Exploring Unconventional Plant-Derived Metabolites to Keep Away Diabetes: The case of Pomegranate

EXPLORER proposes the development of a human intervention study to

evaluate the effect of ellagitannin-rich pomegranate supplements in the

metabolic and β-cells functional markers, IAPP aggregation risk, urolithin B

(UroB) circulating levels, and microbiota status in individuals with pre-diabetes

to test the hypothesis that UroB is the bioactive molecule improving metabolic

health via mitigation of IAPP cytotoxicity. Given the poor UroB bioavailability

and scarcity of information on its tissue distribution, an innovative

nanotechnology solution, followed by the required safety studies, is proposed to

ensure the proper delivery of the molecule to β-cells in the pancreatic tissue.

With this experimental design, the team expects to overcome the limitations

associated with the low circulating concentrations of UroB provided by the diet.

A powerful Science Communication plan was designed to efficiently

disseminate the findings for stakeholders at the community, academia, and

industry levels, to improve literacy about diabetes and mainly its prevention.