Biochemistry of Food and Nutrition   (432B2)

Academic year:

2025/2026.

Attendance requirements:

401B2 + 411B2

ECTS:

6

Study level:

Study program:

Teachers:

Milan R. Nikolić, Ph.D.
associate professor, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Simeon L. Minić, Ph.D.
assistant professor, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Assistants:

—

Hours of instruction:

Weekly: two hours of lectures + three hours of labwork (2+0+3)

Goals:

This course is intended for students who want to engage in food research or work in the food industry. The course introduces students to the physiological, biochemical, and molecular basis of food components and the effects of food/nutrition on the human body and health.

Outcome:

Students will acquire the knowledge of food components from both (bio)chemical and physiological perspective. They will also develop the skills necessary to analyze foodstuff and testing the digestibility and bioavailability of individual food components.

Teaching methods:

Lectures; Experimental exercises; Term papers.

Extracurricular activities:

—

Coursebooks:

Main coursebooks:

1. Tammy Stephenson, Megan Sanctuary, Caroline Passerrello and Wendy Schiff. Human Nutrition: Science for Healthy Living, 3rd Edition. 2022. McGraw Hill eBook. ISBN10: 1260702375 | ISBN13: 9781260702378

2. Popov-Raljić, Jovanka. Ishrana (Nutrition). Novi Sad : Prirodno-matematički fakultet, Departman za geografiju, turizam i hotelijerstvo, 2016. ISBN - 978-86-7031-377-4

3. Karen Frazier. Nutrition Facts: The Truth about Food. 2015. Rockridge Press. ISBN-13: 978-1623156114.

Supplementary coursebooks:

Selected review papers and books.

Additional material:

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Lectures:

10 points (2 hours a week)

Syllabus:

Thematic units:

2. Food digestion, absorption and interconversion of nutrient molecules.

4. Carbohydrates and dietary fibers as food components: types, sources, biochemical roles and significance for the human body.

6. Macroelements (Na, K, Mg, Ca, P) and microelements (Fe, Cr, Zn, Se, I, F, Cu, Mn, Mo): sources, usability, biochemical roles and significance for the human body.

8. Special types of diet: vegetarianism and veganism; Mediterranean diet; nutrition adapted to the needs of chronic patients.

9. Specifics of nutrition in pregnancy, nutrition in childhood and adolescents, nutrition for seniors.

10. Specifics of athletes' nutrition.

12. Natural sweet substances and synthetic/artificial sweeteners as food components.

14. Organically grown food, genetically modified food, food allergens.

Labwork:

20 points (3 hours a week)

Syllabus:

Thematic units:  

1. Analyzes of macronutrient content in foodstuffs and industrial products:

1.1. Protein determination (Kjeldahl method);

1.2. Determination of total lipids (Soxhlet method and Gerber method with butyrometer):

1.3. Determination of total (reducing) sugars (method according to Luff-Schoorl and with an aerometer).

2. Analyzes of micronutrient content in foodstuffs and industrial products:

2.1. Determination of vitamins B1, B6, A and Ce by high-performance chromatographic methods;

2.2. Determination of total carotenes, phenols and alkaloids by spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods;

2.3. Determination of chromium and iron by spectrophotometric methods.

3. Preparation and characterization of hydrogels based on bioactive components of cyanobacteria and red algae (https://www.chem.bg.ac.rs/grupe/GPB/index-en.html)

Semester papers:

20 points

Oral exam:

50 points