Definition of personalised sustainable healthy dietary interventions

The increase in non-communicable diseases is prompting research to define and promote healthier diets and lifestyles. The complexity and variety of some diets/foods and the individual response to food and compound intake make it important to define sustainable personalized nutrition models. Acting on health through personalized interventions is a possibility that can be pursued through different approaches:

• tailoring protein modifications in foods to funnel the gut microbiota with glycated amino acids precursors of functional molecules as short chain fatty acids (SCFA);
• employ natural compounds to impact positively on human health, among these indole derivatives and polyphenols; 
• define sustainable models of personalized nutrition considering differences in energy needs, taste preferences, eating behaviors, food accessibility, metabolic response, socio-economic status, and cultural background.

The identification and quantification of analytically distinct molecules is the key strategy to demonstrate a causative role between nutritional interventions and nutritional status. The fate of glycated oligopeptides and amino acids will be detected through an integrated approach which includes the definition of specific modified side chains of amino acids building block, in vitro digestion, untargeted mass spectrometry screening to identify metabolites, construction of the metabolic pathways in presence of modified amino acids, evaluation of the functional effects of glycation through the quantitation of SCFA by LC MS/MS.

In parallel, the healthy properties of selected natural compounds will be studied; in particular, pomace extracts and bioactive compounds will be electrochemically characterized, and the anti- and pro-oxidant properties will be assessed on cancer and normal cell lines. Moreover, the identification and biochemical characterization (interaction with DNA) of indole derivatives from natural sources will be performed.
Finally, we propose to define a tailored and sustainable dietary pattern able to positively affect children overweight/obesity, considering the individual interactions between nutrition, physical activity, anthropometric parameters, and gut microbiota.

We pinpoint a versatile paradigm that circularly connects food processing, functional natural compounds and personalized nutrition with quality and health.

• Protein modifications is undeniably common during food processing and storage: we could provide solutions on how specific protein formulations impact the host/microbiota health status with emphasis on personalized nutrition. A biochemical toolbox based on metagenomic, and metabolomics can address potential health issues for the general population. 
• Determination of electrochemical and biological properties on in vitro cell lines of the extracts and the polyphenols from grape pomace to provide information on the anti- and pro-oxidant properties, thus obtaining preliminary information on their suitability as nutraceuticals, or ingredients in food supplements intended for a personalized diet to support specific conditions, such as cancer prevention/treatment.
• Selection of indole derivatives from natural sources with impact on human health, with specific reference to cancer prevention/treatment.
• Definition of the individual sustainable dietary pattern to promote health status in overweighed/obese children.

The interconnection between metabolomics, nutrigenomics and personalized nutrition can provide a guidance in the field of human nutrition and food design outlining a holistic picture of the impact on health.