Head of Department: Mª Ángeles Martín Cabrejas
The Department is structured on a generic line Research: Production and characterization of healthy foods and food ingredients for health.
This area is divided into different sub-areas of research:
- Design, production and characterization of bioactive extracts obtained from different plant matrix using supercritical fluid technology, or high pressure. Simulation and optimization of compressed fluids processes.
- Enzymatic synthesis of bioactive lipids. Purification by supercritical fluid extraction and molecular distillation. Characterization, bio-accessibility and oxidative stability.
- Isolation, chemical and functional characterization of bioactive compounds that form part of mushrooms and application as functional ingredients. Efficacy studies at molecular level and humans genetic profiles.
- Thin separation and preparative isolation of phenolic compounds from plant matrix using preparative separation techniques: ultra, nano and hyperfiltration (OI), solid phase extraction, fractional precipitation.
- Evaluation of the biological activity of the different types of functional ingredients: anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antimicrobial. Bioavailability in vitro. Characterization antioxidant: oxidation in food and biological matrix.
- Evaluation of interactions and modifications of bioactive and cell wall constituents affecting the sensory and nutritional quality of plant foods during processing and preservation
- Conversion of environmentally-unfriendly by-products of the food industry into functional food ingredients: improving the nutritional quality and tecnofuncional properties
- Assessment of technological processes for the identification of bioactive compounds (indoleamines) that influence on oxidative stress present in plant foods