KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Biomolecule Structure and Function: Acquisition of knowledge regarding biomolecules, proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates, and lipids, understanding the relationship between macromolecular structure, biological function, and related pathologies.
Bioenergetics and Metabolic Pathways: Understanding of intermediate metabolism, chemical transformations for obtaining energy from nutrients, and the synthesis of ATP and cellular constituents.
Metabolic Regulation and Integration: Knowledge of metabolic control systems, interrelationships between tissues and organs, and metabolic alterations underlying various pathologies.
Principles of Nutrition and Dietetics: Understanding of the fundamentals of nutrition and the clinical-prognostic definitions of malnutrition, cachexia, and sarcopenia. Knowledge of nutrient properties, the impact of food on health, nutritional requirements, and the principles of diet therapy and dietary planning for healthy individuals.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Students will acquire the ability to integrate the molecular basis of metabolism and energy balance to understand the complex pathophysiological processes of subsequent courses and diseases with a biochemical basis.
Upon completion of the course, students must also be able to: Contextualize the clinical relevance of the topics covered and recognize the signs and symptoms of malnutrition; Provide accurate information and education regarding key nutritional and dietary topics; Critically evaluate a dietary plan, indicating simple adjustments or substitutions.

MAKING JUDGMENTS (Autonomia di giudizio):
Upon completion of the course, students must demonstrate the ability to formulate appropriate and autonomous judgments, cross-referencing the biochemical and nutritional competencies acquired.
This skill is developed and assessed through:
Real-time formative assessment: The use of digital e-learning tools (Wooclap platform) during lectures, which stimulates immediate critical analysis and the clinical application of the concepts discussed.
Individual reflection: Personal study and assimilation of the educational material, aimed at developing a comprehensive overview and the ability to independently correlate metabolic and nutritional processes with their respective pathophysiological implications.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Upon completion of the course, students must be able to argue clearly and appropriately using specific scientific and clinical terminology.
These skills are developed and assessed through:
Discussion and Debate: Active participation in classroom discussions and use of the Moodle forum for collaborative learning.
Written Synthesis: Open-ended questions in exams to evaluate the ability to synthesize information and communicate effectively.

LEARNING SKILLS:
Students must develop the necessary skills to independently update their knowledge by consulting scientific literature and guidelines in the biomedical and nutritional fields.

Students must have acquired the knowledge and skills from the Chemistry and Biochemical Propedeutics course, which is a mandatory prerequisite taught during the first year's "filter semester".

BIOCHEMISTRY:
Introduction: biomolecules, structural complementarity and molecular recognition.
Proteins: the structure and biological properties and functions of proteins with examples.
Enzymes: specificity and enzyme kinetics. Cofactors and vitamins. Enzyme inhibition and regulation.
Biological functions of carbohydrates: simple, complex, and their derivatives.
Biological functions of lipids: storage lipids, membrane lipids, and lipids as hormone precursors.
Biological functions of nucleotides as enzyme cofactors, chemical energy carriers, and signaling molecules.
Metabolism: general concepts
Carbohydrate main catabolic pathways and their regulation, including hormonal regulation.
Glycogen metabolism: glycogenolysis and glycogen synthesis and their regulation.
The citric acid (Krebs) cycle: cycle steps and regulation.
The catabolism of fatty acids: lipolysis and lipogenesis. Beta-oxidation and its regulation. The ketone bodies.
Catabolism of proteins and amino acids: urea cycle and nitrogen excretion.
Oxidative phosphorylation: the respiratory chain; ATP synthase and respiratory control.
Biosynthesis of lipids: cholesterol and essential fatty acids.
Biosynthesis of non-essential amino acids; de novo synthesis of nucleotides and base recovery pathway.
Main metabolic interrelationships between organs, hormonal action and Metabolism integration. Metabolic diseases.
DIETETICS
: nutrient, food, diet, dietary pattern; nutritional states
Macronutrients, micronutrients, fibers, water: properties
Foods and food groups
Food transformations and techniques
Principles of dietary techniques: requirements and diet planning

Nelson & Cox: Fondamenti di biochimica di Lehninger. All chapters with exclusion of: 9, 11, 12, 23. I Italian edition, Zanichelli ed.
As an alternative, using the corresponding chapters of Fondamenti:
“I Principi di Biochimica di Lehninger” - Zanichelli ed. - VII or VIII edition.
“Biochimica” Berg - Tymoczko - Stryer: Biochimica - Zanichelli ed. – VI or VII or VIII edition.
- R. Canella, Scienza della Nutrizione, EdiErmes
- L. Debellis e A. Poli, Alimentazione, Nutrizione e Salute, Edises

PART 1: BIOCHEMISTRY
Introduction and Proteins: Biomolecules. Peptide bond, peptides, and proteins: structure, properties, functions, and organizational levels (fibrous, globular, membrane, and intrinsically disordered). Hemoglobin: oxygen/$CO_2$ transport, allosteric regulation, and hemoglobinopathies.Enzymes and Regulation: Specificity, kinetics, and the Michaelis-Menten equation. Cofactors, coenzymes, and water-soluble vitamins. Reversible/irreversible inhibition; drugs as inhibitors. Regulation: allostery, covalent modifications, and proteolytic activation.Bioenergetics and Carbohydrate Metabolism: Catabolism/anabolism. Phosphoryl group transfer, ATP, and other phosphorylated compounds. Redox reactions (NADH, $FADH_2$). Carbohydrate digestion, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and the pentose phosphate pathway. GLUT transporters and hormonal regulation (insulin, glucagon, epinephrine).Glycogen Metabolism and the Citric Acid Cycle: Glycogenolysis and glycogen synthesis: allosteric and hormonal regulation, specific roles in liver and muscle. Pyruvate dehydrogenase and Acetyl-CoA production; steps, regulation, biosynthetic roles, and anaplerotic reactions of the citric acid cycle.Lipid Metabolism: Lipid digestion, bile salts, pancreatic and hormone-sensitive lipases. Triacylglycerol mobilization and fatty acid transport. Role of glucagon, epinephrine, and insulin in lipolysis/lipogenesis. $\beta$-oxidation (mitochondrial, unsaturated, extramitochondrial) and regulation. Coenzyme B12 and pernicious anemia; peroxisomes and ketone bodies.Amino Acid Metabolism and Oxidative Phosphorylation: Protein digestion and amino acid absorption. Ammonium ion transport, transaminations, and pyridoxal phosphate. Nitrogen excretion and the urea cycle; fate of amino acid carbon skeletons. Respiratory chain: complexes, ATP synthase, shuttle systems, respiratory control, inhibitors, and uncouplers.Biosynthesis and Specialized Metabolism: Biosynthesis of fatty acids and triacylglycerols. Lipid transport (VLDL, LDL) and essential fatty acids. Cholesterol and steroid hormone synthesis. Essential/non-essential amino acid synthesis (biosynthetic families). One-carbon metabolism (folates, SAM). Heme biosynthesis/catabolism, jaundice, and iron metabolism.Nucleotide Metabolism and Integration: De novo purine/pyrimidine synthesis, salvage pathways, deoxyribonucleotide synthesis, and nucleotide catabolism. Metabolic integration in mammals: tissue specificity, hormonal regulation of energy metabolism, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

PART 2: NUTRITION, ALIMENTATION, AND DIETETICS
Definitions: Nutrients, food, diet, and dietary patterns.
Nutritional Status: Malnutrition, cachexia, sarcopenia, obesity, and sarcopenic obesity.
Macronutrients and Micronutrients: Nutritional properties and characteristics of macro- and micronutrients, water, and fiber, with insights into their impact on health.
Food and Food Groups: Classification and characteristics.
Food Transformation and Techniques: Main food processing and preparation techniques and their nutritional and health implications: preservation and cooking methods, including recent and innovative approaches.
Principles of Dietetic Techniques: Nutritional requirements and planning a diet for healthy individuals: energy and specific nutrient requirements based on age and lifestyle, distribution of caloric intake among macronutrients, daily schedules, and dietary plans. Overview of nutrition and diet in patients.

Lectures with the help of PowerPoint presentations uploaded on the Moodle platform before the lecture . Interactive and real time questioning using Wooclap facility . Class discussion with students about the treated topics. Questions/answers forum on Moodle platform.

Lecture PowerPoint presentations, supplementary materials, and video recordings are available on Microsoft Teams and Moodle. Video recordings will remain accessible for 12 months.

The exam is held in person on the Moodle platform and is divided into two parts:

Part I (Screening): A test consisting of 60 questions total (multiple-choice and true/false) covering the entire syllabus, including 48 questions on Biochemistry and 12 questions on Applied Technical and Dietetic Sciences. To pass, students must answer at least 75% of the total questions correctly. Time allowed: 60 minutes.

Part II (Open-ended questions): Accessible only upon passing Part I, it requires answering one complex question chosen from 3 specific topic options. Time allowed: 40 minutes.

Grading:
The final grade is out of 30 and is calculated by summing the scores of Part I (max 20/30) and Part II (max 10/30). Honors (laude) will be awarded to students who demonstrate, in the second part, exceptional critical reflection and a level of insight that goes beyond the standard lecture material.

This teaching examines in depth topics closely related to one or more objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations"