Food Microbiology Group - Prof. Gianotti
DISTAL – Dept. of Food Science and Technology
Research topic
Research activities are focused on the effects of food formulations and their processing on the effects of prebiotic potential and relative food formulations. The experimental activities are based on the in vitro study of the modulatory effects of food matrices on colon ecology as changes in composition and abundance of the colonic microbiota. Through the use of an in vitro model simulating the gastric digestion and the colon fermentation, a pipeline of omics analytical protocols, a research tool able to determine the shifts of the human colonic microbiota (microbiomics) and the changes in microbial metabolites (metabolomics) is used. This tool is based on an in vitro gut model associated to scientifically robust microbiological indicators suitable to predict the response to food intake. This research approach may provide a predictive evaluation of the prebiotic, eubiotic, dysbiotic potential of foods/ingredients/supplements on healthy and non-healthy individuals.
Research project carried out at the CRBA
- Fermentation of dietary fibers by the human colon microbiota (year 2022)
- Impact of biotransformed plant products on the human microbiota
- Effects of lactose-free milk on the microbiota of healthy and intolerant individuals
- Role of food cleaned nitrate free salami in perturbating colon microbiota ecology
- Use of pig model associated to in vitro gut model to study the effect of antibiotics on the intestinal microbiota