Development of innovative "phyto-probiotics" targeting overweight/obesity and inflammation for health and cosmetic purposes. – PHYTOPROB’INOV

Obesity/overdrive are a major public health problem that, combined with chronic inflammation, lead to metabolic complications and many pathologies. In addition, it is established that obesity/overweight "maintain themselves", in particular through the installation of this low-grade inflammation. By acting on inflammation, a real effect on weight loss could be promoted. Therefore, the search for innovative bioactives targeting overweight has a dual purpose: preventive (with a health effect) and cosmetic (with a slimming purpose).

The joint laboratory will aim to associate, on the one hand, the "Cellular Micro-Environment, Immunomodulation and Nutrition" (ECREIN) - team of the "Human Nutrition Unit" (UNH, UMR 1019) - which focuses scientific expertise on immunocompetent cells (CICs) and the impact of innovative bioactives (plants and probiotics), and on the other hand, the SME GREENTECH SA (Saint-Beauzire), world leader in plant biotechnology.

The ambition of this joint laboratory is to develop a new generation of "phyto-probiotics" (i.e. nutraceuticals) with a health effect and/or slimming effect (prevention of pathologies related to chronic low noise inflammation associated with overweight/obesity) by considering the scientific and technological knowledge/skills of the academic and industrial teams.

Thanks to ECREIN's strong expertise in biology and GREENTECH/ECREIN's phytochemistry, PHYTOPROB'INOV will be structured around 4 working axis which will allow to:
1. Select plants/bacteria and their bioactives targeting adipocytes and inflammation,
2. Identify molecular and cellular mechanisms for selected plant/bacteria (probiotics)/bioactives of interest,
3. Develop methods to evaluate interactions (including synergies) between selected products in order to develop a new generation of innovative products with a "phyto-probiotic" mode of action that can be used in the context of overweight/obesity associated with an inflammatory condition,
4. Promote innovative products of academic and industrial interest.

In the PHYTOPROB’INOV project, we wish to promote as innovative products, on the one hand, plant extracts/bioactives that offer considerable medicinal resources since they are not well investigated chemically/biologically and, on the other hand, probiotics/post-biotics capable of modulating the balance of the intestinal flora. These may have a role to play in the management of overweight/obesity given the complex links between inflammation, overweight/obesity and microbiota. We will identify and select plants/bacteria with individual and potentially synergistic effects, targeting adipocytes and inflammation.
In this project, we have chosen to focus on adipocytes (Ad) and their major secretions, which fall strongly within the scope of the ECREIN team, which already has significant experience through previous projects on the selection/evaluation of anti-inflammatory activities for plant actives and probiotics and wishes to strengthen its links with the industrial sector.

The creation of this joint laboratory will allow SME GREENTECH to benefit scientific expertise (exploration of CICs in particular) of academic researchers, but also to develop together, different original experimental models and technological innovations necessary for the evaluation of products/bioactives.

Labcom PHYTOPROB'INOV will allow the establishment of a sustainable collaborative structure between GREENTECH and ECREIN dedicated to the research and development of innovative "Phyto-probiotics" targeting overweight/obesity and inflammation for health (preventive micronutritional management, as an alternative or associated with drug treatments) and cosmetic (local or systemic effect) purposes.