qualitative and quantitative chemical composition of functional substances (polyphenolic antioxidants, dietary fiber, organic acids, vitamins, sugars, micro/macroelements, amino acid profile, etc.) in processed berry pomace;
• Adapting functional substances obtained from berry pomace (polyphenolic antioxidants, dietary fiber, organic acids, etc.) for the development of prototype product formulations and technologies, while assessing microbiological safety, nutritional composition, and energy value
Project funding:
The project is funded under the intervention measure “European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability” of the Lithuanian Agricultural and Rural Development Strategic Plan for 2023-2027.
Project results:
The main innovation is the application of a self-fermenting biological structure to the fermentation of by-products from berry processing
Period of project implementation: 2025-11-05 - 2028-11-04
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
Project partners: Ūkininkas Rimantas Radimonas, Ina Kalėdienė, PRAMONINIŲ UOGYNŲ AUGINTOJŲ ASOCIACIJA
