Functional Food Center Inc.

Functional Food Center Inc.


Bioactive Compounds and Functional Foods: Key Drivers inHealth Promotion, Disease Prevention and Management

34th International Conference of FFC - 22nd International Symposium of ASFFBC

Conference and EXPO at Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL) on September 24-26, 2025, in Madrid, Spain (In-Person and Virtual/Live Online Event)


Conference Preliminary Program

We expecting more than 2000 registered attendees (in-person and virtual) at this conference and we are welcoming representatives from over 125 countries.

September 24, 2025   Local Time, (Madrid, Spain)
 Preamble Speaker Topic
 8:00–9:00 Registration
Opening session
9:00 – 9:05 M. Mar Villamiel. Director of CIAL, Madrid, Spain Welcome to CIAL — Institute of Food Science Research
9:05-9:20 Danik Martirosyan, Conference Chair, PhD, President, Functional Food Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Functional Food Institute, San Diego, CA, USA Opening Remarks: Food, pharmaceutical bioactive compounds, and functional food science
KeyNote Session
X:XX – X:XX Kee-Hong Kim, Ph.D., Key Note Speaker: Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA Daily supplement with piceatannol alleviates cancer-related adipose and muscle wasting.
Session 1 Functional Foods: Definitions, Classification, And Regulatory Frameworks
X:XX – X:XX Kaj Winther, professor, MD, DSc, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Dose-dependency and placebo controlled, double-blind, randomized, clinical trials should be mandatory before a food supplement can enter the market.
X:XX – X:XX Tandra R. Chakraborty, Ph.D. Professor and Chair Biology Department, Adelphi University, One South Avenue, Garden City, New York, USA The convergence of tradition and science: Ashwagandha redefining health
11:35-11:55 Coffee Break
Session 2 Food Bioactive Compounds: Sources, Digestibility, Bioavailability, And Health Benefits Session Chair: Deshanie Rai, PhD, OmniActive Health Technologies, Bridgewater, NJ, USA
X:XX – X:XX Noelia Hernández Correas, Ph.D., Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Universidad Católica de Murcia-UCAM, Campus de los Jerónimos, Murcia, Spain Curing strategies and bioactive peptide generation in ham: in vitro digestion and in silico evaluation
X:XX – X:XX Rocío De la Peña-Armada, PhD, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain Agri-food by-product valorisation as a first step for developing healthy functional foods: a case study on apple by-product
X:XX – X:XX Matteo Roattino, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bozen-Bolzano, BZ, Italy Next-generation functional foods: reinventing cheese with fermented, high-protein plant-based alternatives
X:XX – X:XX Mindani Induwara Watawana, PhD candidate, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland The development and characterisation of a plant-based functional beverage using Rebaudioside-A
X:XX – X:XX Attila Kiss, Ph D, Professor, Agro- and Food-Industrial Research Centre, Széchenyi István University, Hungary Unlocking the antioxidant potential of diverse plant families: a comparative analysis of polyphenol-rich substances, assessments of correlation of diverse assays, and estimation of their health benefit potential
X:XX – X:XX Cristina Prieto, Ph.D. Tenured Scientist, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain Recent developments in electrospraying assisted by pressurized gas for the encapsulation of challenging bioactives
X:XX – X:XX David Fuentes-Rios, PhD, Nektium Pharma SL, Las Palmas, Spain and Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga, Málaga, Spain Human pharmacokinetic profiling and comparative analysis of Mangiferin and its monosodium derivative from Mangifera indica extracts by UHPLC-MS/MS
X:XX – X:XX Adriana Maite Fernández, Ph.D, Laboratory of Bioactivity and Food Nanotechnology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay Digestibility of sustainable muffins enriched with Tannat grape pomace
1:30- 2:30 – Lunch Break
Session 3. Session Chair:  Combating Infectious Diseases with Bioactive Compounds and Functional Foods Session Chair: 
X:XX – X:XX Lourdes Sánchez, Ph.D., Professor, Departamento de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos. Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain Effect of homogenization and ultra-high pressure homogenization on the activity of dairy by-products against gastrointestinal pathogens
Session 4.  The Potential of Functional Foods And Bioactive Compounds In Promoting and Managing Chronic Diseases Session Chair
X:XX – X:XX Akinori Yanaka, MD, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan Dietary intake of sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts protects gastrointestinal tract from various types of chronic diseases by enhancing cellular anti-oxidant systems and by improving composition of gut microbiota
X:XX – X:XX Marta Majchrzak, PhD Student, Department of Bioactivity and Food Analysis. Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL, CSIC-UAM, CEI UAM+CSIC), Madrid, Spain Protective effects of microalgae-derived oils against oxidative stress and inflammation
3:50-4:50 Poster Session

Poster session abstracts available here:
4:50-5:00 Closing Remarks for the Day

5:00 End of Day One
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Session 5

Functional Foods And Their Role In Promoting Healthy Aging:

 Session Chair: 
9:00 – 9:20 Miryam Amigo-Benavent, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland The insulinotropic and incretin properties of a milk protein-protein matrix in menopausal women
X:XX – X:XX Lourdes M. Varela, Ph.D., Department of Food and Health, Food Protein and Immunonutrition Group, CSIC, (Institute of Fat), Seville, Spain Functional hemp peptides to modulate aging and diabetes via DPP-IV inhibition
Session 6. Bioactive Compounds And The Management Of Metabolic Diseases Session Chair:
X:XX – X:XX Valentina Guzmán-Pérez, PhD, Department of Nutrition and Biochemistry, Sciences Faculty, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia Sub-chronic consumption of Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus L.) on chronic disease biomarkers in prediabetic subjects
X:XX – X:XX Mahendra Bishnoi, PhD, Center for Excellence in Functional Foods, Department of Food and Nutritional Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), SAS Nagar, Punjab, India Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) based polypharmacological dietary approach for obesity prevention and therapeutics
X:XX – X:XX Sanjoy Chakraborty, PhD, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, New York City College of Technology, CUNY Brooklyn, New York, USA Safety and clinical efficacy of a novel, patented green coffee bean extract [GCB70®], enriched in 70% chlorogenic acid, in overweight individuals: a placebo-controlled, double-blind exploration
11:35-11:55 Coffee Break
Session 7 Applications of Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence In Functional Food Science Session Chair: 
X:XX – X:XX Selena Moirangthem, PhD student, Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy Exploring bioinformatic approaches for mining antifungal peptides and antimicrobial compounds for use as biopreservatives in functional foods
X:XX – X:XX Debasis Bagchi, PhD, Professor, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, and Dept of Psychology, Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, USA Shatavarin IV synergizes receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) in boosting neuromuscular health: an in silico expedition
Session 8 Impact Of Food Bioactive Compounds On Gut Microbiota Session Chair: 
X:XX – X:XX Samuel Paterson, PhD student, Department of Bioactivity and Food Analysis, Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL, CSIC-UAM, CEI UAM+CSIC), Madrid, Spain Impact of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the antioxidant activity and gut health modulatory properties of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris
X:XX – X:XX Arka Bhattacharya, PhD scholar, Healthy Gut Research Group, Centre for Excellence in Functional Foods, Food and Nutritional Biotechnology Division, National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute, Punjab, India Commensal bacterial consortium modulates lipid metabolism and inflammation in MASLD: evidence from an enterocyte–hepatocyte co-culture model
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Session 9 New Trends In The Functional Foods Market Session Chair:
X:XX – X:XX Cesar Moreno-Rojo, PhD, Universidad Nacional del Santa, Faculty of Engineering Academic Department of Agroindustry and Agronomy Av. Universitaria, s/n, Urb. Bella Mar, Nuevo Chimbote, Ancash - Perú Physicochemical characteristics and sensory acceptability of cookies with black mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum) and anchovy (Engraulis ringens) protein concentrate
X:XX – X:XX Chiara Viretto, PhD, Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy Fermented cereal-pulse based beverages as functional dairy-free yogurt alternatives
X:XX – X:XX Carla Navarro Molina, Ph.D. Student, Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, Canada Innovating snacks with adaptogenic roots: Influence of Rhodiola rosea and Eleutherococcus senticosus on cracker development
X:XX – X:XX Andrea Luaces Perez, PhD Student, Biochemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Science-Ourense, University of Vigo, Spain Biotechnological production of mixed beta-(1,3)/beta-(1,4) xylooligosaccharides (XOS) from the red algae Palmaria palmata
X:XX – X:XX Anisha Banu, Master's graduate, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland A study on optimizing functional oats and quinoa cookies: the role of inulin in enhancing texture, taste, and sensory acceptance of Rebaudioside A-sweetened formulations
1:30- 2:30 – Lunch Break
Session 10 Research And Development Of New Functional Food Products For Chronic And Infectious Diseases And For General Health Session Chair: Danik Martirosyan, PhD, President, Functional Food Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Functional Food Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
X:XX – X:XX Deshanie Rai, PhD, OmniActive Health Technologies, Bridgewater, NJ, USA The evolving health benefits of macular carotenoids - emerging clinical evidence to support visual and cognitive performance during early childhood and for dry eye conditions
X:XX – X:XX Kanthi Kiran Kondepudi, PhD, Healthy Gut Research Group, Food and Nutrition Biotechnology Division, BRIC-National Agri-Food Biomanufacturing Institute, Mohali, Punjab, India GABA producing psychobiotic Levilactobacillus brevis LAB6 MTCC 25662 alleviates experimental epilepsy
X:XX – X:XX Rubén Pérez-Machín, Ph.D., Department of Research and Development, Nektium Pharma SL, Las Palmas, Spain Effects of Aframomum melegueta seed extract (Vanizem®) on stress relief, anxiety, mood and sleep: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-control, crossover trial
X:XX – X:XX Ana Beltrán-Arranz, Ph.D., Nektium Pharma, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain Acute supplementation of soluble mango leaf extract (Zynamite®S) improves mental performance and mood: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical study
X:XX – X:XX Poster Session
X:XX – X:XX Awards and Certificates
X:XX – X:XX End of Day Two. In-Person Conference Closing

September 26, 2025 
(9:00 - 12: 00 PM)		  Local Time, (Madrid, Spain) Virtual Presentations 
9:00-9:10  Adineh Tajmousavilangerudi, Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy.  Water Kefir Starters Create Functional Dairy-Like Plant-Based Beverage.
X:XX – X:X Alvina Avagyan, PhD, Leading researcher, Scientific Centre of Vegetable and Industrial Crops, Darakert, Ararat Marz, Armenia.  Functional Value and Cultivation Potential of Glebionis coronaria Cultivars in Armenia: Biologically Active Compounds and Yield-Related Traits.
X:XX – X:X Irina Chernukha, PhD, Professor, Academician of Russian Academy of Sciences, VM Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems, Moscow, Russia.  Production of a specialized meat product for rehabilitation of patients with cerebral circulation disorders: A systematic analysis.
X:XX – X:X Kupaeva Nadezhda, PhD, Experimental clinic-laboratory of biologically active substances of an animal origin, V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS, Moscow, Russia. Investigating the effect of extraction method on the antioxidant potential of wheat bran extracts.
X:XX – X:X Victor Eduardo Alcantar Rodríguez, MS, Centro de Desarrollo de Productos Bióticos, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Morelos, México. Departamento de Ciencia Animal y de los Alimentos. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Hibiscus sabdariffa L. drink and biomarkers in second-trimester pregnant women.
X:XX – X:X Zhu-Jun Zhang, MSc. Student, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China Encapsulation of melatonin in zein/pectin composite nanoparticles: Fabrication, characterization, and in vitro release property.
X:XX – X:X Acevez-Mares Lilia C., MSc, Student, Food Technology department, Centro de Investigacion y Asistencia en Tecnologia y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, Mexico.   Native cacao from south of Mexico: polyphenol profiling and their effect in inflammation and lipid metabolism modulation
X:XX – X:X Caglar Gok PhD, Department of Food Engineering, Süleyman Demirel University, 32260, Isparta, Turkey Apple Juice Usage in Water Kefir Fermentation to Obtain Healthy and Refreshing Drink
X:XX – X:X Anush Vardanyan, PhD, Senior Scientist, Head of Tissue Culture Laboratory, G.S.Davtyan Institute of Hydroponics Problems, National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia Agro-ecological and Phyto-chemical Characteristics of Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim) under Different Cultivation Methods and Environmental Conditions of Armenia
X:XX – X:X Jia-Nan Yan, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China  Encapsulation of melatonin in zein/pectin composite nanoparticles: Fabrication, characterization, and in vitro release property
X:XX – X:X Artur Matevosyan, Junior Scientist, Laboratory of Plant Nourishment and Productivity, G.S. Davtyan Institute of Hydroponics Problems, National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia The Effect of Different Growth Conditions on The Content of Biologically Active Compounds and Gross ?-Radioactivity In Some Edible Plants in Ararat Valley
12:00 PM End of Day Three. Virtual  Conference Closing

Please note: The organizers reserve the right to update or revise the program based on final registrations and availability.