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New soursop wine claims to beat killer diseases: University
A tasty soursop wine that can fight diabetes, cancer and boost the immune system has been concocted by Sabaragamuwa University’s Faculty of Applied Sciences and there are hopes of winning overseas markets with the product.
“A research team at the university has entered into a licensing agreement with an agency to sponsor the beverage and introduce it to the market,” Sabaragamuwa University Vice-Chancellor Udaya Ratnayake said, explaining that researchers have been working on the wine since 2019.
“This wine contains multiple pharmacologically active compounds that help to boost immunity in one’s body,” he said.
The wine, infused with four herbs, also minimises the risk of colon cancer. According to laboratory research carried out by the university, soursop can also suppress prostate cancer cells.
“We are planning to export the wine to 11 countries,” Ranjan Hanchapola, entrepreneur and founder and CEO of the sponsoring company, Cap Organic, said.
“We intend to make overseas consumers aware of the value of this herbal drink made in Sri Lanka.”
Professor Ratnayake explained it had taken time to find a company that would make and market the product.
Soursop is already popular in Sri Lanka for its delicious flavour and impressive health benefits, the Coordinator of Sabaragamuwa University’s Natural Product Chemistry and Food Science Research Group, Namal Perera, said.
“Many of the reported benefits of soursop are due to its high content of antioxidants,” he said. Antioxidants are compounds that help neutralise harmful compounds called free radicals that can cause damage to cells.
“We hope that by marketing such products, the country will be able to access foreign exchange and support the economy,” the university’s Business Linkage Cell Director, Professor D.A. Indunil Dayaratne, said
Soursop has long been popular for its delicious flavour and impressive health benefits, Coordinator of Natural Product Chemistry and Food Science Research Group Namal Perera said.
“Many of the reported benefits of soursop are due to its high content of antioxidants,” he said. “We have created a special wine concoction made from soursop.”