Nunavik Biosciences Incorporated was created in 2005 with the objectives of creating small-scale economic activity in the Nunavik communities using the many unutilized or underutilized resources found in the region and adjacent waters.
The intent is to investigate local resources, identify their potential and develop various value-added products with the aim of creating biologically sustainable and economically viable activities. During the past few years NBI has been targeting three main resource groups: seaweed, shrimp and medicinal plants. Our research efforts are beginning to show promise. Of the major brown seaweeds identified in Ungava Bay to date we have discovered that a few species hold promise. Seaweed samples have been harvested, dried and sent to various institutions for analyses.
We have extracted some very interesting compounds from these samples and one in particular has shown strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties that have recently been reconfirmed. We are trying to identify and isolate the compound responsible for this activity and we have successfully completed this task this year. New regulations concerning the development of health products are exhaustive and may take years to complete. A second extract from the seaweed is an algal oil which we tested for use in cosmetics with very good results.
We are following up on this potential and should be able to develop a few products within the next fiscal period. Shrimp has also shown potential not only in the development of value-added shrimp food products but also in the by-products of our offshore shrimp industry. Thousands of tons of shrimp are cooked and peeled every year which results in many tons of shrimp waste which has been shown to contain significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, phospholipids and other biomolecules which are in high demand in industrialized countries. We have concluded the majority of this research this past fall and plan to produce a first commercial production early next year. Other marine resources could then follow down this same path. Several medicinal plants are encountered in the Nunavik Region and we have been working with Rhodiola Rosea (Tallarunak) for the last few years. This plant is well known for it’s adaptogenic properties (stress reduction) and the demand for this product in European and North American markets is very strong. Many countries have over harvested this plant and must now rely on plantations. We have been collecting the seeds from many populations of Rhodiola Rosea in Nunavik and germinated these seeds over the last winter. This summer prepared several small plantations in the Kangiqsualujjuaq region and transplanted approximately 1,000 seedlings as a test.
It takes on average five years for the root to be of commercial size. We also spent several days collecting more seeds from this area for future work. The true potential of this activity will be further examined depending on the results of these test plots.
