Kagawa University

[EduCativ]

Kagawa University is aiming at "Based in the community and Extends globally with the community".There are already several functioning projects existing at Kagawa University. Firstly, "Team Kagawa," a project aiming at overcoming diabetes mellitus and obesity in Kagawa Prefecture and has been running since 2009. Secondary, the project of "Rare Sugars" deals with the production and functions of rare sugars. Rare sugars are monosaccharides rarely existing in nature, have been used to overcome lifestyle-related diseases in Kagawa under the academia-industry-government collaboration. Thirdly, the telemedicine project called K-MIX (Kagawa Medical Internet eXchange) has also been developed in Kagawa to establish the information and communication technology (ICT)-based critical paths which benefits disease control of diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular diseases, and so on. The proposed project aims to perform various research to adapt the Team Kagawa system based on ICT and develop functional sweetener and healthy foods using rare sugars and medicinal plants under the collaboration with Chiang Mai University and Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
With an in-depth study on the functionality and safety of processed foods and their ingredients from domestic and international material, this project promotes the standardization of nutraceutical factors and food safety. Significantly, to develop new technology for the value-added processed food and food ingredients with safety under the cooperation with overseas research institutions, we will study not only the toxicity assessment of microorganisms, but also physical function such as emulsification, encapsulation, texture improvement, and various physiological functions such as antibacterial, anti-allergic, and nutritional properties of food material and processed foods. We are proud of new materials, rare sugars bearing various physiological functions. It has been developed at Kagawa University and applied to creating processed foods so far by the cooperation with foreign universities and students.
From around 1955, Kagawa University, in particular, Faculty of Agriculture, has conducted academic exchanges with universities and institutes (Chiang Mai University, Thailand, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia, etc.) in Southeast Asian countries and accepted many international students. Taking advantage of the network, a search of substances having biological activities such as an antioxidant activity from various plants and trees (Jatropha, etc.) and fast-growing afforested trees (falcata, etc.) in tropical and subtropical Southeast Asia is performed. Structural analysis of the enzyme or receptor that interacts with the active substances, structure-activity relationship studies with synthetic derivatives of the active substance is carried out. Research and development of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, such as novel anti-cancer agents and antimicrobial agents, occur.
Also, to achieve a high degree of utilization by the liquefaction and plasticization of the woody biomass such as bark and waste wood from the fast-growing trees. These studies are carried out by the Center for Advanced Biochemistry and Chemical Biology, the Faculty of Agriculture in conjunction with the Faculties of Medicine and Education, a research institute of Kagawa Prefecture, and a company in Kagawa Prefecture, and its affiliate in Indonesia.

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