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Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza”, Secţiunea Genetică şi Biologie Molecular ă, TOM XIII, 2012

Lăcrămioara OPRICĂ, BIOCHIMIA PRODUSELOR ALIMENTARE,

Editura Tehnopress, Iaşi, 2011, 384 pagini.

Food science literature from our country has enriched at the end of 2011 with aremarkable food biochemistry work. We refer to monograph Food Biochemistry,

published in Science House Tehnopres by Dr. Lăcr ămioara Oprică, lecturer in the field

of biochemistry at Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Professional Laboratory,

Faculty of Biology, "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University.

This monograph is divided into two unequal parts: first part comprises eight

chapters, and the second, fourteen chapters. The content of the 22 chapters is richly

illustrated with tables, structural formulas, diagrams, charts and figures, chemical

reactions, biosynthetic pathways. At the end of the book is included a list with 194

references consulted by the author.

The first part of this work, entitled The main constituents of food , starts with a

brief overview regarding several general information related to chemical composition of

food, of animal and plant origin, types of food, and its nutritional value.

The following chapter, 2 deals with water and its relation to food composition.

Consequently, the water structure and its fundamental properties, relative water activity

and its correlation with different foods have been discussed. Moreover, the ways in

which water is linked in food biochemical compounds and water activity in relation to

food preservation, oxidation reactions, and to other biochemical changes in food are

largely commented.

Chapter 3 refers to distribution of mineral elements within various foods,describing the functions played by the most important macroelements, oligoelements

and microelements in human body.

Chapters 4, 5 and 6 include information about amino acids, peptides, proteins,

carbohydrates and lipids. For each group of chemical compounds are presented data

about their classification and properties, and the most relevant examples. Thus Amino

acids, Peptides and Proteins chapter deals with protein structure, the digestion of food

proteins and food processing reactions (such as Maillard reaction - nonenzymatic

browning reactions), as well with incidents of Maillard reaction in biotechnology. In

Carbohydrates chapter the author included interesting data about monosaccharides,

polyols as derivatives of monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, andenzymes involved in starch hydrolysis, starch bioavailability in foods, plant

heteroglycans, polysaccharides from seaweed and bacteria. Information about animal

glycosaminoglycans and glycosides may be also found. Then, Lipids chapter contains

data about lipids implication in membranes biosynthesis, lipid oxidation and self

nonenzymatic and enzymatic oxidation mechanism, as well as and factors involved in

lipid oxidation.

Chapters 7 and 8 deal with biosynthetic pathways of the most important

vitamins, referring on their stability and uses, their composition in some foods and the

vitamins requirement for human organism. In these chapters, we can also find data about

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Review on Lăcr ămioara OPRIC Ă - BIOCHIMIA PRODUSELOR ALIMENTARE

biological roles played by vitamins, pigments (porphyrins, flavonoids, anthocyanins,

carotenoids) and other compounds (tannins, betalains, quinones and xanthones,

pigments of enzymatic browning reactions).

The second part of the book is entitled The biochemistry of most important types of food . Chapter 9 (first of the second part), deals with the main chemical

compounds found in human milk and other animal species, and the milk physical and

chemical properties. In addition, here are mentioned several thermal preservation

methods (heating and freezing treatments), the main products derived from milk, and

general technology involved in cheese industry.

Chapter 10 discusses the chemical composition of hen's egg, the main

biochemical compounds found in egg constituents (shell, yolk and whites), egg

nutritional value, egg functional properties and egg freshness control. Chapter 11 includes information about meat chemical composition, emphasizing the skeletal muscle

proteins related to the accurate evaluation of freshness meat state. Going deeper, hereare mentioned the normal biochemical changes occurring in meat after slaughter of

animal, biochemical changes that occur during meat processing, preservation and

storage. The influence of these processes on the quality of meat products and the effects

of refrigeration and freezing procedures on meat products quality are also underlined.Chapter 12 is dedicated to chemical composition of fresh water and marine

fishes and to changes arising after fish slaughter, methods for fish preservation and

preparation are also mentioned several aspects regarding crustaceans and mollusks.

Chapter 13 contains information about the main components found in fats of

terrestrial animals, in oils derived from marine animals and in vegetable oils (oilsobtained from fruits and seeds), as well as data regarding treatments and changes of

fatty materials.

Chapter 14 (Cereals and cereal products) covers some general issues about

cereals and interesting data about carbohydrates, water-soluble and storing proteins,

lipids, vitamins, enzymes, minerals and dietary fiber components found in cereals.

Further, here are given in detail various aspects referring on flours used for bread

preparing, biochemical processes associated with dough obtaining, and information

about pasta, as well.

The next three chapters, 15, 16 and 17 provide data about legumes, vegetables

and fruits. In the case of legumes (soybean, peanut, peas, bean, chickpea, vetch, lentil),vegetables (rooting, tuberous, bulbiferous, cabbage-like, leaves and pod – producing)

and fruits, here are detailed the main chemical compounds and specific substances from

their structure. Moreover, data about biochemical changes occurring during fruit

ripening are presented as well as information about changes in vegetables and fruits

composition and quality, after technological process.

Chapter 18 focuses on aspects regarding sugar and honey. Here are presented

data about nutritional and physiological properties of sugar, processes involved in sugar

manufacture, sugars types, and molasses. Related to honey, it is included types and

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production of honey, its chemical composition, its storage and falsification and bee

products.

Chapter 19 deals with alcoholic drinks; here are detailed the chemical

composition, diseases and defects related to wine. Biochemical processes that occurduring beer biotechnology, its types and defects, substances secreted by hop are also

presented. At the end of this chapter, several data about whiskey are listed.

In Chapter 20 are described some aspects regarding coffee, tea and cocoa. For

each of them it is shown several chemical compounds contained in green and roasted

coffee, green and black tea and also in cocoa.

Chapter 21 presents the chemical compounds which give aroma to spices and

specific heat taste; salt composition, its production techniques and salt types are also

discussed.The last chapter of this book, 22, is dedicated to origin of food additives, their

classes, processing aids and food colorings.As a whole, the monograph elaborated by Dr. Lăcr ămioara Oprică distinguishes

by original style of presentation of scientific content included in 22 chapters. This

allowed to author to concentrate in relatively few pages not only a plenty of data

regarding presented aspects, but also the latest information about the chemicalcomposition and biochemical changes of different food products.

The book written by lecturer Lăcr ămioara Oprică certainly represents a didactic

achievement expected for many years, comprising useful and updated information

included through a professional documentation. Its remarkable scientific content, the

clarity of exposure and graphic conditions that define it recommend this monograph tostudents, master and doctoral students. The book is also strongly recommended to

teachers from closed areas, to biochemists, chemists and food chemistry engineers

involved in research and technological development, food expertise (quality and safety),

and to food biotechnology specialists, and not in the last to veterinary doctors and to

zootechny specialists.

Prof. univ. dr. Vlad ARTENIE şi Prof. univ. dr. Carmen SOCACIU

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