NUTRITION, FOOD AND HEALTH
The research activities of this curriculum focus on analyzing and understanding the relationship between nutrition and health to contribute to the well-being of humans and animals. The objective is to comprehend the biological and behavioral determinants of food intake, including sensory qualities and satiety; support the sustainability of food production; pursue quality and safety in food and feed production; improve the livestock sector with attention to animal welfare and productive performance; promote nutrition education; understand the physiological changes mediated by diet in transition between states of health, disease, or dysregulation; actively collaborate with the food and feed industry to promote innovation in healthy food products; develop foods and feeds to meet specific consumer needs. Specifically, the active research projects are as follows:
1) Nutrigenomics and Nutriepigenomics: analyzing gene expression and epigenetic modulation to identify how bioactive food components and food contaminants can modulate inflammatory responses and pathways involved in neurodegeneration in human cell and/or animal models.
2) Optimization of food processing for innovative applications (e.g., legumes, wheat, coffee) and their impact on nutritional value and health status.
3) Nutritional and food research (selection of probiotics and active polyphenols).
4) Composition of the microbiota and modulation by exogenous compounds (e.g., prebiotics/probiotics) capable of influencing the gut-brain axis and the inflammatory pathway in the prevention and progression of diseases.