Learning objectives
To teach the students how to approach the problem of the presence of the natural substances in foods, in particular: how to extract, analyse and characterise the natural products in food and how to find the scientific demonstrations of their eventual biological activity, specially in relation to health claims, toxicity and organoleptic properties.
Prerequisites
- - -
Course unit content
Secondary metabolism. Main biosynthetic pathways of natural products in plant and in microrganisms.Methods of extraction.Analysis. Characterisation. Structure- activity relationship in relation to health claims, toxicity, organoleptic properties. European regulations. The following classes of natural substances will be considered:fatty acids and polyketides, aromatic amino acids and phenylpropanoids,terpenoids and steroids, alkaloids.
Full programme
- - -
Bibliography
Paul M. Dewick, Chimica, Biosintesi e Bioattività delle Sostanze Naturali, Ed. Piccin, Padova
Teaching methods
The course utilises power point presentations, transparencies and black board demonstrations. Discussion of scientific papers and of the european regulations.
Assessment methods and criteria
The student must choose a class of natural substances in one or several foods among those presented during the course. He/She chooses 3-7 scientific publications from the literature concerning the paricular group of natural substances. He/She presents and discuss a written test and a power point presentation describing the results of his/her bibliographic research.
Other information
- - -
