September 15 – December 15, Viktorija Puzerytė, PhD student of the Laboratory of Biochemistry and Technology, Institute of Horticulture, had a research internship at the Catholic University of Portugal, Centre of Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF). The title “Determination of prebiotic activity in plant fermented extracts”.
During the internship, the aim was to investigate the influence of the parameters of fermented plant materials on the prebiotic potential on plant extracts selected by different fermentation technologies.
Prebiotic potential studies were performed using selected probiotic strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. To monitor metabolic processes, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were used. The active components (sugars, organic acids, phenolic compounds, etc.) were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. The obtained data were processed using special-purpose programs adapted to analyse biologically active components. The scientific research data obtained during the internship will significantly expand the Ph. D. thesis and will have an impact on the evaluation of the use of selected extracts of fermented plants in the functional food, cosmetic, and/or pharmaceutical industries.
The internship was financed by LMT support for academic trips and LAMMC support fund for academic internships.
