GOLDENLEAVES
Transfer the scientific knowledge acquired on the cultivation of plants of the Mediterranean maquis to two farms that are planning to obtain plant tissues with high content in secondary metabolites, thus with potential nutraceutical actions, through agronomic practices with low environmental input. The species selected according to the farms, are: Cistus incanus (cistus), Myrtus communis (myrtle), Pistacia lentiscus (lentisk), Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) and Olea europaea (olive tree). The derivatives obtained could find then application in food supplements, mother tinctures or hydroalcoholic extracts, infusions and / or decoctions, hydroalcoholic extracts.
• Optimization of cultivation in order to obtain leaves, flowers and fruits and a high content of interesting secondary metabolites for supplements and nutraceutical products;
• preparation of phyto-extracts on a pilot scale by the market as related ingredients, herbal products (herbal teas), foods (freeze-dried fruits) and / or as refinement of products from the local dairy system;
• for the strawberry tree: analysis of the best planting layout, pruning and irrigation-irrigation technique to be applied to obtain fruits with high nutritional value;
• for the olive tree: enhancement of waste products (leaves) as a source of herbal active ingredients (herbal teas)
Officinal plants represent a constantly expanding market, in fact the use of functional food and food supplements has greatly increased in recent years and the Italian production of these species at the moment is not sufficient to cover needs. In this context, two Tuscan farms, Olive Grove Partners (OGP) and Fattoria Pianporcino, have decided to diversify their business by introducing the cultivation of plants typical of the Mediterranean scrub from which to prepare phytoextracts (for food supplements or functional ingredients and / or aging of products from the local dairy system) or to be processed directly to formulate food supplements (herbal teas or freeze-dried). Mediterranean species are plants with a high content of polyphenols, secondary metabolites with proven nutraceutical and pharmacological activities.
Based on the evidences found in the scientific literature, in 2017 the Department DAGRI of the University of Florence, following a request by Olive Grove Partners S.r.l. ('OGP') carried out tests on leaves of Arbutus unedo (Strawberry tree). The tests have shown the presence of numerous polyphenolic compounds which, thanks to their antioxidant properties, can confer leaves several properties to the leaf of some species, thus allowing their use in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry. In previous years, DAGRI developed similar research on other Mediterranean shrubs highlighting multiple potential uses of some native species.
The AURUMFOLIUM project aims to transfer the scientific knowledge acquired by DAGRI on the cultivation of plants of the Mediterranean maquis to two farms that are planning to obtain plant tissues (leaves, flowers buds and fruits) with high content in secondary metabolites, thus with potential nutraceutical actions, through agronomic practices with low environmental input. The species selected according to the farms, are: Cistus incanus (cistus), Myrtus communis (myrtle), Pistacia lentiscus (lentisk), Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) and Olea europaea (olive tree).
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Video intervista sul progetto 'Aurumfolium' finanziato dal Psr della Regione Toscana
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La Relazione Finale del progetto
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