Metabolism, characterization and production of plant bioactive compounds

The research is mainly focused on the study of the biosynthetic metabolism of some groups of plant compounds, having beneficial and / or detrimental effect on human health, including polyphenols (e.g. stilbenes, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids), capsaicinoids, phytosterols and biogenic amines.

The research activities are aimed at investigating the biosynthesis of some bioactive plant compounds and their production and localization at the cellular level, and are conducted both in vivo, on organs, plant tissues and food matrices, and in vitro by means of plant solid and liquid cell cultures (including scale up in bioreactors up to 3 liters of volume).

Several plant model systems such as Vitis vinifera, Capsicum spp., Glycine max, Cannabis sativa and others, are investigated.

A detailed study is being conducted on the metabolism of resveratrol and other related stilbene compounds, metabolites with proven cardio-protective and anti-tumour effects. In this regard, in vitro liquid cell suspensions of Vitis vinifera are treated with biotic and abiotic elicitors, in order to investigate the molecular mechanisms of biosynthesis and release and the production of resveratrol and its mono-glucosylated derivatives. The effectiveness of the different treatments on the metabolism of resveratrol, its derivatives and other polyphenols, is determined by spectrophotometric, metabolomics, gene expression and proteomics analyses.

Parallel investigations are being conducted on the levels of biogenic amines in foods of plant origin (citrus, soy and its derivatives, grapes and wine, tomato, etc). These molecules (eg. heterocyclic amines, monoamines, polyamines, N-nitrosamines, etc.) are present in significant amounts in the human diet, either because they are naturally contained in foods, or as a result of food processing (e.g. fermentations), of contamination by microorganisms or after improper storage. Some of these amines have harmful effects and a known toxicity with mutagenic and carcinogenic action. Others, such as polyamines, are essential in low concentrations for growth and optimum cell development, but at high concentrations, can support the proliferation of neoplasias and tumors.

These researches were conducted within projects financed by the Foundation CARISBO and by the Foundation of Monte of Bologna and Ravenna and are actually carried on through research agreements with companies in the food, cosmetic and nutraceutical sectors.