Learning objectives
The course aims at introducing the students to the problems related to secondary metabolism, with particular attention to the natural substances present in food.The knowledge of the main metabolic pathways (acetate, shikimate and mevalonate) provides a clue on the mechanisms leading to molecules with different biological activities in living systems, mainly vegetals related to food. Correlation is made between the structure and the biological activity (antioxydants, phytoestrogens, phytosterols, flavours, toxins, etc.).
Prerequisites
The requirements related to the courses of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (1st level) must have been fulfilled.
Course unit content
<br />The course is composed of several parts:<br />Part 1- Secondary metabolism: biosynthetic pathways and principal mechanisms of reaction ( alkylation, rearrangements, aldol and Claisen reactions, Schiff's base formation, transamination, decarboxylation, ox-redox reactions, oxydative coupling of phenols, glycosylation,etc.). Methods for studying the biosynthesis.<br />Part 2- The acetate pathway: fatty acids and polyketides. Unsaturated fatty acids (essential fatty acids). Aromatic polyketides, phenols. <br />Part 3- The Shikimate pathway: aromatic amino acids, cinnamic acids, lignanes, coumarines, flavonoids, isoflavonoids. Biological activity.<br />Part 4- The mevalonate pathway: terpenes (monoterpenes, iridoids, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, sterols, sesterpenes, tetraterpenes, carotenoids).<br />Part 5- Alkaloids: alkaloids derived from ornithine, lysine, nicotinic acids, tyrosine, tryptophan, anthranilic acid, histidine. Purinic alkaloids, glycoalkaloids.<br />Part 6- Mycotoxins (aflatoxins, ochratoxin, patulin, trichothecenes, zearalenone): biogenesis, toxicity, methods of extraction and detection.<br />Part 7- Methods for bibliographic research.<br />Part 8- Laboratory experiments on: methods of extraction of food components from different matrices. Methods of separation. Identification by Mass Spectrometry.
Bibliography
Paul.M.Devick- Chemistry, biosynthesis and bioactivity of natural substances.Piccin Ed. Padova.
Teaching methods
The student must know how to approach complex problems included in the program. The examination involves questions aimed at veryfying the basic knowledges and a discussion of a topic of the program with particular regard to recent scientific papers chosen by the student.
