As part of the Strategy for the Development of Science for 2024-2052, adopted in accordance with the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan and the Action Plan for its implementation, Turkmen specialists are actively conducting scientific and practical research aimed at integrating scientific achievements into various sectors of the economy.
One of the latest significant achievements in the scientific sector is the granting of copyrights by the State Intellectual Property Service of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan to the Biotechnology Department of the AST International Scientific and Technological Park for developing technologies for producing galactomannan.
Galactomannans are high-molecular substances with the ability to swell significantly in water and belong to the group of hydrocolloids. These polysaccharides, consisting of D-galactose and D-mannose, exhibit high viscosity in solution, making them in demand in the production of food, agricultural and printing products, where they are used as thickeners and gel-forming agents.
"In May this year, the 'Program for Comprehensive Development of Biotechnology in Turkmenistan for 2024-2028' have been approved, which includes using biotechnology methods for research and production developments," comments Altyn Rakhmanova, Head of the Biotechnology Department at the AST International Scientific and Technological Park.
"One of the program's directions is obtaining feed additives for agricultural animals from local raw materials. Galactomannan shows great potential as an additive to food and feed products, and our approach to using waste from crushed pods of Gleditsia trees growing in Turkmenistan allows us to effectively utilize local resources and reduce production costs."
Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is a plant with many medicinal properties, detailed in the scientific encyclopedia "Medicinal Plants of Turkmenistan" by National Leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Additionally, Honey locust is known as a honey plant, whose flowers produce nectar that attracts bees, providing a honey yield of about 250 kg per hectare.
The effective method for extracting galactomannan ensures maximum yield of valuable substances from this raw material, which is a key step in increasing production autonomy and sustainability. This development has the potential to become the foundation for new technological solutions in the food and agricultural sectors.
