This laboratory is dedicated to obtaining active ingredients of natural origin, from researching technologies for preserving them as a raw material, to purifying the selected bioactive compound using physical and chemical technologies on a laboratory and pilot scale.
Location
Description
Infrastructure of 36 m2 that specialises in developing sustainable physical and chemical processes for obtaining compounds of natural origin with technological activity from raw materials of natural origin stabilised for preserving compounds of interest.
- vacuum and/or modified atmosphere oven-drying (Memmert)
- Freeze-drying (Telstar).
- Freezing up to -80 ºC.
The development of the ingredient involves extraction and purification stages and the following technologies are used:
- Extraction technologies:
- Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE350).
- Jacketed reactors for solid-liquid extraction up to 40 litres.
- Solid-liquid or liquid-liquid extraction plant (Mini-Pilot, Büchi)
- Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE).
- Concentration and purification:
- Vacuum concentration.
- Pervaporation.
- Hydrodistillation.
- Crystallisation.
- Micro/ultra/nanofiltration technologies.
- Thin-layer and preparative column chromatography
- Vacuum drying.
- Freeze-drying.
It carries out the entire process of developing new products until they are validated in vivo by the following laboratories:
- Food and ingredient analysis laboratory.
- Biotechnology laboratory and cell culture laboratory.
- Micro and nano-encapsulation laboratory.
- Food preservation laboratory.
Aimed at:
- Manufacturers of food ingredients and additives.
- Manufacturers of nutritional supplements and nutraceuticals.
- Functional food producers.
