Nutraceutical & Food Chem Toxicol Analysis Lab

Macroarea: Food Chemistry

ERC Sectors: LS9 Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering

Lab Managers: Adele Papetti (Associate Professor), Raffaella Colombo (Assistant Professor)

Junior Staff: Ilaria Frosi (PhD student), Daniela Vallelonga (Fellowship), Angelica Matarrese (Fellowship)

1. Study of glycation reaction.

This research is focused on:

- the search for anti-glycative agents isolated from vegetable foods and food wastes or by-products able to act at first, middle, or end stage of the reaction by using different protein-sugar model systems;

- the study of the mechanism action of the anti-glycative agents; -the analysis (by HPLC-DAD-MSn) of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and their precursors (dicarbonyl compounds) in foods which are toxic compounds generated following thermal and technological processes.

2. Bioaccessibility and bioavailability studies

The aim of this research line is to evaluate the effect of the digestion process on food xenobiotics and food supplement components by release study and by monitoring the metabolic fate of the compounds. A double approach is applied: a simulated in vitro static digestion based on the use of electrolytes and enzymes mimicking the gastro-intestinal fluids composition and an in vitro dynamic system consisting of bioreactors and using model cell lines which could be considered a good alternative to animal models for screening studies, at least.

3. Recovery of bioactives and carrier agents from food waste and their chemical characterization

By applying experimental design, it is possible to select the optimal extraction conditions as well as the best extraction approach to recover potentially bioactive compounds which are then tested for their antioxidant, anti-glycative, antibacterial, antivirial, and anti-adhesive properties, and properly formulated as active ingredients suitable for food and food supplements. From food wastes, also different polysaccharide components could be extracted and used as carrier agents to coat bioactive and thus both prolong the shelf life of natural ingredients and protect them during gastric pass. The chemical characterization of bioactives and polysaccharide is performed using suitable chromatographic techniques and chemico-physical analyses.

4. Study of food melanoidins.

This research line is focused on the isolation and chemical characterization of low and high molecular weight melonoidins from beverages. The putative biological activity of the isolated melanoidin fractions is also investigated.

5. Fingerprinting of plant extracts.

Bioactive plant extracts/fractions selected by italian and international colleagues are fully chemically characterized by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn.

• S. Antonietti, A. M. Silva, C. Simões, D. Almeida, L. M. Félix, A. Papetti, F. M. Nunes "Chemical composition and potential biological activity of melanoidins from instant soluble coffee and instant soluble barley: A comparative study" Frontiers in Nutrition, section Food Chemistry 9:825584, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1080/03235408.2021.2015888
• I. Frosi, I. Montagna, R. Colombo, C. Milanese, A. Papetti “Recovery of chlorogenic acids from agri-food wastes: updates on green extraction techniques” Molecules 26(15), 4515, 2021 https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26154515
• R. Colombo, L. Ferron, I. Frosi, A. Papetti “Advances in static in vitro digestion models after COST action Infogest consensus protocol” Food & Function, 2021, 12(17), 7619-7636. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1FO01089A
• L. Ferron, C. Milanese, R. Colombo, A. Papetti “Development of an accelerated stability model to estimate purple corn cob extract powder (Moradyn) shelf-life” Foods, 10(7), 1617, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10071617
• F. Haddaji, A. Papetti, E. Noumi, R. Colombo, S. Deshpande, K. Aouadi, M. Adnan, A. Kadri, B. Selmi, M. Snoussi “Bioactivities and in silico study of Pergularia tomentosa L. phytochemicals as potent antimicrobial agents targeting type IIA topoisomerase, TyrRS, and Sap1 virulence proteins” Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(20), 25349-25367, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11946-y
• R. Colombo, A. Papetti “Decaffeinated coffee and its benefits on health: focus on systemic disorders” Critical Reviews In Food Science And Nutrition, 2021, 61(15), 2506-2522. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1779175
• O.S. Olayeriju, A. Papetti, R. Colombo, B. Mannucci, M.T., Olaleye, A.A. Akindahunsi “Phytochemical profiling of aqeous methanolic leaf extract of Triclisia gilletii by gas chromatography (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography (HPLC-PDA–ESI/MSn) tandem mass spectroscopy (MS): a pointer to its nephroprotection” Natural Product Research, Nov 12, 1-6, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2020.1845672
• R. Colombo, M. Paolillo, A. Papetti “A new millifluidic-based gastrointestinal platform to evaluate the effect of simulated dietary methylglyoxal intakes” Food & Function, 10, 4330-4338, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1039/C9FO00332K
• M. Natić, A. Pavlovic, F. Lo Bosco, N. Stanisavljević, D. Dabić Zagorac, M. Fotirić Akšić, A. Papetti “Nutraceutical properties and phytochemical characterization of wild Serbian fruits” European Food Research and Technology, 245(2), 469-478, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-018-3178-1
• M. Maietta, R. Colombo, R. Lavecchia, M. Sorrenti, A. Zuorro, A. Papetti “Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus) waste as a natural source of carbonyl trapping and antiglycative agents” Food Research International, 100, 780-790, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2017.08.007

National collaborations

• Prof. Chiara Milanese, University of Pavia
• Prof. Maria Cristina Bonferoni, University of Pavia
• Dr. Mayra Paolillo, University of Pavia
• Dr. Federica Corana, CGS University of Pavia
• Prof. Caterina Signoretto, University of Verona
• Prof. Davide Bertelli, Universiy of Modena and Reggio Emilia
• Prof. Jean Daniel Coisson, University of Piemonte Orientale
• Dr. Annalisa Maietti, University of Ferrara
• Prof. Roberto Lavecchia, University La Sapienza, Rome
• Prof. Piero Lo Nostro, University of Florence
• Prof. Mauro Ricò, University of Parma
• Dr. Raffaele Pugliese NeMO Lab, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan
• Dr. Valeria Guarrasi, CNR-IBF, Palermo
• Dr. Licia Pantano, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Palermo
• Dr. Luca Bellucci, CNR, Pisa

International collaborations

• Dr. Lamjed Bouslama, Center of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria Hammam-Lif, Tunisia
• Dr. Safa Rfguez University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia
• Prof. Mejdi Snoussi, University of Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
• Prof. Fernando M. Nunes, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
• Prof. Maja Natic, University of Belgrade, Serbia
• Dr. Aleksandra Dramićanin, University of Belgrade, Serbia
• Dr. Olanrewaju Sam Olayeriju, University of Science and Technology , Okitipupa, Nigeria

CARIPLO project "Gaining health and energy from Lombard agrifood waste (GHELF)"

Competences

Food analysis; food supplement formulation; food component bioaccessibility study; food ingredient and food supplement stability study; in vitro static and dynamic simulation of gastrointestinal digestion; in vitro chemical and enzymatic bioassays set up; consulting work for private companies

Instrumentation

LC-DAD; LC-UV-RID; Microwave extraction system; solid phase extraction manifold; LiveFlow IVTech system