Intervention by nutraceutical compounds on metabolic regulators and molecular targets of chronic-aging related diseases.
The identification of metabolic determinants and enzymatic mechanisms involved in dysregulation of cell turnover resulting from chronic aging is of great importance. Modification of metabolic solutions to taking advantage of nutrients is observed in many biological conditions, such as lifespan extension, as well as a strategy adopted by cancer cells to maintain rapid growth and proliferation. Our research is particularly aimed at evaluating alterations in the cell metabolic flux and crosstalk between metabolic pathways by quantification of families of metabolites like folates, polyamines, and NAD related nucleotides in different models of proteotoxicity-driven neurodegeneration, oxidative stress, cancer. In parallel, by focusing on the determination the catalytic activity of enzymes involved in the investigated pathways (dihydrofolate reductase, thioredoxin reductase, nicotinamide adenylyl transferase) we try to identify the mechanism associated with the metabolic response. Possible interventions by nutraceuticals, like plant derived antioxidant compounds, and milk proteins, are studied, with a particular interest on delivery systems.
Technical expertise: HPLC-DAD-MS; spectrophotometry and spectrofluorometry; circular dichroism, light scattering, differential scanning calorimetry.
Keywords - ENGLISH
Folates, polyamines, NAD, nutraceuticals, metabolism
Active participants in the research line (PI last author or *)
Silvia Vincenzetti; Valeria Polzonetti; Sofia Renzi; Massimo Ricciutelli; Diego Romano Perinelli; Rossana Galassi; Cristina Marchini; Stefania Pucciarelli.
External Collaborations
Alessandra Perra (Università degli Studi della Campania, Luigi Vanvitelli); Alessandro di Michele (Università di Perugia); Pier Paolo Scaglioni, Cristina Andreani, Caterina Bartolacci (University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA); Sebastian Frische (Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark); Zafer Erbay (Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University, Turkey);
Pillar
Human Health
Macroareas in Human Health
Biology of health and disease
Relevant research grants (national/international) funding specifically this Research Line
Participation in the PRIMA project, Thematic Area 3 - Agri-food Value Chain, Project title: From Tradition to Innovation: New Foods and Educational Toolkits for a Healthy and Sustainable Mediterranean Lifestyle (Tool4MEDLife), duration 36 months.
Email Address
stefania.pucciarelli@unicam.it
Link to Relevant Publications