Biological Activity of Food Compounds
IInstitute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology. Spanish National Research Council (IATA-CSIC) (Valencia, España).
Staff scientist (IATA-CSIC): Prof. Dra. Mª Teresa Fernández-Espinar.
ACTIVITY GROUP’S DESCRIPTION
The main mission of the group is to identify vegetable sources rich in polyphenols and to improve the understanding of functional properties of food ingredients.
Many studies address the possible functional effects of polyphenol extracts from various sources, but there is little information about what compound or compound combination is the most relevant, which of them may have adverse effects or which molecular mechanisms are involved.
In order to improve our knowledge on some of these issues, the following objectives have been established:
1. To identify vegetable sources rich in polyphenols as potentially health-promoting ingredients and their inclusion in food matrices.
2. To develop and implement in vivo methodologies based on simple organisms, in which the responses to oxidative stress and / or longevity have strong similarities with those of the human being, for the rapid screening of biological activity of plant extracts and the compounds they contain.
3. To inquire about which genes or metabolic pathways are affected in model organisms as a result of exposure to studied ingredients, using high-throughput “omic” technologies and mutant strains and to identify new therapeutic targets. Thus, the gathered information may help substantiate certain health claims and lay down the scientific basis for follow-up preclinical and clinical trials.
RESEARCH TEAM
Jose Vicente Gil
Profesor Titular, Universidad de Valencia
CHIA INVESTIGATIONS
PARTICIPACIÓN EN PROYECTOS DE INVESTIGACIÓN
- CDTI, Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Programa CIEN) (España) “Mejora de la cadena de valor en la producción de superalimentos”. Coordinador: Grupo Siro, Investigador responsable: Dra. Claudia Monika Haros (01-01-2017 – 31-12-2020).
- MINECO, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) “Desarrollo de nuevos ingredientes de quinoa y chia para la formulación de alimentos. estudio nutricional y evaluación de propiedades saludables” ref: AGL2016-75687-C2-1-R. Investigador responsable: Dra. Claudia Monika Haros (30/12/2016 – 29/12/2019).
- Proyectos de Investigación de I+D+I, Ayudas de Investigación a Grupos de Investigación del IATA (CSIC, España). “Obtención de Co-Productos de Quinoa y Chía y su Aplicabilidad en la Formulación de Productos de Panadería. Estudio Nutricional y Evaluación de Actividad Antioxidante”. Investigador principal: Monika Haros (IATA-CSIC) (Octubre 2016 – Septiembre 2017).
- Programa CSIC conexión Internacional para la Promoción de la Colaboración científica Internacional del CSIC con Instituciones Extranjeras i-link 2014 (España) “Estudio, físico-químico, nutricional y tecnológico de la contribución de subproductos de chía (Salvia hispanica L) como nuevos ingredientes alimentarios en Europa”. Investigador responsable: Dra. Claudia Monika Haros (2015-2016).
PUBLICACIONES
- VY Ixtaina, SM. Nolasco, M. C. Tomás. Physical Properties of Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.), Ind Crops Prod, 28, 286-293 (2008).
- VPeláez-soto A, Fernández-Espinar MT, Roig P., Gil JV (2017). Evaluation of the ability of polyphenol extracts of cocoa and red grape to promote the antioxidant response in yeast using a rapid multiwell assay. Journal of Food Research. 82: 324-332. (Doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.13602).
- Fernández-Espinar MT, Gil JV, Segura-Campos M, Haros, M. Nutritional and functional assessment of contribution of chia by-products as food ingredient in bakery products. Part I: Nutrient composition and antioxidant activity. Proceedings from 2nd International Conference of Chia-Network 2016 (CIRCHIA 2016), CHÍA (Salvia hispanica L.) The old food of the future (pp. 127-135). Sevilla, Spain: Editorial CSIC. ISBN: 978-84-472-2103-5.
- Segura-Campos M, Matínez-Leo E, Fernández-Espinar MT, Gil JV, Haros M. Nutritional and functional assessment of contribution of chia by-products as food ingredient in bakery products. Part II: Bread quality, fiber adequate intake and inhibition of enzymes. Proceedings from 2nd International Conference of Chia-Network 2016 (CIRCHIA 2016), CHÍA (Salvia hispanica L.) The old food of the future (pp. 137-146). Sevilla, Spain: Editorial CSIC. ISBN: 978-84-472-2103-5.
- Gil JV, Haros, M, Fernández-Espinar, MT. Study of the antioxidant capacity of white breads enriched with chia (Salvia hispanica L). Proceedings from 1st International Conference of Chia-Network 2015 (pp. 111-141). Alicante, Spain: LIMENCOP S.L. ISBN: 978-84-608-7056-2.