The overall objective of the proposed project is to enhance agriculture nutraceutical research in terms of investigating anti-obesity effects of garlic scapes, discarded byproducts of garlic bulbs…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University $500,000 on December 15, 2025, under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants program (CFDA 10.216) to investigate the anti-obesity effects of garlic scapes, a byproduct of garlic bulb production, on gut function and microbiome.

The project extracts dietary fiber and phytochemicals from garlic scapes grown in North Carolina cultivars and evaluates their effects on pancreatic lipase through biochemical assay and computational simulation. The research measures anti-inflammatory effects on intestinal cells by assessing gut permeability and genes and proteins related to gut function and inflammation. The project also investigates how garlic scape extract affects human gut microbiome composition and metabolites through in vitro culture of microbiota obtained from obese adults.

Work is performed in Greensboro, North Carolina, with a period of performance from December 15, 2025, through December 14, 2028. The 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants program funds institutional teaching, research, and Extension capacity-building activities at historically Black land-grant universities.

The Division of Agriculture of the University of Arkansas serves as a sub-recipient, recruited twenty human participants (ten normal weight and ten obese, aged 21–45) from the University of Arkansas and surrounding area for human fecal fermentation studies to evaluate microbiota response to the garlic scape extract, applying exclusion criteria related to body mass index and other screening factors.

The overall objective of the proposed project is to enhance agriculture nutraceutical research in terms of investigating anti-obesity effects of garlic scapes, discarded byproducts of garlic bulbs production on GUT function and microbiome by a collaborative multidisciplinary research team. Objective 1 is to extract dietary fiber and phytochemicals of garlic scapes. Garlic scapes of the two best-grown garlic cultivars in north carolina will be used for extracting dietary fiber and phytochemicals under in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Objective 2 is to investigates the effects of the garlic scapes extract and its phytochemicals on pancreatic lipase in vitro using a biochemical assay and a computational simulation. Objective 3 is to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of the garlic scape extract on intestinal cells by measuring GUT permeability and genes and proteins related to GUT function and inflammation. Objective 4 is to investigate the effects of the garlic scape extract on the human GUT microbiome by evaluating changes in the microbiome and their metabolites during in vitro culture of GUT microbiome obtained from obese adults with the addition of the garlic scape extract. Successful completion of this project will build state-of-the-art capacity in nutraceutical research at caes of N.C. A & t and enable faculty and students to advance their knowledge and skills in nutraceutical research using food byproducts to improve human health. Therefore, the project goals align with CBG's goal to enhance and strengthen the quality of the research program at the 1890 institutions.