Food Bioactive Compounds

Agrotecnio’s Food Bioactive Compounds group focuses its research on the study of bioactive compounds present in plant-based foods, with special emphasis on their extraction, characterisation, bioavailability and application in the development of functional ingredients and foods and their impact on human health.

The main objective is to preserve and improve the nutritional, functional and sensory properties of these compounds through advanced and sustainable processing strategies, contributing to innovation in the food and beverage sector and to the improvement of public health.

1. Ingredients and functional foods: Development of bioactive ingredients and functional foods from plant sources. Identification and quantification of compounds of interest (polyphenols, fibre, carotenoids, proteins, tocopherols, etc.) using advanced analytical techniques.
2. Processing and technological functionality: Study of the impact of processing technologies on the composition, stability and functional properties of bioactive compounds, as well as on their sensory quality and consumer acceptance. The group has experience in processes such as extrusion, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation —both immersion and solid-state— applied to improving the availability and functionality of bioactive compounds and to developing sustainable, high added-value ingredients.
3. Bioavailability and metabolism: Evaluation of the digestibility, absorption and transformation of bioactive compounds using in vitro (digestion and colonic fermentation) and in vivo (in animals and humans) models. Development of non-invasive micro-sampling strategies and targeted metabolomic analysis.
4. Effects on health: study of the physiological and clinical impact of bioactive compounds and functional ingredients, with special attention to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects in biological models and human intervention studies.

1. Design and sourcing of ingredients and foods rich in bioactive compounds.
2. Development, optimisation and validation of analytical methods using advanced analytical techniques for the characterisation of bioactive compounds in food and biological matrices. Study of the bioavailability and metabolism of bioactive compounds using in vitro and in vivo models.
3. Evaluation of the beneficial effects of foods using biological models and nutritional intervention studies in humans.
4. Ideation, management and execution of technology transfer projects with the agri-food industry.

The group enjoys international renown in the study of bioactive compounds present in plant-based foods, especially olive oil, fruits, cereals, nuts, seeds and other products of the Mediterranean diet. It is distinguished by its application of advanced analytical techniques, with special emphasis on polyphenols, and by its study of their bioavailability.