The project aims to propose high quality plant foods and beverages (PF/B) to young Caucasian female and male obese adults within personalized hypocaloric diets and appropriate physical training (PT). This pilot study will lead to a precise identification of PF/B useful for a proper lifestyle program able to improve health status of young obese adults. To address the objective, the project involves researchers with complementary and interdisciplinary expertise. The choice of PF/B to be included in the nutritional intervention will be done on the basis of their nutritional and phytochemical profile. PF/B profile will be investigated through a multi-methodological approach consisting of targeted and untargeted analyses to obtain a comprehensive metabolite composition.
The role of bioactive components will be tested by means of chemical and biological assays, in terms of antioxidant and chelating activity, selective inhibition of enzymes involved, safety and tolerability in in vitro cell lines experimental model.
A clinical study will be conducted including a cross-sectional and an interventional arm. Young Caucasian female and male obese and control normal body weight (BW) young adults will be enrolled. The investigation of specific parameters of obese and control subjects, before and after intervention with personalized PF/B based diets and PT, will allow to identify responder and non-responder obese subjects to the proposed life-style modifications and to verify possible gender-specific changes.
In summary, the proposed pilot study will include the following phases: 1) selection of proper PF/B; 2) determination of PF/B phytochemical profile by means of a multi-methodological approach, 3) cross-sectional plus interventional clinical study enrolling obese and normal BW young adults of both genders, 4) preparation of personalized diets including proper serving/day of PF/B and PT, 5) evaluation of the effects of the proposed diet and PT by means of specific parameters.
The project will lead to in-depth knowledge of selected PF/B in terms of the phytochemical composition and rheological properties.
New gender-specific personalized early non-pharmacological treatments based on individualized diets, including selected PF/B, and suitable PT will be developed for young female and male obese adults. The outcomes of this project will help to define the biomarkers for individual gender-specific cardio-metabolic risk assessment in young female and male obese adults, allowing a gender-personalized prevention approach, with an appropriate intensity of intervention.
The knowledge gained from this proposal could be used to develop and produce functional foods, required especially in Europe, due to the socio-cultural changes involving this area, and foods for specific groups, food supplements, foods for special medical purposes enriched with nutrients and bioactive components.
The acquired knowledge on the bioactive compounds occurring in food/beverages will allow a putative industrial counterpart to develop and produce new functional foods and/or new formulations.
Evaluation of specific biological activities for a single agent will be the starting point for the search and the proposal of new edible plant food according to botanical and food processing criteria.
The demonstration of a rational mechanism of action for a specific dietary component can encourage new research lines such as isolation and identification of structurally similar metabolites or compounds from botanically-related sources. Moreover, novel semisynthetic derivatives could be produced to unravel the structural requirements in order to better characterize the mechanism of action, to determine chemical-physical parameters and to evaluate and to improve the chemical and metabolic stability.
This proposal is in agreement with some of the topics listed as key objectives of "Horizon 2020" called "Challenges for the society". In particular, the proposal has connections with two of the six priorities identified by the European Commission: "health, demographic evolution and wellness" and "food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and bio-economy". In fact, the analytical determination of the selected plant food metabolic profile will allow to isolate, identify and quantify the functional components responsible for the positive effects on health. The study proposed and the disseminations of the results at the international level will contribute to the appreciation and promotion of the Mediterranean diet, known to have vegetables and fruits as main diet components. The results will be communicated to the scientific world and academia, stakeholders, and to final users through workshops and magazines. This final phase of the project represents a further link with the objectives of "Horizon 2020" which consider "communications and information means as integral part of the implementation of Horizon 2020".