Hörður G. Kristinsson, acting CEO of Matís, will give a lecture tomorrow, Friday 19 November at 12:30 in room 158, VR-II at the University of Iceland. The topic is "Marine bioactive ingredients" which can be translated into Icelandic as "Bioactive substances from the sea".
SYSTEM in Chemistry and Biochemistry
Seminar - Department of Chemistry
Marine bioactive ingredients
Dr. Hörður G. Kristinsson
Acting CEO, Matís ohf
Place (Place) Room 158, VR-II, Iceland University of Education
Date (Date) Friday, November 19, 2010
Time (Time) 12:30 p.m.
The lecture will be given in English (The talk will be given in English)
Abstract.Vast amounts of marine based raw materials are still largely underutlized. Major opportunities exist with these raw material sources as they are rich in various natural and highly functional compounds, which with proper extraction, isolation and processing techniques can find use in various foods, specialty feeds, neutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals and even medical products. The market for natural products is growing very rapidly, particularly products which possess bioactive properties which can have positive effects on health and performance. The past few years have seen significant advances in the isolation and production of novel ingredients from underutilized raw materials. This includes the production of enzymes, cartilage compounds such as chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, bioactive fish peptides, protamine and various seaweed based compounds, to name a few. Some of these ingredients have very unique functions compared to their non-marine counterparts, and display very high activity. This includes the ability to inhibit the angiotensin I converting enzyme, strong free radical scavenging ability as well as good ability to chelate metals and high reducing power. In addition, the peptides have been shown to inhibit lipid oxidation in food systems, thus showing good potential as natural food antioxidants. Human and animal clinical trials are also ongoing with select peptide products.The industry is realizing that very significant value addition can be realized with underutlized raw materials. Currently many of these ingredients are being moved from pilot to commercial stage and represent a promising way to utilize previously poorly or unutilized raw materials.
For further information, contact Hörður at 422-5000.