Vincenzo Fogliano’s research while affiliated with Wageningen University & Research and other places

Several studies have linked adverse health effects to the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) according to the NOVA classification. However, whether the consumption of UPF is the actual causal factor for such health outcomes is still unknown. Indeed, different groups of UPF examined in the same epidemiologic study often show markedly different associations with the occurrence of the health endpoints. In this Comment, we discuss some such studies and point out that the available evidence on how different UPFs have been associated with health, as well as the results of studies examining specific food additives, call into question the possibility that ultra-processing per se is the real culprit. It is possible that other unaccounted for confounding factors play an important role. Future, urgently needed studies will clarify this issue.

Zein particles are increasingly used for encapsulation and delivery of hydrophobic bioactive. Conjugation of zein with multi-carboxylic acids by the alkali-catalysed and wet amidation process causes zein crosslinking and enables tuning the characteristics of zein particles. However, little is known about how the conjugation is associated with the crosslinking mode, i.e., intra and/or intermolecular crosslinks. In this study, folic acid (FoA) was conjugated with zein via the wet method, and citrus essential oil (CEO) was encapsulated within the constructed zein-FoA particles. Infra-red spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis indicated amide bond formation between zein and FoA showing that the content of primary amino groups in zein particles decreased due to conjugation. The mole fraction of FoA in the particles (χFoA) was measured as an index of conjugation extent and even though it did not exceed ∼0.1, conjugation influenced several characteristics of the particles. The contents of α-helix and β-turn structures decreased, and that of β-sheets increased with increasing χFoA. We hypothesized based on ζ-potential and hydrodynamic diameter results, as well as gel electrophoresis that conjugation with FoA caused formation of only intramolecular crosslinks at χFoA ≤ 0.035, but it additionally resulted in intermolecular crosslinks at χFoA ≥ 0.037. Conjugation with FoA at χFoA 0.091 resulted in an improvement of the zein particles biological performance. It caused an increase (∼30%) in the particle uptake by E. coli cells, as well as the magnitude of CEO delivery into the bacteria cells compared with non-conjugated particles.

Background: Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) are a heterogeneous group of stable reaction products formed when amino acids, peptides, or proteins are glycated by the non-enzymatic Maillard Reaction. The formation and accumulation of these products in vivo are linked to many inflammation-based pathological outcomes and part of the pathophysiology of non-communicable diseases like eye cataracts and Alzheimer's disease. Since our diet contains high levels of the same compounds, it has been questioned whether their consumption is also detrimental to health. However, this is still under debate. In this context, the intestinal epithelium is an important target tissue since it is chronically exposed to relatively high concentrations of dietary AGEs. Scope of review: This review summarizes the current evidence on the impact of dietary AGEs on the intestinal epithelium and critically reflects on its methodology. Major conclusions: In healthy rodent models, an inflammation-independent impaired intestinal barrier function is claimed; however, dietary AGEs showed anti-inflammatory activity in IBD models. In vitro studies could be a valuable tool to unravel the underlying mechanisms of these effects, however the available studies face some limitations, e.g. lack of the physicochemical characterization of the glycated proteins, the inclusion of the proper controls and the dose-dependency of the effect. In addition, studies using more advanced in vitro models like intestinal organoids and co-cultures with immune cells exposed to gut microbial metabolites derived from the fermentation of AGEs are still needed.

The entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells may involve the spike protein cleavage by cathepsin L (CTSL). Certain food proteins such as lactoferrin (Lf) inhibit CTSL. The current study investigated the impact of hydrolysis (0–180 min) by proteinase K on electrophoretic pattern, secondary structure, cathepsin inhibitory and SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infectivity inhibitory of bovine Lf. Gel electrophoresis indicated that hydrolysis cut Lf molecules to half lobes (∼40 kDa) and produced peptides ≤18 kDa. Approximation of the secondary structural features through analysis of the second-derivative amide I band collected by infra-red spectroscopy suggested a correlative-causative relationship between cathepsin inhibition and the content of helix-unordered structures in Lf hydrolysate. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of Lf hydrolysed for 90 min (H90) against CTSL was about 100 times smaller than that of the Lf hydrolysed for 0 min (H0). H90 had also double activity against SARS-CoV-2 pseudo-types infectivity compared with H0.

Asparagine and sugars are direct precursors of acrylamide; however, proteins and fibres can also influence it. In this study, biscuits prepared replacing wheat flour with increasing concentrations (20, 40, 60%) of lupin or chickpea flour were investigated. Asparagine concentration was equalized in all formulas to isolate the effect of other flour characteristics on the acrylamide formation during baking. The results showed that replacing wheat flour with lupin flour increased acrylamide from 583.9 up to 1443 µg/kg after 9 min of baking, while 20-40% chickpea flour reduced acrylamide to 354.4-312.6 µg/kg. The acrylamide reduction using chickpea was attributed to the lower interaction between precursors resulting from both the coarser particle size and the lower reactivity of carbohydrate in presence of chickpea proteins. Chickpea addition did not affect the colour and texture of biscuits, opening the possibility for large-scale implementation of this mitigation strategy in formulas with a similar initial asparagine content.

The NOVA classification of food items has become increasingly popular and is being used in several observational studies as well as in nutritional guidelines and recommendations. We propose that there is a need for this classification and its use in the formulation of public health policies to be critically discussed and re-appraised. The terms "processing" and "ultra-processing," which are crucial to the NOVA classification, are ill-defined, as no scientific, measurable, or precise reference parameters exist for them. Likewise, the theoretical grounds of the NOVA classification are unclear and inaccurate. Overall, the NOVA classification conflicts with the classic, evidence-based evaluation of foods based on composition and portion size because NOVA postulates that the food itself (or how much of it is eaten) are unimportant, but rather that dietary effects are due to how the food is produced. We contend that the NOVA system suffers from a lack of biological plausibility so the assertion that ultra-processed foods are intrinsically unhealthful is largely unproven, and needs further examination and elaboration.

Preventing diseases and enhancing health with a proper nutrition: these are the aims that pushes research towards a personalized nutrition. But is personalized nutrition the correct answer?The need to industrialize production processes and extend the expiration date in order to favor the large-scale retail distribution pushed food industry to market food with good taste and bad nutritional properties. The whole food chain is influenced by market needs, therefore both production and advertising led consumers to acquire non-healthy habits. Therefore western countries are facing new health problems such as obesity, metabolic disorders and even cancer.Nowadays a global awareness on health nutrition is reframing both consumer habits and industry policies. New dietary approaches are raising such as personalized nutrition and nutrigenomics. In this framework the possibility to combine IT technologies and personal biological data represent a thrilling opportunity to induce people to control their eating behavior. The modification of our dietary needs can be recorded “live” providing us with tailored advices about dietary and lifestyle patterns to change. The market already created a whole new consumer’s niche of personalized nutrition products and services, but are we ready for this?KeywordsPersonalized nutritionWearable technologiesActive agingDisease preventionMetabolic disorder

Psychobiotics include a novel class of probiotic microorganisms that convey benefit upon the host's mental health via the dynamic microbiota-gut-brain crosstalk. Research is bolstering the concept that gut bacteria are involved in the transmission of information between the gut and the brain, engaging neural, immune, and endocrine pathways. Factors such as diet, stress and aging can shape the microbiota composition in a process that may also influence the onset and development of mental diseases. This review aims to provide an outline of the link between the microbiota and brain function focusing on preclinical and clinical evidence of the potential application of psychobiotics in the context of the cognitive process and performance. The occurrence of metabolic precursors of neurotransmitters in foods that can be converted by the gut microbiota and play a role in the gut-brain axis are discussed. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which communication occurs is still at its infancy; however clinical studies have shown that dietary interventions based on psychobiotics might be a novel nutritional approach targeting gut microbiota for managing cognitive performance and preventing memory decline across lifespan.