**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** OBESITY IS A COMPLEX DISEASE THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION, AS WELL AS CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION AND METABOLISM OF GUT MICROBIOTA. AS A COMMONLY CONSUMED FRUIT IN THE U.S., TART CHERRY (TC) IS AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF ANTHOCYANINS, WHICH CAN MODULATE GUT MICROBIOTA COMPOSITION AND IMPROVE OBESITY-RELATED INFLAMMATION. PREVIOUS STUDIES DOCUMENTED THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF TC IN CELLS AND ANIMAL MODELS. HOWEVER, THE THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION OF TC HAS BEEN LIMITED BY THE INSTABILITY AND LOW BIOAVAILABILITY OF ANTHOCYANINS IN THE ADVERSE GASTROINTESTINAL ENVIRONMENT. WHILE THE PROJECTFOCUSES ON THEPROTECTION OF NUTRIENTS AND NATURAL INGREDIENTSIN JUICE WHICH THECONSUMER IS DEMANDING TODAY. THE FOOD INDUSTRY IS USINGVARIOUS ENCAPSULATION AND EMULSION SYSTEMSTO ENHANCE THE STABILITY OF NUTRIENTSIN DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEVERAGES, BUT OVERCONSUMPTION OF CERTAIN COMPOUNDS OR EMULSIFIERS MAY NEGATIVELY INFLUENCE GUT AND HUMAN HEALTH.THE CONSUMER WANTS A HEALTHY, NATURAL, AND CLEAN LABEL, GUT-HARMFUL COMPOUNDS CAN BE REPLACED BY THE USE OF PREBIOTIC MATERIALSBY THE USE OF NANOEMULSIONS AND EFFECTIVE ENCAPSULATION.THEREFORE, THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE NEEDTO 1) DESIGN AND OPTIMIZE TC JUICE ENCAPSULATED NANOPARTICLES (TC-NANO) TO PROTECT TC ANTHOCYANINS AGAINST DETERIORATION IN THE INTESTINAL LUMEN AND ENHANCE THEIR BIOAVAILABILITY. BY PUTTING SENSITIVE NUTRIENTS OF JUICE IN A SHELL, ENCAPSULATION PROTECTS THOSENUTRIENTS FROM THE STORAGE AND GUT ENVIRONMENTUNTIL THEY ENTER THE BLOOD CIRCULATION. EVEN THOUGH THE NANOSTRUCTURE BREAKS DOWN AND RELEASES NUTRIENTS FROM THE CORE, THE PREBIOTICS COMPOUNDS AND NUTRIENTS CAN ALSO POSITIVELY IMPACT GUT HEALTH IN A NATIVE FORM.2) DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF TC-NANO ON GUT MICROBIOTA AND OBESITY-ASSOCIATED INFLAMMATION IN HIGH-FAT DIET-INDUCED OBESE MICE. WITH THIS NEW NANOSHELL,WE CAN PROTECT OURNUTRIENT INGREDIENTS FROM DIGESTION IN THE GUT AND UNDERSTAND HOW ANTHOCYANINS AND OPTIMIZED PREBIOTICS IMPACT BODY WEIGHT, SYSTEMATIC INFLAMMATION, GUT HEALTH, AND EVENTUALLY, WHOLE-BODY METABOLIC HEALTH USING A MOUSE MODEL.A MAJOR OUTCOME OF THIS RESEARCH IS IMPROVED BIOAVAILABILITY OF ANTHOCYANINS WITH PREBIOTIC COMPOUNDS AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR MECHANISMS OF ACTION IN ALTERING THE GUT MICROBIOTATO IMPROVE HUMAN HEALTH.