PhD Student: Matteo Corti (ORCID n. 0009-0002-7667-1145)
Supervisor: Martina Letizia Contente
Co-tutor: Andrea Kunova
Dean: Prof. Diego Mora
Research area: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Research topic
Green chemical and biotechnological processes for the development of added-value products from agrifood biomasses and by-products
Project Synopsis
ENZYMATIC PRENYLATION OF WASTE-DERIVED POLYPHENOLS TO ENHANCE THEIR BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY AND/OR PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Every year, more than a billion of tons of agri-food wastes is produced; these residues still contain different high value compounds, such as phenolics, which exert a plethora of different health benefits (e.g., antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-cancer activity).
These activities depend on their structural modifications, such as prenylation which increase the biological activity. The prenylation of aromatic compounds is made by a class of enzymes called aromatic prenyltransferases (aPTases).
The goal of this project is the development of an innovative and sustainable chemo-enzymatic route for the preparation of a series of different prenylated flavonoids with improved bioactivity and/or physico-chemical properties. New aPTases will be overexpressed in E. coli, purified, characterized and used in the prenylation of polyphenols derived from agri-food residues. After the batch optimization, the enzymes will be immobilized and employed in continuous flow systems.
Project keywords
Biocatalysis, green processes, agrifood residues, natural bioactives.
Contacts
Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milano, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS)
matteo.corti@unimi.it
Collaborations
Prof. Francesco Enzo Molinari DEFENS
Prof. Stefano Farris DEFENS
Sponsor
Fellowship sponsor: Università degli Studi di Milano
Publications
Poster presented:
“Stilbenoid profiling of grapevine cane extracts and evaluation of their bioactivity on plants” (Corti, Matteo; Muratore, Chiara; Annunziata, Francesca; Negrini, Noemi; Espen, Luca; Pinto, Andrea; Prinsi, Bhakti; Dallavalle, Sabrina) presented at “L’innovazione a servizio dell’economia circolare: lo Spoke 8 di AGRITECH”” (6 september 2024);
“Enzymatic deglycosylation and lipophilization of soy glycosides into value-added compounds for food and cosmetic applications” (Corti, Matteo; Annunziata, Francesca; Colacicco, Agostina; Tamborini, Lucia; Dallavalle, Sabrina; Pinto, Andrea; Contente, Martina Letizia) presented at “XXVIII National Congress of Società Chimica Italiana” (26-30 august 2024).