NARILIS lunch seminar | Prof. Nathalie Delzenne, UCLouvain, LDRI, Metabolism & Nutrition

We are pleased to invite you to a seminar given by

Prof. Nathalie Delzenne

UCLouvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group 

Nathalie Delzenne is renowned for her pioneering work on the gut microbiota and its interactions with food. Through her research, she has contributed to advancing our understanding of the role of the microbiota in the prevention of metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.

Her seminar is entitled: 

Innovative tools to evaluate the contribution of nutrition-microbiome interactions in health and diseases

The gut microbiome, composed of hundreds of billions of bacteria and other microorganisms, plays a crucial role in human health. A dysbiosis is linked to many non-communicable diseases (NCD) like obesity, cardio-metabolic disorders, intestinal diseases, cancer and psychiatric diseases. Edible vegetables rich in dietary compounds can improve key gut functions (endocrine, immune, or barrier functions, nutrient absorption…). The amount of dietary fiber (DF) intake is inversely correlated with all causes of mortality. The vast majority of DF interact with the gut microbiota, modifying the composition and/or the production of bioactive compounds by the microorganisms present in the different segments of the intestine. Those DF are considered as prebiotics if they confer beneficial health effects. Interestingly, prebiotics, like inulin-type fructans present in several plant-based food, translate into significant microbial changes, and contribute to personalized gut microbial modulation and related health outcomes. Recently, in the context of the Microboost project, we have developed a non-invasive methodology (selection-ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS)) to analyse the breath volatilome-defined as the whole profile of volatile metabolites-in human volunteers.  We will describe how this procedure allows to evaluate the kinetics of interactions of nutrients with the gut microbiome and how this can help understanding the personalized response to nutritional intervention.

Related publications:

Neyrinck AM, Rodriguez J, Sánchez CR, Autuori M, Cani PD, Bindels LB, Bindelle J, Delzenne NM. Interest of inulin in obesity: comparison of the prebiotic effect of edible-food sources versus purified inulin from chicory root. Eur J Nutr. 2025;64(4):148.

Delzenne NM, Bindels LB, Neyrinck AM, Walter J. The gut microbiome and dietary fibres: implications in obesity, cardiometabolic diseases and cancer. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2025;23(4):225-238.

Neyrinck AM, Rodriguez J, …,  Laville M, Bischoff SC, Walter J, Delzenne NM. Breath volatile metabolome reveals the impact of dietary fibres on the gut microbiota: Proof of concept in healthy volunteers. EBioMedicine. 2022;80:104051.

Invited by Prof. Thierry Arnould, UNamur, URBC