BioQUALIM

From Cultivated Biodiversity to Human Health Prevention.

Florence Carrouel

Leader
Call for Projects: ShapeMed
Funding Amount: €110,000, 2023-2025

In Western countries, a major nutritional challenge is to reduce the proportion of animal proteins and increase the proportion of plant proteins in daily diets. However, plant proteins are primarily provided by cereals and legumes, and a great diversity of these is necessary to meet the recommended daily intake. Unfortunately, due to a collapse in cultivated biodiversity, the diversity of cereals and legumes available is very limited, a trend observed even in the Lyon region. This lack of diversity is particularly alarming given that diet plays a significant role in the primary prevention of chronic diseases, including cancers.

The BIOQUALIM project focuses on cancer prevention, employing two complementary approaches: (i) a primary prevention approach that includes a pilot clinical study on dietary modification (introducing spelt grains) with monitoring of the oral microbiome, particularly the evolution of certain bacteria (such as P. gingivalis), considered a risk factor for cancer; and (ii) a tertiary prevention approach within the framework of Supportive Care in oncology: assessing the health benefits after patients participate in culinary workshops (peer support) centred around spelt-based recipes.

Prior to the clinical study, a survey on consumption habits regarding cereals and legumes among users of the collective catering services of HCL (focusing on socio-spatial disparities) will be conducted. Additionally, the nutritional analyses of several varieties of organically grown spelt cultivated in the Lyon region will be conducted (notably analysing micronutrient content, bioactive compounds with anti-cancer properties such as phytosterols, and the physicochemical characterization of plant proteins). Thus, the BIOQUALIM project is an action-research initiative involving various stakeholders from the civil society and research teams from complementary disciplines.