Simona Grasso

Dr. Simona Grasso

Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH), School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

16Years (2011-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 May 2020 in Trends in Food Science & Technology
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
KPKonstantinos Papoutsis
Konstantinos Papoutsis
Simona GrassoSimona Grasso
Simona Grasso
AMAjay Menon
Ajay Menon
NBNigel P. Brunton
Nigel P. Brunton
JLJames Lyng
James Lyng
Deep Jyoti BhuyanDeep Jyoti Bhuyan
Deep Jyoti Bhuyan

1 September 2014 in Trends in Food Science & Technology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Simona GrassoSimona Grasso
Simona Grasso
NBNigel Brunton
Nigel Brunton
JLJames Lyng
James Lyng
FLF. Lalor
F. Lalor
FMF.J. Monahan
F.J. Monahan

1 October 2021 in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
Manoj KumarManoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar
MTMaharishi Tomar
Maharishi Tomar
Deep Jyoti BhuyanDeep Jyoti Bhuyan
Deep Jyoti Bhuyan
SPSneh Punia
Sneh Punia
Simona GrassoSimona Grasso
Simona Grasso
Mohamed MekhemarMohamed Mekhemar
Mohamed Mekhemar
The processing of tomato fruit into puree, juices, ketchup, sauces, and dried powders generates a significant amount of waste in the form of tomato pomace, which includes seeds and skin. Tomato processing by-products, particularly seeds, are reservoirs of health-promoting macromolecules, such as proteins (bioactive peptides), carotenoids (lycopene), polysaccharides (pectin), phytochemicals (flavonoids), and vitamins (α-tocopherol). Health-promoting properties make these bioactive components suitable candidates for the development of novel food and nutraceutical products. This review comprehensively demonstrates the bioactive compounds of tomato seeds along with diverse biomedical activities of tomato seed extract (TSE) for treating cardiovascular ailments, neurological disorders, and act as antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial agent. Utilization of bioactive components can improve the economic feasibility of the tomato processing industry and may help to reduce the environmental pollution generated by tomato by-products.

17 December 2020 in Foods
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Simona GrassoSimona Grasso
Simona Grasso
SJSylvia Jaworska
Sylvia Jaworska
There is a growing interest in flexitarian diets, which has resulted in the commercialisation of new hybrid meat products, containing both meat and plant-based ingredients. Consumer attitudes towards hybrid meat products have not been explored, and it is not clear which factors could affect the success of such products. This study is the first to overview of the UK hybrid meat product market and to explore consumer’s attitudes towards hybrid meat products in 201 online reviews, using tools and techniques of corpus linguistics (language analysis). In the positive reviews, consumers emphasised the taste dimension of the hybrid meat products, seeing them as healthier options with good texture and easy to prepare. The negative reviews related to the poor sensory quality and not to the concept of hybridity itself. Using a multidisciplinary approach, our findings revealed valuable insights into consumer attitudes and highlighted factors to consider to market new hybrid meat products effectively.

19 March 2022 in Horticulturae
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Manoj KumarManoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar
DCDeepak Chandran
Deepak Chandran
MTMaharishi Tomar
Maharishi Tomar
Deep Jyoti BhuyanDeep Jyoti Bhuyan
Deep Jyoti Bhuyan
Simona GrassoSimona Grasso
Simona Grasso
Mohamed MekhemarMohamed Mekhemar
Mohamed Mekhemar
The tomato is a member of the Solanaceae family and is a crop that is widely cultivated around the world due to its sweet, sour, salty, juicy, and nutritious berries. The processing of tomatoes generates a significant amount of waste in the form of tomato pomace, which includes seeds and skin. Tomato seeds are reservoirs of various nutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, and vitamins. These components make tomato seeds an important ingredient for application in food matrices. This review discusses the functional food properties of tomato seeds and their scope of utilization as major ingredients in the functional food industry. In addition, this review describes the development of tomato seeds as a potential nutritional and nutraceutical ingredient, along with recent updates on research conducted worldwide. This is the first review that demonstrates the nutritional profile of tomato seeds along with its diverse functional food properties and application as a functional food ingredient.