HORIZON-CL6-2022-CIRCBIO-01-04: Spanish company is looking for partners to develop food, nutritional and health formulations with gluosinolates enriched crop by-products.

Brassica crops (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, mustard, rapeseed, etc.) are sources of glucosinolates and their derivatives, the isothiocyanates. These plant-derived bioactive compounds are well-known for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, bactericide, and fungicide activity as well as by their possible protective effect towards cancer and other diseases. Moreover, glucosinolates has been employed as ingredients for cosmetic formulations treating pigmentation abnormalities and as skin whitening agents. The Spanish company breeds, produces and markets high quality vegetable seeds throughout Europe, Middle East, Russia and Africa. Its research, production and sales facilities are located in 22 countries. It offers over 900 varieties of broccoli, tomato, squash, watermelon, cabbage, cauliflower, pepper, melon, cucumber and oriental crops to name a few. This company has a research line focusing on increasing bioactive compounds in its products. In collaboration with a Spanish research centre, they have developed a patented product and methodology that substantially increases the amount of glucosinolates in Brassica crops. This patent relates to a composition comprising methyl jasmonate and a polysiloxane polyether for increasing the content of glucosinolates in adult plants of the genus Brassica, for example, broccoli. By means of foliar application of the composition on adult plants having a developed cuticle, a significant increase is achieved in the concentrations of glucosinolates in the floret of the plants, without degrading the organoleptic properties thereof. This development will boost the exploitation of glucosinolates as active compounds in different products The project objective is to create value from glucosinolates enriched crop by-products for their use in food and phytosanitary formulations. Glucosinolates can be incorporated in formulation of other sectors such as cosmetic and health, that is why the project will focus on ensuring the adequate involvement of the farming sector and other actors who would benefit from the application of this technology. The project is addressed to agro-social implications of the application of patent together with different techniques in the field, securing long-term supply of affordable and sustainable biomass for the European bioeconomy. The aim is to optimise diversification strategies for different European agricultural production models and sectors These approaches align perfectly with the demands of the European Farm to Fork strategy which encourage the obtaining of phytosanitary products from biological origin with low or non-environmental impact. This company is the coordinator of the project proposal and is preparing the proposal with a Spanish research centre. The company is looking for partners to complete the consortium. The partners searched must incorporate the plant-derived glucosinolates in their formulations. The project will be submitted to HORIZON-CL6-2022-CIRCBIO-01-04 topic under Horizon Europe on 15th of February of 2022. The partnership sought is a research cooperation agreement. The deadline for expressions of interest is 1st of February of 2022.