20410213 - Nutrienti di origine vegetale

The study course aims to provide basic knowledge relating to the chemical characteristics and functional role of nutrients and bioactive compounds present in food plants with particular reference to the nutritional properties of plant-based foods and their derived processed counterparts. The course also aims to analyze qualitative and quantitative composition of nutrients and bioactive compounds in food plants in relation to the variations dependent on the environment-genotype integrated effects. In particular, the course provides 1) an overview of the plants used for human nutrition and their use for the preparation of food products, with an outline of the influence of processing processes on the nutritional properties; 2) an in-depth picture of the main nutrients, aromas and other substances useful for human nutrition present in food of plant origin; 3) a summary of the anti-nutritional factors, allergens and toxic compounds present in some foods of plant origin.
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Mutuazione: 20410213 Nutrienti di origine vegetale in Biologia Molecolare, Cellulare e della Salute LM-6 CONA ALESSANDRA

Programme

Climate change and food security. Plant varieties and phenotypic plasticity. Effect of environmental conditions on primary and secondary metabolism: food quality and production of aromas, flavours and toxins. Origin of agriculture and plant domestication and genetic improvement of the main family including crop species: Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Solanaceae, Brassicaceae. Plant genetic improvement and “the green revolution”. Plant biotechnology for the development of crop plants resistant to environmental stress and/or herbicides and with high nutritional value. Primary metabolism: nutritional values of the different plant organs and nutrients bioavailability. Nutrients from plants: carbohydrates (sucrose and starch from different sources), soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, lipids and oils (olive oil and seed oil), proteins, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Effects of storage conditions and pre- and post-harvest diseases on nutritional quality of plant foods. Allergy and intolerances caused by plant substances present in crop species. Gluten. Primary and secondary metabolism. Secondary metabolism: terpenes, phenols, alkaloids, cyanogenic glycosides, glucosinolates, non-protein amino acids. Nutritional properties of secondary metabolites: metabolites with toxic effects and metabolites with positive effects on human health. Aromatic plants, spice plants and nervine plants (tea, coffee, cocoa). Natural dyes in food. Bioactive metabolites as food supplements.

Core Documentation

1) Piante alimentari. Biologia, composizione chimica, utilizzazione. Rinallo C.; Piccin.
2) Biologia delle Piante. Vol 2: Interazioni con l’ambiente e Domesticazione. Smith A. M. et al.; Zanichelli.
3) La chimica e gli alimenti. Nutrienti e aspetti nutraceutici. Luisa Mannina, Maria Daglia, Alberto Ritieni; CEA.
4) Alimentazione, Nutrizione e Salute. Lucantonio Debellis, Alessandro Poli; Edises.
5) Articoli scientifici e lezioni in power point fornite dal docente


The professor receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it


Type of delivery of the course

Lecture-based course held in presence. The lessons will be supported by videos and will also be implemented by consulting specific international databases and web sites.

Type of evaluation

The exam consists of an oral test with three questions, respectively on the three main parts of the program: 1) Domestication, Genetic improvement, and Biotechnology 2) Primary metabolism: main classes of nutrients 3) Secondary metabolism and nutritional aspects of secondary metabolites Alternatively, for point 1 and 2, intermediate tests are foreseen. For the questions on secondary metabolism, it is possible to take the exam on a topic chosen by the student also using a power point presentation.