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(1) Postharvest Biology & Technology of Horticultural Crops
The program has three main research lines including a) the development of novel post-harvest technologies, b) understanding the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, respiration, ethylene, pigments in plants under storage conditions after harvest.
We also study the use of appropriate post-harvest technologies that can keep the quality, safety and extend the shelf-life of different types of fruit and vegetables. Our research approach is based on basic science and practical application components. Our ultimate goals are to generate information that potentially may be used to design post-harvest strategies to provide high quality and healthier products to consumers.
(2) Omics Study (Metabolomics, Transcriptomics) to Understand Ripening, Senescence of Horticultural Crops
Metabolomic profiling using GC/MS and LC/MS is a key technique in identifying differences and similarities between complex samples. Especially plants are known for their large variety of so-called secondary plant compounds, representing various chemical classes such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, glucosinolates, etcetera. By using comprehensive metabolomic profiling approaches, using different analytical platforms, combined with unbiased data-processing and biostatistics, insight into the similarities and differences in the metabolite composition between (groups of) plants can be obtained. Such detailed information is essential in, for instance, understanding differences in postharvest characteristics of horticultural crops and to identify genes and chromosomal loci regulating the production of phytonutrient composition in crops. Also, through untargeted metabolomics approaches the effects of post-harvest treatments, such as food processing, on the metabolite composition of the final product can be determined thoroughly, enabling better control and optimizing key steps in postharvest processing.
(3) Functional Food (Identification, Isolation, Bioactivity of Natural Compounds)
Horticultural crops are good source for bioactive compound and bioactive compound work has the potential to provide value-added to a diverse range ofcrops and the possibility to reach high value health markets such as the functional foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics and pharmaceutical.
Research on bioactive molecules for the discovery of alternative medicines is growing rapidly.
We are working extraction, isolation, identification of various bioactivecompounds from fruit & vegetable and testing biological activity, antioxidant activity to promote human health benefits as well as consumption of fruit & vegetable. Also, we are developing several optimized methods for the quantification of various bioactive ompounds.
(4) SMART Storage & Marketing (Big-data, ICT, AI)