NUTRITIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOCHIMICA DELLA NUTRIZIONE
FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY
FOOD SCIENCE
| A.Y. | Credits |
|---|---|
| 2019/2020 | 8 |
| Lecturer | Office hours for students | |
|---|---|---|
| Laura Chiarantini | Monday to Friday on appointment |
| Teaching in foreign languages |
|---|
|
Course partially taught in a foreign language
English
This course is taught partially in Italian and partially in a foreign language. Study materials can be provided in the foreign language and the final exam can be taken in the foreign language. |
Assigned to the Degree Course
| Date | Time | Classroom / Location |
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| Date | Time | Classroom / Location |
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Learning Objectives
The course aims to provide the student with basic biochemical and nutritional elements for understanding the role of food nutrients commonly used in human nutrition.
It also aims to provide the basis for understanding major nutritional metabolic dysfunctions.
Program
Lipids. Classification and chemical composition. Main lipids introduced with diet and energy value. Fatty acids of nutritional interest: saturates and unsaturates, essential fatty acids, trans fatty acids. Lipidic requirements. Mobilization of the reserves of triacylglycerols. Dietary cholesterol and endogenous cholesterol: balance of cholesterol in the body. Digestion and absorption of lipids. Transport of cholesterol and other lipids by plasma lipoproteins. Non-pharmacological control of cholesterolemia. Regulation of gene expression of lipogenic enzymes induced by a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Protids. Nutritional meaning and energy value. Amino acids: functional, nutritional and metabolic classification. Metabolic destines of amino acids: glucogenic, ketogenic and mixed amino acids. Protein turnover. Nutritional value of proteins and regulation of nitrogen balance. Supplementation of food proteins. Protein requirements. Phenylketonuria. The celiac disease.
Water. Exogenous water and endogenous water. Water requirements. Total water content of the body. Water losses of the body. Alterations of the water balance. Water as food.
Ethanol. Alcoholic beverages. Absorption and distribution of ethanol. Ethanol metabolism: alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, microsomial system. Metabolic alterations induced by ethanol on glucidic and lipid metabolisms. Alcohol and pregnancy. Methanol toxicity.
Metabolic regulation. Distribution of energetic reserves. Metabolic adaptations to calorie restriction and fasting.
Dietary-genomic interactions. Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics.
Food toxicity. Xenobiotics and their methobolism. Compounds with negative effects on nutrition. Anti-nutrient molecules and toxic molecules in foods.
The intestinal microbiome
Bridging Courses
The student is advised to have already pass:
organic chemistry, biochemistry, physiology
Learning Achievements (Dublin Descriptors)
D1- KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course and in order to pass the exam, the student must demonstrate that he has acquired knowledge of:
- composition, nutritional value and biochemical significance of food;
- relationship between nutrition and health, based on an understanding of the specific metabolic role of different classes of nutrients and bioactive compounds in food.
D2-ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The student must demonstrate understanding of the concepts and theories of the course.
D3-AUTONOMY OF JUDGMENT
The student must be able to:
- transfer theoretical information acquired in the field of nutritional biochemistry to scientific contexts in order to obtain useful goods and services;
- to enhance the value of foods containing bioactive compounds designed to prevent widespread diseases with a high social impact typical of industrialised countries;
D4-ENABLE FOR COMMUNICATION
In order to carry out, as future biologist, correct nutritional information, the student must demonstrate:
- to be able to display acquired knowledge with linguistic properties and to support interdisciplinary arguments;
- discuss critically and communicate the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic metabolic factors on food quality and safety and their impact on health
D5-ABILITY TO LEARN
The student must be able to:
- consult and understand scientific texts, bibliographical updates, regulatory prescriptions, so as to use them in usual contexts for the profession and for research.
Teaching Material
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
Supporting Activities
The teaching material prepared by the teacher (such as slides, lectures, exercises, communications) can be found, together with other support activities, within the platform moodle blended.uniurb.it
Teaching, Attendance, Course Books and Assessment
- Teaching
The course is taught by lectures
- Attendance
Attendance is not compulsory, but is strongly recommended.
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