Conference Schedule

Day1: July 23, 2018

Keynote Forum

Biography

Nacer Bellaloui received his PhD in Plant Nutrition from the Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, UK in 1989. He joined USDA- ARS in 2004 as a Research Plant Physiologist and is currently working on identifying the physiological and genetic mechanisms controlling soybean seed composition constituents like protein, oil, fatty acids, sugars, phyto hormones and mineral nutrition under drought, heat and disease pressure. He is internationally recognized in the area of Grain Nutrition. He authored and co-authored over 100 peer reviewed articles and invited book chapters in well-respected international journals. Also, he has served as an Associate Editor, Advisory Board Member and Editorial Board Member of well-respected international peer reviewed journals and served as a Member of Crop Science Research Award Committee and Seed Science Award Committee. He is currently serving as a Member of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences Board and a Chair for Advances in Agricultural Research in Mississippi Academy of Sciences.


Abstract

Soybean seed is a major source of nutrients that are essential for human health and livestock  nutrition. Seeds of soybean contain protein (42%), oil (20%), fatty acids, carbohydrates (33%) and mineral nutrients. Although these nutrients are genetically controlled, the environment plays a major role in the content and accumulation of these nutrients in seeds, creating a major challenge for growers and breeders. Our research showed that environment and genetic traits are among the major contributors to the variability of seed nutrients. Drought and high heat are considered among the most common environmental stress factors leading to yield loss and poor seed quality affecting the nutritional values of seeds. Our research showed that both drought and heat altered seed nutrients (protein, oil, fatty acids, sugars, and minerals) and this alteration can reach upto about 40-70% for some nutrients such as seed protein, oil and mineral nutrients. This presentation, using field experiments in the Midsouth USA, will highlight the effects of drought and high heat on seed quality and chemical composition of soybeans differ in their genetic traits of quality and nutrition. This presentation will also highlight challenges and opportunities for soybean selection for high quality and mineral nutrition under drought and high heat.

Biography

Katya Vladislavleva is CEO and chief data scientist at Data Stories International NV, a premium predictive analytics company headquartered in Turnhout, Belgium. At work Katya is developing and deploying big data analytics solutions in new products R&D and continuous improvement in manufacturing, does government consulting, scientific advice and gives invited talks on big data, advanced analytics, supply chain optimization and entrepreneurship. She holds a PhD in data driven modeling from Tilburg University, Netherlands. She is a Professional Doctorate in engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology and a MSc in intelligent systems from Lomonosov Moscow State University Russia.


Abstract

Advanced predictive analytics is gaining importance and proven impact in R&D environments. Surprisingly, the data science universe and the research and development universe co-exist with insufficient overlap in sharing the innovative value creating solutions. We claim that data driven solutions will see a greater success in a formulation discovery process only when they are understood and internalized by domain experts not just data scientists, and when domain experts take ownership of the solutions. This can only happen if predictive analytics outcomes are communicated to domain experts in human language with a narrative; otherwise they have little chance to be sustainably deployed. Data-driven strategy is assumed to require epic efforts in terms of upfront investment and unique talent acquisition. Budgets are almost always spent on collecting the data with little to no plans on what to do with it later, which makes the datadriven transformation incomplete. Interestingly, the technology exists to turn all of these data into immediate actions without epic efforts and with existing human capital.

Tracks

  • Agricultural and Food Chemistry | Concepts of Agricultural Chemistry | Agrochemical Application Technology | Agricultural Chemical Science and Engineering | Agronomy | Soil Science | Green Revolution | Plant physiology and inbreeding | Agricultural Crops | Genetically Modified Foods
  • Biotechnology and Its Role in Agriculture and Food Processing | Enzymes in Food Processing | Probiotic Food | Metabolomics of Carotenoids: The Challenges and Prospects | Food Biochemistry | Agricultural and Food Biotechnology and Nanotechnology | Food Bioactives, Nutrition and Health | Aquaculture | Fisheries
Location: Olimpica 3+4

Melissa Fitzgerald

The University of Queensland, Australia

Chair

Maria Ines Bruno Tavares

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Co Chair

Biography

Kathleen Hefferon received her PhD from the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto and continued her post-doctoral studies at Cornell University. Dr. Hefferon has worked on faculty at the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell and has written two books on biopharmaceuticals in plants. She teaches and conducts research at both the University of Toronto and Cornell University. Kathleen has 4 patents, has edited 6 books, and has multiple research publications. Kathleen currently lives with her family near Ithaca NY.


Abstract

From over two decades now, plants have been explored for their potential to act as production platforms for biopharmaceuticals, such as vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. Without a doubt, the development of plant viruses as expression vectors for pharmaceutical production have played an integral role in the emergence of plants as inexpensive and facile systems for the generation of therapeutic proteins. More recently, plant viruses have been designed as non-toxic nanoparticles which can target a variety of cancers and thus empower the immune system to slow or even reverse tumor progression. The following presentation describes the employment of plant virus expression vectors for the treatment of some of the most challenging diseases known today. The presentation concludes with a projection of the multiple avenues by which virus nanoparticles could impact developing countries.

Biography

Sarah Bloch is a Senior Scientist at Pivot Bio, an agtech company based in Silicon Valley that is pioneering a ground breaking approach to crop nutrition. She spear heads the research and development of Pivot Bio’s non-transgenic microbial solutions to deliver nutrients to crops in a more sustainable and efficient manner than traditional chemical fertilizers. As Pivot Bio’s Strain Optimization Team Lead, she integrates unique strain optimization technology to improve plant growth-promoting phenotypes in plant-associated bacterial strains. She holds a PhD from the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics from the University of Minnesota. Her graduate work focused on microbial engineering for the sustainable and low-cost production of valuable plant natural products.


Abstract

Nitrogen fertilizer has been an important part of increased grain production. Now there is a better way. Biological
nitrogen fixation (BNF) by plant-associated bacteria has the potential to provide a sustainable and efficient source of nitrogen to crop roots. However, the abundance of fertilizer and residual nitrogen in agricultural soils has repressed BNF in natural rhizosphere microbes. Pivot Bio has developed a method to provide nitrogen to cereal crops by reawakening BNF in a naturally-occurring microbe. We have identified a novel bacterium that colonize the surface of corn roots at high levels and contains the genetics encoding nitrogen fixation. We fine-tuned the genetic regulation of BNF to allow the microbes to fix nitrogen in the presence of exogenous nitrogen in the lab, greenhouse and field. We also optimized the bacteria for nitrogen release to the roots, showing ammonium excretion in vitro and incorporation of biologically-fixed nitrogen into plant shoot tissues by isotopic studies. Corn plants inoculated with the resulting microbes show increased biomass in nitrogendeficient greenhouse conditions and increased yield in field conditions compared to un-inoculated controls. One of these microbes is currently in large- acre, pre-launch field trials as an in-furrow corn inoculant. By producing 28-40 kg nitrogen per hectare in corn, these microbes are the first commerciallyviable example of BNF as a nitrogen management solution, and the first step toward replacement of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers with an alternative that’s better for both growers and the environment.

Biography

Ock K Chun is an Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut. She received Postdoctoral training at Cornell University (2002-2003) and Michigan State University (2003-2006). She received a PhD in Public Health from the Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea in 1999. She completed her B A in Food and Nutrition in Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea in 1988. She is serving as an Editorial board member of reputed journals and reviewer of 10 journals. In 2008 she became Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut and Associate Professor in 2014.


Abstract

Although several animal and cell studies have indicated that blackcurrant anthocyanins exert anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, which could potentially improve bone mass, the effect of blackcurrant on bone health has not been reported yet. Thus, this study was aimed to evaluate the effect of blackcurrant anthocyanins on bone mass in an estrogen deficiency mouse model. Fourteen-week old C57BL/6J mice (n=54) were ovariectomized or sham operated. The ovariectomized mice were divided into two groups, basal diet (OVX) or basal diet with 1% anthocyanin rich blackcurrant extract (OVX+BC) and sacrificed at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Femoral bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone volume (TBV) by DXA and micro-CT respectively and serum bone markers were measured. Ovariectomy significantly reduced BMD and TBV at all-time points (p<0.05). Blackcurrant supplementation attenuated ovariectomy induced bone loss measured by BMD and TBV at 8 weeks (p=0.055 and p=0.057) and the effect was more pronounced at 12 weeks (p=0.053 and p<0.05). Ovariectomy and blackcurrant treatment did not alter serum biomarkers of bone formation and resorption. Bone marrow cells extracted from OVX mice significantly induced osteoclast like cell (OCL) formation compared to cells from sham controls (P<0.05). Blackcurrant treatment decreased the number of TRAP (+) OCL compared with OVX mice at 8 and 12 weeks (P<0.05). Furthermore, blackcurrant supplementation reduced bone resorption activity when measured by resorption pit assay, compared with OVX group (P<0.05). These results demonstrate that blackcurrant may be effective in mitigating osteoclast - induced postmenopausal bone loss.

Biography

Iramaia Angelica Neri-Numa has completed her PhD in Food Science at the University of Campinas. Currently, she is a Researcher at the Laboratory of Bioflavor and Bioactive Compounds at the University of Campinas. She involved in activities related to the bioprospection of secondary metabolites belonging to the Brazilian biodiversity of fruits as well as the biological role of the phenolic compounds, carotenoids, iridoids and prebiotics. She is a member of the project COBRA: A novel compound discovery pipeline for rapid and cost-effective identification of bioactives with health benefits from Brazilian crops, being conducted in a strong international cooperation with the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), the Univeristy of Copenhagen (UoC), the Technical University of Denmark and the Ultrapan (Brazil). She also has some relevant works published in reputed journals and book chapters.


Abstract

Brazil is one of the world’s mega-diverse countries respresenting 20% of the world’s flora. Among the six Brazilian biomes stand out the Amazon rain forest, Cerrado and Atlantic forest which provides a large variety of native species with unique sensory characteristics and a great nutritional, functional and economic potential comparable to the temperate climate fruits. They constitute an important innovation domain for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, due to their wide variety of secondary metabolites and positive health effects as well as the market potential. This lecture mention the panorama of the Brazilian fruticulture and some results of the screening of some native Brazilian fruits as novel sources of compounds of interest, such as antioxidant, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities as well as inibition of apoptosis and toxicity.

Biography

N Yusof received her MSc degree in Food Science from University Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia in 2014. The Master’s thesis was focused on the development of new prebiotics using cellulase enzyme. Currently, she is a PhD student at the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences in Reading University. Her PhD project is related to the biotechnological production of novel bio-emulsifiers.


Abstract

This work describes the synthesis of different size maltodextrin (DE 16.5-19.5, DE 13-17, DE 4-7) with vinyl laurate to obtain bio emulsifiers. Immobilized lipase from C. antarctica (Novozyme 435) was found a useful biocatalyst for maltodextrin trans-esterification in mixtures of DMSO/ButOH (10/90 v/v) at 600ºC for 24 hours. The degree of substitution determined for the optimum conditions and was found in the range of 0.189-0.322. The DS was greater for maltodextrin with the highest molecular weight (DE 4-7) in a vinyl laurate to maltodextrin ratio of 2:1. For large size of maltodextrin (DE 4-7), the lowest amount of vinyl laurate (2:1) were required reflecting the steric hindrance effect of the substrate over lipase. The physicochemical properties of these maltodextrin lauric acid esters were investigated. The produced maltodextrin lauric acid esters were further characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the presence of the lauryl ester group was observed. X-ray diffraction pattern of maltodextrin lauric acid esters indicated the crystallization of lauric acid  side chain. ESI-MS analysis proved the presence of a mixture of esterified products of mono and di-substitutions with lauric acid. All esters did not completely dissolve in water and had a higher viscosity compare to native maltodextrin. However at higher concentration (40% w/w), the esterified maltodextrin exhibited non-Newtonian in contrast to native maltodextrin that exhibited Newtonian behavior.

Biography

Yongping Bao is a Reader in Nutritional Biochemistry at the Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia (UEA). His research interests centre on the bioactivity of dietary phytochemicals with particular emphasis on the mechanisms of isothiocyanates for cancer prevention and interactions between these compounds and minerals. Before joining the Norwich Medical School, UEA in 2005, he was a Senior Scientist (Team Leader) at the Institute of Food Research, Norwich. He was awarded PhD in Biochemistry from UEA in 1996, after originally graduating from the Harbin Medical University in China with a M B in Preventative Medicine (1983). He has published >80 papers with total citations >3000 times. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) since 2009. 


Abstract

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans. There are at least 25 seleno proteins in the human body that play fundamental roles in anti oxidation, anti inflammation and homeostasis. Selenoproteins, such as thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR-1) and glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPX2), have antioxidant responsive elements (ARE) in their gene promoters. Nuclear factor E2 - related factor 2 (Nrf2) binds to the ARE and consequently upregulates the expression of more than 100 genes and most of them possess antioxidant properties. Dietary isothiocyanates (ITCs) are potent activators of the Nrf2-ARE pathway. When human hepatocytes are exposed to ITCs such as sulforaphane (SFN) derived from dietary glucosinolates found in broccoli and cauliflower, TrxR-1 and GPX2 are upregulated at the mRNA level, whereas co treatment of cells with SFN and Se results in synergistic effects on the expression of these seleno proteins at the mRNA, protein and activity levels. Having identified the synergy between SFN and Se, their beneficial effects were investigated in relation to protection against free radical and toxic nanoparticle mediated cell death in various cell types, as well as against Coxsackie virus induced myocardiopathy in a mouse model. A potential health benefit from the dietary combination of SFN and Se is that Se can be effective at lower concentrations. This eliminates the need for high doses of Se, which have been associated with increased risks of type II diabetes in adequate Se intake populations. The benefits and risks of isothiocyanate intake will also be discussed since the relationship between dose and response is often J- or U-shaped. We believe that the potential benefits of dietary isothiocyanates are determined not only by their dose, but also by their interactions with other nutrients.

Biography

Manuela Oliverio is an Assistant Professor at the University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro- Department of Health Sciences since 2008. Since 2016 she holds the Italian qualification to Associate Professor in Organic Chemistry. During her academic career, she waved the following offsite collaborations: Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Karl-Franzens University of Graz, University of Turin, Université de Montpellier II, among others. She was a co-author of 45 papers on peer review international journals. She received her first personal grant by the Bonino-Pulejo Foundation, for the achievement of an excellent result as MD student. In 2013 her Project: Valorization of olive oil as functional food in cancer protection, financed by Fondazione Università Magna Graecia won an internal competition dedicated to UMG young researchers. In 2014, at the 3rd ScienceOne Conference on drug Discovery & Development, Dubai – UAE, the oral presentation of her was awarded with the Conference Best Paper Award. Also in 2014, she gained the Giacomo Ciamician Medal, for her achievements in the use of alternative solvents, energies and catalysts in organic chemistry.


Abstract

The health claim authorized for the EVOO by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) establishes a daily intake of 20 g of such an olive oil provides the expected beneficial effects only if the EVOO contains 5 mg HT yr. and its derivatives. However, the concentration in some types of olive oil may be too low to allow to exploit EFSA claim. A comparative study on 32 different EVOO from the Italian market aimed to asses if some of them could declare EFSA claim, showed that only 3 samples, covered by Protected DSupporting Informationgnation of Origin (PDOs) possess more than 250 mg of hydroxytyrosol derivatives. As a result, enrichment of EVOOs as well as other vegetable edible oils with such antioxidant phenols becomes of great interest. In the present work we present our efforts to extract, isolate and transform in an eco-friendly manner olive oil polyphenols, obtained by extraction of olive leaves, the main by-product of oil production, for food applications. In particular we will discuss our work on exploitation of two oleuropein derivatives, namely per acetylated oleuropein and oleacin as, respectively, synthetic additives for functional food and natural additive for nutraceutical claims. The permeability and the biological activity of peracetylated oleuropein as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer agents and hypoglycemic agent will be presented both in vitro and in vivo, as well as the stability of such molecule in olive oil for functional food applications. On the other side the enrichment of less high value oils, such as seed oils with oleacin in order to transform them in a functional food able to protect against several different pathologies, will be presented.

Biography

Clara Lizarazo currently works at the Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki. Clara does research in Food Science, Agronomy and Agricultural Plant Science. Has worked for two EU funded projects ‘Climate CAFE: Climate change adaptability of cropping and farming systems’ and ‘Legume Futures’.


Abstract

Caraway (Carum carvi L.) is one of the most important spice crops worldwide. In Finland, it has become a hit agricultural product cultivated in over 1.500 farms and 20.000 hectares. Finnish caraway production fluctuated between 4.9- 8.2 million kg during the period 2012-2016, while it reached a record 10.4 million kg in 2011. Most of the production is for export, where Finland holds a 1.4% share of the world’s spice crop market. Caraway seeds contain between 1 to 7% oil, depending on whether the crop is annual or biennial, the latter usually accumulating more oil. The essential oil is mainly made of carvone, limonene and polyphenols, which have antioxidant activity and health promoting properties. Caraway, cv. ‘Record’, plant stand was established in 2016 at the Viikki Experimental Farm, Helsinki, Finland. In the second year, 2017, a field experiment was designed on the caraway plant stand using a randomized complete block design with four replicates and five treatments: a control and a foliar applied micronutrient of copper, magnesium, manganese or zinc. After milling seed oil was extracted using accelerated solvent extraction method. Essential oils and fatty acids were measured using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography – flame ionization detector (GC-FID) as described in da Silva and Câmera and Zi-Tao et al. respectively. To our knowledge, no previous studies have assessed the role of micronutrients on caraway oil composition. Our results indicate that while the micronutrient treatments have a significant effect on essential oil composition i.e., Zinc treatment giving the highest limonene content, not such effect was found on fatty acid composition.
 
Recent Publications 
 
  1. Da Silva C L and Câmara J S (2013) Profiling of volatiles in the leaves of Lamiaceae species based on headspace solid phase micro extraction and mass spectrometry. Food research international 51:378-387. 
  2. Vallverdú - Queralt A, Regueiro J, Alvarenga J F R, Martinez – Huelamo M, Leal L N and Lamuela- Raventos R M (2015) Characterization of the phenolic and antioxidant profiles of selected culinary herbs and spices: caraway, turmeric, dill, marjoram and nutmeg. Food science and technology 35(1):189-195.
  3. Zi-Tao Jiang, Mo-Lei Sun, Rong Li and Ying Wang (2011) Essential oil composition of Chinese Caraway (Carum carvi L.) Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants 14(3):379-382.

Location: Olimpica 3+4

Kathleen Hefferon

Cornell University, USA

Chair

Yongping Bao

University of East Anglia, United Kingdom

Co Chair

Biography

Judith Tisdall is broadly experienced in basic and applied research in soils. In 2012, she was awarded the JK Taylor Gold Medal for excellence in research and communication. She is the leading scientist on aggregate hierarchy and management that increases stable aggregation. Her paper organic matter and water-stable aggregates in soils published in the Journal of Soil Science is the most cited paper (2714 citations) in 68 years of the European Journal of Soil Science (predecessor of Journal of Soil Science) the paper was re-published as Landmark paper in the European Journal of Soil Science in 2012. She was the first to show the effect of mycorrhizal hyphae on soil aggregation, and that the mechanisms of salt-exclusion and potassium - exclusion in grapevine root stocks operate in the roots. Her 52 papers have been cited a total of 4438 times in the scientific literature.


Abstract

Phytophthora species are common fungal pathogens of ornamental, forest and fruit trees. Mostly Collar rot and crown rot of apple trees (Malus domestica), but rarely pear trees (Pyrus spp.,) and trunk rot of stone-fruit trees (Prunus spp.,) are serious soil-borne diseases world-wide. Diseased trees are mostly found where soil type, topography, climate and irrigation have contributed to long periods of saturated soil. The pathogens survive and spread in saturated soil, infect roots, trunks and can eventually kill the trees. In winter, the fungus survives as thick-walled resting-spores (oospores) in soil and in roots. In spring, the oospores germinate to form sporangia which release many zoospores that move in water in the soil and infect and damage the roots so that they can no longer take up water and nutrients. In the southern hemisphere, Phytophthora cactorum is active in deciduous fruit trees from October to May in warm (18o–20°C) saturated soil and the roots are susceptible from August to December. In apple orchards, collar rot and crown rot are first noticed during spring, when the trees are growing poorly, buds are developing slowly and leaves are chlorotic. With stone-fruit e.g., mainly peach and apricot, gum is exuded from the bark of infected trees, which are eventually girdled and killed. The best and cheapest ways to prevent from infecting and killing the trees are to improve surface drainage of the soil before the trees are planted, and to irrigate the soil carefully to avoid saturated soil. Phosphorus acid sprayed once in spring, summer and autumn, helps to protect the trees from early stages of the disease, but chemicals cannot resurrect trees that are badly damaged by Phytophthora.

Biography

Stephanie Jeske has graduated with a Bachelor degree in Food Technology from University of Applied Science Bremerhaven in Germany. For carrying out her final thesis she came to University College Cork to work with Professor Elke Arendt, investigating strategies to improve protein extraction from quinoa flour. Captivated by this topic and scientific work, she decided to stay in Cork and started a PhD program under the supervision of Professor Elke Arendt in 2015. Her research focuses on innovative plant based dairy alternatives. She has published two papers on this topic.


Abstract

Plant-based foods are gaining in popularity and the market is developing fast. This trend is based on several factors, like the change of lifestyle, interest in alternative diets and the increasing awareness of sustainable production of food and especially proteins. Plant-based dairy substitutes can serve as an option to traditional food products, meeting many of these interests. However, the market is in its infancy and needs to progress. A screening of 17 different commercial milk substitutes based on different cereals, nuts and legumes was performed. Half of the analyzed samples had low or no protein contents (<0.5%). An in vitro method was used to predict the glycaemic index, which ranged from 47 for bovine milk up to 100 for rice based samples. Most of the plant based milk substitutes were highly unstable with separation rates up to 54.39%/h. The market is likely to shift towards alternative plants to meet consumers’ needs and desire for healthy, flavorful and intriguing products. The aspect of allergy free, like gluten-free products gain also in importance. Research studies are approaching the nutritional quality, such as improving the protein quality and glycaemic properties. In this regard, the influence of different commercial enzymes on protein properties and product quality in a quinoa based beverage was studied. The protein solubility was improved up to 68.31%, which correlated highly with the degree of hydrolysis and surface hydrophobicity. The results of this study provide an in depth understanding of the effects of enzymes in a complex system of a plant based milk substitute and contribute to the development of protein rich products. Furthermore, the application of these products as functional ingredients or substitutes for dairy products like cheese and yoghurt are disseminated. However, there is still a need for much more diversified studies in order to overcome stability, textural, nutritional and sensory problems.

Biography

Asst. Prof. Nurgül Kitir In 2008, she graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, as Agricultural Engineer. She has worked and studied in several countries as George August University and Kassel University in Germany and Aristotle University and NAGREF (National Agricultural Research Foundation) in Greece related with scientific research groups.  At Yeditepe University, she has completed her master's degree in Biotechnology with her graduate thesis titled "Assessment of Toxicity of Various Carbon and Boron Nanotubes on Wheat and Barley Germination" in 2014 with honour degree. In 2017 " Evaluation of Some Leonardite Sources in Turkey for Biologic Humic Production via Biotechnological Method For Organic Farming Usage" on "Yeditepe University with a high honour degree she received Doctor title by completing her PhD in Biotechnology program. She is currently working in Turkey, Konya Food and Agriculture University, Agriculture and Natural Sciences Faculty, Plant Production and Technologies Department.


Abstract

Nowadays, the developing countries became follower of the developing countries and accepted the strategies based on obtaining economic and optimum products via efficient usage of agricultural technology. In these strategies the main target is to increase the production amount and due to these strategies, the sustainability of biodiversity and natural balance aren’t taken into account and usage of chemical inputs without control cause a lot of problems in short and long terms. In the study leonardite samples were taken from different leonardite deposits and the quality of ores were determined and from these ores of Adana Tufanbeyli, Turkey was selected due to best properties and bioleaching method was applied to obtain biotechnologically produced humic acid and to determine the leaching ratio. California method was used as standard method. To optimize the best conditions for maximum and economic bioleaching several leonardite ore and microorganism solution rates of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70%, several media pH of 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, different efficiency durations of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 days and different temperature conditions 10, 20, 30, 45, 50°C were tested. As a result of the study the most efficient pH 8.5, fermentation degree at 45oC, 40/60% ore/bioleaching solution and 4 days incubation duration were determined. The stabilized product was tested in field conditions at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 L/Ha dosages in tomato in Bursa Karacabey, Turkey. The divided parcels randomized to two sources as standard and biologic humic acid, five application dosages and three repeats and for each plant 30 repeats were done. As a result of the study, the most appropriate dosages in biologic humic acid were determined for tomato was 83 L/Ha and compared with standard humic acid the yield increase were determined as 24.5%. Due to this increase in yield, the determined macro and microelement, organic and amino acid, hormone, hydrogen peroxide and antioxidant enzyme contents, this product has a good potential to use in organic farming as fertilizer.

Biography

Hang Xun is a Doctoral candidate in International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, China.  His research works during the Doctoral study include: Separation and identification of secondary metabolites from bamboo, and screening the bio-activates of related natural products.

 


Abstract

Zongzi, which is believed to have a history of more than 2000 years, is a type of famous Chinese snack that is also popular in many Asian countries. It is made of glutinous rice and wrapped in the large flat bamboo leaves of Indocalamus latifolius McClure. Zongzi has been characterized by a long shelf life since ancient times. In this research, we examined the phytoconstituents of I. latifolius McClure leaves in detail and their antibacterial activities against two gram positive and two gram negative bacterial strains. Four new compounds, along with six known compounds were isolated from I. latifolius McClure leaves. The structures and relative configurations of the compounds were determined by detailed spectroscopic analysis. All of the isolated compounds were screened for their antibacterial activities in vitro. The results indicated that apigenin 6-C-α-L[1]arabinopyranosyl-8-C-β-D-glucopyranoside and apigenin 7-O, 8-C-di-glucopyranoside have antibacterial activities against four bacterial strains. Since ancient times, the leaves of I. latifolius McClure have been used as a packaging material for food and presently, they still play a unique role in producing zongzi in China. The identification of the antibacterial compounds in the leaves of I. latifolius McClure is important for helping us to understand the long shelf life of zongzi as well as for exploring the potential of I. latifolius McClure leaves as a natural, healthy and eco-friendly alternative packaging material for other applications.

Biography

Vera Matta is Clinical Dietitian with a Master degree in Nutrition Counseling and a PhD degree in Nutritional Psychotherapy, currently completing a second PhD in Clinical Nutrition. She is a Counselor for many food institutes. She is Owner of Diet & Health Clinic.


Abstract

Background: Nowadays, young females are seeking optimal fitness most of the time through unhealthy practices. Most females don’t follow the health recommendations on dietary guidelines. Normal weights female behave differently than overweight and obese female and perceive food and diet practices in other ways. Since those dieting practices are not always adapted to promote a healthy body weight, this study aims to determine the dieting practices used among normal, overweight and obese female and identify dieting practices that could be pursued to help these females more appropriately achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

Methods: A total of 120 females aged 18 to 26 years participated in this study. Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, and skinfold thickness were measured to assess body composition. Surveys included food questionnaire and physical activity recall. Participants were classified according to body mass index (BMI) as normal weight (n=80), overweight (n=25), or obese (n=15). Data were analyzed using JMP IN® software. Descriptive statistics included means, standard deviations, and frequency.

Results: Majority of participants (79%) used dieting for weight loss and believed they would be almost 4% greater than current weight if they did not diet; normal weight, overweight, and obese groups perceived attractive weight to be 94%, 85%, and 74%, respectively, of current weight; 75% of participants reported using physical activity to control weight, although only 21% exercised at a sufficient level to promote weight loss; only two of 15 dieting behaviors assessed differed in terms of prevalence of use among groups, which were consciously eating less than you want (44% normal weight, 57% overweight, 81% obese) and using artificial sweeteners (31% normal weight and overweight, 5% obese); and the most prevalent explicit maladaptive weight loss behavior was smoking cigarettes (used by 9% of participants) and most unhealthy was skipping breakfast (32%).

Conclusion: Collectively, results indicate females, regardless of weight status, would benefit from open discussions and education sessions with health educators regarding healthy and effective dieting practices to achieve/maintain a healthy body weight.

 

Biography

Xi Yao completed his PhD in Chemical Processing of Forest Products by Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences. He worked as Associate Researcher of Photochemistry at International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan (ICBR). He has authored over 30 manuscripts in reputed journals. His current research is focused on biomedical/biopesticide products and health products from plant resource.


Abstract

According to our previous research, orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, and isovitexin are four representative flavonoid compounds in bamboo plant, which have significant biological activities. In this paper, the application of 1-n-butyl-3- methylimidazolium based ionic liquids aqueous solutions in the microwave assisted extraction (MAE) technique was first developed for the extraction of isoorientin from leaves of Dendrocalamus farinosus. Response surface experimental design was used to explore for the best extraction conditions of isorientin: The amount of leaves 0.5 g, in the 1.5 mol/L 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF4]) system, the extraction temperature 60.2℃, extraction time 12.36 min, and liquid-to-solid ratio of 16.74:1 mL/g. Under optimized conditions, the extraction yield was 1.693 mg/g. The recovery was in the range 93.8~100.4% with relative standard deviation lower than 3.0% by the proposed procedure. Furthermore, the comparison of the proposed ILMAE approach with the conventional method was also studied to demostrate the method feasibility. It is worth mentioning that the proposed approach could dramatically improve both the extraction efficiency of theisorientin and the total extraction time. On the basis of extraction solvent and time, the proposed extraction technique was a green, rapid and alternative technique to extract and analyze isoorientin in bamboo samples.

Biography

Cheng-Kuang Hsu has completed his PhD in Bio resource Engineering from Oregon State University, USA. He worked as Professor of Food Science at National Chiayi University, Taiwan. He published more than 50 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as Director of Analytical and Technical Service Center in National Chiayi University.    


Abstract

This research was undertaken to identify the fermentation conditions optimal for the koji production and to investigate the effects of pH, temperature and salt content on the enzymatic hydrolysis of koji protease and amylase. The experiments were carried out by inoculating the different ratios of soybean to wheat with the spores of Aspergillus oryzae using response surface methodology (RSM). The ratio of soybean to wheat were 2:1 and 1:1, corresponding to Chinese-type (BA1) and Japanese-type (BA2), respectively. The optimum fermentation time for both protease and amylase were found at 60 h for both BA1 and BA2. Both protease and amylase activities observed in BA1 were higher than those in BA2, it was because the steamed soybean was more easier to be hydrolyzed by the enzymes than the roasted wheat. The protease produced by A. oryzae was most active and stable in the pH range 7.0-7.7, indicative of a neutral protease. The optimum temperature for protease activity was 52-55°C and the enzyme was stable at around 40°C. On the contrary, the acidic region pH 5, was preferred to amylase activity and stability. Additionally, the amylase which was most active at 60°C and stable at around 48°C, was more tolerant to heat and salt as compared to the protease.

 

Biography

Jonghan Ko holds an Associate Professor position at Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea. He is a Crop Modeler and Agricultural Remote Sensing Researcher. His research fields include agronomic applications of crop modeling techniques, quantitative agricultural remote sensing and environmental crop ecology. He was awarded a PhD degree in Agronomy at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, the USA with a dissertation topic entitled: Development of a cotton crop model that uses remote sensing data in 2004. He received both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Agronomy at Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea in 1995 and 1998, respectively.


Abstract

Satellite images are promising scientific tools for monitoring of inaccessible crop lands, a design of decision support systems and other practical applications that may require remote sensing information. Crop models are useful tools to continuously monitor and simulate information on the crop growth and crop productivity. Combining these approaches, one can provide adequate and continuous monitoring of region wide crop productivity. This study aims to simulate the productivity of paddy - Oryza sativa and the yield of all paddy fields in Korea using a grid crop model combined with satellite imageries. Vegetation Indices and solar insolation data were obtained from the geostationary ocean color imager and the meteorological imager sensors of the communication ocean and meteorological satellite. Reanalysis data of air temperature were collected from the korea local analysis and prediction system. The model was calibrated to simulate rice yields using data obtained from 11 countries and applied to 62 countries with an area of more than 5,000 ha in South Korea for four years from 2011 to 2014. Simulated rice yields were in statistically acceptable agreement with the observed data with a range of model efficiency from -0.21 to 0.55 and a variety of root mean square error from 0.33 to 0.44 ton ha-1, respectively. In the inaccessible North Korea (NK) for the same period, rice yields were well reproduced upon calibration of the model on 500 m grid paddy fields in Cheorwon as well as verification of the simulation performance accuracy for Cheorwon and Paju, located at the borders of NK. Results show that the paddy productivities were reproduced with reasonable accuracy. The study demonstrates that incorporating a crop model with satellite images can be utilized as a reliable technique for monitoring of crop productivity, particularly in remote, data-sparse regions.

Biography

Seung Joon Baek has completed his PhD in Human Genetics from University of Maryland School of Medicine and Postdoctoral studies from National Institutes of Health, USA. He used to work as Professor of Veterinary Medicine at University of Tennessee USA and now is working in Seoul National University as a Professor. He has published more than 130 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as a Director of Lab of Signal Transduction


Abstract

Damnacanthal is an anthraquinone isolated from the root of Morinda citrifolia L. (noni), and it exhibits many pharmacological properties, including anti-cancer activity. Damnacanthal targets several signal transduction proteins related to cell growth inhibition or apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which damnacanthal affects anti-cancer activity have not been elucidated in detail. Cyclin D1 is an important regulatory protein in cell cycle progression and is overexpressed in many cancer cells and CRM1 is a target protein for cancer therapy. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of damnacanthal on cyclin D1 and CRM1 expression. We found that damnacanthal inhibited growth of several cancer cell lines (HCT-116, HT-29, MCF-7 and PC-3) in a dose- and time-dependent manner with decreasing in cyclin D1 protein expression. Damnacanthal did not change mRNA of cyclin D1; rather it suppressed cyclin D1 expression at the posttranslational level. Subsequent experiments with several mutant cyclin D1 constructs suggest that the lysine sites of cyclin D1 play a pivotal role in damnacanthal - mediated cyclin D1 degradation. Furthermore, damnacanthal was encapsulated in self-assembled chitosan nanoparticles to improve both physicochemical and biological activities. Our results suggest that encapsulated damnacanthal suppresses CRM1 expression and exhibits better activity in cell growth inhibition, compared to non-encapsulated damnacanthal. Thus, damnacanthal has potential to be a candidate for the development of chemoprevention or therapeutic agents for cancers.

Biography

Rahman Ullah is a PhD Scholar in the Department of Dairy Technology at University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. He is currently working on the project of functional dairy products. He published more than eight papers in reputed journals. He has been to University of Kentucky, USA as Visiting Research Scholar.


Abstract

Effect of supplementing cheddar cheese with chia oil on omega fatty acids, phenolic compounds and lipolysis of cheddar cheese was investigated. Milk fat was partially replaced with chia oil i.e., 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10% (T1, T2, T3 and T4). Cheese prepared from 100% milk fat served as control, ripened at 6oC for 90 days. Concentration of α-linolenic in control and T3 was 0.51% and 12.55%. HPLC characterization revealed the concentration of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, phenolic glycoside-k and phenolic glycoside-Q in T3 were 0.15, 0.26, 0.62, 1.55 and 1.97 mg/ml. Concentration of cholesterol in 90 days ripened control and T3 was 119 and 92 mg/100g with lower concentration of organic acids and no difference in sensory characteristics of cheddar cheese up to T3 level. These results suggest that concentration of omega fatty acids and phenolic compounds can be enhanced in cheddar cheese by supplementing with chia oil.

Day2: July 24, 2018

Keynote Forum

Biography

Melissa Fitzgerald holds the Australian Food and Grocery Council Chair in Food Science and Technology at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on using metabolomics profiling platforms to understand the quality and nutritional value of foods. She works on volatile compounds, as well as primary and secondary metabolites in plants and food. She undertook her PhD at La Trobe University in the School of Botany in 1994, and then joined NSW Agriculture in 1997 to Head the Grain Chemistry and Quality Laboratory. In 2004, she was spirited off to the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines to Head the Grain Quality, Nutrition and Value Adding Program, where she worked for eight years developing new techniques to measure rice quality and directing research in rice quality. In 2012, she returned to Australia to take the Chair at UQ.


Abstract

Aromatic rice commands the highest prices in both domestic and international markets because consumers prize both the mouth-watering aroma and delicate flavor of the rice. The major aromatic compound in fragrant rice is 2-acetyl 1-pyrroline (2AP). Using a panel of 380 diverse varieties of rice, metabolomics profiling of volatile compounds from the grain and genome wide association with 33,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the objectives of this study were to identify the sensory traits that describe jasmine rice, the volatile compounds that define those sensory traits and the genetic markers for those compounds. The sensory descriptors fell into three clusters with cluster one of them describing high quality jasmine rice, cluster three describing non-fragrant rice and lower quality jasmine rice falling between the descriptors in clusters one and two. The compounds that most strongly discriminated the high-quality jasmine rice from the other samples were 2AP and four other compounds; two of which required high resolution platforms to reveal their molecular structure and annotation. These five compounds associate with the same SNP on chromosome eight, several are fragrant with a low odor threshold and they provide new information about the pathway of 2AP synthesis. Three QTL were found that associate with high or low amounts of the five compounds. Another 20 metabolites associated either positively or negatively with high quality jasmine fragrance. Significant genetic associations could be found for some of these compounds. By combining these platforms, we deliver new and valuable tools to breeders for selecting highly fragrant rice. We also deliver information and germplasm for the development of new populations targeted to provide appropriate phenotype data to identify QTLs for the other important metabolites identified here.

Biography

Rajiv Arora is working as Head of the Chemical Engineering Department of Shaheed Bhagat Singh State Technical Campus, Ferozepur, India. He has done his PhD in the field of Biofuels from Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. He has 17 years of teaching experience and five years of industrial experience. His research areas include biofuels from waste biomass, heterogeneous catalysis, extraction of oils/nutrients and byproducts from biomass, environmental engineering and photo catalytic degradation. He has applied for three patents and published more than 25 research papers. He is the Chairman and Member of the Board of Studies in Chemical Engineering of many universities in India. He provides consultancy to many edible oil industries regarding the process intensification, extraction of valuable nutrients and optimization. He is the recipient of numerous national awards and financial grants for his research work in the field of biofuels and extraction of nutrients. Recently, his innovation “Low Cost Nutrients from Rice Bran” has been placed among the top ten innovations of 2017 by “Millennium Alliance” in India.


Abstract

As people get more and more health conscious day by day, there is a tendency to include a variety of super foods to their daily diet. These super foods, such as flax seeds, asparagus and grapefruit, among many others have become very popular over the years due to their nutritional values as well as health benefits. Rice bran can be another future super food as rice bran contains a variety of bioactive components with chemopreventive activity including -oryzanol, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, tricin, coumaric acid, phytic acid, the vitamin E isoforms α-tocopherol, -tocopherol and various tocotrienols, phytosterols such as β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and capesterol and carotenoids such as α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein and lycopene. Rice bran also contains cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, arabinoxylan, lignin and β–glucan, micronutrients such as calcium, magnesium, nine B vitamins and essential amino acids such as tryptophan, histidine, cysteine and arginine. It has been found that the dietary rice bran may exert beneficial effects against several types of cancer also, such as breast, lung, liver and colorectal cancer. The chemo preventive potential has been related to the bioactive phytochemicals present in the rice bran. Studies have shown that the anticancer effects of the rice bran derived bioactive components are mediated through their ability to induce apoptosis, inhibit cell proliferation and alter cell cycle progression in malignant cells. Rice bran is one of the most wasted nutritional resource in the world with an estimated 60 million tonnes used away each year as animal feed ingredient, but the highly nutritious rice bran could be a new super food. Also, its hydrolysate form has the potential to be applied in nutraceutical products. Moreover, the global availability, accessibility and affordability of dietary rice bran offer unique public health opportunities in both developed and developing countries.

Tracks

  • Food Chemistry | Food Engineering | Food Processing | Food Safety | Food Science and technology | Preservation of Food | Advanced Mass Transfer in Foods | Food Quality | Food Packaging | Agricultural and Food Industry | Quality Analysis and Detection Technology in Agricultural and Food Materials | Market Standards and Regulations in Agricultural & Food Chemistry
Location: Olimpica 3+4

Daniela Fracassetti

University of Milan, Italy

Chair

Adele Maria Muscolo

University Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Italy

Co Chair

Biography

Quynh Phan is a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University. She received her B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in Agricultural studies from California State University, Stanislaus in 2015. After graduation, Quynh worked as a chemistry research intern at the Chemistry department, E & J Gallo Winery. She has extensive experience performing chemical analyses to evaluate the chemical characteristics of different grape varietals throughout their maturation process and analyzing volatile aroma compounds in wines and grape juices. Her passion for chemistry and wine led her to join Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino’s research group in 2017 where she started working on lipid content of wine and their link to mouthfeel perception.


Abstract

Concentration and composition of lipids present in wine have been shown to be dependent on yeast and grape variety. There are two sources of lipids in wine: firm tissues of grapes and alcoholic fermentation by yeast. The temperature of a wine fermentation also affects lipid metabolism; therefore, lipid profiles vary under different wine making processes. This study investigated how many different types and amount of yeast derivative products added would affect the lipid content of pinot noir wines. Changes in lipid composition in wines according to fermentation temperature were also examined. The 2017 Oregon pinot noir grapes were fermented at 8°C and 27°C. After primary and malolactic fermentation, yeast products Autolees and Oenolees (Laffort, USA) were added to the wines for 60 days as separate treatments of Autolees (0.3 g/L, 0.175 g/L, and 0.05 g/L) and Oenolees (0.4 g/L, 0.3 g/L, and 0.2 g/L) or as a mixture of Autolees (0.3 g/L) and Oenolees (0.4 g/L). Liquid-liquid extraction method with chloroform/methanol (2:1 v/v) as the solvent was used to extract total lipids in the experimental wines. The lipids extracted were classified as polar lipids (PL), sterols (ST), free fatty acids (FFA), triglycerides (TG), and cholesterol ester (CE) by thin-layer chromatography. The fatty acids derivatives, fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). The results of this study contribute to the understanding of how differences in lipid composition could be useful for determining wine style and wine quality. Fatty acid composition and the poly unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio n-6/n-3 could be used to evaluate the quality of lipids in wine. In future research, it would substantially contribute to the investigation of the interactions of lipids with other wine components such as tannins and polysaccharide affecting the sensory properties of wine such as taste and mouth feel. 

Biography

Maria Ines Bruno Tavares completed her Undergraduate in Chemistry from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1980); Master’s in Chemistry from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1986) and Doctor Degree in Polymer Science and Technology from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1991) and part of the Doctor Degree was done in Durham University (1989-1990). She is a full Professor at Instituto de Macromoléculas Professora Eloisa Mano da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and Coordinator of structured nucleus from the nanotechnology. She is a Undergraduate Bachelor from IMA-UFRJ and actually coordinates the undergraduate nanotechnology bachelor students. she has more than 200 papers and experience in material and metallurgical engineering, focus on polymer nanostructured materials, NMR analytical method applied to polymer materials; especially in nanostructured materials, the use of NMR relaxometry to evaluate complex polymer materials as hybrid nanocomposites and food science.


Abstract

NMR relaxometry is a source to evaluate food samples because NMR offers a great variety of relaxation parameters; Tavares et al., have been applying proton-spin-lattice relaxation times as a methodology to characterize the molecular dynamics and homogeneity of foods and especially fruit seed starch. From this parameter we can obtain as much information as possible from food molecular dynamics, water content, oil proportion, polysaccharides and fibers organization. These components and their proportion are directly related to the food material molecular organization, which can interfere in the packing, storage and cooking. Different materials have been analyzed by the measurements of spin-lattice proton relaxation, T1H parameter and the results showed that they present a proper molecular organization, due to the intermolecular interaction forces and moisture.

Biography

Claudio Frezza has completed his Bachelor’ and master’s degrees in chemistry (curriculum Biological Systems) at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” under the supervision of Professor Armandodoriano Bianco. He has completed his PhD in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology in early 2018 under the supervision of Professor Mauro Serafini specializing in Phytochemistry, Chemotaxonomy and Ethnopharmacology with some incursions in nutraceutics. He has published more than 30 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as Referee for several journals.


Abstract

Lamiaceae is a family of plants included in the angiosperms group and comprising 12 subfamilies, 16 tribes, 9 sub-tribes, 236 genera and more than 7000 species. Plants belonging to this family are quite known all around the world for their traditional uses in both ethnobotany and cookery. In particular, this regards mainly the species belonging to the Nepetoideae sub family, widely employed as natural aromatizing, flavoring and spicing agents as well as natural food preservatives and for their medicinal and health promoting properties to treat several ailments such as inflammations, bacterial infections, digestive disorders and so on. Often these plants are used as such i.e., simple eating or processed in order to obtain decoctions, brews, herbal teas, infusions, dry powders, etc., according to the plant organs containing the active components and the final uses by which they will be employed. In this lecture, an exhaustive overview of the nutraceutics of Lamiaceae species will be presented with detailed particulars on the forms, the used plant organs, the practical applications and the areas of the world where these botanical entities are traditionally used for their health promoting properties and in ethno medicine. Moreover, this lecture will show how the nutraceutical properties of these species are strictly related with their phytochemical composition, also providing some examples from our own research experience.

Biography

Ana Barros is an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry Department at the University of Trásos-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Portugal. She is an integrated Member and Director of the Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro Environmental and Biological Sciences, responsible for the Phytochemicals Laboratory and Coordinator of the Agro-Food Quality group. To date she has participated in dozens of national and international projects, holds seven patents (National and European) and published more than 50 articles in international journals referenced in the ISI web of knowledge, made several oral communications at national and international congresses and also participated in international juries in the scope of contracting scholarship holders as well as in defense of Master’s and Undergraduate degrees.


Abstract

The winery industry is one of the major industrial endeavors worldwide with great economic and social impacts. Consequently, the large volume of by-products generated annually during the wine making process may constitute an important environmental problem with economic dimensions. Thus, a growing interest on recycling or reuse of the winery wastes has been initiated, since their antioxidant properties and putative health promoting effects make them attractive raw material for various industrial applications. In this respect, grape stems are included among these byproducts that are being generated annually in high amounts representing 25% of the total byproducts produced by a winemaking industry. Their rich content in bioactive phenolic compounds stress them as a valuable candidate for use by various industrial sectors as natural replacement of the currently used synthetic antioxidants. Therefore, our investigation group studies the phytochemical composition and the health beneficial effects of various phenolic compounds found in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) stems, further supporting their interest and applications as potential bioactive ingredients and thus, acting as a value adding by-product of the winery industry.

Biography

Irene Gouvinhas is a Post-doc student at University of Trásos-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD, Chemistry Department), Portugal and Investigator at the Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (UTAD-CITAB) since 2013. Her research interests are based on the investigation of the chemical features - bioactive nutrients and non-nutrients from foods and agro-food by-products, namely in olive and olive oils. Furthermore, she has published dozen articles (2010-2016) in the well reputed journals with his/her area of expertise: Food Chemistry, Talanta, Food Research International, Journal of Chemometrics, Journal of Oleo Science, among others.


Abstract

The winery industry is one of the most important industries worldwide, with an economic and social impact in Europe and especially in Northern Portugal. This socio-economic activity entail large quantities of byproducts generated annually, causing economic and environmental problems. In a close connection with the 40 years history of investigation on agro-food valorization, nowadays, a growing interest has wake up on recycling winery wastes boosted by the more and more reported putative health - promoting effects. Furthermore, the continuous emergence of multi drug resistance bacteria is becoming a huge threat to human, animal and environmental health. Therefore, the research for new natural antimicrobial compounds is the most promising alternative to effectively control multi drug bacterial infections. Hence, qualitative and quantitative evaluation of polyphenolic extracts of grape stems as sources of individual phenolic compounds and their biological activity in vitro (radical scavenging power and antimicrobial activity) were assessed during 64 days of storage. Grape stems revealed to be a rich source of phenolic compounds, even after some months of storage. Furthermore, all extracts with and without storage were able to inhibit the bacterial growth of the gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria (except E. coli and K. pneumoniae), revealing the potential inclusion of these bioactive compounds in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry as functional ingredients.

Biography

Anne Pihlanto has completed her PhD in Food Chemistry at University of Turku, Finland and Postdoctoral studies from University of Lyon. She works as Scientist at Natural Resources Institute Finland. She has published more than 100 papers in reputed journals and invited chapters in books.


Abstract

Meat is over consumed in western world with several health risks being associated, while plant proteins have shown significant protective effects. In addition, one major source of green house gas emissions is cattle. Hence, there is an urgent need to shift towards a more plant based diet for both environmental and public health reasons. Fava bean (Vicia faba), narrow leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolinus), rapeseed (Brassica rapa/napus subsp. Oleifera), flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum), oil hemp (Cannabis sativa), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) are among the most promising protein rich plants in the boreal climate of Finland. The main limiting factors for using plant proteins in foods are their taste and non nutritive compounds. The goal of this work was to respond to this need and determine various nutrients and non nutrients in the commercial products of these crops and to find economically and environmentally sustainable novel processing methods to enhance and diversify the use of plant protein in food products. All methods used have been accredited or thoroughly validated. These crops turned out to represent rich sources of energy, fiber, high quality protein, as well as bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds. Non nutritive compounds found in plant protein sources were tannins and glucosinolates, for example. We observed that pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) and enzymatic treatments were able to recover high quality protein concentrates from linseed and hemp seed by-products. To assess the nutritional quality of the proteinaceous extracts, amino acid composition and digestibility of the extracts were evaluated. Funding from Strategic Research Program (SRC) in Finland (Novel protein sources for food security, ScenoProt) is gratefully acknowledged.

Biography

Muscolo A has completed her MSc in Biological Sciences and PhD in Food Science at the Policlinic Federico II University of Naples, Italy. In 1988 she started her professional career as Researcher at Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, where she is still working as Full Professor in Soil Chemistry and Ecology. Since 1990 she is Reviewer for international scientific journals and since 2008 she is evaluator of projects for European community, international funding research agencies and Italian and Foreign Research Ministries. She is Examiner of international PhD dissertation. She has over 180 papers in international journals with IF. Citations: 1597 H index: 21. She has been serving as an Editorial Board Member of many international journals. She is Associate Editor for JFR.


Abstract

In this study, we used efficient S-enriched organic fertilizers produced with crude orange or olive wastes linked with bentonite to improve the productivity and quality of red onion. This vegetable is popular in cuisines worldwide and is valued for its potential medicinal properties. Red onion is an important source of several phytonutrients as flavonoids, thiosulphinates and other sulphur compounds recognized as important elements of the Mediterranean diet. The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment, glasshouse for three months in plastic pots to measure the growth parameters and phytochemicals of differently treated red onion. Our results evidenced that amended plant grew better than control. The antioxidant activity detected as DPPH, ORAC and ABTS was the highest in presence of S-enriched organic fertilizers. Polyphenols increased in all treated plants. In regards with the investigation of onion volatile compounds the volatile fraction was clearly dominated by sulphur compounds that are strictly related to the concentration of the aroma precursors S-alkenyl cysteine sulfoxides (ACSOs). The greater amount of thiosulphinates in treated onion compared to untreated onion evidenced that S-bentonite pelletized with recalcitrant agricultural wastes can represent a new formulation of organic fertilizer able to improve the beneficial properties of onion extract. Our results also showed that red onion had the best growth and quality in presence of S-bentonite bound with crude orange. Conclusively, the use of sulphur bentonite bound with recalcitrant agricultural wastes produce high quality onion plants that can be used for pharmaceutical purposes. 

Biography

Daniela Fracassetti has been working at the Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Science at Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy since 2006, where she has been dealing with winemaking. During her researches, she has increased her knowledge about Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Physiology and Microbiology in the model yeast S. cerevisiae as well as in the non-Saccharomyces yeasts, such as Brettanomyces bruxellensis. Actually, she is dealing with Oenological Chemistry; in particular she has been focused on the chemical mechanisms behind the formation of off flavors and the fate of wine components and the development of analytical methods.


Abstract

The white wine is generally bottled in clear glass as a request by consumers. Due to the absence of anthocyanins and the low levels of phenols, the white wine results to be unprotected against the light of which it can be exposed during storage and shelf-life. The light can be detrimental on the sensory characteristics of white wine due to the appearance of the light struck taste, a defect associated to the descriptors of cabbage like notes. The molecules responsible for the defect are certain sulfur compounds. Their formation is due to the presence of riboflavin (RF) as a photosensitizer and methionine which is degraded to give methional and reduced riboflavin. Methional is unstable when exposed to light and decomposes to acrolein and methanethiol, two molecules latter yield dimethyl disulfide. The protection of wine against the formation of these unpleasant notes is of particular interest for the wine maker as the quality and the sensory characteristics of wine need to be maintained up to the consumption. The enological strategies exerting a protective effect include the proper choice of the yeast which releases RF during the alcoholic fermentation and a low-producer strain can lead to low level of RF in wine. The wine treatment with bentonite and charcoal was found to be effective in RF removal limiting the risk of the light-struck taste, even if low levels of these adjuvants need to be used avoiding the depletion of the aromatic compounds. The addition of tannins, in particular from wood origin, showed a protective effect which was more evident in model solution when the quinones were present at higher concentrations. In these ways, sensory properties and the quality of wine can be ensured as required by both the winemakers and the consumers.

Biography

Abdelmoneim K Abdalla completed his PhD in Dairy Science Technology and Microbiology from Assuit University, Egypt and University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA and Postdoctoral studies from University of Wisconsin-Madison and Center of Dairy Research, USA. He worked as an Assistant Professor of Food Science and Technology "Dairy" at South Valley University, Egypt. He has published more than 12 papers in reputed journals. 


Abstract

Milk powder is commercially consumed around the world is of different quality that depends on various conditions such as the physiochemical contents, processing methods, storage time and backing material. In this study, the physicochemical properties of skim milk powder were determined. Milk powder samples were tested for accelerated storage at 70oC. Samples showed wide variations in the color parameters L* (lightness value) and b* (yellowness value). Rehydration results indicated no significant differences between samples. All high heat powders had greater than 99% reduction in rehydrated size which was similar to low and medium heat powders. All powders fall within the slightly hygroscopic range. Powder samples met the solubility standard specifications regardless of the heat class or type. The high heat powders tend to have slightly higher sediments than the low and medium heat powders. The reconstituted low heat products had the greatest heat stability when evaluated at ultra-high temperature of 140oC. The particle size in volume, weighted mean of milk powder samples showed significant variations with a range of 29.32-94.24 μm. Significant differences in the viscosity of reconstituted milk were apparent with high heat powders having greater viscosity. The present study showed significant differences in the physicochemical properties of tested samples which may be noticeably influence their functional properties. 

Biography

Zienab F R Ahmed completed her PhD in Horticulture “Fruit Physiology and Biochemistry” from University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA and Postdoctoral studies from South Valley University, Horticulture Department. She worked as an Assistant Professor of post-harvest fruit physiology. She published more than seven papers in reputed journals.


Abstract

Banana and plantain (Musa spp.,) are one of the main food supplies all over the world. Fresh banana is highly perishable fruits about 30% of the banana production is lost after harvest. There is a need to search for alternate uses for banana fruit to help reduce the post-harvest losses as well as utilize it in food product development. Currently, banana, plantain fruits and flour are of interest due to their nutritional and antioxidant value. Despite of these promising results, the quality standards and functional properties to process this flour into value added products are still lacking. The objective of this study was to evaluate the qualities of banana and plantain fruit chips as well as assess some physical, chemical and functional properties of their flour. Unripe banana and plantain fruit were assist to determine their ripening stage then were sliced. Part of the slices was deep-fried to get chips. The other was dried then milled and sieved to obtain flour. The flour was assessed for physicochemical properties such as pH, total soluble solids, water holding capacity, color values, viscosity and fiber and minerals contents as well as pasting properties. The flour was then incorporated into other ingredients to make baked and fried chips. The results revealed that there are no significant differences between the flour physical and chemical properties from banana and plantain sources. The pasting properties of the flour were appropriate to be used in baked or fried products. The sensory properties such as color, aroma, texture and taste of the fried and baked chips were acceptable by all the panelists compared to the commercial potato chips. Hence, unripe banana, plantain fruits and flour can be utilized in food product development.

Biography

Chandravathany Devadason submitted her PhD thesis in Food Nutrition and Health to Wayamba University of Sri Lanka and completed her double Master studies MSc and MPhil, UK in Fish Pathology and Microbiology respectively. She is working as Senior Lecturer at Department of Zoology, Eastern University, Sri Lanka and served as Head and Dean of the Faculty. She have 27 years of academic experience and published many research papers in international journals and presented papers in many international conferences.    


Abstract

Banana and plantain (Musa spp.,) are one of the main food supplies all over the world. Fresh banana is highly perishable fruits about 30% of the banana production is lost after harvest. There is a need to search for alternate uses for banana fruit to help reduce the post-harvest losses as well as utilize it in food product development. Currently, banana, plantain fruits and flour are of interest due to their nutritional and antioxidant value. Despite of these promising results, the quality standards and functional properties to process this flour into value added products are still lacking. The objective of this study was to evaluate the qualities of banana and plantain fruit chips as well as assess some physical, chemical and functional properties of their flour. Unripe banana and plantain fruit were assist to determine their ripening stage then were sliced. Part of the slices was deep-fried to get chips. The other was dried then milled and sieved to obtain flour. The flour was assessed for physicochemical properties such as pH, total soluble solids, water holding capacity, color values, viscosity and fiber and minerals contents as well as pasting properties. The flour was then incorporated into other ingredients to make baked and fried chips. The results revealed that there are no significant differences between the flour physical and chemical properties from banana and plantain sources. The pasting properties of the flour were appropriate to be used in baked or fried products. The sensory properties such as color, aroma, texture and taste of the fried and baked chips were acceptable by all the panelists compared to the commercial potato chips. Hence, unripe banana, plantain fruits and flour can be utilized in food product development.

Biography

Revathy Baskaran completed her PhD in Biotechnology from University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. She works as Principal Scientist at Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India. She published around 20 papers in reputed journals, has more than seven patents and eight processes to her credit. She has been working in the field of post harvest handling for extended shelf life and value addition to fruits and vegetables. Currently she is involved in implication of processing on bioactives in fruits and vegetables, development of products targeted towards life style diseases and extension of shelf life of minimally processed fruits and vegetables.


Abstract

Custard apple has sweet, granular pulp with pleasant flavor. Several constraints exist in industrial processing of custard apple, including enzymatic browning and development of bitterness on heating beyond 55℃. Preserving the pulp using conventional method i.e., heat is practically impossible. This presentation will define reasons for development of bitterness in the pulp on thermal processing and effect of enzymatic clarification of fruit pulp on bitterness. Extraction and characterization of free, bound and esterified phenolics of both fresh and heated pulp were analyzed by UPLC-ESI-MSMS. There was an increase in both free and bound phenolics on heating. Particularly, the precursor ion at m/z 277 was found to increase ~6 folds and tentatively identified as p-decyloxy benzoic acid (PDBA). The contribution of this compound to sensory parameters is still unclear. Further, partially purified fresh and heated tannin fractions were subjected to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). In heated sample, a new precursor ion m/z 139 (M+H) was found at a very high intensity with fragment ion at m/z 121, which was probably formed by the loss of a water molecule M+H-H2O [M+1-18]. Based on the mass to charge ratio and the fragmentation pattern, m/z 139 was tentatively identified as p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHB), which is well known to have an acidic and bitter taste. Hence, the perceived bitterness in custard apple pulp on thermal processing is probably due to the synergistic effect of phenolic acids, flavanols and certain low molecular weight compounds formed by heat-induced chemical reactions. Enzymatic clarification of the fruit pulp prevented development of bitterness considerably. This was substantiated with data, as revealed and discussed through HRMS, HPLC, FTIR and sensory analysis in detail.