José María Castellano Orozco

Departamento:
Extension: 431088/431084 Lab.
jmcas@ig.csic.es

Since 2008 he is Principal Investigator of the Group "Bioactives for Health and Nutrition (BIOSSAN)" (Code CSIC 641359), of the Department of Food and Health in the Instituto de la Grasa-CSIC. His research activity includes two well differentiated stages. In the first, which lasted until 2006, he studied the molecular mechanisms of plant ripening and senescence, with special attention to the phytohormone ethylene and its role in plant stress. He made contributions to the knowledge of its biosynthesis. In particular, the characterization of the 1-aminociclopropano-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase activity and its regulation. He also investigated the auxin/ethylene interaction in plant development using transgenic tomato overexpressing the iaaM gene of A. tumefaciens, under the control of specific promoters. He researched the technological use of this knowledge, studying the use of ACC to facilitate the fruit harvesting, the use of high-CO2 modified atmospheres to preserve the quality of vegetables, and the potential of 1-methylcyclopropene to extend the post-harvest life of perishable fruits.
Since 2007, He is focused on the study of plant bioactive compounds, mainly pentacyclic triterpenoids. In 2008, he opens a new line of research aimed at taking advantage of the pharmacological properties of oleanolic acid (OA). He has studied the biochemical and molecular basis of the therapeutic action of OA against insulin resistance and its physio-pathological complications. He has established and led the Group's relations with researchers from the Public Health System of Andalusia, university groups and different companies, on this topic, being a CSIC researcher of reference in these collaborations. In 2009, he was the promoter of the PREDIABOLE Study (www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN03372660), a phase II clinical trial, pioneering worldwide, which demonstrated in humans the preventive effect of OA against type 2 diabetes. In addition, he is principal investigator in the OLTRAD Study (Since 2008 he is Principal Investigator of the Group "Bioactives for Health and Nutrition (BIOSSAN)" (Code CSIC 641359), of the Department of Food and Health in the Instituto de la Grasa-CSIC. His research activity includes two well differentiated stages. In the first, which lasted until 2006, he studied the molecular mechanisms of plant ripening and senescence, with special attention to the phytohormone ethylene and its role in plant stress. He made contributions to the knowledge of its biosynthesis. In particular, the characterization of the 1-aminociclopropano-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase activity and its regulation. He also investigated the auxin/ethylene interaction in plant development using transgenic tomato overexpressing the iaaM gene of A. tumefaciens, under the control of specific promoters. He researched the technological use of this knowledge, studying the use of ACC to facilitate the fruit harvesting, the use of high-CO2 modified atmospheres to preserve the quality of vegetables, and the potential of 1-methylcyclopropene to extend the post-harvest life of perishable fruits.
Since 2007, He is focused on the study of plant bioactive compounds, mainly pentacyclic triterpenoids. In 2008, he opens a new line of research aimed at taking advantage of the pharmacological properties of oleanolic acid (OA). He has studied the biochemical and molecular basis of the therapeutic action of OA against insulin resistance and its physio-pathological complications. He has established and led the Group's relations with researchers from the Public Health System of Andalusia, university groups and different companies, on this topic, being a CSIC researcher of reference in these collaborations. In 2009, he was the promoter of the PREDIABOLE Study (www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN03372660), a phase II clinical trial, pioneering worldwide, which demonstrated in humans the preventive effect of OA against type 2 diabetes. In addition, he is principal investigator in the OLTRAD Study (https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT06030544), a randomized and controlled trial designed to prove the therapeutic utility of OA, as adjuvant of metformin, in the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients. He´s developed analytical procedures for the determination of triterpenes in human sera, applying them in pharmacokinetics studies of OA in humans (https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT05529953). Since 2017, he also studies the protective effect of olive biomolecules (phytosterols, tocopherols and triterpenoids) on the Alzheimer's disease, performing research in the BV-2 cell line, murine models and clinical trials. He is the inventor of a process patented by the CSIC for the recovery of oleuropein from the olive leaf. He is also inventor of the European Patent which protects an OA-enriched functional olive oil, its elaboration procedure, and it use thereof. He was Head of the Department of Food and Health of the IG-CSIC in the period June 2015-October 2020.), a randomized and controlled trial designed to prove the therapeutic utility of OA, as adjuvant of metformin, in the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients. He´s developed analytical procedures for the determination of triterpenes in human sera, applying them in pharmacokinetics studies of OA in humans. Since 2017, he also studies the protective effect of olive biomolecules (phytosterols, tocopherols and triterpenoids) on the Alzheimer's disease, performing research in the BV-2 cell line, murine models and clinical trials. He is the inventor of a process patented by the CSIC for the recovery of oleuropein from the olive leaf. He is also inventor of the European Patent which protects an OA-enriched functional olive oil, its elaboration procedure, and it use thereof. He was Head of the Department of Food and Health of the IG-CSIC in the period June 2015-October 2020.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3051-3264