Chemical and Biochemical Aspects in Nutrition

Code:

Q4002

Acronym:

Q4002

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Chemistry

Instance: 2023/2024 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Biochemistry

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M:BQ	4	Plano de Estudos do MBIOQ_2013-2014	1	-	6	56	162
M:TCA	8	Official Study Plan	1	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The student must be able to understand the importance of food in health and the difference between food and nutrition. Knowing the nutritional needs of the average consumer.

Identify foods and food consumption behaviour capable of determining vulnerability to chronic metabolic and degenerative diseases (eg obesity, atherosclerosis, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypervitaminosis and hypovitaminosis).

Identify foods and food consumption behaviour that contribute to the well-being of the population and increase healthy longevity.

Know the scientific bases necessary for the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals such as probiotics and prebiotics, phytosteroids, isoflavones, CLA, peptides and bioactive amino acids, antioxidants, fiber.

Identify possible nutritional changes in food to be taken into account during food processing and storage.

Learning outcomes and competences

Students should develop the following skills:

To know to check the nutritional balance of a meal;

To have scientific capacity for developing foods with higher nutritional value.

To be able to assess the nutritional aspects involved during food processing.

Scientific capacity to develop new functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Planning and structuring the practical work to be undertaken in foods;

Personal autonomy in the laboratory;

Capacity for searching bibliography;

Capacity of scientific writing.

 

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Prior approval is recommended at the UC Food Chemistry and Nutrition.

Program

Theoretical programme:
A – Introduction to Nutrition: Nutrients and Nourishment; Nutrition guidelines and assessment.

B – Digestion and Absorption - General aspects: Anatomy, physiology and histology of the gastrointestinal tract and assisting organs. Overview of Absorption. Probiotics.

 C -  Lipid digestion and absorption, lipids in the body, lipids in the diet, lipids and health (Atherosclerosis, functional foods – sterols, antioxidants, isoflavones, CLA,).

D -  Carbohydrate digestion and absorption, carbohydrates in the body, carbohydrates in the diet, carbohydrates and health (Diabetes, obesity, deslipidemia, fiber).

E - Digestion and absorption, proteins in the body, proteins in the diet, proteins and health (Food Allergy, functional foods – bioactive peptides, bioactive aminoacids).

F – Fat soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K. Chemistry, absorption and bioactivity. Calcium absorption.

Practical classes: Nutritional analysis of a meal: moisture, carbohydrates, lipids, total proteins, oxidation state. Nutritional assessment and nutri-score evaluation.

Mandatory literature

Insel Paul; Nutrition. ISBN: 0-7637-0765-1

Complementary Bibliography

Lindon, F; Silvestre, M.; Principios de alimentação humana

Teaching methods and learning activities

The subject is taught in theoretical classes with the help of slides (in PowerPoint) whenever necessary focusing on the essential points of the objectives of this discipline. These slides, drawn from the recommended bibliography and from recent scientific articles, are provided to the students in the electronic page of the discipline on the FCUP website, in Sigarra and Moodle. Several subjects addressed in the theoretical classes will be used in practical classes in the nutritional evaluation of a meal.

Classes will be given mainly in Portuguese but PowerPoint presentations, bibliography and final exam will also be given in English. Any doubts or questions and practical instructions can be answered/explained in English on site.

Type of evaluation: Assessment Type Distribution assessment with final exam. 
Terms of frequency: The student must have approval in the practical classes (practical grade (PG) > 9,5) and, for that, can only miss 1/4 of the foreseen classes.
PG = practical grade = 0.7 Report grade + 0.3 laboratory pratical grade
Formula Evaluation: Final grade (FG) = 0,7*(EG)+0,3*PG,
EG = final exame grade, > 9,5.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	70,00
Trabalho laboratorial	30,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de relatório/dissertação/tese	10,00
Estudo autónomo	100,00
Frequência das aulas	28,00
Trabalho laboratorial	24,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Terms of frequency: The student must have approval in the practical classes (practical grade (PG) > 9,5) and, for that, can only miss 1/4 of the foreseen classes, and they need to have a final report graded more than 9,5.

Calculation formula of final grade

PG = practical grade = 0.7 Report grade + 0.3 laboratory pratical grade
Formula Evaluation: Final grade (FG) = 0,8*(EG)+0,2*PG,
EG = final exame grade.

The classification obtained in the final exam and in the practical component can not be less than 9.5 values.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students with special student worker status who have not attended the practical classes must take a practical exam and also prepare a final report using experimental results provided by the professor.

Classification improvement

It is only possible to improve the grade of the final exam.