MicNatur is the brand and the image of the company Voz da Natureza, a spin-off of BLC3 whose main activity is focused on scientific and biotechnological research in the mycology subject. Voz da Natureza central aims are associated with the development of innovative and differentiating mycology products.
The company is dedicated to research activities related with the production of native mushrooms and truffles, strengthening the investment strategies for the agro-forest and alimentary industries. MicNatur targets at providing the clients with inventive products based on wild and production mushrooms, marketing inoculum from wild mushrooms and mycorrhizal plants.
MicNatur company is committed in creating and implementing new solutions for the current mycology market, always in constant adaptation to the clients' needs. Using current advanced technology, together with the resources' know-how and support from present I&DT partners, the company is able to reply and adapt to each case with high efficiency and readiness.
Technical support for forest improvement and repopulation.
Technical and management assistance to projects applying to the programme PDR 2020.
Training and workshops on wild mushroom identification and mushroom production.
The project is focused on the identification and research of native truffle species, with subsequent valorization of this product and development of new applications for the food industry.
Truffles and their derived products are high-valued products with increasing highlight in the gourmet sector. Through the project Truflavours, the consortium Voz da Natureza, Associação BLC3 and Escola Superior Agrária aims at the development and application of new technologies that will further benefit the agroforest, catering and food industry sectors. Aiming at the creation of groundbreaking high-valued products, differentiated from the currently existent on the market, the Truflavours project aims at exploiting several business opportunities related to its two main products: ( i ) plants mycorrhized with Terfezia and Tuber; and ( ii ) truffle aroma for application by the food industry. This will be achieved by pursuing different research activities, namely at the truficulture and biotechnology level, the latter accomplished by production of natural truffle aroma in a bioreactor.
Development and optimization of Aromatized Substrates for mushroom production with distinct aroma, flavor and texture.
The company Voz da Natureza intends to establish and optimize native mushroom production through the use of aromatized substrates, imparting distinct aroma, flavor and texture to the produced mushrooms (results obtained in the current project), differentiating them from the current existing ones at an international level. Consequently, the main focus is the evolution of current mycology knowledge, namely at the level of: ( i ) production of high quality mushrooms, with differentiated aroma, flavor and texture, which is guaranteed by the use of distinct substrates; ( ii ) realization of sensorial analysis of the mushrooms produced in aromatized substrates; ( iii ) production of unique aromatized substrates, which confer the produced mushrooms distinct organoleptic qualities; ( iv )and finally through the optimization of the biological efficiency and production parameters for the referred substrates.
Valorização integral de subprodutos resultantes da produção de cogumelos em bioextractos: melhoria da qualidade, segurança e otimização do metabolismo económico da cadeia de produção.
O consórcio MicoBioExtract pretende desenvolver atividades de investigação e desenvolvimento no âmbito da economia circular e biotecnologia, através da valorização de subprodutos e resíduos da produção de cogumelos em sistema fechado para a produção de novos ingredientes e revestimentos alimentares.
A Iniciativa FitoMicorrizas visa alcançar novas estratégias de valorização dos recursos florestais nativos, através da aplicação e desenvolvimento de novas soluções que permitam aumentar a eficiência produtiva de plantas micorrizadas e cogumelos silvestres.
Nesta iniciativa pretende-se com o recurso a fitoestrogénios melhorar a interação entre o fungo e a planta, de forma a criar condições mais favoráveis ao estabelecimento da associação simbiótica entre os dois organismos. Desta forma, criar-se-á mais-valia de forma a tornar sustentáveis as áreas de espécies autóctones exploradas em longas rotações, criando um retorno económico a curto prazo através da produção de cogumelos comestíveis, potenciando e inovando as suas produções. Portugal e a sua floresta possuem as condições ideais para a produção biológica de cogumelos silvestres, uma vez que o território é influenciado por dois tipos de clima: o atlântico e o mediterrâneo. Há, no entanto, outros fatores para além do clima, que aumentam a complexidade e diversidade da floresta portuguesa, como a natureza do solo, a proximidade do mar e a altitude, tudo em benefício de condições únicas para a proliferação e desenvolvimento de cogumelos de sabor intenso.
A iniciativa MicoCoating visa a aplicação de compostos bioativos de origem natural, via cogumelos que produzam compostos funcionais, em revestimentos comestíveis para o mercado alimentar.
Atualmente o aumento do tempo de prateleira, via mercado biológico, através da redução significativa de conservantes no contexto do mercado cleanlabel, e ainda a procura do consumidor por alimentos mais saudáveis, é um dos principais desafios da indústria alimentar. A utilização de filmes e revestimentos comestíveis tem-se revelado uma tecnologia com grande potencial para atingir maiores tempos de prateleira, assegurando simultaneamente a segurança alimentar e atributos de qualidade. As exigências de mercado têm levado à necessidade de aposta em compostos alternativos para aplicação em revestimentos que inativem as reações deteriorantes nos alimentos ao mesmo tempo que garantem os seus atributos de qualidade esperados pelo consumidor.
Os compostos que constituem os revestimentos devem cumprir determinados requisitos, nomeadamente ter origem natural, serem renováveis e edíveis, devendo ainda, se possível, conferir aos revestimentos propriedades bioativas e conservantes. A procura de novos compostos abriu novas oportunidades para a incorporação de conservantes naturais derivados de plantas, animais, bactérias, algas e fungos que atuam como agentes antioxidantes e antimicrobianos. Entre os fungos, os cogumelos são geralmente consumidos como alimentos e foi já demonstrado, nomeadamente pelo grupo operacional, que possuem potencial para serem usados como fonte de antimicrobianos e antioxidantes. Assim, a aposta em cogumelos de espécies silvestres (coprodutos florestais, sem valor alimentar) e cogumelos de produção (por recurso a substratos agroflorestais) como fonte de compostos funcionais apresenta-se como uma ótima oportunidade de alto valor acrescentado. Tendo em consideração os mais recentes desenvolvimentos, o principal objetivo desta iniciativa é a aplicação de compostos bioativos de origem natural, via cogumelos que produzam compostos funcionais, em revestimentos comestíveis para o mercado alimentar, para aumentar o tempo de prateleira, atribuindo novas propriedades como atividade antioxidante, antimicrobiana e enzimática.
The PinusResina enterprise aims to identify / establish new value chains for the safe and competitive transformation and recovery of pine resin in high value-added products, in order to increase the competitiveness and sustainability of Portugal's wild pine forest.
Innovation and an increasing knowledge about an important resource of the Portuguese forest supports its differentiated exploitation when compared to foreign producers, improving efficiency and competitiveness in forest management. Portuguese resin stands out from the rest due to its superior quality and potential application in the fine chemistry industry. It is, however, an unexplored resource, as its influence and variability on resin gum quality is still largely underappreciated. The process involves the bio-transformation of its compounds (acids), mainly through isomerization, into abietic acid, and into dehydroabietic, through dehydrogenation: creation of new products with potential application in the fine chemical industry.
Development of bioactive food products and ingredients through endogenous Portuguese agricultural resources for the promotion of healthy eating habits.
In response to consumer demands, products with natural herbal ingredients and their extracts are becoming more abundant in the market, especially in the form of snacks and beverages, which has led to increasing research and innovation in the field of plant ingredients. However, herbal ingredients and their extracts are mainly obtained from non-endogenous species (eg ginseng and hibiscus), neglecting Portuguese endogenous plant resources, such as traditional fruits (eg saplings or apple-sized, cherry-sized and quince-sized fruit) and herbs (rosemary and mint). Scientific research has proved that Portuguese endogenous plant species are, indeed, rich in bioactive compounds, although its true value is still unappreciated.
Voz da Natureza's project appeared from the need to increase the value of florest co-products.
MicNatur attended the fair for product divulgation, providing information on a vital co-product of the regions' forest – mushrooms.
BLC3 aims at transforming mushroom production into a crucial sector of exportation for the Center inner region.
BLC3 – Platform for the Development of the Center Inner region has had approved two projects through European Union community funds. The projects aim at boosting the production of two symbolic products of the Portuguese cuisine: Serra da Estrela cheese and native wild mushrooms.
A research project is being developed in Oliveira do Hospital for the study and production of wild mushroom, in a partnership between BLC3, UC and VN. The latter company focuses its activity on the scientific and technological research area, for the development of inventive mycology products.
A biotechnological based project was designed with the main aim of exploring the economic potential of one of the greatest products obtained from forest ecosystems. The project involves a partnership between BLC3, UC and VN, the latter one focused on ground-breaking research in the mycology subject.
