Gabriella Pasqua, born in Rome, July 24, 1953. Full Professor since 2001 and Cheaf of Plant Cell Biotechnology Laboratory at the Department of Environmental Biology, University “Sapienza” of Rome. Graduated Magna cum Laude in Natural Sciences (1977) at the University of Rome "La Sapienza". C.N.R. Scholarship from 1978 to 1981. Researcher at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" from 1981 to 1991. Associate Professor of Botany at the University of Catania from 1992 to 1995 and then at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" since 1995. Coordinator of the Graduate Degree School of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. Principal Investigator or Coordinator of various national and international projects. Research has mainly focused on the study of plant growth and development, employing cyto-histological, biochemical, and molecular approaches, both in planta and in vitro systems. She also studied the isolation and characterization of bioactive molecules both in crop and medicinal plants. She carried out several studies on stimulating the production of antitumor, antifungal and antioxidant compounds, using different in vitro systems, such as cell suspensions and shoot and root cultures. The application of in vitro cultures allowed the modification of natural and synthetic substrates in the experiments on biotransformation and it provided important information on biosynthetic pathways of certain compounds as camptothecin and xanthones.More recently, the scientific interest of Prof. Pasqua is also directed to the recovery of bioactive molecules from grapevine waste materials to be used in the preparation of nutraceuticals and functional cosmetics. She also begun to study the application of nanobiotechnology as a new strategy for the improvement of plant growth and defense against pathogens in the integrated management of crops in the field and to obtain food products free of pesticide residues and/or contaminants.Teaching: "Botany and Plant Diversity", "Plant cell biotechnology and microbial" and "Cellular plasticity and plant differentiation:industrial application".

She published 90 papers in extenso, and over 100 presentations at national and international Congresses (main lectures, short communications and posters), 4 reviews on books. 1 PATENT(2010)RM2010A000636. 2 Universitary test-books edited PICCIN "Botany and Plant Diversity" and Cell Biology and Plant Biothecnology.

Research Lines

  1. Collection, characterization, propagation and maintenance of plant germplasm using in vitro culture techniques.
  2. Production of bioactive secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic and agri-food interest, both in planta and in vitro cultures.
  3. Study of the biosynthetic pathways of secondary metabolites and their regulation mechanisms using biochemical and molecular approaches.
  4. Study of interactions between primary and secondary metabolic pathways through metabolomic approach.
  5. Evaluation of biological activities, with particular interest in antimicrobial activity against pathogens of plants, animals and humans, of natural products biosynthesized in vitro and in planta, constitutively or in response to specific environmental stimuli.
  6. Cyto-histological study of plant secretory structures by means of histochemical, immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization techniques.
  7. Nanobiotechnology as a new strategy for the improvement of plant growth and defense against pathogens in the integrated management of crops in the field and to obtain food products free of pesticide residues and / or contaminants.
  8. Development of formulations containing multiple plant antioxidants to reduce the risk of radiation damage in humans (ASI project).

PUBLICATIONS 2005/2017, 2015

  1. Simonetti Giovanna, D'auria Felicia Diodata, Mulinacci Nadia, Innocenti Marzia, Antonacci Donato, Angiolella Letizia, Santamaria Anna Rita, Valletta Alessio, Donati Livia, Pasqua Gabriella (2017). Anti-Dermatophyte and Anti-Malassezia Activity of Extracts Rich in Polymeric Flavan-3-ols Obtained from Vitis vinifera Seeds. PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, 124-131, 31 doi: 10.1002/ptr.5739
  2. Valletta A, De Angelis G, Badiali C, Brasili E, Miccheli A, Di Cocco ME, Pasqua G. (2016) Acetic acid acts as an elicitor exerting a chitosan-like effect on xanthone biosynthesis in Hypericum perforatum L. root cultures. PLANT CELL REP. 1-12, doi:10.1007/s00299-016-1934-x
  3. Valletta A, Salvatori E, Santamaria A R, Nicoletti M, Toniolo C, Caboni E, Bernardini A, Pasqua G*, Manes F. (2016). Ecophysiological and phytochemical response to ozone of wine grape cultivars of Vitis vinifera L. NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH 2514-2522, 30. doi:10.1080/14786419.2015.1118631.
  4. Pasqua G, and Simonetti G. (2016). Antimicrobial and Antiviral Activities of Grape Seed Extracts. Review in Grape Seeds: Nutrient Content, Antioxidant Properties and Health Benefits. Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
  5. Valletta A., Santamaria A.R., Fabrini G., Tocci N., Filho V.C., Wagner T., Brasili E., Pasqua G (2016). Strategies for ex situ conservation of Centaurea cineraria subsp. circae (Asteraceae), an endemic plant from Lazio (Italy). PLANT BIOSYSTEMS, vol. 150, p. 323-332, ISSN: 1126-3504, doi: 10.1080/11263504.2014.1001464
  6. Simonetti Giovanna, Tocci Noemi, Valletta Alessio, Brasili Elisa, D'Auria Felicia Diodata, Idoux Alicia, Pasqua Gabriella (2016). In vitro antifungal activity of extracts obtained from Hypericum perforatum adventitious roots cultured in a mist bioreactor against planktonic cells and biofilm of Malassezia furfur. NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH, vol. 30, p. 544-550, ISSN: 1478-6419, doi: 10.1080/14786419.2015.1028059
  7. Brasili Elisa, Miccheli Alfredo, Marini Federico, Praticò Giulia, Sciubba Fabio, Di Cocco Maria E., Cechinel Valdir Filho, Tocci Noemi, Valletta Alessio, Pasqua Gabriella (2016). Metabolic profile and root development of hypericum perforatum L. in vitro roots under stress conditions due to chitosan treatment and culture time. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE, vol. 7, ISSN: 1664-462X, doi: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00507
  8. Giannini B., Mulinacci N., Pasqua G., Innocenti M., Valletta A., Cecchini F (2016). Phenolics and antioxidant activity in different cultivars/clones of Vitis vinifera L. seeds over two years. PLANT BIOSYSTEMS, vol. 150, p. 1408-1416, ISSN: 1126-3504, doi: 10.1080/11263504.2016.1174174
  9. Scassellati E., Pasqua G., Valletta A, Abbate G. (2016). Salt glands of Armeria canescens (Host) Boiss.: Morphological and functional aspects. PLANT BIOSYSTEMS, p. 1-6, ISSN: 1126-3504, doi: 10.1080/11263504.2016.1186126
  10. ZubrickáD, MišianikováA., HenzelyováJ., VallettaA., De Angelis G., D’AuriaFD., SimonettiG., PasquaG.* and ČellárováE. (2015). Xanthones from roots, hairy roots and cell suspension cultures of selected Hypericum species and their antifungal activity against Candida albicans. PLANT CELL REPORTS. 34 (11), 1953-1962 DOI:10.1007/s00299-015-1842-5015-1842-5
  11. G. Simonetti, Tocci, N., Valletta, A., Brasili, E., D'Auria, F. D., Idoux, A., & Pasqua, G. (2015). In vitro antifungal activity of extracts obtained from Hypericum perforatum adventitious roots cultured in a mist bioreactor against planktonic cells and biofilm of Malassezia furfur. NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH, 1-7. DOI:10.1080/14786419.2015.1028059
  12. L. Giovannelli, M. Innocenti, A. R. Santamaria, E. Bigagli, G. Pasqua, N. Mulinacci (2015). Antitumoural activity of viniferin-enriched extracts from Vitis vinifera L. cell cultures. NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH, vol. 28, p. 2006-2016, ISSN: 1478-6419, DOI:10.1080/14786419.2014.924935
  13. Alessio Valletta, Laura Chronopoulou, Cleofe Palocci, Barbara Baldan, Livia Donati, Gabriella Pasqua (2014). Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles uptake by Vitis vinifera and grapevine-pathogenic fungi JOURNAL OF NANOPARTICLE RESEARCH (ISSN:1388-0764), 2744- 2758, 16
  14. Elisa Brasili, Giulia Pratico', Giulia Pratico, Federico Marini, Alessio Valletta, Giorgio Capuani, Fabio Sciubba, Alfredo Miccheli, Gabriella Pasqua (2014). A non-targeted metabolomics approach to evaluate the effects of biomass growth and chitosan elicitation on primary and secondary metabolism of Hypericum perforatum in vitro roots METABOLOMICS (ISSN:1573-3882), 1186- 1196, 10
  15. Alessio Valletta, Anna Rita Santamaria, A. Canini, L. Canuti, Gabriella Pasqua (2013). Trichomes in Camptotheca acuminata Decaisne (Nyssaceae): Morphology, distribution, structure, and secretion PLANT BIOSYSTEMS (ISSN:1126-3504), 548- 556, 147
  16. Noemi Tocci, Felicia Diodata D'Auria, Giovanna Simonetti, Simona Panella, Anna Teresa Palamara, Aline Debrassi, Antonio Rodrigues Clovis, Valdir Filho Cechinel, Clovis Antonio Rodrigues, V. Cechinel, Valdir Cechinel Filho, Fabio Sciubba, Gabriella Pasqua (2013). Bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts from Hypericum perforatum in vitro roots treated with carboxymethylchitosans and determination of antifungal activity against human fungal pathogens. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY, vol. 70, p. 342-347, ISSN: 0981-9428, doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2013.05.046.
  17. Noemi Tocci, Giovanna Simonetti, Felicia Diodata D'Auria, Simona Panella, Anna Teresa Palamara, Franco Ferrari, Gabriella Pasqua (2013). Chemical composition and antifungal activity of Hypericum perforatum subsp. angustifolium roots from wild plants and plants grown under controlled conditions. PLANT BIOSYSTEMS, vol. 147, p. 557-562, ISSN: 1126-3504, doi: 10.1080/11263504.2013.806964.
  18. Noemi Tocci, Felicia Diodata D'Auria, Giovanna Simonetti, Simona Panella, Anna Teresa Palamara, Gabriella Pasqua (2012). A three-step culture system to increase the xanthone production and antifungal activity of Hypericum perforatum subsp. angustifolium in vitro roots. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY, vol. 57, p. 54-58, ISSN: 0981-9428, doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2012.04.014.
  19. Anna Rita Santamaria, Marzia Innocenti, Nadia Mulinacci, Fabrizio Melani, Alessio Valletta, Ilaria Sciandra, Gabriella Pasqua (2012). Enhancement of Viniferin Production in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Alphonse Lavallee Cell Suspensions by Low-Energy Ultrasound Alone and in Combination with Methyl Jasmonate JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY (ISSN:0021-8561), 11135- 11142, 60
  20. Simona Dinicola, Alessandra Cucina, Alessia Pasqualato, Fabrizio D’Anselmi, Sara Proietti, Elisabetta Lisi, Gabriella Pasqua, Donato Antonacci, Mariano Bizzarri (2012). Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Effects Triggered by Grape Seed Extract (GSE) versus Epigallocatechin and Procyanidins on Colon Cancer Cell Lines INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES (ISSN:1422-0067), 651- 664, 13
  21. Anna Rita Santamaria, Nadia Mulinacci, Alessio Valletta, Marzia Innocenti, Gabriella Pasqua (2011). Effects of Elicitors on the Production of Resveratrol and Viniferins in Cell Cultures of Vitis vinifera L. cv Italia JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY (ISSN:0021-8561), 9094- 9101, 59
  22. Noemi Tocci, Giovanna Simonetti, Felicia Diodata D'Auria, Simona Panella, Anna Teresa Palamara, Alessio Valletta, Gabriella Pasqua (2011). Root cultures of Hypericum perforatum subsp. angustifolium elicited with chitosan and production of xanthone-rich extracts with antifungal activity APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY (ISSN:0175-75980175-7598), 977- 987, 91
  23. Noemi Tocci, F. Ferrari, Anna Rita Santamaria, Alessio Valletta, Irene Rovardi, Gabriella Pasqua (2010). Chitosan enhances xanthone production in Hypericum perforatum subsp. angustifolium cell cultures NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH (ISSN:1478-6419), 286- 293, 24
  24. Alessio Valletta, Livio Trainotti, Anna Rita Santamaria, Gabriella Pasqua (2010). Cell-specific expression of tryptophan decarboxylase and 10-hydroxygeraniol oxidoreductase, key genes involved in camptothecin biosynthesis in Camptotheca acuminata Decne (Nyssaceae) BMC PLANT BIOLOGY (ISSN:1471-2229), 69- 76, 10
  25. Anna Rita Santamaria, D. Antonacci, Giuseppe Caruso, Chiara Cavaliere, Riccardo Gubbiotti, Aldo Lagana', A. Lagana, Alessio Valletta, Gabriella Pasqua (2010). Stilbene production in cell cultures of Vitis vinifera L. cvs Red Globe and Michele Palieri elicited by methyl jasmonate NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH (ISSN:1478-6419), 1488- 1498, 24.
  26. S. Dinicola; A. Cucina; A. Pasqualato; S. Proietti; F. Danselmi; G. Pasqua; A.R. Santamaria; P. Coluccia; A. Lagana'; D. Antonacci; A. Giuliani; M. Bizzarri (2010). Apoptosis-inducing factor and caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways triggered by different grape seed extracts on human colon cancer cell line Caco2. BRITISH JOURNAL OF NUTRITION (ISSN:0007-1145), 824- 832, 10
  27. Mulinacci N; Innocenti M; A. Santamaria; La Marca G; Pasqua G (2010). High-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric investigation of stilbenoids in Vitis vinifera L. cell cultures, cv Malvasia. Rapid Commun Mass Sp. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY (ISSN:0951-4198), 2065- 2073, 24
  28. Nadia Mulinacci, Catia Giaccherini, Anna Rita Santamaria, Rosy Caniato, Franco Ferrari, Alessio Valletta, Franco Francesco Vincieri, Gabriella Pasqua (2008). Anthocyanins and xanthones in the calli and regenerated shoots of Hypericum perforatum var. angustifolium (sin. Fröhlich) Borkh PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY (ISSN:0981-94280981-9428), 414- 420, 46
  29. N. Mulinacci, Anna Rita Santamaria, C. Giaccherini, M. Innocenti, Alessio Valletta, G. Ciolfi, Gabriella Pasqua (2008). Anthocyanins and flavan-3-ols from grapes and wines of Vitis vinifera cv. Cesanese d'Affile NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH (ISSN:1478-6419), 1033- 1039, 22
  30. Alessio Valletta, Fabio Attorre, Franco Bruno, Gabriella Pasqua (2008). In vitro asymbiotic germination of Orchis mascula L. PLANT BIOSYSTEMS (ISSN:1126-3504), 653- 655, 142
  31. Pasqua G., Santamaria Ar, Caniato R, Filippini R. (2008). Somatic embryogenesis and shoot regeneration from leaf derived callus of Hypericum perforatum var. angustifolium (sin. Fröhlich) Borkh. PLANT BIOSYSTEMS. vol. 142, pp. 106-110 ISSN: 1126-3504.
  32. Alessio Valletta, Anna Rita Santamaria, Gabriella Pasqua (2007). CPT accumulation in the fruit and during early phases of plant development in Camptotheca acuminata Decaisne (Nyssaceae) NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH (ISSN:1478-6419), 1248- 1255, 21.
  33. Fiorillo F, Palocci C, Soro S, Pasqua G. (2007). Latex lipase of Euphorbia characias L.: an aspecific acylhydrolase with several isoforms. PLANT SCIENCE. vol. 127, pp. 722-727 ISSN: 0168-9452.
  34. Pasqua G., Silvestrini A, Monacelli B, Mulinacci N, Menendez P, Botta B. (2006). Triterpenoids and ellagic acid derivatives from in vitro cultures of Camptotheca acuminata Decaisne. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY. vol. 44, pp. 220-225 ISSN: 0981-9428.
  35. Barbara Monacelli, Alessio Valletta, Nicoletta Rascio, Isabella Moro, Gabriella Pasqua (2005). Laticifers in Camptotheca acuminata Decne: distribution and structure PROTOPLASMA (ISSN:0033-183X), 155- 161, 226.
  36. Ferrari F, Pasqua G., Monacelli B, Cimino P, Botta B. (2005). Xanthones from calli of Hypericum perforatum subsp. perforatum. NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH. vol. 19, pp. 171-176 ISSN: 1478-6419.
  37. Pasqua G., Monacelli B., Mulinacci N., Rinaldi S, Giaccherini C., Innocenti M, Vinceri F.F. (2005). The effect of growth regulators and sucrose on anthocyanin production in Camptotheca acuminata cell cultures. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY. vol. 43, pp. 293-298 ISSN: 0981-9428.