Pawel Gornas

• Utilization of the agro-industrial by-products and medicinal plants for recovery of hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive compounds.
• Application of environmentally friendly techniques of extraction and determination of the bioactive compounds.
• Unconventional sources of oil with potential high utilized value.
• Development of innovative and simplified approaches for the rapid detection of bioactive compounds via HPLC and SFC.
   

• Assessment of the significant potential of unconventionally sourced vegetable oil and biologically active compounds - hydrophilic (phenolic compound) and lipophilic (tocopherol, tocotrienol, PC-8, carotenoid, phytosterol and fatty acids) - in food and pharmacy production.
• Study of the biologically active compounds of plant-based raw material and processed products and factors that influence their concentration levels.
• Development of new, alternative and innovative analysis methods for work with HPLC - the active compounds as potential quality and authenticity markers in horticultural crops and products.

5 major scientific publications:

• Górnaś, P., Rudzińska, M. 2016. Seeds recovered from industry by-products of nine fruit species with a high potential utility as a source of unconventional oil for biodiesel and cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors. Industrial Crops and Products, 83, 329–338.
• Górnaś, P., Rudzińska, M., Raczyk, M., Mišina, I., Soliven, A., Lācis, G., Segliņa, D. 2016. Impact of the species and variety on the concentrations of minor lipophilic bioactive compounds in oils recovered from plum kernels. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 64, 898−905.
• Górnaś, P. 2015. Unique variability of tocopherol composition in various seed oils recovered from by-products of apple industry: Rapid and simple determination of all four homologues (α, β, γ and δ) by RP-HPLC/FLD. Food Chemistry, 172, 129–134.
• Górnaś, P., Juhņeviča-Radenkova, K., Radenkovs, V., Mišina, I., Pugajeva, I., Soliven, A., Segliņa, D. 2016. The impact of different baking conditions on the stability of the extractable polyphenols in muffins enriched by strawberry, sour cherry, raspberry or black currant pomace. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 65, 946–953.
• Górnaś, P., Siger, A., Segliņa, D. 2013. Physicochemical characteristics of the cold-pressed Japanese quince seed oil: New promising unconventional bio-oil from by-products for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. Industrial Crops and Products, 48, 178–182.

Research projects (last three years):

• Production of biodegradable polymers from renewable sources for the development of edible coatings and packaging materials for fruits. No.19-00-A01612-000004 (2019-2022) 
• Development of new vegetable - edamame growing technology in organic production, No. I7-00-401620-000004 (2018 - 2021) Experimental (Pilot) development of plant-derived organic milk ice-cream (hemp and soy) with various berry, fruit and vegetable additives (2019-2020) (Investigator).
• ERAF project Nr. 1.1.1.1/16/A/094 „Environment-friendly cultivation of emerging commercial fruit crop Japanese quince – Chaenomeles japonica and waste-free methods of its processing” (2017-2020) 
• COST action OC-2015-1-19780 „European network to advance carotenoid research and applications in agro-food and health” (2016-2020)
• Sustainable plant ingredients for healthier meat products - proof of concepts (SUSMEATPRO). ERA-Net (2015-2018) 
• Collaborative Research Project of Latvian Council of Science Nr. 672/2014 “Scientific and technological developments for sustainable cultivation and comprehensive use of sea buckthorn” (2014–2017) 
• State Research Program Nr. 10-4/VPP-7/3 “Biological processes influencing sustainable fruit growing and widening possibilities for use of by-products” (AgroBioRes) (2014–2017)