To address global nutrition challenges, scientific research is moving towards integrated solutions. OnFoods Spoke 6 contributes to this by developing low environmental impact methods, novel foods, and innovative technologies, aiming to achieve as widespread and generalised sustainability as possible.

Among the flagship projects of Spoke 6 is BIOPROCOM, which stands for “Biofactories and prototypes for novel functional food, ingredients and bioactive compounds to combat malnutrition in aging and chronic diseases.” Coordinated by CNR-IBBA, it actively involves the University of Pavia.

BIOPROCOM’s ambition is clear: to design new functional foods and dietary strategies drawing on natural resources and biodiversity, focusing on microbiological research to improve health through food — naturally, sustainably, and scientifically.

BIOPROCOM’s research activities focus mainly on two objectives of Spoke 6: reducing malnutrition through low environmental impact strategies and enhancing individuals’ ability to build resilience. These activities include developing and applying experimental models in vitro, in vivo, and through digital simulations to understand the mechanisms of action of new bioactive molecules, including creating prototypes of foods and nutraceuticals and implementing sustainable dietary models.

Plant-rich diets are strongly recommended to effectively address these conditions and form an important part of human nutrition. Besides providing carbohydrates and proteins, plant foods also contain:

• Elements and metabolites with proven nutritional properties and health benefits useful in preventing oxidative diseases
• Flavonoids
• Polyphenols
• Other compounds with anti-tumour activity

To obtain these nutrients from plants, collaboration between the plant and microbial worlds can be exploited. For this reason, a fundamental research axis within BIOPROCOM investigates the interaction between plants and beneficial microbes.

Researchers inoculated durum wheat varieties with the endophytic bacterium Klebsiella pasteurii, recently discovered through a project involving international partners including the University of Pavia. The research team observed that, especially under water stress conditions such as drought, treated plants accumulated significantly higher levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and phenolic compounds compared to uninoculated plants.

For some malnourished populations, such as hospitalised patients, autonomous feeding is very difficult. The WHO reports that about 40% of hospitalised patients lose weight involuntarily during their stay, while half do not eat adequately, thus approaching a risk condition. Moreover, only one-third of patients unable to eat for clinical reasons receive oral nutritional supplements or artificial nutrition.

For this reason, BIOPROCOM plans the formulation of a new supplement called Aliophen®, derived from barley malts and hops, to manage the inflammatory component of some metabolic disorders closely linked to malnutrition.

Preliminary in vitro tests on intestinal cell models and ex vivo cultures, using intestinal mucosa samples from patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, showed promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Aliophen® and its bioactive fraction.

Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The exact causes are not fully understood but are believed to involve genetic, environmental factors and an improper immune response.

The aim is to develop oral dietary supplements or nutraceuticals containing Aliophen® to support nutritional treatment in fragile individuals or those with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.

Another BIOPROCOM research line focuses on recovering and valorising edible wild plants, considered forgotten resources rich in potential. Plants such as Glechoma hederacea, Silene alba, and Sonchus oleraceus, harvested in situ, underwent extraction using environmentally friendly methods. For example, 60% ethanol was used to obtain bioactive components, particularly polyphenols.

The extracts demonstrated strong antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-biofilm activity in various in vitro assays, including against resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus such as MRSA. This result confirms how plant biodiversity can still offer innovative solutions for public health challenges.

BIOPROCOM’s ambition goes beyond identifying and characterising bioactive compounds. The project actively develops innovative food and nutraceutical prototypes. Combining plant extracts, bioactive peptides such as propolis, and plant-derived vesicles that can be used as delivery systems for bioactive compounds, BIOPROCOM aims to create a new generation of functional foods designed to support healthy ageing and prevent nutritional deficiencies in vulnerable populations.

Expected outcomes include the identification of at least seven new bioactive molecules and the development of five innovative prototypes by the end of the project.

By enhancing plant biodiversity and applying microbiological knowledge, the project identifies and develops sustainable bioactive compounds and functional food prototypes. These efforts directly contribute to OnFoods Spoke 6’s mission to restore resilience and defeat malnutrition, offering new nutritional strategies grounded in solid scientific evidence and focused on sustainability.

BIOPROCOM demonstrates how nutritional innovation can emerge from the intersection of natural sciences, microbiology, and green technologies. In an era where malnutrition, ageing, and environmental crises intertwine, projects like this offer concrete and integrated solutions based on an approach that must necessarily embrace the principles of “One Health.”

Read also:
Malnutrition in the elderly: a growing health crisis needing a multidisciplinary approach

Personalised Nutrition, Sustainable Dietary Practices, Shared Food Protocols: The Future of Malnutrition Research