MS Study for Fiber Interaction
Mass spectrometric investigation of the interaction between soluble dietary fibers and small molecules/minerals
Background
According to the WHO, 1/3 of deaths worldwide are diet-related. Regular intake of soluble dietary fibers, however, is an effective way of reducing the risks of cardiovascular diseases related to high blood cholesterol levels and diabetes type 2. In addition, the bioavailability of nutritionally relevant minerals like iron highly depends on the food matrix. Thereby, fibers and their associated phytochemicals play an important role on the mineral uptake. While some interactions of metal cations with negatively charged soluble fibers are known, knowledge on binding of e.g. glucose, bile acids, and minerals with neutral dietary fibers is scarce.
Research Goals
In this study, the structure-function relationships are investigated on a molecular level for the dietary fiber’s binding of nutritionally relevant small molecules and minerals in order to understand the underlying concepts that cause these health benefits. Novel analytical methods are developed for this purpose on the basis of mass spectrometric techniques to asses such weak interactions that cumulatively have a significant effect on health.
Bachelor & Master Theses
This project includes working with model systems of soluble dietary fibers (cereal or yeast β-glucan, galactomannan, arabinoxylan…) and target ligand, characterization by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) with light scattering detectors, as well as highly sophisticated analytical MS equipment with nano-flow electrospray ionization (nanoESI). Highly motivated students who wish to broaden their understanding of food constituents and their interactions on a molecular level, and are interested in the challenge of characterizing fibers and/or developing novel mass spectrometric applications, are welcome to contact .