This work will be funded by the Interdisciplinary and Associative Research Competition of Universidad Católica del Norte together with Universidad de los Andes.
The academic of Universidad de los Andes School of Kinesiology, Óscar Araneda, together with Dr. Julio Escalona, a researcher specializing in phytopharmaceuticals at Universidad Católica del Norte, aim to develop a standardized phytopharmaceutical with potential health benefits, based on the fruit of Phoenix canariensis, a palm species widely distributed in Chile and other regions of the world.
"The main objective of the study is to obtain and chemically characterize this phytopharmaceutical, using a fruit that is currently discarded. Subsequently, a clinical trial will be conducted in people who perform physical exercise, evaluating its ability to reduce oxidative damage and inflammation induced by exercise, in addition to improving exercise tolerance," explains the researcher from UANDES School of Kinesiology.
Currently, we have an initial characterization of the chemical composition of the fruits of Phoenix canariensis, which will be completed and transformed into a phytopharmaceutical through this project.
"During the first year, the complete characterization and formulation of the compound will be carried out, while in the second year the clinical trial will be conducted with participants under controlled conditions," adds academic Óscar Araneda.
In addition to its implications in the field of health and biomedical research, this project also seeks to strengthen collaboration networks among researchers.
"These projects allow us to expand the contact network of researchers, promoting new ideas and the capacity to develop more complex studies. In addition, we have incorporated young researchers, such as the kinesiologist Cristián Rosales, co-investigator at UANDES, into multidisciplinary projects," concludes Óscar Araneda, an academic from the School of Kinesiology at Universidad de los Andes.