Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by increased oxidative stress and a pro-inflammatory state. Vaccinium meridionale Swartz (known as “agraz”) is a berry rich in polyphenolic compounds with demonstrated antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of agraz consumption on inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in women with MetS. Forty women with MetS (47 ± 9 years) were randomly assigned to consume daily either 200 mL of agraz nectar or placebo over four weeks in a double-blind, cross-over design study, separated by a 4-week washout period. Metabolic and inflammatory markers in serum and antioxidant/oxidative stress markers in serum and urine were assessed at the end of each period. Serum antioxidant capacity measured by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method was significantly higher (p = 0.028), while urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was lower (p = 0.041) after agraz consumption, compared to placebo. In conclusion, consumption of agraz during four weeks increased serum antioxidant capacity and decreased a marker of DNA oxidative damage in women with MetS, compared to placebo. These results suggest that agraz consumption may play a protective role in patients with MetS.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with low-grade inflammation and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) dysfunction. Polyphenol-rich foods may improve these alterations. Agraz is a fruit rich in polyphenols (mainly anthocyanins); however, there is limited information about its effects on human health. We evaluated the effects of agraz consumption as compared to placebo on HDL function and inflammation in women with MetS. Forty volunteers (25–60 years) were included in this double-blind crossover study. Women consumed agraz or placebo over 4 weeks; separated by a 4-week washout period. HDL function (apoliprotein-A1; paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity; cholesterol efflux capacity), oxidative stress (myeloperoxidase (MPO), advanced oxidation protein products) and inflammatory markers (serum cytokines/chemokines and peripheral blood mononuclear cell nuclear factor-kB) were measured after each period. Compared to placebo, agraz consumption did not significantly change any of the biomarkers measured. Interestingly, only after agraz period there were significant positive correlations between PON1 activities and cholesterol efflux. Additionally, there were significant inverse correlations between changes in inflammatory markers and HDL function markers and positive correlations with oxidative markers. Although polyphenol-rich foods have been shown to be beneficial for certain conditions; polyphenol-rich agraz fruit consumption did not impact inflammation and HDL function in the current study of women with MetS.

Background: Abdominal obesity (AO) is linked to inflammation and insulin resistance (IR). However, there is limited information on whether preschoolers with AO present these risk factors. We evaluated the association between AO and cardiovascular risk factors in preschoolers.Methods: We enrolled 232 children (2–5 years), of whom 50% had AO. Serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein B (Apo-B) and apolipoprotein A-1 (Apo-A1), glucose, insulin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1/CCL2), leptin, adiponectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1/CD106) and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1/CD54) were measured. The homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) was calculated. We analyzed these variables according to the presence of AO and other metabolic syndrome (MetS) components.Results: A total of 75.8% of children with AO had one or more risk factors for MetS. Children with AO had significantly higher body mass indexes (BMIs), insulin, HOMA-IR, TG, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-c) and TC/HDL-c ratio and lower HDL-c, compared to children without AO; but there were no differences in inflammatory markers. After adjusting for BMI, sex and age, the differences between groups were not significant for any variable. Waist circumference (WC) was correlated with insulin (r=0.547; p<0.001), TG (r=0.207; p=0.001), ICAM-1 (r=0.213; p=0.039), hs-CRP (r=0.189; p=0.015) and glucose (r=0.187; p=0.004). After adjusting for BMI, age and sex, AO plus one MetS component contributed to individual variation in glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR and TG.Conclusions: AO in preschool children is associated with greater IR and atherogenic lipid profiles, although these findings seem to be more related to general obesity than just central obesity. In addition, our data suggest that IR may precede the elevation of systemic cytokines in obese children, unlike findings in adults. More studies in pediatric populations are needed to elucidate these associations.

Goldenberry and purple passion fruit contain bioactive compounds (BCs) that can prevent gastrointestinal cancers; hydrogel beads can protect and control their release in the gastrointestinal tract. This study aimed to develop an encapsulating material for fruit hydrogel beads (FHBs) to increase their bioaccessibility and to assess antiproliferative effects. A blend of goldenberry–purple passion fruit was encapsulated using ionic gelation and electrospraying. Through a mixture experimental design with sodium alginate (SA), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and arabic gum (AG) as components, the following response variables were optimized: polyphenol bioaccessibility and encapsulation efficiency. Polyphenols and antioxidant activity were quantified before and after digestion. Antiproliferative effect was evaluated on Caco-2 colon cancer cells. Variations in formulation proportions had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on most responses. An SA-AG mixture in a 0.75:0.25 ratio maximized polyphenol bioaccessibility to 213.17 ± 19.57% and encapsulation efficiency to 89.46 ± 6.64%. Polyphenols and antioxidant activity were lower in FHBs than in the fruit blend (F). Both F and FHBs inhibited tumor cell proliferation by 17% and 25%, respectively. In conclusion, encapsulating BCs in hydrogel beads with SA-AG can enhance the effectiveness of polyphenols in food applications by improving their bioaccessibility and showing a more pronounced effect in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation.

In this study were evaluated the effects of the chronic consumption of agraz (Vaccinium meridionale) on antioxidant status and oxidative stress markers in 40 women with metabolic syndrome (MetS) (47.2 ± 9.4 years) through a double-blind, crossover design study, in which participants consumed daily agraz or placebo during 4 weeks, separated by a 4-wk washout period. At the end of each intervention period, endogenous antioxidant enzymes activity, serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (ferric reducing ability of plasma [FRAP]; Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity [ORAC] and 2,2ʹ-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) [ABTS]), and oxidative stress markers (Oxo-2ʹ-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and F2-isoprostane) were determined. Women who increased endogenous antioxidant enzymes activity and serum TAC after agraz consumption, compared to placebo, significantly reduced oxidative stress markers, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) levels, and waist circumference, demonstrating beneficial effects in the group of women in whom antioxidant parameters increased after agraz consumption, evidencing an individual variability in response to the beverage consumed.