Professor
Office: HEEP, Room 220D
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 979-314-3864
Area of Expertise
Assessing the beneficial effects of phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables and their contribution to antioxidant activity/stability during processing and storage of beverages and other food products
Food chemistry, quality, and metabolic fate of plant-based compounds
Research Focus
Dr. Talcott’s research is focused on phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables, antioxidant stability and assessment, postharvest retention, beverage processing and value-added products. Intake of compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, procyanidins, carotenoids, tocopherols and ascorbic acid are suggested to have an inverse association with the risk of certain cancers and diseases. These compounds are investigated as antioxidants, enzyme inhibitors, and bioactive agents and changes in their concentration and activity are investigated following postharvest handling and processing. Current investigations include phytochemical identification, quantification and stability in tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables including acai, mango, guava, passion fruit, grapes. As well as peanuts, strawberries, bell peppers and food-grade botanicals.
Dr. Talcott is a former Supervisor of Chemistry at Silliker Laboratories of Texas, Grand Prairie, TX and was an Associate Professor of Food Chemistry with the University of Florida’s Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, Gainesville, FL. Dr. Talcott returned to Texas A&M University in the Fall of 2006 as an Assistant Professor.
Courses Taught
- FSTC 312: Food Chemistry
- FSTC 313: Food Chemistry Laboratory
- FSTC 314: Food Analysis
- FTSC 605: Graduate Food Chemistry
- NUTR/FSTC 489: Study Abroad in Brazil
Lab Members
Sergio is from Monterrey, Mexico. He earned his B.S. in Food Science and Technology, 2019 and MS Biotechnology from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Mexico) in 2021 under Dr. Jorge Welti. He is currently working toward his doctoral degree in Food Science and Technology under Dr. Stephen Talcott. His research is focused in the chemistry and metabolism of ellagitannins and gallotannins in different food matrices and biological samples from human subjects.
Elizabeth is from Decatur, Texas. She earned her B.S. in Nutrition from Texas A&M University in 2022. She then completed the Texas A&M University Dietetic Internship Program in 2023 and earned her Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential. She is currently working toward her doctoral degree in Food Science and Technology under Dr. Stephen Talcott. Her research focuses on the chemistry and metabolism of hydrolysable tannins found in food matrices and their effects on the human gut microbiota.
Select Publications
- Kim, H, Venancio, VP, Fang, C, Dupont, AW, Talcott, ST, Mertens-Talcott, SU et al.. Mango (Mangifera indica L.) polyphenols reduce IL-8, GRO, and GM-SCF plasma levels and increase Lactobacillus species in a pilot study in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Nutr Res. 2020;75 :85-94. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2020.01.002. PubMed PMID:32109839.
- Barnes, RC, Kim, H, Mertens-Talcott, SU, Talcott, ST. Improved recovery of galloyl metabolites from mango (Mangifera indica L.) in human plasma using protein precipitation with sodium dodecyl sulfate and methanol. Food Res. Int. 2020;129 :108812. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108812. PubMed PMID:32036936 .
- Ferreira, LT, Venancio, VP, Kawano, T, Abrão, LCC, Tavella, TA, Almeida, LD et al.. Chemical Genomic Profiling Unveils the in Vitro and in Vivo Antiplasmodial Mechanism of Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Polyphenols. ACS Omega. 2019;4 (13):15628-15635. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.9b02127. PubMed PMID:31572864 PubMed Central PMC6761757.