Professor of Plant Biology and Pathology at the Milan State University. He has been studying bioactive phytochemicals relevant for human nutrition and health, including melatonin, polyphenols, carotenoids, sterols and essential oils, focusing on their functional role in planta, as well as on their in vitro/in vivo and in human biological activities. Furthermore, he has been investigating the effects of elicitors on plant secondary metabolism, as an approach to obtain phytochemical-enriched plant foods and medicinal herbs. Author of more than 200 publications with IF (H-index: 40). Associate Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Founding Member of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine. Member of the Working Group ‘Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy’ of the Italian Society of Pharmacology. Main Patent: ‘Compositions Comprising Rutin Useful for the Treatment of Tumors Resistant to Chemotherapy’ (WO2015036875A1; US20160213698; US9757405B2; EP3043821).

Food security
one health
global climate change
bioactive phytochemicals
mediterranean diet