C8295 - PIANTE E NUTRIZIONE

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge about edible plants, particularly those that provide carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins. They will also be familiar with the main plant species that produce essential oils—that is, medicinal herbs and spices—and some of those that contain specialized metabolites capable of providing health benefits to humans. Students will also learn about the importance plants have had in human history, especially in relation to dietary habits.

Course contents

Plants in the human diet. Importance of a diet rich in plant foods for the human and environmental health. Sustainability of a plant-rich diet. Plants as a source of compounds of nutritional and nutraceutical interest: distinction between primary metabolites and secondary/specialized metabolites and their functions.

Plant cell compartments as a source of fiber, reserve polysaccharides, proteins, and functional compounds. The cell wall as a source of soluble and insoluble fiber. The plant vacuole as a compartment that provides prebiotics of plant origin (fructans and Fructo-Oligo-Saccharides (FOS) and specialized metabolites: terpenes, alkaloids, sulfur compounds, phenolic compounds. Plastids as organelles for the accumulation of reserve substances in plants: secondary starch and its composition. Resistant starch.

Carbohydrate-producing plants: grasses. Plants that produce proteins: legumes and amaranthaceae. Pseudocereals and their role in the diet. Resistant proteins and anti-nutritional compounds in the plant-based diet. Soybeans and products thereof. Phytoestrogens: chemical classification and their main plant sources.

Oilseed plants. Plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids (ALA, EPA, and DHA)

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliographic material consisting of scientific articles published in international journals on topics relevant to the course syllabus.

 

Recommended textbook:

 

Piante alimentari - Biologia, Composizione chimica, utilizzo.

Calogero Rinallo - PICCIN EDITORE

Teaching methods

Lectures will include the use of traching material in the form of PowerPoint slides projected onto a screen, which will be made available to students on the Virtuale platform the day before the class.

With the aim of exploring some of the topics covered in greater depth, some articles from International and peer-reviewed journals will be made available on the Virtuale platform, which will help students supplement the course material with up-to-date scientific evidence.

Assessment methods

Learning assessment is based on the final exam, which consists of a written test with 30 multiple-choice questions, each worthing 1 point. There are no penalties for incorrect or missing answers.

In accordance with the University’s Academic Regulations, students are permitted to decline a passing grade once.

The written exam takes place in the computer labs at the Rimini campus. The use of AI tools during the exam is prohibited in any form. Any use, even minimal, of such tools constitutes a violation of academic integrity. In the event of misconduct on the part of the student, the assessment will be conducted orally during the next exam session.

Students with learning disabilities or temporary or permanent disabilities: please contact the responsible office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that appropriate accommodations can be arranged. Requests for accommodations must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the instructor, who will evaluate the appropriateness of the accommodations, taking into account the course objectives.

Teaching tools

The slides used during lectures will be provided to students the day before class.

Office hours

See the website of Fabiana Antognoni