Extraction and analysis of non-volatile metabolites
A main research area of the Food Chemistry research group
The research group Food Chemistry possess an expertise in the extraction and analysis of natural products, with focus on food, drinks, and cosmetics applications.
Our field of expertise is wide:
- Characterization of plant secondary metabolites as markers of food and drink quality
- Characterization of the key taste-active compounds in plants to understand their impact on taste
- Characterization of plant and microbial metabolites to improve industrial processes
- Development of new bioactive ingredients from plant materials or side streams from food production for cosmetic applications
Analytical methods
- 2D-UHPLC-QTOF → non-targeted analysis of plants, foods and beverages to gain more insights on the chemical composition of complex extracts. The technology allows complex analyses and visualization of the dataset using state-of-the-art techniques like molecular networks.
- UHPLC-TQ → targeted analysis of specific compounds of interest in plants, foods and beverages
- HPLC-UV-FLD → analysis and quantitation of compounds of interest (polyphenols, free amino acids, vitamins...)
- Flash chromatography/Preparative chromatography → fractionation of extracts and isolation of valuable compounds in order to understand their chemical structure, their biological activity and their impact on taste
- HPTLC → fast screening of selected secondary metabolites
- Oracle rapid NMR-based device → for fat, moisture, solids analysis
- Kjeldahl → for protein analysis
- Diverse photometric and enzymatic methods → for determination of total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, sugar, fibers or starch contents
Selected student works and projects
Our goal is to characterize plant constituents at the molecular level to improve and/or develop new food applications.
For example:
- Bachelor's Thesis Alena Toffol und Rina Dvorani: Chemical characterisation of hemp bitter taste and application toward beer production (BSc Booklet 2021(PDF 8,5 MB), page 26, BSc Booklet 2022(PDF 7,7 MB), page 39)
- Bachelor's Thesis Jennifer Werder: Chemical characterization of the polyphenol fraction of cocoa and application in the food-supplement industry (BSc Booklet 2021(PDF 8,5 MB), page 27)
- Bachelor's Thesis Olivier Lardon: Analysis of different red wines produced using different vinification methods (BSc Booklet 2022(PDF 7,7 MB), page 44)
- Mycotoxins detection and quantification in cereal products
Other students projects coming from the Bachelor or Master’s degree in Food Technology
Other projects from the Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation