Valeria Guarrasi

Research staff

Valeria Guarrasi received her MSc degree in Food Science and Technology in 2005 from the University of Catania, Italy. She also received her PhD in Mediterranean Fruticulture in 2012 from University of Palermo, Italy. During the PhD she worked on Electronic Olfactory Systems (E-nose) to evaluate aroma fruits quality. She is currently working at the Institute of Biophysics at Palermo, National Research Council of Italy. Her current research also concerns the development of methods for the extraction of natural molecules having biological activities against self-organization of amyloid proteins responsible of the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

orcid://0000-0002-6272-650,

Contact:

- Email valeria.guarrasi@ibf.cnr.it
- Phone +39-091-6809356
- Location Palermo

Research interests:

- Extraction and characterization of polyphenols from complex systems of agri-food origin; study of antioxidant properties and of neuroprotective and anti-amyloidogenic effects in neurodegenerative processes (Principal investigator)
- Extraction, identification and characterization of naturally occurring compounds and study of their biological activity on cell lines.
- Biomolecular Aggregation Processes
- Protein aggregation and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases

Further collaborations:

- Onofrio Corona (Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF) - Università degli Studi di Palermo)
- Luciano Cinquanta (Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF) - Università degli Studi di Palermo)
- Luca Settanni (Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF) - Università degli Studi di Palermo)
- Maria Antonietta Germanà (Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF) - Università degli Studi di Palermo)
- Benedetta Chiancone (Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco – Università degli Studi di Parma)
- Margherita Amenta (Centro di Ricerca per l'Agrumicoltura e le Colture Mediterranee (CRA) di Acireale)
- Eduardo Garcia Breijo (Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia (UPV)
- Jose Pelegri-Sebastia (Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia (UPV)
- Annalisa Pinsino (Cnr-Ibim)
- Rosa Bonaventura (Cnr-Ibim)
- Caterina Costa (Cnr-Ibim)
- Roberta Russo (Cnr-Ibim)
- Francesca Zito (Cnr-Ibim)
- Adele Papetti (Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco – Università degli Studi di Pavia)

Financial support:

- Prog. CAFIS - Controllo della qualità e della salubrità nella filiera del caffè con tecniche chimico-fisiche innovative tipiche della scienza dei materiali. Fondi PO FESR 2007/20013 Linea d’intervento 4.1.1.
- Prog. HIPPOCRATES - Sviluppo di micro e nano tecnologie e sistemi avanzati per la salute dell’uomo- Fondo PON R&C 2007-2013 Avv. n. 713/RIC MIUR.

Key publications:

Pinsino A, Bonaventura R, Costa C, Russo R, Zito F, Guarrasi V, Matranga V (2018) The 70-kDa Heat-shock Protein as a Potential Biomarker of Quality of the Parapenaeus longirostris Shrimp Flesh. Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology 27(1):122-130

Guarrasi V, Sannino C, Moschetti M, Bonanno A, Di Grigoli A, Settanni L (2017) The individual contribution of starter and non-starter lactic acid bacteria to the volatile organic compound composition of Caciocavallo Palermitano cheese. International Journal Of Food Microbiology 259:35-42

Presti G, Guarrasi V, Gulotta E, Provenzano F, Provenzano A, Giuliano S, ..., Costa MA (2017) Bioactive compounds from extra virgin olive oils: Correlation between phenolic content and oxidative stress cell protection. Biophysical chemistry 230:109-116

Alfonzo A, Martorana A, Guarrasi V, Barbera M, Gaglio R, Santulli A, Settanni L, Galati A, Moschetti G, Francesca N (2017) Effect of the lemon essential oils on the safety and sensory quality of salted sardines (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum 1792). Food Control 73:1265-1274

Breijo EG, Guarrasi V, Peris RM, Fillol MA, Pinatti CO (2013) Odour sampling system with modifiable parameters applied to fruit classification.
Journal of Food Engineering 116:277–285

Publications (22):

Vitro-derived hop (Humulus lupulus L.) leaves and roots as source of bioactive compounds: antioxidant activity and polyphenolic profile
Chiancone B.; Guarrasi V.; Leto L.; Del Vecchio L.; Calani L.; Ganino T.; Galaverni M.; Cirlini M.
Plant cell, tissue and organ culture (Dordr., Online), 2023
DOI: 10.1007/s11240-023-02462-1

Sprouts of Moringa oleifera Lam.: Germination, Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Activity
Cirlini M.; Del Vecchio L.; Leto L.; Russo F.; Dellafiora L.; Guarrasi V.; Chiancone B.
Molecules (Basel, Online), 2022
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248774

Valorization of Apple Peels through the Study of the Effects on the Amyloid Aggregation Process of kappa-Casein
Guarrasi Valeria; Rappa Giacoma Cinzia; Costa Maria Assunta; Librizzi Fabio; Raimondo Marco; Di Stefano Vita; Germana Maria Antonietta and Vilasi Silvia
Molecules (Basel, Online), 2021
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082371

Nutraceutical Value of Pantelleria Capers (Capparis spinosa L.)
Lo Bosco F, Guarrasi V, Moschetti M, Germanà MA, Butera D, Corana F, Papetti A
Journal of food science, 2019
DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.14718

Biochemical and biophysical characterization of water-soluble pectin from Opuntia ficus indica and its potential biological activity
Lefsih K, Giacomazza D, Passantino R, Costa MA, Bulone D, Mangione MR, Guarrasi V, Mingoia F, San Biagio PL, Madani K
Phytochemistry, 2018
DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2018.06.015

The precious content of the olive mill wastewater: The protective effects of the antioxidant fraction in cell cultures
Giacomazza D, D'Andrea D, Provenzano A, Picone P, Provenzano F, Guarrasi V, Raimondo M, San Biagio PL, Passantino R, Mangione MR, Di Carlo M, Costa MA
CyTA: journal of food (Online), 2018
DOI: 10.1080/19476337.2018.1458752

The 70-kDa heat shock protein as a potential biomarker of quality of the Parapenaeus longirostris shrimp flesh
Pinsino A; Bonaventura R; Costa C; Russo R; Zito F; Guarrasi V; Matranga V;
Journal of aquatic food product technology (Online), 2018
DOI: 10.1080/10498850.2017.1410507

Simultaneous Determination of Caffeine and Chlorogenic Acids in Green Coffee by UV/Vis Spectroscopy
Navarra G, Moschetti M, Guarrasi V, Mangione MR, Militello V, Leone M
Journal of Chemistry, 2017
DOI: 10.1155/2017/6435086

Bioactive compounds from extra virgin olive oils: Correlation between phenolic content and oxidative stress cell protection
Presti G, Guarrasi V, Gulotta E, Provenzano F, Provenzano A, Giuliano S, Monfreda M, Mangione MR, Passantino R, San Biagio PL, Costa MA, Giacomazza D
Biophysical chemistry (Print), 2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2017.09.002

Effect of the lemon essential oils on the safety and sensory quality of salted sardines (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum 1792)
Alfonzo, Antonio; Martorana, Alessandra; Guarrasi, Valeria; Barbera, Marcella; Gaglio, Raimondo; Santulli, Andrea; Settanni, Luca; Galati, Antonino; Moschetti, Giancarlo; Francesca, Nicola
Food control, 2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2016.10.046

The individual contribution of starter and non-starter lactic acid bacteria to the volatile organic compound composition of Caciocavallo Palermitano cheese
Guarrasi V.; Sannino C.; Moschetti M.; Bonanno A.; Di Grigoli A.; Settanni L.
International journal of food microbiology, 2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2017.07.022

Pectin from Opuntia ficus indica: Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction and preliminary characterization
Lefsih K, Giacomazza D, Dahmoune F, Mangione MR, Bulone D, San Biagio PL, Passantino R, Costa MA, Guarrasi V, Madani K
Food chemistry, 2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.10.073

Antilisterial effect of citrus essential oils and their performance inedible film formulations
Randazzo, Walter; Jiménez-Belenguer, Ana; Settanni, Luca; Perdones, Angela; Moschetti, Marta; Palazzolo, Eristanna; Guarrasi, Valeria; Vargas, Maria; Germanà, Maria Antonietta; Moschetti, Giancarlo
Food control, 2016
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.06.057

The influence of the wooden equipment employed for cheese manufacture on the characteristics of a traditional stretched cheese during ripening.
Di Grigoli, Antonino; Francesca, Nicola; Gaglio, Raimondo; Guarrasi, Valeria; Moschetti, Marta; Scatassa, Maria Luisa; Settanni, Luca; Bonanno, Adriana
Food microbiology (Print), 2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2014.07.008

Application of MOOSY32 eNose to Assess the Effects of Some Post Harvest Treatments on the Quality of Salustiana Orange Juice
Cupane M., Pelegri-Sebastia J., Climent E., Guarrasi V., Sogorb T. and Germana M.A.
Journal of biosensors & bioelectronics, 2015
DOI: 10.4172/2155-6210.1000184

Characterization of fruits of four different lemon cultivars, Collected in the northern coast of sicily
Cupane M.; Guarrasi V.; Palazzolo E.; San Biagio P.L.; Germana M.A.
Acta horticulturae, 2015
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1065.215

Seasonal variations of antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of essential oils extracted from three Citrus limon L. Burm. cultivars
Settanni, L. and Randazzo, W. and Palazzolo, E. and Moschetti, M. and Aleo, A. and Guarrasi, V. and Mammina, C. and San Biagio, P. L. and Marra, F. P. and Moschetti, G. and Germanà, M. A.
Natural product research (Print), 2014

Monitoring the shelf-life of minimally processed fresh-cut apple slices by physical-chemical analysis and electronic nose
V. Guarrasi (1), D. Giacomazza (1), M.A. Germanà (2), M. Amenta (3), P.L. San Biagio PL(1)
Agrotechnology, 2014

Odour sampling system with modifiable parameters applied to fruit classification
Breijo EG; Peris RM; Fillol MA; Pinatti CO; Guarrasi V
Journal of food engineering, 2013
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2012.11.033

Inhibition of foodborne pathogen bacteria by essential oils extracted from citrus fruits cultivated in Sicily
Settanni L; Palazzolo E; Guarrasi V; Aleo A; Mammina C; Moschetti G; Germanà MA
Food control, 2012
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2012.01.050

Naso Elettonico con sensori MOS per discriminare 3 cultivar di Eriobotrya japonica Lindl
Guarrasi, Valeria and Farina, v. and San Biagio, P. L. and Germanà, M. A.
Acta Italus hortus, 2010

Naso elettronico con sensori MOS per discriminare 3 cultivar di Eriobotrya japonica Lindl
Guarrasi V., Farina V., San Biagio P.L., Germanà M.A.