Biological effects of food-derived polysaccharides on a 3D bioprinted model of the human intestine

• Grant number: 23/11895-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Joao Paulo Fabi
• Grantee: Renan Gusmão Tivanello
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07914-8 - FoRC - Food Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The lifestyle of the current man with low intake of fruits made several chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD), such as colon cancer, more common. Fruits are excellent sources of dietary fiber, and pectins have received attention due to some beneficial effects besides colonic fermentation. The best studied pectins are modified citrus pectin (PMC) and ripe papayas pectin. The first is the result of chemical modifications while the second is by biological modifications that decrease the size of the polysaccharide chains increasing the biological activity. Studies have suggested that both pectins have anticancer action due to inhibition of the pro-metastatic galectin-3 protein by soluble galactans. In addition, acidic portions of pectins also exert anti-proliferative effects on cancer cell cultures. Thus, the project aims to extract and chemically modify the pectins from apple pulp and the albedo part of passion fruit and to study the effects on Bioprinted 3D Model of Colon in tri-dimensional model (3D) in vitro of differentiated intestinal crypts. The results could open new perspectives for the study of other pectin types from fruits with the possibility of developing new dietary supplements to delay the onset of colon cancer or as adjuvant treatment of colon cancer chemotherapy.