The aims of the course is to provide students with the tools to evaluate: the nutritional state of a subject and the regulatory mechanisms; the biochemical importance of the energetic and extraenergetic nutrients able to exhert a bioregulatory activity; the biochemistry of the digestive, absorptive and metabolic processes under different physiopathological conditions. Attention will be devoted to the nutritional quality of processed and biotechnologically transformed foods in relation to natural foods. The functional foods, integrators and vegetable extracts, as well as the effect of the nutrients on the gene expression (nutrigenetics) will also be taken into consideration. At the end of the course, the students would have been familiar with the influence of the nutritive principles on metabolism, well beeing and prevention of chronic pathologies.

Program and contents: every topic will be followed by a deeper evaluation of the nutritional value of a product in relation to the technology of production. Analysis of scientific papers and tools for evaluating body composition will be presented.

Nutritional needs and the energetic bilance. The seven groups of aliments in the med diet context.

Aliments. Nutrients. Nutrient exigence. Caloric values. Energetic expenditure and its components: the basal metabolism and other energetic requirements.Regulation in short and long time of the energetic metabolism.

Application 1: Detection of the body composition. Nutritional status and technical evaluation of the energetic consumption (by metabolimeters)

Application 2: Bioinformatic for the diet preparation on the basis of the anthropomeetric parameters and metabolic consumption. Use of a software).

Food groups 1 and 2. Proteins of high biological value and protein need. Digestion and obsorption of proteins, essential aminoacids, N balance, protein turnover and its regulation, metabolic role of the aminoacids.
The milk and its processed derivatives. Nutritional values of milk products under fresh and long stored conditions.

Application 3. Chetogenetic hyperproteic diets and chronic disease: biochemical basis and adaptation. Linkage between red meat and gastro-intestinal tumors.

Food group 3. Carbohydrate rich foods. Nutritional role of the glucids. Digestion and absorption, the glycemic index and the glycemic load. Biochemical regulation of the insulin secretion, chracterization of the alimentary fibre and its effects of glycemia and lipemia

Application 4: cereals and pseudocereals at low glycemic index. Beta-glucan's properties and their inclusion into functional foods.

Food group 4. legumes and protein complementary role, glycemic index and antinutritional factors.

Application 5. Soy derived foods, lentils and functional biophenols and polisaccharides.

Food group 5. Oils and fats: digestion absorption and transport of lipids. Biochemical role in nutrition, essential fatty acids and derived bioregulators. Exogenous and endogenous cholesterol. Control of the cholesterol synthetic pathway, dispopsition and relation to the atheromatous plaque formation.

Application 6: lipids and nutrigenetic, PPARgenes and influences on lipid metabolism, trans fat effect on health. HDL, and paraoxonase in the cardiovascular protection.

Food groupsi 6 e 7- fruits and vegetables for the uptake of vitamins and bioregulators. Hydrosoluble and liposoluble vitamins: biochemical characteristcs and mechanism of action ( 3 + 3 examples).

Application 7: Flavonoids and their purification for preparation of functional foods. The ORAC method in the definition of the food quality, bioavailability of the flavonoids and their role in the chemoprevention of chronic diseases. Methods for the evaluation of nutrigenetic aspects of isoflavones e flavonoid-C-glycosides.

English version. The students preferentially must have passed the exam of systematic human biochemistry

Attended results : the students will acquire knowledge and practice on the nutrient principles present in the natural and industrially transformed foods and on their effect on the metabolism and regulation of the gene expression as well as on the prevention or production of pathologic conditions

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

English version. Electronic files (pdf) will be made available, in the scientific library of the campus, for students as well as the software for the diet preparation and antropomectric measurements as well as documentary films. Access to the material will be available after the regular matriculation.

Teaching

Classes, lab experiences, work in groups, individual tests

Attendance

Part-time
Provide didactic material indicated in this program

Course books

"Le basi molecolari della nutrizione" G. Arienti ed. Piccin, 2004 (ultima edizione 2010)
Text book for foreign students will be suggested when needed.

Assessment

The exams will be performed by means of oral conversation at the end of the course, but , along the semester, some tests will be administered to the partecipating students, Results of these tests will be considered for the final evaluation.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Part-time

Possibility to find didactic material in the web site of the scientific library.

Attendance

Part-time
Provide didactic material indicated in this program

Course books

Part-time
"Le basi molecolari della nutrizione" G. Arienti ed. Piccin, 2004 (ultima edizione 2010)
For foreign students the book will be suggested in a personal comunication

Assessment

Part-time
oral exam

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.