Head of Department: Blanca Hernández Ledesma
The Department of Bioactivity and Food Analysis performes different researches with the aim of improving the quality and safety of food and obtaining ingredients with bioactive properties which are beneficial to health. The main lines being developed are:
- Obtaining and characterization of new ingredients and development of functional foods based on:
- The food components (lipids, proteins and peptides or carbohydrates)
- The use of natural sources (yeast, algae, aromatics herbs), food surplus and subproduct.
- Studies of bioactivity and functional food ingredients: antihypertensive, antiviral, antiproliferative, hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant, prebiotic, antiglicant, antidiabetic, anticancer and activities related to intestinal transit.
- Development of technologies to improve the nutritional and functional dairy products.
- Characterization and quality control of food by:
- The selection of chemical indicators
- DNA Analysis
- The study of the enantiomeric composition of target molecules.
- The detection of genetically modified organisms.
- The development of advanced methods for food analysis.
- Application of proteomics techniques and differential expression to the evaluation of activity and allergenicity of food components.
- Foodomics: Evaluation of bioactivity, quality and food safety through the development and application of omics techniques.
- Food Safety: Studies of the molecular properties of the proteins that predispose them to be allergenic. Optimization of technological processes to reduce the allergenicity of proteins. Detection of pathogens and contaminants in food.
- Development of extraction and fractionation processes with subcritical and supercritical fluids.
- Food and healthy aging.
Work Groups
