Project code J4-50139
Valorization of Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera Royle) waste to design bioactive extracts with a potential protective activity on the human vascular system
Principal investigator: Dr. Alen Albreht
Project duration: October 1, 2023 till September 30, 2026
Project financier: Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
1. CONTENT DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
Invasive alien plant species are plants that are non-native to a particular ecosystem. Many of them are now spreading at an alarming rate, threatening local biodiversity and causing great damage to urban infrastructure. One such problematic species is surely Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera Royle), causing serious concern in most EU countries, Canada, North America, New Zealand, and Russia. Thus, the main objective of this project is to demonstrate that Himalayan balsam waste, which is a by-product of its mechanical containment, is a sustainable source of antioxidants that could be transformed into products with beneficial effects on human vascular function.
In the proposed research, we aim to successfully extract antioxidants such as carotenoids and different phenolic compounds from the underground and aerial parts of Himalayan balsam. By combining 5 plant parts with various sustainable extraction solvents and extraction techniques, a variety of potentially bioactive extracts will be obtained. The entire extraction workflow will be guided by the 12 principles of green chemistry as the strain of research and technological innovation on the environment has been escalating in recent years. The Himalayan balsam extracts obtained will be thoroughly studied to determine the major classes of antioxidants that contribute to the total antioxidant activity measured by established radical scavenging assays. Further, to demonstrate their safety and their beneficial effects on the human vascular system, the extracts will be subjected to a series of in vitro assays using human endothelial cell lines EA.hy926. Activities will include: (i) measurement of cell viability, (ii) measurement of cellular antioxidant activity, (iii) identification of concentration changes of relevant intracellular biomarkers, and (iv) measurement of mitochondrial toxicity. Finally, based on bioassay-guided fractionation, key chemical constituents of the plant that are responsible for the observed effects will be identified. In combination with targeted enzymatic assays, deeper insight into the role of these species within the endothelium and their effect on signalling pathways will also be obtained. All efforts within the proposed project are expected to eventually converge towards an extract or extracts of Himalayan balsam with health-promoting properties that can be transformed into a new range of sustainable food supplements through further scientific intervention at a higher TRL level. Moreover, the exhaustive evaluation platform developed within the project, which integrates the fields of analytical chemistry, cell biology, and biochemistry, has great potential to form the future basis for a broader and more credible evaluation of new sources of bioactive compounds.
Basic information regarding project funding
The project is co-financed by ARIS with 2,017 annual hours of price class C for a period of 3 years. Funding started on October 1, 2023.
Structure of the project team with links to SICRIS
National Institute of Chemistry
University of Nova Gorica
UL Faculty of Pharmacy
2. PROJECT PHASES AND THEIR REALIZATION
The three-year project will be carried out in phases presented here.
3. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES ARISING DIRECTLY FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT
Here, important project results will be disseminated.