The research activity focuses on investigating the vascular effects of flavonoids and other naturally occurring compounds widely present in the Mediterranean diet.
The data obtained have demonstrated, for the first time, the modulatory activity of a series of flavonoids, structurally related to quercetin and myricetin, on the ionic currents of Ca²⁺ and K⁺ channels. The studies were conducted using the patch-clamp technique on isolated vascular smooth muscle cells from laboratory animals. The effects on ionic currents were subsequently validated on the mechanical activity of isolated organs ex vivo. A strong correlation between the chemical structure of the flavonoids studied and their modulatory activity was also demonstrated through molecular modelling.
Fabio Fusi, PhD – Associate Professor of Pharmacology