Objective
Obesity is a major health problem in the EU and levels are currently increasing. A strong correlation exists between dietary fat intake and obesity, contributing to increased incidences of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers. These related conditions have a hugely detrimental impact on the quality of life of the sufferers and also on national health care resources, currently estimated at 5% of the EU’s total healthcare budget. There is a need to better understand the effect of the complex interfacial structures that stabilise emulsions on the mechanisms involved in the breakdown of fat by lipases (Lipolysis). Lipase and its cofactor colipase have to adsorb on to the surface of fat droplets, in order to access and hydrolyse fats into their constituent components, so that they can be absorbed by the body. Processed food emulsions are stabilised by complex interfaces composed of proteins, emulsifiers and lipids. Lipase action is very sensitive to interfacial composition. We have shown that bile salts can displace the protein networks, but the extent to which interfacial structures are degraded during digestion will determine how quickly lipid is broken down and digested. By slowing down lipid digestion is thought that we can induce feelings of satiety and reduce subsequent dietary fat intake by reducing appetite. The intention is to determine how the physiological conditions in the stomach and the duodenum change the structure of these interfacial layers, including synergistic/cumulative effects. Then to correlate these interfacial structures with rates of breakdown of fats by lipases. This information will be obtained using state-of-the-art interfacial biophysics methods and unique probe microscopy techniques for imaging interfacial structure. The improved understanding of the role of interfacial structure will be used to explain the digestion of commercial food emulsions and to modify or design new products to moderate fat digestion.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies food technology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- natural sciences biological sciences biophysics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
NR4 7UQ Norwich
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.