SOME COMPANIES OF CANADA AND SINGAPORE TAKE INTEREST IN BIOMATSUNS OF ARMENIAN REPUBLICAN CENTER OF BACTERIOLOGY AND BACTERIA DEPOSIT

Noyan Tapan

Nov 11, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Some companies of Canada and
Singapore take interest in biomatsuns (matsun is sour clotted milk)
obtained by the Armenian Republican Center of Bacteriology and Bacteria
Deposit (ARCBBD) that uses its own information and analytical system
of lactic acid and probiotoc bacteria, the head of the Center’s
laboratory Hrachia Hovhannisian said.

He explained that a symbiosis obtained by means of the above mentioned
information and analytical system of lactic acid bacteria of matsun
(ferments and starters) and useful intestinal (probiotic) bacteria is
mainly used in these products. The involvement of such symbiosis in
milk products gives a greater result: there are types of symbiosis,
in which one kind of bacteria can destroy some other kind, with both
kinds of bacteria being made at ARCBBD.

A group of scientists of the Center has submitted an application
to the RA Intellectual Property Agency in order to receive a patent
for one type of biomatsun. It is envisaged producing biomatsuns at
Phytotech company, with which it is necessary to develop a technology
of large-scale production as joint intellectual property. According
to estimates of H. Hovhannisian, in case of overcomimg the financial
difficulties related to obtaining of international patents and entering
international markets, the income to be received from the sale of
probiotics in the U.S. and Europe may amount to 10-20 million dollars,
while the income from the sale of lactic acid bacteria may make 50-70
million dollars. The annual income from the sale of probiotics and
lactic acid bacteria in Armenia may make 100-200 thousand dollars
and 30-50 million dollars respectively.

According to H. Hovhannisian, unlike "Narine" product, biomatsuns
will be sold not in drugstores but in grocery stores – like any other
dairy product.

Phytotech can produce 1,000 liters of biomatsuns daily at the price
of ordinary dairy products.

Speaking about the problem of identifying the bacterial composition
of matsun, H. Hovhannisian indicated that such identification has not
been yet carried out by any organization. "If the ferments of a milk
producing company are no longer useful, representatives of that company
go to mountainous regions and get a ferment from shepherds. However,
the content of matsun has not been identified by its microflora on a
scientific bases in laboratories – something which was done in case
of yoghurt," H. Hovhannisian underlined.

It was mentioned that there are about 1.2 kg of bacteria in the
intestinal system of humans, while a teaspoon of matsun contains a
billion lactic acid bacteria.