THROUGH CREATIVE WAY TO KNOWLEDGE 2017 – 2020

Duration of the project:

Project leader:

Assoc. Prof. Zala Jenko Pražnikar (SICRIS, ResearchGate)

Other participants:

Assist. Prof. Ana Petelin (SICRIS, ResearchGate)

Project partners:

UP FAMNIT

Histria Botanica d.o.o.

Summary: 

The goal of the project is to identify and characterize the extracts of H. italicum with the highest bioactivity in vitro and in vivo. The information on biological activity will be useful for farmers who could take it into account when choosing the subspecies to plant and/or the time of harvest. In addition, there is no information available at present on the biological activity or phenolic composition of infusions and decoctions of this plan. Therefore, this project will evaluate whether this plant can be investigated as a source of innovative food additives. For this purpose, infusions and decoctions from vegetative organs and flowers of the plant will be prepared and evaluated for in vitro activities and for the polyphenolic profile. In addition, a preliminary toxicological evaluation will be carried out in vitro by determining the toxicity of the samples against mammalian cells. As herbal teas are a major source of bioactive phytochemicals in our diet, including phenols with recognized antioxidant properties and with positive results in certain health problems, the proposed project will prepare herbal tea from Immortelle and test it in a clinical study in overweight/obese adults. Possible effects of the tea on inflammatory status, antioxidant status and energy consumption will be analyzed.

»The authors acknowledge the project SMILJ is finacially supported by the European Social Fund (80%) and Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (20%).«