Bioactive Components as Integral Part of Foods and Diet: Evaluation of Effectiveness and Mechanisms of Action

The overall objective of this PhD project was to evaluate the functional properties of different foods (fruits, vegetables and grains) and of their bioactive compounds, trying to highlight the differences existing among plant foods of similar type. Numerous scientific studies have shown that consumption of plant foods can positively affect health and contribute to the prevention of many chronic degenerative and inflammatory diseases. Since it is known that the nutritional value of a food depends not only on the concentration of nutrients and bioactive molecules, but also on their bioaccessibility i.e. the fraction released from the food matrix during the digestive process and potentially bioavailable in the body, all studies described in this thesis have the common characteristic to have evaluated not only the foods themselves, but mainly the products of their in vitro digestion. To study the products of in vitro digestion of foods represent a step ahead in the evaluation of their nutritional value. Three types of plant food have been considering: mandarin juices obtained using different technological treatments; ancient and modern varieties of grains, that were used to make bread; peppers of different varieties. In two studies, the variability of bioactive molecules and their effectiveness were investigated with a combined approach, including the evaluation of their effectiveness in a biological system. The human hepatoma HepG2 cell line was chosen as model system given that the liver is the organ mainly involved in xenobiotic metabolism Overall, studies presented in this PhD thesis allows considering some aspects that are often not considered or underestimated while evaluating the nutritional value of food: 1. The food matrix effect, including its intrinsic variability; 2. The bioavailability of components, and the impact of food processing; 3. The synergism among the different bioactive molecules; the biological response of cells

Ancient wheat and health: a legend or the reality? A review on KAMUT khorasan wheat

After WWII, the industrialized agriculture selected modern varieties of Triticum turgidum spp. durum and spp. aestivum (durum wheat and common wheat) based on higher yields and technological characteristics. Nowadays, the use of whole ancient grains and pseudo cereals is considered nutritionally important. How ancient grains have positive effects is not entirely known, the fragmentation of the scientific knowledge being also related to the fact that ancient grains are not a homogeneous category. The KAMUT® trademark indicates a specific and ancient variety of grain (Triticum turgidum ssp. turanicum, commonly khorasan wheat), and guarantees certain attributes making studies sufficiently comparable. In this work, studies on KAMUT® khorasan wheat have been systematically reviewed, evidencing different aspects supporting its benefits. Although it is not possible to establish whether all ancient grains share these positive characteristics, in total or in part, this review provides further evidences supporting the consumption of ancient grains