Abi Rached Rita

Curriculum vitae

At Saint-Joseph University in Beirut, I earned a bachelor’s degree in Life and Earth Sciences – Biochemistry in 2017 and a master’s degree in Food Chemistry in 2019, with an experimental thesis entitled “Intensification of phenolic compound extraction during the winemaking process.”
During my work, I spent six months at the Department of Structure and Macromolecule Interactions working on my Master’s thesis under the supervision of Professor Richard Maroun, Professor Nicolas Louka, and Dr. Hiba N. Rajha.

I worked as a researcher in the divisions of Bioactive Molecules Characterization and Structure and Macromolecule Interactions on the Quality control of grapes and wines: testing the phenolic maturity of grapes from various parcels for many vineyards: KSARA and KEFRAYA, MUSE. In addition, I worked on the Detection of Mycotoxins (Ochratoxins and Aflatoxins) in batches of Wheat – Laboratory of Mycology and Food Security at Saint-Joseph University, Beirut.

I am currently a PhD student in Life, Environmental, and Drug Sciences, working under Professor Maria Manconi’s supervision. I am presently working on a project titled Advanced strategies for developing health-promoting goods from grape byproducts.

Publications

• Rajha, H. N., Khabbaz, S., Abi Rached, R., Debs E., Maroun, R. G., Louka, N. (2020). “Optimization of polyphenols extraction from purple corn cobs using ß-cyclodextrin as a green solvent”
• Hiba N. Rajha, Espérance Debs, Rita Abi Rached, Karl El Khoury, Mona Al-Kazzi, Rachelle Mrad, Nicolas Louka. 2020 “Innovation in cannon puffing technology for the homogenization of bulk treatment: half popped purple corn, a new healthy snack”
• Mohamad Allaw, Maria Manconi, Francesca Marongiu, Marco Porceddu, Gianluigi Bacchetta, Iris Usach, Rita Abi Rached, Hiba N. Rajha, Richard G. Maroun, Jose Luis Pedraz, Tania B. Lopez-Mendez, Maria Letizia Manca. 2020 “Extraction, characterization and incorporation of Hypericum scrugli extract in ad hoc formulated phospholipid vesicles designed for the treatment of skin diseases connected with oxidative stress”
• Lucia Palmas, Matteo Aroffu, Giacomo Petretto, Elvira Escribano, Octavio Diez Sales, Iris Usach, Josè Esteban Peris, Francesca Marongiu, Mansureh Ghavam, Sara Fais, Germano Orrù, Rita Abi Rached, Maria Letizia Manca, Maria Manconi. “Entrapment of Citrus limon var. Pompia essential oil or pure citral in liposomes tailored as mouthwash for the treatment of oral cavity diseases”