XLI CICLO | Fosso Fabiana

I am a graduate in Biotechnology for Food Safety and Quality from the University of Tuscia. My undergraduate thesis, conducted under Professor Roberta Bernini, focused on organic chemistry of natural compounds, where I developed an innovative and sustainable procedure for the synthesis and characterization of gallic acid esters, assessing their biological activity, particularly antioxidant capacity, via spectrophotometric analysis. I have completed two research fellowships in the field of natural product organic chemistry under Professor Raffaele Saladino, where I gained extensive experience in organic synthesis, purification, characterization, and analysis of nanostructured products. I applied advanced analytical techniques including IR and NMR spectroscopy, HPLC, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, and fluorescence spectroscopy, always with a focus on green chemistry and circular economy principles. Additionally, I carried out both curricular and extracurricular internships, followed by employment, at PhenoFarm Srl, a company specializing in solvent-free, eco-friendly production of natural extracts from local plant materials for the food, feed, nutraceutical, and cosmetic sectors. There, I was responsible for laboratory analyses aimed at quality control and safety, particularly determining polyphenol content. I am currently pursuing a PhD at the Department of Ecology and Sustainable Resource Management at the University of Tuscia, focusing on the recovery, valorization, and application of natural polyphenols. My research interests include sustainable
extraction and functionalization of natural compounds, green chemistry approaches, and the development of high-value, bioactive ingredients for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.

The research project aims to address the valorization of natural polyphenols from both a fundamental and applied research perspective, through circular economy and green chemistry approaches. In particular, it focuses on the transformation of by-products from a strategically important agro-industrial supply chain for Italy, namely the olive oil sector, into high value-added ingredients. The project seeks to develop sustainable processes for the transformation of polyphenolic compounds of different natural origins, including those derived from agro-industrial processing effluents. Within the framework of basic research, new photo- and biocatalytic procedures will be developed to obtain functional polyphenol derivatives with potential pharmacological and nutraceutical applications. In parallel, applied research activities will focus on the development of new marketable products. A key challenge will be the valorization of polyphenols present in olive oil processing effluent extracts without modifying their chemical structure, thus avoiding the formation of new molecules that would require stringent regulatory evaluation for product certification. This objective will be achieved through the formulation of lipid-based delivery systems composed exclusively of natural ingredients derived from the same supply chain. These systems will encapsulate the active compounds, consisting of a polyphenol mixture, improving their stability, efficacy, and bioavailability, while enabling the transport and dispersion of hydrophilic molecules in lipophilic matrices. This approach preserves, and potentially enhances, the natural bioactive properties of the compounds.

Ceccotti Vlas, N., Fosso, F., De Marchi, E., Gabellone, S., Capecchi, E., Piccinino, D.,… & Saladino, R. (2025). Blue‐LED Oxidative Coupling of Amines to N‐Alkyl Imines by Metal‐Free Meso‐Tetraphenyl Porphyrin/Lignin‐Nanoparticles. ChemCatChem, 17(8), e202402097.

De Marchi, E., Marino, A., Fosso, F., Ceccotti Vlas, N., Piccinino, D., Capecchi, E., … & Saladino, R. (2025). Photochemistry of Resveratrol: Beyond the Reactivity of Metal‐Free Porphyrins Immobilized on Lignin. ChemPhotoChem, 2500073.