Project: New nutritional approach to develop a dietary ingredient against excess weight- and oxidative stress-induced disorders
In the EU, more than half of the adult population is either overweight (Body Mass Index –BMI of 25 to 30) or obese (BMI >30). Almost 30% of children are overweight (EU obesity paper, 2009). _x000D_
It is expected to surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in the next five years._x000D_
_x000D_
Excess weight is related to illness-related risk factors and represents up to 7% of healthcare costs (EU, 2009) and to the possibility of inducing systemic oxidative stress (OS). _x000D_
OS is linked to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the biological environment, which in excess can harm DNA, lipids and proteins, thereby causing impairment to cellular function. Since ROS production is linked with inflammation and immune processes, OS is a major contributor of obesity-induced dysmetabolism. In these processes, a complex relationship has been shown to exist between OS, lipid signalling, membrane fatty acid composition, lipid metabolism and turnover, a relationship now defined as the lipidomic approach._x000D_
_x000D_
However, the stability of tissues against OS can be enhanced by antioxidant (AO) compounds inhibiting the oxidation of lipid substrates by scavenging free radicals and ROS. _x000D_
AO are key components of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (cf. the effect of AO polyphenols in the Mediterranean diet associated with a lower incidence of obesity, cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes mellitus) and are the reasonably attributed beneficial effects against OS and concomitant inflammation._x000D_
_x000D_
Yet the AO market is overcrowded with neutraceutical products proposing health protection as a whole, which are not condition-specific and often lack scientific backing. _x000D_
_x000D_
In particular, there is clearly a real challenge to develop products with strong scientific background assessing their specific impact against excess weight- and OS-induced disorders._x000D_
_x000D_
In this context, among the most potent AO known, Superoxide dismutase (SOD) presents as an important constituent of cellular defense against OS. _x000D_
Insofar as the nutritional field is concerned, the French innovative SME BIONOV has gotten the first scientific evidence that SOD found in melon pulp concentrate, named SODB, was having anti-inflammatory properties , protective effect against DNA damage resulting from OS induced by hyperbaric oxygen and could prevent aortic lipids and liver steatosis in a diet induced hamster model of atherosclerosis. SODB administration could also prevent obesity disorders in obese hamsters (Carillon et al. Free Radic Biol Med 2013, Mol Nutr Food Res 2013)._x000D_
_x000D_
BIONOV exploited these findings to develop a multi-patented and FDA-compliant product named SODB._x000D_
The effects of SODB on perceived stress and fatigue in a pilot double-blind, placebo control clinical trial on healthy volunteers were also clearly demonstrated (Milesi et al. Nutr J 2009)_x000D_
_x000D_
Such results led BIONOV to launch the LIPIDOMEL project, designed to reinforce the scientific backing of the specific impact of melon SOD regarding the prevention and treatment of excess weight- and OS-induced disorders with the view to further developing a new dietary condition-specific ingredient. For this, an innovative lipidomic evidence-based approach will be implemented._x000D_
_x000D_
More precisely, the 36-month LIPIDOMEL project will:_x000D_
(i) Use this lipidomic approach to define the erythrocyte membrane lipid profile as an innovative integrated biomarker of excess weight-induced metabolic disorders_x000D_
(ii) Make the clinical validation of the potential effect of SOD on excess weight and related metabolic disorders on both animal and human models _x000D_
(iii) Define a formulation that will pave the way for developing a new neutraceutical ingredient with proven preventive and therapeutic properties_x000D_
_x000D_
The project brings together:_x000D_
- BIONOV, to provide their knowledge in the industrial production of innovative AO-based food products and SODB; and to perform the molecular studies on melon-SOD against key target inflammation and OS molecules, using animal and cellular models._x000D_
_x000D_
- The Italian R&D SME LIPINUTRAGEN which specializes in the lipidomic approach, to develop innovative research on changes of cell membrane fatty acid composition marking the transition from excess weight to obesity_x000D_
_x000D_
- The Italian research laboratory ISOF-CNR, to bring its expertise in a new radical stress free plasma biomarker (mono-trans isomers of cholesteryl esters) and in biomimetic models for the study of AO mechanisms and properties toward membrane lipids._x000D_
_x000D_
The project will provide new scientific insights into the underlying mechanisms of excess weight-related disorders and their potential modulation by dietary supplementation based on melon-SOD. These results will bring strong scientific evidence-based foundations to the _x000D_
LIPIDOMEL formulation, which will be further used by neutraceutical manufacturers to develop new dietary AO products aimed at the prevention and treatment of excess weight- and oxidative stress-induced disorders.
|
Acronym
|
LIPIDOMEL
(Reference Number: 7348)
|
|
Duration
|
01/04/2014 - 31/03/2017
|
|
Project Topic
|
Development of a new lipidomic evidence-based antioxidant formulation to produce a dietary ingredient based on melon pulp concentrate rich in Superoxide dismutase to prevent excess weight- and oxidative stress-induced disorders.
|
|
Network
|
Eurostars
|
|
Call
|
Eurostars Cut-Off 8
|
Project partner
