Università Roma Tre

Climate change and food security. Plant varieties and phenotypic plasticity. Effect of environmental conditions on primary and secondary metabolism: food quality and production of aromas, flavors and toxins. Origin of agriculture and plant domestication. Characteristics of the main crops: Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Solanaceae, Brassicaceae. Domestication of Triticum turgidum var. dicoccum, Triticum turgidum var. durum e Triticum. Aestivum. Plant genetic improvement and “the green revolution”. Plant biotechnology for the development of crop plants resistant to environmental stress and/or herbicides and with high nutritional value. Primary and secondary metabolism. Secondary metabolism: terpenes, phenols, alkaloids, cyanogenic glycosides, glucosinolates, non-protein amino acids. Nutritional properties of secondary metabolites: metabolites with toxic effects and metabolites with positive effects on human health. Aromatic plants, spice plants and nervine plants (tea, coffee, cocoa). Natural dyes in food. Bioactive metabolites as food supplements. Primary metabolism: nutritional values of the different plant organs and nutrients bioavailability. Nutrients from plants: carbohydrates (sucrose and starch from different sources), soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, lipids and oils (olive oil and seed oil), proteins, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Effects of storage conditions and pre- and post-harvest diseases on nutritional quality of plant foods. Allergy and intolerances caused by plant substances present in crop species.

1. Piante alimentari. Biologia, composizione chimica, utilizzazione. Rinallo C.; Piccin.
2. Biologia delle Piante. Vol 2: Interazioni con l’ambiente e Domesticazione. Smith A. M. et al.; Zanichelli.
3. Lecture notes and scientific articles provided by the teacher

The professor receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it