RESEARCH LINES



There are two main research lines:

To study the biological activity of food proteins and peptides aiming at a better understanding of their health implication and the development of novel food ingredients:

  • Identification of proteins and peptides with different biological activities, such as antihypertensive, antiproliferative, immunomodulant and related to gastrointestinal functions and pathologies associated with the metabolic syndrome.
  • Evaluation of their biological activity by in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo assays (using model animals and human studies).
  • Investigation of the modifications during gastrointestinal digestion, bioavailability and mechanism of action, and identification of active molecules in the organism (using proteomic and gene expression techniques).
  • Development of processes for the production of ingredients based in these active molecules by enzymatic hydrolysis –under atmospheric and high hydrostatic pressure- fermentation or heterologous production with modified microorganisms. Optimization and up-scale of processes for the production of ingredients.
  • Improvement of the techno-functional and organoleptic properties of peptide-based products. Assessment of their compatibility in complex food matrices and stability to technological processes.

To gain knowledge of the molecular properties of allergenic proteins and their mechanism of action, particularly:

  • Identification of allergens by proteomic techniques.
  • Evaluation of the effect of the food matrix and technological processing on the gastrointestinal stability and allergenicity of food proteins. Assessment of their ability to sensitize and elicit anaphylactic responses by in vitro, ex vivo and in vitro assays (using immunochemical and molecular techniques, cell cultures and mode animals).
  • Study of the immunological changes that underlie desensitization or tolerance development induced by oral immunotherapy in humans. Research on biological markers that allow patient follow-up. Development of peptide-based strategies for prevention and treatment of food allergy and elucidation of the mechanism of action

CIAL 2015.

CSIC

Sede: C/Nicolás Cabrera 9. Campus de Cantoblanco. UAM. Madrid 28049 (Spain). Tel: (+34) 91 0017900