Professore Associato – Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Agro-ambientali | Tel.: 050 2216608 – Email: antonella.castagna@unipi.it<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"unipi-persone-chiave":"1492","unipi-persone-nome":"Antonella","unipi-persone-cognome":"Castagna","unipi-persone-email":"antonella.castagna@unipi.it","unipi-persone-cv":"POSITION AND EDUCATION
\r\n- Graduated in Biological Sciences.
\r\n- PhD in Fertility and Conservation of the Plant-Soil System (University of Pisa): \u201cBiochemical indicators of oxidative stress in iron-deficient sunflower plants\u201d.
\r\n- Associate professor of Agricultural Chemistry at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE), University of Pisa.
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\r\nTEACHING ACTIVITY
\r\nPresent courses:
\r\nAgricultural Ecotoxicology and Environmental Protection
\r\nBioactive Compounds and Metabolomics
\r\nBioactive Compounds and Nutraceutics
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\r\nRESEARCH ACTIVITY
\r\n- Study of the effects of environmental stressors on plant biochemical and physiological processes. Research focuses on the early responses of plants to different oxidative stresses or environmental factors, such as air pollutants (e.g. ozone), heavy metals, soil salinity, mineral deficiency, changes in light intensity and composition (e.g. ultraviolet radiation), with the aim of understanding primary target sites, signalling mechanisms and the progression of kinetics of damage\/defence responses. Attention is addressed to the responses of the photosynthetic process and to the stimulation of the antioxidant defence systems (enzymes and metabolites) at extra- and sub-cellular level.
\r\n- Study of the plant secondary metabolism in response to changes in environmental conditions, with a focus on phenolic compounds, tocopherols, ascorbic acid and carotenoids, also for their role as bio-protective compounds at the basis of the nutraceutical quality of plant food. Attention is paid to the possibility to increase their accumulation and to prolong shelf life of fruits and vegetables by eco-friendly approaches, as modulation of the environmental growth conditions and\/or the use of elicitors (UV-B radiation, ethylene, CO2).
\r\n- Valorisation of by-products of the agri-food chain aimed to reduce wastes and to recover important resources for animal and human nutrition, as well as for use as food supplements or as edible coatings. Evaluationof the effectiveness of natural biopolymers as edible coating or films for fresh foods, to extend shelf life and to slow down the loss of nutraceuticals during storage. Attention is also given to the possibility to improve the functional properties of the edible coatings\/films by the addition of bioactive molecules with antioxidant and\/or antimicrobial activity.
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\r\nMore information available at:
\r\n- CINECA-IRIS (https:\/\/arpi.unipi.it\/simple-search?query=castagna&location=&sort_by=score&order=desc&rpp=10&etal=0&filtername=author&filterquery=rp14970&filtertype=authority#.XslSWmgzZPY)
\r\n- ORCID (https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6481-4570)
\r\n- RESEARCH GATE (https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Antonella_Castagna)
\r\n- LOOP (https:\/\/loop.frontiersin.org\/people\/608008\/overview)
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\r\nBibliometric parameters (May 2026):
\r\nH-index 36
\r\nN. publications ISI-SCOPUS 113
\r\nCitations 3832 by 3209 documents
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\r\nAC has been (is) involved in several Research Programs funded by European Commission, Italian Ministries, Regional administrations, and private companies among which:
\r\n- EC Fifth Framework Program 2000: BIOSTRESS - Biodiversity in Herbaceous Semi-Natural Ecosystems under Stress by Global Change Components
\r\n- PRIMA 2019 call: HaloFarMs. Development and Optimization of Halophyte-based Farming systems in salt-affected Mediterranean Soils
\r\n- PRIMA 2019 call: Fedkito. Fresh food sustainable packaging in the circular economy
\r\n- PRIMA 2023 call: PLAMINPACK. Plant-based antimicrobial and circular packaging for plant products
\r\n- Biodiversa+ 2023 call: Salty symphonies: bringing back BiodivErsity in mArginal Saltlands.
\r\n- WATER4ALL 2023 call: WeTreat. Optimising wetland-based solutions for improved micropollutant treatment efficiency from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent.","unipi-persone-link-esterno-cv":"","unipi-persone-modalita-ricevimento":"Per attivit\u00e0 di tutorato e ricevimento, il docente riceve gli studenti in qualsiasi momento, previo appuntamento via mail","unipi-persone-luogo-ricevimento":"","unipi-persone-ore-ricevimento":"","unipi-persone-telefono":"050 2216608","unipi-persone-sitoweb":"","unipi-persone-cariche":"","unipi-persone-link-orario-lezioni":"https:\/\/unipi.prod.up.cineca.it\/calendarioPubblico\/matricola=070111","unipi-persone-link-registro-lezioni":"https:\/\/unimap.unipi.it\/registri\/registri.php?ri=070111&tmplt=principale.tpl","unipi-persone-settore-scientifico":"Chimica Agraria AGRI-06\/B","unipi-persone-ruolo":"Professore Associato","unipi-persone-arpi":"https:\/\/arpi.unipi.it\/cris\/rp\/rp14970","unipi-persone-pubblicazioni":"