SOAR is a research school. In addition to the focus on PhD students, SOAR also includes graduates, postdocs and supervisors in the activities and networks. This is important because they also constitute the research environment, in which the PhD student is under education. SOAR wants to contribute to the professional discussions with a special focus on the organic food and farming systems.
The research interests of SOAR cover a wide range of subjects within organic agriculture and food systems:
Farming system research
Crop production
Resource management
Ecosystem services
Climate change mitigation and adaptation
Livestock production
Animal health and welfare
Consumer and citizens’ involvement
Regulations and policies
Food chains
Food sovereignty
Name
Minah Mosele
Project
Chemical, structural and functional characteristics of marama bean carbohydrates
Supervisors
Aase Hansen, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences
Soren Balling Engelsen, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences
University
University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences
To characterise the chemical composition, structural and functional properties of carbohydrates from marama bean in order to optimise the use of marama bean for specific food products.
Background
The marama bean is an underutilised legume crop native to the Kalahari Desert and sandy regions of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. It forms part of the diet of the indigenous population in these regions. Different authors have analysed the chemical composition of marama bean and have reported its proximate composition. However, they did not extensively investigate or characterise each component. The research will therefore characterise the marama bean carbohydrates and will be done in three phases:
Phase 1- This will involve physico-chemical analyses of the marama bean through chemical analyses using AOAC methods. Molecular studies will then be carried out to characterise marama bean carbohydrates through different fractions into lower and complex carbohydrates.
Phase 2 – Microstructure analyses of the marama bean at different ripening stages will be carried out through microscopic evaluation. This would assist in the identification of specific molecular components such as starch, cellulose, pectin, etc, and validating the chemical results.
Phase 3 – Extracted identified carbohydrate components will be analyzed for functional properties such as water solubility, water binding capacity, viscosity, and fat binding capacity.
