Energy requests of humans.
Digestion, and intestinal absorption of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids and vitamins. The metabolic role of oligo-elements. Metabolism of the main classes of foods: catabolism and anabolism. Hormonal regulation and metabolic integration. Metabolic adaptation to conditions such as pregnancy, growth, physical activity and aging. Diseases related to metabolism: malnutrition, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome
Arienti G Le basi molecolari della nutrizione Piccin
Cozzani I, Danese E, Biochimica degli alimenti e della nutrizione Piccin
Lezzi U, Bellocco E, Barreca D, Biochimica della nutrizione Zanichelli
Learning Objectives
The aim of the course is to study the molecular mechanisms of both food digestion and metabolism of the most important classes of nutrients. The course will focused on analyses of hormonal regulatory mechanisms, on the metabolic adaptations of different tissues and organs as well as on the ability of nutrients to modulate genes expression. In addition, the molecular mechanisms that contribute to maintaining energetic homeostasis, to modulate metabolism following stress conditions and these that contribute to the onset of several disease linked with nutrition, such as obesity and diabetes mellitus, will be studied.
Metabolic requests and energy expenditure of humans: basal metabolism, diet-induced thermogenesis, thermoregulation and physical activity. The most important classes of nutrients. The gastrointestinal tract and digestion mechanism of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. Absorption and metabolic fate of the major classes of and vitamins. Metabolism of ethanol. Hormonal regulation and metabolic integration of sugars, lipids and proteins. Energy requests and metabolism of tissues and human organs. Regulation of gene expression by nutrients. Energy requests and metabolic adaptation to conditions such as, growth, pregnancy, aging and physical activity. Hormonal and metabolic responses to fasting, stress conditions, infections or malnutrition. The biochemistry of abundance: obesity and insulin resistance. Molecular basis and mechanisms of diabetes type I and II. Nutrients and satiety