Jeff Stuart and his team of research students from Brock University in St. Catharines will showcase industry-changing grape research in an event on Parliament Hill this week.<\/p>\n
Stuart, a biologist in Brock\u2019s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), has partnered with Niagara-based company Sweet and Sticky to research ways of fortifying the company\u2019s ice syrups, a non-alcoholic product made from icewine grapes that is sold as a gourmet ingredient throughout the world.<\/p>\n
After a similar presentation at Queen\u2019s Park in February, Stuart along with Brock student researchers Breanne Gillie and Shehab Selim, and Sweet and Sticky president Steve Murdza, will take part in a university research showcase event in Ottawa Wednesday, May 18 organized by Research Matters.<\/p>\n
Stuart says he\u2019s looking forward to talking about the research.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe project received almost $50,000 in funding from the Ontario and federal governments, so it\u2019s important to show that the investment produced results.\u201d<\/p>\n
The University\/industry collaboration is studying how to introduce resveratrol and other polyphenols extracted from grape skins into the company\u2019s non-alcoholic products. Resveratrol, which is found in wine, has been shown to slow the growth of cancer cells and tumours.<\/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 and therefore lower solubility of the molecules of interest,\u201d explains Stuart. \u201cOur challenge was to increase these levels.\u201d<\/p>\n
To increase the concentration of the molecules in ice syrup, Stuart and his team came up with the idea of using a tasteless carrier molecule.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne resveratrol molecule fits neatly inside the carrier molecule\u2019s structure and there it is shielded from water while the outside structure of the carrier is interacting with the surrounding water,\u201d he says.<\/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
\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
More testing is needed before the Brock innovation makes its way into Sweet and Sticky\u2019s products, \u201cbut the preliminary results are promising and the research continues to be funded to progress toward commercialization,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
In addition to the importance of research and development work happening in Niagara, Stuart says the project is \u201creally about job creation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are successful and develop new products, the company will need to recruit and employ more people,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The research team\u2019s visit to Parliament Hill in Ottawa is part of Research Matters\u2019 Pop-Up Research Park, an annual event in which researchers from universities across Ontario showcase their work to MPs and staff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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