SLSWG Workshop on Bioregenerative Life Support. Turin, 18-19 May Strategic trends for food in space: an evolutionary and co-evolutionary perspective Enrico Alleva and Daniela Santucci Reparto di Neuroscienze Comportamentali Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e Neuroscienze Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma

Recent findings and reflections about evolutionary steps occurred in feeding habits of the genus Homo (and before its appearance in the lineage conducting to contemporary humans) allow a series of putative statements about the natural necessities of modern people. The ecological niche occupied by these lineages where variable, yet some ecological constrains having shaped their genetic pools can be traced. Regarding both the plant and animal kingdoms, the widespread zoogeographical distribution of these lineages seems to provide strong evidence of their omnivorous lifestyle.

In this framework, the feeding necessities of contemporary humans can be viewed under an evolutionary perspective which, if from one hand practically coincides with the medically-oriented traditional nutritional diets, from the other hand requires with species-specific recognition of a few enrichment variables, mimicking the natural quantity and quality of behavioural patterns representing the minimal requirements for food searching, food selecting, food storing and associated behavioural and mental performances. Selected keywords about specific food items including micro habitats e.g. in which pollination may occur thanks to mini-niches in confined spatial environments, will be presented at discussion.

The highly unnatural condition at ISS has to cope with a phylogenetically shaped ensemble consisting of appetence for food, style of food search, consumption and storage.   Despite the bioregenerative systems in use, some basic requirements of natural species-specific features have to be taken into account. Human feeding is not solely a dietary condition, but involves several psychological and physiological requirements, often disregarded in extreme environment programmes

scavengers

Fig. 5. A dramatic hunting scene painted by a Magdalenian artist about 17,000 years ago. It is located at the bottom of the shaft in the heart of the cave sanctuary of Lascaux –

CCK Cholecystokinin (CCK or CCK-PZ; from Greek chole, "bile"; cysto, "sac"; kinin, "move"; hence, move the bile-sac (gallbladder)) is a peptide hormone of the gastrointestinal system responsible for stimulating the digestion of fat and protein. It also acts as a hunger suppressant. Recent evidence has suggested that it also plays a major role in inducing drug tolerance to opioids like morphine and heroin, and is partly implicated in experiences of pain hypersensitivity during opioid withdrawal.

Leptin Leptin (from Greek λεπτός leptos, "thin"), the "satiety hormone” a is a hormone made by adipose cells that helps to regulate energy balance by inhibiting hunger. Leptin is opposed by the actions of the hormone ghrelin, the "hunger hormone". Both hormones act on receptors in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus to regulate appetite in order to achieve energy homeostasis. In obesity, a decreased sensitivity to leptin occurs, resulting in an inability to detect satiety despite high energy stores.

Nerve Growth Factor

Grotte di Lascaux

It is therefore likely adn possibly important to take into account that direct control procedure of sufficently complex bioregenerative programmes may help maintaining the physiological and psychological equilibrium in long term permance in space ore extreme environments