CALIMERO

Coordinator: Università di Milano

Scientific Officer: Alessandra Bordoni

Duration: 24 mesi

Research group: Alessandra Bordoni, Andrea Gianotti, Giorgia Antonelli, Lorenzo Nissen.

CALIMERO (Combined Approaches to expLore the Impact of wholemeal semolina and pasta processing on MEtabolic Responses) investigated how wholemeal semolina composition and pasta-making conditions influence the nutritional functionality of pasta. The project addressed the limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms linking raw material characteristics and processing technologies to protein digestibility, nutrient bioavailability and the interaction between pasta digestion products and the intestinal ecosystem.

To address these knowledge gaps, CALIMERO adopted a multidisciplinary approach combining expertise in food technology, protein chemistry, metabolomics, nutrition and microbiology. The project integrated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, metabolomic characterization of the pasta digestome, intestinal cell models and gut microbiota fermentation to investigate the fate of pasta components after digestion and their biological activity.

Particular attention was devoted to understanding how semolina protein content and drying conditions affect the generation and intestinal absorption of digestion products, their effects on intestinal inflammatory responses and their ability to modulate gut microbiota composition and metabolism. By integrating technological, biochemical and biological investigations within a single experimental framework, CALIMERO provided a comprehensive approach to studying the nutritional functionality of pasta.

The project contributes to advancing the scientific understanding of how cereal composition and processing shape the physiological effects of one of the world's most widely consumed staple foods, providing a basis for the development of pasta products with improved nutritional quality and functionality.

Results achieved

The CALIMERO project successfully elucidated how wholemeal semolina protein content and pasta processing conditions shape the nutritional functionality of pasta. By integrating food technology, metabolomics, intestinal cell models and gut microbiota analyses within a single experimental framework, the project provided a comprehensive molecular characterization of the relationships between pasta composition, processing, digestibility, intestinal bioavailability and gut health-related functionality.

The characterization of the pasta digestome by 1H NMR metabolomics, combined with intestinal transport experiments using differentiated Caco-2 cells, enabled the identification of digestion-derived metabolites and their intestinal bioavailability. The study revealed distinct metabolic profiles

associated with semolina protein content and drying conditions, providing new insights into the fate of starch-derived metabolites during intestinal absorption.

The biological activity of pasta digests was assessed using differentiated Caco-2 cells under physiological and inflammatory conditions. Digested pasta did not induce significant pro-inflammatory responses compared with untreated controls, supporting the intestinal safety of the experimental products under the investigated conditions.

The project also demonstrated that both semolina quality and pasta processing significantly influence gut microbiota modulation. Pasta produced from high-protein semolina promoted a more favourable microbial profile than pasta obtained from medium-protein semolina by stimulating beneficial bacterial taxa, limiting opportunistic microorganisms and enhancing the production of health-promoting microbial metabolites, particularly butyrate. Among the experimental products, pasta obtained from high-protein semolina, particularly when combined with high-temperature drying, showed the most favourable modulation of gut microbiota composition and metabolism, whereas specific beneficial effects were also observed for the corresponding low-temperature drying process.

Overall, CALIMERO demonstrates that both the characteristics of the raw material and the drying process are key determinants of pasta nutritional functionality, extending their impact well beyond technological quality. By elucidating the molecular mechanisms linking food structure, digestion and host–microbiota interactions, the project provides a robust scientific framework for the development of cereal-based foods with improved nutritional functionality and gut health-promoting potential.