MMSU’s Black Garlic bags gold award in int’l innovation summit

City of Batac—Mariano Marcos State University’s research and development initiatives is now acknowledged international after it bagged the Gold Award under the Pharma Category for its Black Garlic product.

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

Black garlic is an aged white garlic that is produced from the perfect mixture of heat and humidity for about 30 days without any additional treatments and additives. It is sweet with hints of balsamic vinegar or tamarind, but with no strong offensive flavor of the original fresh garlic. It is locally produced in Ilocos Norte through MMSU, the Ilocos Norte provincial government, and Japanese company Takara, Inc.

 

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.