The 37th International Conference on “Bioactive Compounds and Functional Foods in Disease Prevention and Clinical Nutrition” (FFC37) commenced on October 22 at Mikaelyan University Hospital, bringing together specialists from a wide range of disciplines.
Co-organized by the YSMU Faculty of Public Health and the Functional Food Center USA, the conference features Armenian and international participants from the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Hungary, Greece, Georgia, and Iran. The participants will present current research on the application of functional foods and bioactive compounds, disease prevention, the gut micro biota, and food quality and safety.
The attendees were welcomed by Konstantin Yenkoyan, Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs and Professor.
“The presence here of representatives from various fields, including pharmacy, healthcare management, and other disciplines, demonstrates that this conference provides an excellent platform for Armenian and international scientists to exchange experience and develop new collaborations, as well as a valuable opportunity for professional interaction,” the Vice-Rector stated, emphasizing the broad thematic scope of the presentations.
According to Marine Hovhannisyan, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Public Health and Co-Chair of the conference, the joint event focuses on how food and its bioactive components can contribute to maintaining health and preventing disease, as well as on the scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness.
“It is particularly important that the findings of scientific research contribute to the development of evidence-based approaches to nutrition and the improvement of public health,” the Dean emphasized.
Danik Martirosyan, President of the Functional Food Center and the Institute of Functional Foods in the United States and Chair of the conference, expressed his gratitude to Marine Hovhannisyan, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Public Health; Naira Chichoyan, Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacognosy; and the medical university for organizing the conference and bringing the initiative to fruition.
“This is our fourth consecutive year in Armenia, where we have been introducing functional foods, a field that has attracted considerable international attention, particularly in Japan, where functional foods have received government recognition. It is no coincidence that we have now organized such joint international conferences in Japan for the fourth time. Two weeks ago, we held the 36th International Conference in Tokyo, and now we are here.
The conference focuses on issues related to medicine, and we would like to see not only academic staff but also practicing physicians become involved, since the development of beneficial functional foods is associated with both longevity and the treatment of various diseases,” Danik Martirosyan explained, highlighting the importance of keeping physicians informed about the latest developments in the field.
The first presentation on the opening day was delivered by Diana Andreasyan, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Health named after Academician S. Avdalbekyan of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia. Her presentation addressed the topic “Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity and the Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases in Armenia: The Role of Nutrition and Prevention Strategies.”
Oleg Medvedev, representing the Institute of Experimental Cardiology of the E. I. Chazov Russian Cardiology Research and Production Complex and the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine of Lomonosov Moscow State University, presented “An Innovative, Non-Invasive Approach to the Individualized Selection of Functional Foods Based on Their Effects on the Gut Microbiota.”
Tarek Alshaal, representing the Department of Nutrition at the Albert Kazmer Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences of Széchenyi István University in Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary, presented a paper entitled “Green Biomass as a Source of Protein and Bioactive Compounds for the Development of Functional Foods.”
When discussing functional foods, Serkos Haroutounian, Professor at the Agricultural University of Athens and Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) / European Commission on Agriculture, quoted Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician and philosopher: “We are what we eat.”
“This is one of the fields of research that explores the potential of highly beneficial foods and their application in preventing certain diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and malignant neoplasms. People should adopt healthier dietary habits and avoid trans fats and harmful lipids,” emphasized the expert from Greece, who also discussed the composition of functional foods.
Serkos Haroutounian’s presentation was entitled “Circular Economy: Transforming Agro-Industrial Waste into Innovative Functional Foods.”
Marina Nikitina, a leading researcher at the V. M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems in Moscow, addressed the composition and properties of specialized food products and their monitoring through the application of artificial intelligence.
“Catechins and Antioxidant Activity of Georgian Tea” was the topic presented by Irakli Chkhikvishvili, Professor at the Institute of Medical Biotechnology of Tbilisi State Medical University.
Hamlet Karayan, an expert from the University of Edinburgh, delivered a presentation entitled “Prebiotic-Like and Antioxidant Activities of the Ethanolic Extract of Aesculus hippocastanum L.: Effects on Probiotic Lactobacilli and Lipid Peroxidation.”
The certified conference, which encompasses approximately 100 presentations and discussions and brings together healthcare professionals, pharmacists, academic staff, and other specialists interested in the field, will continue on October 23 in person and on October 24 in an online format.
