Page 23 - CIBEROBN-2015-eng

Scientific Programmes
New Strategies and Biomarkers
in the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity and Eating Disorders
As part of the European BIOCLAIMS project, coor- dinated by the CIBER, a nutrigenomic marker in rodent blood cells has been described in this pe- riod as being indicative of predisposition to obesi- ty (results protected in the form of a patent, PCT/
In order to implement the incorporation of this type of compounds in food, a guide for supporting the application for “health claims” in food has been pu- blished.
One of the key objectives in the programme is to use
ES2015/070216). Early molecular markers for pre- dicting the expansion of adipose tissue associated with the ingestion of obesogenic diets, markers of metabolic recovery due to weight loss and markers of ingestion of diets with an unbalanced proportion of macronutrients reflecting metabolic damage have also been identified in rodent blood. In studies with human beings, molecular markers in the blood indicative of the intake of sugary and fatty diets with humans have been characterised in children (I.FA- MILY project), and a method has been prepared for valuing the antioxidant status in plasma. All these markers prove of great utility for use in studies of obesity prevention and in studies for valuation of nu- tritional habits.
Progress has also been made in the study of bioac- tive compounds for treatment/prevention of obe- sity. We should stress the characterisation of the effects of retinoic acid, resveratrol and quercetin in the remodelling of white to brown adipose tissue (European project DIABAT). Other bioactive com- pounds of interest are pectins, which can prevent the loss of sensitivity to insulin/leptin with age and pterostilbene, which improves glycemic control as- sociated with obesity. As regards the identification of new therapeutic targets, it has been shown that the ingestion of such compounds as conjugated li- noleic acid, calcium or quercetin is associated with changes in the composition of gastrointestinal mi- croflora which could be connected with weight loss in obesity; moreover that changes in the expression of microRNAs, which favour the browning of white adipose tissue, as well as methylation by nutrients of regions promoting key genes in lipid metabolism, could also be involved in the beneficial effect of some of the bioactive compounds analysed.
physical exercise for treating obesity and its com- plications. For this reason an assessment of the physical condition of obese children and teenagers has been registered as part of daily clinical practice. This includes a valuation of balance and cardio-res- piratory physical condition, as well as the study of the activity profile by means of questionnaires and accelerometry. The evaluation of cardiovascular risk has been registered in these patients and a selec- tion of individuals has been included in a protocol of physical exercise at home. The valuation of the im- pact of this protocol on physical condition and car- diometabolic risk is under way. In parallel, research has gone further into the identification of measura- ble parameters in the blood differing in the active po- pulation versus control population, and which could be used as biomarkers to monitor the performance of physical activity, as well as of the metabolic bene- fits of exercise (antioxidant protection).
CIBEROBN I Annual report 2015 I 23