News
The NUTRACAPS project was created with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of combining certain nanoencapsulated bioactive compounds, derived from by-products of the agri-food industry, in the treatment of Metabolic Syndrome and in accelerating the wound-healing process of skin injuries.
NUCAPS, the coordinating entity of the project, hosted the first meeting of this strategic project at its facilities, together with all the partners that make up the consortium. Throughout its development, research will be conducted on processes for obtaining bioactive compounds such as omega-6 fatty acids and quercetin from by-products abundant in the Navarre agri-food industry, as well as from new natural sources rich in these compounds. The project also envisages incorporating these bioactives into functional food matrices and nutra-/dermaceutical products, while simultaneously contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact associated with their production.
In addition to NUCAPS, the project brings together two leading research knowledge centers — the University of Navarra (UNAV) and the National Center for Food Technology and Safety (CNTA) — a business R&D&I unit (ESPIGA I+D), a pharmaceutical company (Laboratorios Ojer Pharma), and four agri-food sector entities representing all links in the value chain: Iberfruta, Ingredalia, ISANATUR, and NAGRIFOOD.
NUTRACAPS will be carried out over a period of two and a half years within the framework of the Government of Navarra’s 2025–2028 call for Strategic R&D Project Grants, co-financed at 40% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through Navarra’s ERDF Operational Programme 2021–2027.