A team of young researchers at the University of Pretoria is developing an innovative health supplement that transforms citrus peel waste into a potentially powerful tool against lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol, while also improving the affordability and accessibility of preventative health products for low-income communities.
The NutraPectin project is led by postdoctoral research fellow Dr Kadima Tshiyoyo, with recent Master of Science in Biochemistry graduates Ryan Bosch and Marni Oberholzer.
The team from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS) is converting the citrus processing waste into a pectin-rich nutraceutical using green extraction technology. When consumed with food, pectin can help slow sugar absorption, reduce cholesterol levels and support gut health.
“Our work was inspired by South Africa’s growing burden of lifestyle diseases and the abundance of agricultural waste,” said Tshiyoyo. “NutraPectin uses sustainable green methods to extract bioactive compounds from waste, which are valuable and essential in managing diseases like diabetes and obesity.”
They said NutraPectin addresses two growing challenges: the rising prevalence of these lifestyle diseases and the environmental cost of agricultural and food processing waste. Citrus peel, typically discarded in large volumes by the citrus industry, is rich in pectin and other bioactive compounds that can be recovered and repurposed.
Bosch says the NutraPectin research was his honours-degree project under Professor Samkelo Malgas of UP’s Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology. “I am passionate about maintaining the environment, and I was excited to investigate how food waste could be converted into useful healing products.”
The project is rooted in the Biocatalysis and Processing Research Group in the Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology within the NAS Faculty, under the supervision of Malgas. He says the work highlights the importance of university-based research in advancing both innovation and entrepreneurship, while also addressing societal challenges through science-driven solutions.
A major milestone for the project came in 2024 when NutraPectin was named the winner of the Catalyst competition, an early-stage biotech start-up pitch event organised by Immobazyme in partnership with UVU Bio. The competition brought together seven finalist teams developing biotech solutions aimed at real-world challenges.
NutraPectin stood out to judges for its dual impact: tackling lifestyle diseases while offering a scalable approach to waste valorisation in the agricultural sector. The win signalled growing confidence in the commercial viability of the technology, moving it beyond academic research into the early stages of commercialisation.
The Catalyst win also unlocked a structured support package designed to accelerate start-up development – which includes access to laboratory space, a reagent and consumables credit facility, mentorship from industry executives, business development training, and specialised technical support to help refine and scale production processes.
The team has also secured a Technology Innovation Agency Seed Grant, which will further support the optimisation of production methods and the transition from prototype to scalable manufacturing.
While NutraPectin remains in the early stages of development, they said their current focus was on developing a production pathway to support larger-scale manufacturing, enabling the product to be brought to market.
They envision NutraPectin as a locally produced, widely accessible nutraceutical that supports preventative health while creating value from South Africa’s agricultural resources, and are looking for additional funding and industry partnerships to support pilot-scale production and regulatory development.
Tshiyoyo said the long-term goal was to make the product affordable and accessible, growing into a versatile innovation with potential in the supplement, health additive, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.
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NCDs now killing more South Africans than TB in major public health shift
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