SEA SALT: INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR TRACEABILITY, SECURITY AND NUTRACEUTICS – INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

Salt production is a sustainable process based on the use of renewable resources such as wind, sun and seawater. Through fractional precipitation, induced by wind and sun, almost pure sodium chloride precipitates in crystallising basins. This process involves the use of simple technologies, modified over millennia only by the introduction of mechanical means. Thus, sea salt production can be considered a technologically mature production process. However, it is still possible to intervene by adding value through innovation in areas related to the traceability of the product and the exploitation of the enormous potential arising from the unique biodiversity present in these environments. The innovation envisaged is based on the use of DNA purification technologies, next-generation sequencing and in vitro evaluation. Using advanced molecular biology techniques, it is in fact possible to characterise the population of Bacteria and Archaeobacteria included in the salt crystals during their formation process and to define their geographical origin. Furthermore, with extraction techniques, culture characterisation and in vitro evaluation on cells, it is possible to exploit bioactive compounds extracted from halophilic microorganisms for applications in nutraceutics, pharmaceutics and cosmeceutics. Thus, despite the technological maturity of the main production process, it is possible to intervene with a high degree of innovation to help increase its overall profitability. The characterisation of the microbiome present in salt crystals is crucial for the traceability and safety of the resource. The testing of bioactive extracts, originating from saline waters, in cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical applications will enable products derived from these applications to benefit from the related traceability, safety and human health results, thus bringing significant benefits to their eco-sustainable image.The aims of this research fall within the principles of the National Strategy for Intelligent Specialisation (SNSI) approved by the European Commission, which promotes and subsidises such scientific approaches and objectives. Already in the past, the European Community has granted the Protected Geographical Indication for Trapani's sea salt, in the wake of which other European countries have applied for it. Sea salt is produced in coastal salt works, which have generally been transformed into protected environments. For this reason, the certificate of origin is associated with an incisive image of eco-sustainability, which derives from the place of production being represented by peculiar natural environments. The close relations between the various scientific themes make the aforementioned PhD project innovative, applied, connected to human activities and consumption, consistent with national strategies and in line with the European objectives.The purpose of the PhD thesis contributes to the application of current Blue Economy strategies in accordance with the "Blue Growth" and the Horizon programme, thus enabling the development of future prospects for improving the circular economy and marine production chain to obtain compounds that are useful for nutraceutical, cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical applications.