{"id":37674,"date":"2016-02-12T12:37:57","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T16:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=37674"},"modified":"2016-02-12T12:37:57","modified_gmt":"2016-02-12T16:37:57","slug":"brock-team-niagara-company-head-to-queens-park-to-talk-wine-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2016\/02\/brock-team-niagara-company-head-to-queens-park-to-talk-wine-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Brock team, Niagara company, head to Queen\u2019s Park to talk wine research"},"content":{"rendered":"

Could syrup that could potentially fight cancer be coming soon to a supermarket near you?<\/p>\n

Brock University biologist Jeff Stuart has teamed up with the Niagara-based company Sweet and Sticky to research ways of fortifying the company\u2019s Cabernet Franc and Vidal ice syrups. Ice syrup is a non-alcoholic product made from icewine grapes that is sold as a gourmet ingredient throughout the world.<\/p>\n

Stuart, students Shehab Selim and Breanne Gillie, and Sweet and Sticky president Steve Murdza are heading to Queen\u2019s Park Wednesday, Feb. 17 for an event showcasing research across Ontario.<\/p>\n

Stuart, who is a professor of Biological Sciences and a research fellow with Brock\u2019s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, and his team are studying how to introduce resveratrol and other polyphenols extracted from grape skins into the company\u2019s products.<\/p>\n

Resveratrol, a molecule that research has shown to slow the growth of cancer cells and tumours, is found in the \u201cpomace\u201d of grapes, that is, skins and seeds of the fruit remaining after grapes have been pressed.<\/p>\n

A good amount of resveratrol makes its way into wines \u2013 particularly reds \u2013 from pomace during the fermentation process of regular wine production, mainly because resveratrol is soluble in ethanol.<\/p>\n

But, \u201cin ice syrup, the levels of resveratrol and related molecules are lower, because it\u2019s not a fermentation process so there is no alcohol,\u201d explains Stuart. \u201cOur challenge was to increase these levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since resveratrol is not soluble in water, Stuart and his team had to figure out a way to increase its concentration in ice syrup. They hit upon the idea of using a carrier molecule.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe carrier molecule is hydrophilic, so it likes to be in water,\u201d explains Stuart. \u201cOne resveratrol molecule fits neatly inside the carrier molecule\u2019s structure and there it is shielded from water while the outside structure of carrier is interacting with the surrounding water. This way the amount of resveratrol that can be packed into water, or ice syrup, is greatly increased. The carrier molecule is safe to consume and virtually tasteless itself.<\/p>\n

The carrier molecule\u2019s structure is shaped like a donut or a life preserver, which has the added benefit of protecting resveratrol during the initial stages of digestion.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce it gets into the GI tract the carrier molecule is metabolized and resveratrol is released and taken up into the bloodstream,\u201d says Stuart. \u201cLots of times, molecules can have well-documented effects, but if you can\u2019t get them to the sites where they exert these effects, then it doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d he says. The carrier helps resveratrol and other beneficial molecules to reach their site of absorption.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a way to go from having relatively low levels of these resveratrol molecules in ice syrup to having potentially more than is found in any wines,\u201d explains Stuart.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the recent bad press on sugar, this infused ice syrup product would actually allow the company to promote ice syrup as a sugar that could have the reality of being healthy for you,\u201d says Sweet and Sticky president Steve Murdza.<\/p>\n

Stuart says he and his team still need to do more testing before their innovation makes its way into Sweet and Sticky\u2019s products \u201cbut the preliminary results are promising and the research continues to be funded and to progress toward commercialization.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student Gillie is excited about the research she and her colleagues have been conducting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt obviously has big health implications but there are also ecological implications,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a big way to reduce food waste that we put into the environment, and it creates an extra revenue stream for farmers, which is great.\u201d<\/p>\n

The research team\u2019s February 17 visit to Queen\u2019s Park is part of Research Matters\u2019 Queen’s Park Pop-Up Research Park, an annual event in which researchers from universities across Ontario showcase their work to politicians and policy makers.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s theme focuses on student involvement in university-industry\/community partnerships.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s good that politicians are trying to learn more about science and it\u2019s going to be interesting that we get to know more about politics,\u201d says student Selim.<\/p>\n

Research Matters is a\u00a0collaborative project among Ontario\u2019s 21 publicly assisted universities to build new bridges between university researchers and the broader public. The Council of Ontario Universities coordinates the project.<\/p>\n

\"Brock

Brock University student Breanne Gillie harvests grapes for collaborative research between Brock’s CCOVI and the Sticky and Sweet company in Niagara.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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