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Spearheaded by MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis, before she
became university president, and commercialized by BauerTek Farmaceutical
Technologies Corp, Black Garlic secured the said award during the E-NNOVATE
International Invention & Innovation Summit, held May 16-18, 2024 at
Krakow, Poland.
MMSU’s industry partner, BauerTek, and inventors Richard and
Rigel Gomez, assisted in the black garlic’s conversion from a research
experiment into a full-blown commercial product. The packaged black garlic is
aimed at helping patients with nerve disorders and certain forms of cancer.
E-NNOVATE is an annual event supported by the Polish government
in partnership with the International Federation of Inventors Associations.
This year’s summit featured more than 200 entries from 25 countries, competing
along 20 categories such as Agriculture and Aquaculture, Energy, Drones and
UAV, Pharma, Transport and Logistics, Chemistry, Medicine, Biotechnology and
Medical Devices, Nanotechnology, Environment, Healthcare/Fitness, Food
Technology, Information Technology, Safety/Security/Protection, Young
Inventors, Industry 4.0, Electronics/Robotics/IoT, Education, Zero Waste
Technologies, Home and Lifestyle, and Aerospace/Space Technology and Rockets.
In its description, E-NNOVATE said, “Black Garlic (BG) is known
for its health and culinary benefits. (BG) can demand a high selling price.
Since garlic is one of the flagship commodity crops of Ilocos Norte, it is
important to study indigenous BG and evaluate its medicinal properties to increase
its value and help local garlic farmers increase their sales and profit.
Results will also serve as information for its further evaluation as a wonder
medicine against cancer, hypertension, and diabetes, among others. To determine
the potential of black garlic, its nutrient, chemical, and anti-cancer
properties were evaluated based on existing protocols. Mineral contents such as
sodium calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc increased from MMSU raw to black
garlic, but most components were higher with the Japan black garlic. However,
chemical properties such as S-allyl cysteine, Ƴ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and
pyroglutamic acid were found to be higher in MMSU black garlic. The result
indicates that raw and black garlic also have antioxidant activities. Results
also showed that black garlic is cytotoxic to sample colon and lung cancer
cells”.
Listed as innovators for the said product are Richard Nixon C.
Gomez, Rigel R. Gomez, Shirley C. Agrupis, Milen Fileza M. Inocencio, and Aira
Cassandra S. Castro.
After receiving the gold award on May 31, 2024 at MMSU’s at the
Center for Flexible Learning, Agrupis
said, “This proves that our R&D products are not only ripe for
commercialization, they are potentially competitive on an international scale.”
MMSU Black Garlic
MMSU, BauerTek, Takara partnerships
The partnership between MMSU and BauerTek began in February 2022
in a collaboration to explore the pharmaceutical uses of indigenous food plants
(IFPs) and other herbal plants in the Ilocos region, including makahiya, lagundi, turmeric, and garlic, particularly black garlic, aiming
for the isolation and production of S-allyl L-cysteine (SAC). Additionally, the
partnership focused on IFP probiotics, bridging academia and industry.
In early 2023, MMSU and BauerTek signed a memorandum of agreement
for the Experiential Pharmacy Practice (EPP) program. Under this agreement,
BauerTek's laboratory in Guiguinto, Bulacan, hosted pharmacy students from MMSU
College of Health Sciences for a 150-hour in-person internship.
The pharmaceutical company is tasked to facilitate the
commercialization and enhance the
production and processing of MMSU's black garlic with MMSU supplying raw materials.
BauerTek Corporation is a Filipino-owned pharmaceutical company
located in Bulacan, specializing in the production, research, and development
of all-natural herbal supplements.
Meanwhile, MMSU also con continued its partnership with Takara
Inc. through a signed memorandum of agreement on Feb. 21, 2024 to support the
implementation of the MMSU-Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
project on the garlic production and black garlic management system and supply
and demand network development in the province.
As a primary agency in the Philippine garlic industry, MMSU will
provide experiment fields, essential equipment, and laboratory spaces. MMSU
also seeks to establish the Garlic Museum and Exhibition Center through the
support of the national government and other agencies.
Takara will focus on the assistance in developing garlic
production and postharvest technologies, which includes the demonstration of
Japanese Garlic Technology in the municipalities of Pasuquin, Bacarra, and
Paoay. It will also accommodate the production of black garlic and other
value-added garlic products and link the province to Aomori prefecture for
possible cooperation in cultural and garlic Research and Development and
Commercialization.
MMSU’s long-term plans also include helping farmers produce
high-quality garlic by developing village-style fermentation machines.
Partnering with GLEDCO
In a move to make
Black Garlic available to the general public, MMSU partnered with the GLEDCO
multipurpose cooperative for the latter to distribute the product. MMSU’s
marketing center is provides technical support in both production and marketing
efforts.
In the agreement, MMSU will produce at least 1,200 packs of Black
Garlic, with each pack weighing 100 gram, over six months, while GLEDCO will purchase
these packs on a monthly basis. The production goal is to generate at least 200
packs per month, each priced at PHP120.
The market forecast for MMSU black garlic is positive with the
support of GLEDCO and online sales. Black Garlic is also being promoted at
international expos in Japan and other countries. The packaged black garlic is
aimed at helping patients with nerve disorders and certain forms of cancer.