Dietary intake assessment: Food intake and dietary behaviour assessment through food diaries, dietary recalls, and food frequency questionnaires; Nutritional and environmental evaluation of diet and dietary patterns; Assessment and validation of biomarkers of food intake; Development of nutritional databases on fiber, phytochemicals, and other dietary compounds.

(Poly)phenols and other food bioactives: Metabolism and bioavailability in humans, animal and cell models; In vitro digestion and colonic metabolism; Development and validation of LC-MS methods for the analysis of phenolic compounds and other phytochemicals; Health effects in different experimental models; Inter-individual variability in the metabolism and physiological response; Personalized nutrition with plant bioactives.

Carbohydrates and fiber: Starch bioaccessibility in vitro; Glycemic index of food; Effect of fiber on the colonic metabolism of bioactive compounds.

Nutritional education: Nutritional education programs for different population groups; Nutritional coaching and nudging for healthy and sustainable food choices; Development of ICT apps for edutainment, coaching, and consumer empowering/awareness.

Selected Publications:

1. Tosi, N., Favari, C., Bresciani, L., Flanagan, E., Hornberger, M., Narbad, A., Del Rio, D., Vauzour, D., & Mena, P. (2023). Unravelling phenolic metabotypes in the frame of the COMBAT study, a randomized, controlled trial with cranberry supplementation. Food research international, 172, 113187.

2. Di Pede, G., Bresciani, L., Brighenti, F., Clifford, M. N., Crozier, A., Del Rio, D., & Mena, P. (2022). In Vitro Faecal Fermentation of Monomeric and Oligomeric Flavan-3-ols: Catabolic Pathways and Stoichiometry. Molecular nutrition & food research, 66(21), e2101090.

3. Favari, C., Righetti, L., Tassotti, M., Gethings, L. A., Martini, D., Rosi, A., Antonini, M., Rubert, J., Manach, C., Dei Cas, A., Bonadonna, R., Brighenti, F., Dall'Asta, C., Mena, P., & Del Rio, D. (2021). Metabolomic Changes after Coffee Consumption: New Paths on the Block. Molecular nutrition & food research, 65(3), e2000875.

4. Mena, P., Bresciani, L., Brindani, N., Ludwig, I. A., Pereira-Caro, G., Angelino, D., Llorach, R., Calani, L., Brighenti, F., Clifford, M. N., Gill, C. I. R., Crozier, A., Curti, C., & Del Rio, D. (2019). Phenyl-γ-valerolactones and phenylvaleric acids, the main colonic metabolites of flavan-3-ols: synthesis, analysis, bioavailability, and bioactivity. Natural product reports, 36(5), 714–752.

5. Bresciani, L., Favari, C., Calani, L., Francinelli, V., Riva, A., Petrangolini, G., Allegrini, P., Mena, P., & Del Rio, D. (2020). The Effect of Formulation of Curcuminoids on Their Metabolism by Human Colonic Microbiota. Molecules, 25(4), 940.

6. Favari, C., Rinaldi de Alvarenga, J. F., Sánchez-Martínez, L., Tosi, N., Mignogna, C., Cremonini, E., Manach, C., Bresciani, L., Del Rio, D., & Mena, P. (2024). Factors driving the inter-individual variability in the metabolism and bioavailability of (poly)phenolic metabolites: A systematic review of human studies. Redox biology, 71, 103095.

7. Franchini, C., Biasini, B., Sogari, G., Wongprawmas, R., Andreani, G., Dolgopolova, I., Gómez, M. I., Roosen, J., Menozzi, D., Mora, C., Scazzina, F., & Rosi, A. (2024). Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and its association with sustainable dietary behaviors, sociodemographic factors, and lifestyle: a cross-sectional study in US University students. Nutrition journal, 23(1), 56.

8. Biasini, B., Donati, M., Rosi, A., Giopp, F., Colić Barić, I., Bituh, M., Brečić, R., Brennan, M., Ilić, A., Quarrie, S., Sayed, M., Tregear, A., Menozzi, D., & Scazzina, F. (2024). Nutritional, environmental and economic implications of children plate waste at school: a comparison between two Italian case studies. Public health nutrition, 27(1), e143.

9. Degli Innocenti, P., Rosi, A., Bergamo, F., & Scazzina, F. (2024). Dietary and lifestyle intervention strategies to tackle unhealthy behaviours in the Mediterranean countries. International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 75(5), 449–452.

10. Franchini, C., Biasini, B., Rosi, A., & Scazzina, F. (2023). Best practices for making the university campus a supportive environment for healthy and sustainable diets. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health, 32, 100436.

Main collaborations:

International collaborations

Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spagna

Ulster University, Northern Ireland, UK

King's College, London, UK

University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), Murcia, Spagna

University of Zagreb, Croazia

EURECAT, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spagna

NNEdPro Global Centre for Nutrition and Health, Ulster, UK

INRAE-Université Clermont Auvergne, Francia

Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada

Antidiabetic Food Centre, University of Lund, Svezia

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA

National collaborations

Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna

Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania

Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II

Faculty of Bioscience and Agro-Food and Environmental Technology, University of Teramo

Faculty of Agriculture, food and environmental sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan

Department of chemistry, life sciences and environmental sustainability, University of Parma

Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Department of mathematical, physical and computer sciences, University of Parma

MADEGUS – Maestri del Gusto, Parma

Foundation Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition, Parma

Academia Barilla, Parma

ACTIVE PROJECTS:

MENTORING - Addressing Malnutrition and mEtabolic health in Non-communicable diseases ThrOugh pRecIsion Nutrition: impact in quality of life and proGnosis of lung cancer patients– Call HORIZON–EIC–2023-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01

UNIPR PI: Pedro Mena

HNU participants: Alice Rosi, Federica Bergamo, Francesca Scazzina, Letizia Bresciani, Nicola Bragazzi, Claudia Favari, Daniele Del Rio

Other participants: Marcello Tiseo, Marco Ventura, Francesca Turroni (Microbiome Research Hub, UNIPR), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, IMDEA Alimentación (Spagna, coordinatore), German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg (Germania), I3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde dell’Università di Porto (Portogallo), Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems (Germania)

MoreMedDiet - More on the adoption of a healthy Mediterranean diet – Call PRIMA - Initiative Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, Section II, 2022

UNIPR PI: Gianni Galaverna

HNU participants: Alice Rosi, Federica Bergamo, Francesca Scazzina, Perla Degli Innocenti, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi

Other participants: Martina Cirlini, Cristina Mora, Giovanni Sogari, Audrey Cavalieri – UNIPR, Universidad de Extremadura, Departamento de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos - UEx (Spagna), CICYTEX Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Extremadura (Spagna), Damanhour University - DU (Egitto), Centre de Recherche Institut Paul Bocuse (Francia), JASSP SAS (Francia), Télécom Sud Paris, École de Institut Mines-Télécom (Francia), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Bioeconomia - CNR-IBE (Italia), Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari, Ambientali e Forestali - UNIFI-DAGRI (Italia), Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre - ipleiria-MARE (Portogallo), Université de Tunis El Manar – UTM (Tunisia), Aydın Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi (Turchia)

NOVELTY - AcorN: a forgotten resource to be rediscOVered and valorizEd in the production of good and heaLThY foods – Call PNRR-M4C2- I1.1 – MUR Call for proposals n. 1409 del 14-09-2022 - Bando PRIN 2022 PNRR – settore ERC LS9 - Codice progetto P2022N57PN - CUP D53D23022000001- Finanziato dall’Unione Europea – NextGenerationEU

UNIPR PI: Letizia Bresciani

HNU Participants: Daniele Del Rio

Other Participants: Università di Camerino (Coordinator, Italy), University of Milan (Itay)

4-SEASOMed - Discovering the role of SEASOnal dietary choices on Mediterranean diet adherence and effect on human microbiota - PNRR-M4C2- I1.1 – MUR Call for proposals n.104 of 02-02-2022 - PRIN 2022 - ERC sector LS4- Project Code 2022A34JY8 - CUP Code D53D23014160001 - Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU

UNIPR PI: Letizia Bresciani

HNU Participants: Alice Rosi, Nicole Tosi, Federica Bergamo, Arianna Gallina

Other Participants: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Coordinator, Italy), Università di Catania (Neuromed, Italy)

COFFEAT - Role of coffee circulating metabolites in the regulation of the epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) pro-atherogenic properties: a fat-depot specific approach to reduce coronary atherosclerosis - PNRR-M4C2- I1.1 – MUR Call for proposals n.104 of 02-02-2022 - PRIN 2022 - ERC sector LS4 - Project Code 2022NZNZH8 - CUP Code D53D23014440006 - Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU

UNIPR PI: Daniele Del Rio

HNU Participants: Pedro Mena, Cristina Del Burgo, Lorena Sanchez

Other Participants: Università di Padova (Coordinator, Italy), National Research Council (CNR), Università "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro

SWITCHtoHEALTHY - Switching Mediterranean consumers to Mediterranean sustainable healthy dietary patterns – Program PRIMA - Initiative Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, Section I, 2021

UNIPR PI: Francesca Scazzina

HNU Participants: Alice Rosi, Perla Degli Innocenti

Other Participants: Federico Bergenti (UNIPR), ENCO Consulting Srl (Italy, coordinator), Regione Campania (Italy), Confederation of Egyptian European Business Associations - CEEBA (Egipt), Fundació EURECAT (Spain), Centro Nacional de Tecnología y Seguridad Alimentaria – CNTA (Spain), Centre de Recerca en Economia i Desenvolupament Agroalimentari UPC-IRTA - CREDA (Spain), Delafruit SLU (Spain), Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d'Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural - DACC – (Spain), Centre for Research and Technology Hellas – CERTH (Grece), Consumers Lebanon (Lebanon), Université Ibn Tofail - Kénitra, Unité Mixte de Recherche en Nutrition et Alimentation - CNESTEN-IUT (Marocco), University of Mohammed Premier – UMP (Marocco), Soconarjiss Sarl (Marocco), Association Slow Food Tebourba (Tunisia), Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi - BUÜ (Turkey), Kocahan Şekerleme (Turkey), İzmir Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism (Turkey)

PROmedLIFE - Novel food products for the PROmotion of MEDiterranean LIFEstyle and healthy diet – Program PRIMA - Initiative Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, Section I, 2021

UNIPR PI: Francesca Scazzina

HNU Participants: Alice Rosi, Beatrice Biasini, Lorenzo Stella, Cinzia Franchini, Perla Degli Innocenti

Other Participants: Davide Menozzi, Federico Bergenti (UNIPR), Fondazione Edmund Mach (Italia, coordinator), Università di Trento (Italy), Jozef Stefan Institute (Slovenia), INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Maroc (Marocco), University of Carthage (Tunisia), Association Tunisienne des Sciences de la Nutrition (Tunisia), Hortus Novus (Italy), ATLAS Safran (Marocco), Mlekarna Planika (Slovenia), Ellinogermaniki Agogi (Grece), Contento Trade SRL (Italy), ENEA - Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibili (Italy)

PREDICT-CARE - Developing tools for the PREDICTion, at individual level, of the CArdiometabolic REsponse to the consumption of dietary (poly)phenols – Program ERC Starting Grant 2020

Project PI: Pedro Mena

HNU Participants: Cristiana Mignogna, Maria Sole Morandini, Cristiano Negro, Joana Maria Santos Rebelo, Claudia Favari, Vicente Agulló, José Rinaldi De Alvarenga, Letizia Bresciani, Laila Guimaraes Zeraik Cardoso, Elisa Monica, Nicola Bragazzi, Alice Rosi, Nicole Tosi, Francesca Scazzina, Sara Dobani, Elisabetta Viale, Costanza Michelini, Furio Brighenti, Daniele Del Rio

Other Participants: Ruggero Bettini, Annalisa Bianchera, Ilaria Zanotti, Chiara Dall’Asta, Valeria Barili, Riccardo Bonadonna, Alessandra Dei Cas, Valentina Spigoni, Raffaella Aldigeri, Massimo Corradi, Silvia Ranzieri, Alessandro Barbarese, Marco Ventura, Francesca Turroni, Federico Bergenti (UNIPR), Davide Martorana, Rosalia Aloe, Giulia Frigeri (University Hospital of Parma)

CARE-DIET - Risposta CARdiometabolica individualE a DIETe a base vegetale: decifrando la complessità dei composti bioattivi vegetali – Program FARE Ricerca in Italia: Framework for attracting and strengthening research excellence in Italy, III edition (2020)

Project PI: Pedro Mena

HNU Participants: Maria Sole Morandini, Cristiano Negro, Joana Maria Santos Rebelo, Cristiana Mignogna, Claudia Favari, José Rinaldi De Alvarenga, Costanza Michelini, Vicente Agulló, Letizia Bresciani, Laila Guimaraes Zeraik Cardoso, Elisa Monica, Nicola Bragazzi, Alice Rosi, Nicole Tosi, Francesca Scazzina, Sara Dobani, Elisabetta Viale, Furio Brighenti, Daniele Del Rio

Other Participants: Riccardo Bonadonna, Alessandra Dei Cas, Valentina Spigoni, Raffaella Aldigeri, Marco Ventura, Francesca Turroni (UNIPR), Rosalia Aloe (University Hospital of Parma), Raúl Domínguez-Perles (CEBAS-CSIC)

ONFOODS: Project funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3 - Call for tender No. 341 of 15 March 2022 of Italian Ministry of University and Research funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU; Project code PE00000003, Concession Decree No. 1550 of 11 October 2022 adopted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, Project title “ON Foods - Research and innovation network on food and nutrition Sustainability, Safety and Security – Working ON Foods”.

1. EDSUSDIET – Curriculum application of EDucational and empowering models aimed at promoting healthy and SUStainable DIETS in University canteens

Project PI: Francesca Scazzina

HNU participants: Alice Rosi, Beatrice Biasini, Cinzia Franchini, Damiano Callegaro, Lorenzo Stella, Tatiana Crosina

Other participants: University of Bologna, Council for research in agriculture and the analysis of the agrarian economy (CREA), University of Milano-Bicocca

2. ENDOPHENOL – Investigation of in vivo endogenous and/or exogenous production of phenolic metabolites using (un)target metabolomics

Project PI: Pedro Mena, Letizia Bresciani, Daniele Del Rio

HNU participants: Laila Zeraik, Claudia Favari, Nicola Bragazzi

Other participants: Marco Ventura, Francesca Turroni, Valeria Barili (UNIPR), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma (Italy), De’Longhi Group (Italy), Bolton Group (Italy)

3. NEW PRACTICE - Development of new approaches to elucidate the metabolism of nutritionally relevant bioactive compounds

Project PI: Daniele Del Rio, Pedro Mena

HNU Participants: Letizia Bresciani, Marta Berzaghi

Other Participants: University of Bari (Italy), Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology (United Kingdom)

4. OBI-WAN-DIET - A multi-omics approach to tackle obesity at individual level with plant-based diets

Project PI: Pedro Mena

HNU Participants: Daniele Del Rio, Maria Sole Morandini, Cristiano Negro, Joana Maria Santos Rebelo, Cristiana Mignogna, Claudia Favari, José Rinaldi De Alvarenga, Costanza Michelini, Vicente Agulló, Letizia Bresciani, Laila Guimaraes Zeraik Cardoso, Elisa Monica, Nicola Bragazzi, Alice Rosi, Nicole Tosi, Francesca Scazzina, Sara Dobani, Elisabetta Viale

Other Participants: Marco Ventura, Ruggero Bettini, Annalisa Bianchera, Ilaria Zanotti, Chiara Dall’Asta, Valeria Barili, Riccardo Bonadonna, Alessandra Dei Cas, Valentina Spigoni, Raffaella Aldigeri, Massimo Corradi, Silvia Ranzieri, Alessandro Barbarese, Francesca Turroni (UNIPR), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma (Italy), Università di Milano (Italy), Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology (United Kingdom), CEBAS-CSIC (Spain)

OTHER PROJECTS AND COLLABORATIONS WITH COMPANIES AND E CONSORZI

For other national and international projects and collaborations consult the website: https://www.hnu.unipr.it/

PATENTS:

Filing and granting of a European patent (EP2862568, 15 Ottobre 2013) “Compositions comprising urolithins and uses thereof for the stimulation of insulin secretion”. Holders: University of Parma, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (C.N.R.S.), Université de Montpellier, Ecole Nationale Superieure De Chimie Montpellier (ENSC). Inventors: Del Rio Daniele, Dall’Asta Margherita, Cros Gérard, Crozier Alan, Magous Richard, Oiry Catherine.