Aims of human nutrition and nutritional aspects of foods.
General features of metabolism. Catabolisms and anabolism. Metabolisms and enzyme catalysis. Enzymes: common names, systematic names and E.C. classification. Basic concepts of enzymology: transition states theory and activation energies; reaction rate; Michaelis-Menten equation; definition and significance of KM, Vmax and Kcat. Enzyme inhibition. Allosteric enzymes and regulation. Chemical and functional properties of the most common coenzymes/prostetic groups. Coenzymes and vitamins. “Essential compounds” in biochemistry. Basic/general concepts of bioenergetics: ATP and other so-called “high energy compounds”. Coupled reactions. General overview on energetic catabolism.
Carbohydrates and their role in human nutrition. D-Glucose and other D-Monosaccharides. Glycolysis: aims and cellular localization; reactions, metabolic intermediates and final products; energy balance; regulatory aspects. The phosphogluconate pathway: aims and cellular localization; reactions, metabolic intermediates and final products; energy balance; regulatory aspects. Gluconeogenesis: aim and cellular localization; precursors of D-Glucose; energy balance and regulatory aspects. Fate of Pyruvate under aerobic conditions: the multienzyme Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex (PDH); pyruvate uptake into mitochondria; energy balance and regulatory aspects. Lactic acid fermentation. Alcoholic fermentation. A number of sugars are funnelled into glycolysis. Catabolism of starch (in plants) and glycogen (in animals). Oral and intestinal digestion of starch and glycogen present in foods.
Fats and oils: composition and physico-chemichal properties. Fatty acids and Triacylglycerols: structure and general properties. Saturated, mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Essential fatty acids. Digestion of exogenous triacylglycerols: bile salts; lipases; kilomicrones. Degradation of endogenous tryacylglicerols. Fate of glycerol. Beta-oxidation process: localization; reactions; enzymes; metabolic intermediates; final products; energy balance and regulation. Catabolism of fatty acids containing an odd number of carbon atoms. Catabolism of mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids.
Proteins and of protein alfa-amino acids: structural and functional properties. Globular, fibrous and membrane proteins. Protein catabolism: protein turnover and digestion of food proteins. Proteolytic enzymes and their specificity. Catabolism of protein amino acids: fate of amino acid's alfa-amino groups; transaminase-catalyzed reactions; the glutamate dehydrogenase and ammonia production; carbamoyl phosphate biosynthesis and urea cycle; metabolic fate of the carbon skeleton of amino acids.
Krebs/citric acid cycle: aims and cellular localization; reactions; enzymes; metabolic intermediates; energetics and regulatory aspects. Amphibolic characteristic of Krebs cycle.
Thermodynamics of redox reactions. Redox couples in biological systems. Redox potentials, Standard redox potentials and Nernst equation. Structural organization of mitochondria. Cellular respiration: electron transport from reduced coenzymes to oxygen. The membrane complexes I-IV. Generation of protonic electrochemical potential. Oxidative phosphorylation. ATP synthase (complex V).

PRINCIPI DI BIOCHIMICA. Authors: D. Voet, J.G. Voet and C.W. Pratt. Publisher: Zanichelli 2017
This text is an excerpt from the fourth Italian edition (2017) of the text:
FONDAMENTI DI BIOCHIMICA. Authors: D. Voet, J.G. Voet and C.W. Pratt. Publisher: Zanichelli 2017.

Didactic material (pdf format) will be available on the Moodle platform. This material is also accessible to non-attending students.
For further information / additions we also recommend:
BIOCHEMISTRY OF NUTRITION. Authors: U. Leuzzi, E. Bellocco, D. Barreca (Zanichelli Editore, 2013).