Olive oil polyphenols, vitamin D and DHA synergistic effects on locomotor function – pOLIVd3

All industrialised countries face a progressive increase in life expectancy, leading to a growing prevalence of chronic age-related conditions. This is why, alterations of the locomotor system (such as osteoporosis or sarcopenia) are now considered as major health and socio-economic problems world-wide. Because for such diseases the golden rule is prevention, health professionals strongly advocate implementing new strategies of proven clinical value to provide a wide array of treatments. Consequently, our project, which aims at developing new science-based dietary strategies to prevent bone and muscle loss (and to reduce fat mass), deals with issues high on the agenda of the current debate on quality of life, the first goal of prevention in the elderly population being to avoid or delay functional impairments resulting from such chronic conditions.
To address this issue, pOLIVd3 is developing an innovative approach integrating the human complexity at the physiological (bone, muscle, adipose tissue), metabolic (low grade inflammation, oxidative stress, cell behavior) and nutritional levels (synergistic effects between fatty acids, lipophilic polyphenols, vitamin D), the main objective being to develop new science-based nutritional strategies to prevent dysfunction of the locomotor system.
To achieve this goal, the proposal is built on a translational and integrated (from whole body to intracellular metabolisms) and interdisciplinary approach (physiology, cellular and molecular biology, chemistry, nutrition, food science, high throughput approaches (omics), consumers’ survey).
A growing body of evidence has contributed to stress the importance of nutritional preventive measures. Nevertheless, so far, our understanding of the influence of nutrition on bone and muscle health has mainly focused on calcium and proteins. In this light, the present proposal will provide new and salient conceptualisations because the working hypothesis is based on mechanisms leading to bone and muscle dysfunction, i.e. low grade inflammation and oxidative stress. Moreover, adipose tissue will be targeted, as well, because it shares same stem cells with both the skeleton and muscles and because its major input in inflammatory processes. In this light, pOLIVd3 will determine the effect of polyphenols from olive oil, endowed with such anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and if addition of Vitamin D or specific fatty acids elicits synergistic effects. pOLIVd3 will also decipher the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for leading to health benefits. A series of studies will be performed in animals and in cell cultures (ex vivo), to select the best combination and to understand the different regulatory pathways. Moreover, an investigation will be performed to assess if synergistic effects could also be induced on intestinal absorption. A clinical trial will then be set up to check if the results can be extrapolated to the human situation. Finally, a consumers’ survey will allow studying the interest for such original foods.
Such an approach should thus dramatically improve our understanding of nutritional prevention of chronic aged related conditions, thereby advancing our ability to progress towards nutritional needs for the elderly population. It consequently will be the basis for the food-processing industry, as well. Those goals will be achieved through a multidisciplinary approach, including nutritionists, clinicians, molecular and cellular biologists, physiologists, chemists. Finally, it is of major interest to notice that this innovative project gathers 1) scientists with long standing experience in the field of bone, muscle, adipose tissue or intestine and highly acknowledged expertise on polyphenols and fatty acids, 2) one the fourth Human Nutrition Research Centres in France, 3) the first Agro-Science Research Center in France and 4) the first Company in France for virgin and refined oils to consumers.