Effect of guarana seed powder on cholesterol absorption in vitro and in Caco-2 cells.

Cardiovascular disease risk is related to oxidative stress and hypercholesterolemia. Guarana seed powder contains flavanols that possess antioxidant properties and cholesterol-lowering effects. However, the molecular mechanism through which guarana seed powder may decrease cholesterol uptake from the intestinal lumen remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of guarana powder aqueous extract on cholesterol absorption mechanisms. After simulated gastrointestinal digestion, we performed assays to determine enzymatic inhibitory capacity, bile acid binding capacity, and cholesterol micellar solubilization. Caco-2 cells were used for permeation and protein identification assays. Digested guarana powder extract inhibited pancreatic lipase in a dose-dependent manner (half-maximal inhibitory capacity: 1.033 µg/mL) and, at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, bound 45.63 % of sodium taurocholate and decreased cholesterol micellar solubilization by 10.14 %. Moreover, incubation with the extract reduced cholesterol absorption by Caco-2 cells and decreased intracellular cholesterol transporter levels. These results indicate that guarana seed powder have potential applications for blood cholesterol management, presenting hypocholesterolemic effects owing to the presence of bioacessible polyphenols.

Effects of the consumption of guarana on human health: A narrative review.

Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a plant from the Amazon region with cultural importance. Despite its early ancestral use by indigenous tribes, the first reports regarding the benefits of guarana consumption for human health were published in the 19th century. Since then, the use of guarana seed in powder and extract forms has been studied for its diverse effects on human health, such as stimulating, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, hypocholesterolemic, and anti-obesity effects. These effects are attributed to the high content of bioactive compounds found in guarana seeds, especially methylxanthines and flavonoids. In fact, the Brazilian Food Supplement Law has officially acknowledged guarana as a source of bioactive compounds. The number and diversity of studies focused on guarana and human health are increasing; thus, organizing and describing the available evidence on guarana and its applications is necessary to provide a framework for future studies. In this narrative review, we have organized the available information regarding guarana and its potential effects on human health. Guarana produces unique fruits with great potential for human health applications. However, the available evidence lacks human studies and mechanistic investigations. Future studies should be designed considering its applicability to human health, including intake levels and toxicity studies.

The anticholesterol oxidation effects of garlic (Allium sativum L.) and leek (Allium ampeloprasum L.) in frozen fish burgers submitted to grilling.

This study determined the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of garlic (Allium sativum L.) and leek (Allium ampeloprasum L.), as well as evaluated their anticholesterol oxidation potential in fish burgers. The total phenolic contents were 1.1 ± 0.1 mg GAE/g FW to garlic and 1.3 ± 0.4 mg GAE/g FW for leek. Leek extract showed antioxidant activity index (1.3 ± 0.01) in DPPH and ß-carotene/linoleic acid assay (66.5 ± 1.6%); however, in ORAC assay, no statistic differences were observed (P > 0.05). Besides that, bioactive compounds of garlic and leek extracts were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray by ionization-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS). Fish burgers were prepared using different concentrations of leek and garlic and stored at -18 °C for 90 days. Thus, at days 0, 30, 60, and 90, the samples were grilled and analyzed as to their cholesterol and cholesterol oxidation products contents. Storage and grilling led to an increase in cholesterol oxidation products; however, addition of garlic and leek minimized cholesterol oxidation products formation. After 90 days, samples containing 3% leek + 0.5% garlic ware the most effective in inhibiting the cholesterol oxides formation during storage and showed the lowest increase in cholesterol oxidation products content (21.16%). Thus, the findings of this research indicate the potential application of garlic and leek as natural inhibitors of cholesterol oxidation in food. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Garlic and leek have a set of bioactive compounds with a wide antioxidant capacity when used in meat foods such as fish burgers. Garlic and leek used as natural antioxidants perform well in the shelf life of fish burgers and can be substitutes for synthetic antioxidants in this type of product. The presence of both vegetables reduced the formation of prejudicial products to human health generated during the shelf life of the food.

Insoluble-Bound Polyphenols Released from Guarana Powder: Inhibition of Alpha-Glucosidase and Proanthocyanidin Profile.

The Brazilian Food Supplement Law recently recognized that guarana (Paullinia cupana) contains bioactive substances, hence supporting its role as a functional food ingredient. The health benefits of guarana are associated, at least in part, to its phenolic compounds. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no literature addressing the presence of phenolic compounds in the fraction containing insoluble-bound compounds and its contribution in terms of alpha-glucosidase inhibition. The concentration of phenolic extracts released from the insoluble-bound fraction required to inhibit 50% of alpha-glucosidase (IC50) activity was 5.8-fold lower than that present in the soluble counterpart. Both fractions exhibited a mixed inhibition mode. Fourteen proanthocyanidins (dimers to tetramers) present in the insoluble-bound fraction were tentatively identified by MALDi-TOF-MS. Future studies aiming at increasing the concentration of the soluble counterpart are deemed necessary. The results presented here enhance the phenolic database of guarana and have a practical impact on the procurement of nutraceuticals and functional ingredients related to the prevention and/or management of type 2 diabetes. The Brazilian normative on food supplements has been recently revised. This study lends support to the future inclusion of guarana powder in the list of sources of proanthocyanidins for the industry of food supplements.

Avaliação do efeito da adição de ingredientes sobre os compostos fenólicos e a capacidade antioxidante de cápsulas de café expresso e sua bioacessibilidade / Evaluation of the effect of the addition of ingredients on the phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity of espresso capsules and its bioaccessibility

Introdução: O café é a segunda bebida mais consumida do mundo. O grão de café é uma das mais importantes "commodities" alimentares, sendo o principal produto de exportação agrícola. A produção mundial de café na safra 2016-2017 alcançou 153,869 milhões de sacas de 60 quilos. A bebida de café é consumida sob diversos métodos e preparações e a adição de açúcar e/ou leite são as mais comuns. O crescente consumo de cápsula de café expresso vem ganhando os lares da população brasileira com aumento de 29 % de 2010 a 2015, com estimativa de crescimento na ordem de 18 % de 2015 até 2020. A busca por diferentes tipos de café está relacionada com os efeitos sensoriais que o café pode exercer para os humanos. Entretanto, o café é considerado uma bebida bioativa com efeito antioxidante que atua como anticancerígeno, anti-obesidade, antidiabético, anti-hipertensivo e hepatoprotetor. Deste modo faz-se necessário avaliar a atividade antioxidante das cápsulas de café expresso de acordo com sua intensidade (torra) e avaliar o efeito da adição de ingrediente sobre os compostos fenólicos, a atividade antioxidante e sua bioacessibilidade. Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito de diferentes intensidades de torra e da adição de ingrediente sobre os compostos fenólicos e a atividade antioxidante das cápsulas de café expresso e sua bioacessibilidade. Material e Métodos: O presente projeto foi dividido em dois ensaios. O primeiro ensaio contou com quatorze cápsulas comerciais de café expresso, sendo treze tradicionais e uma descafeinada. O segundo ensaio contou com três cápsulas, sendo duas tradicionais e uma descafeinada. Todas foram adquiridas em estabelecimentos comerciais da cidade de São Paulo. No primeiro ensaio as bebidas foram preparadas como descrito na embalagem usando uma cafeteira doméstica e água. No segundo ensaio, às bebidas (preparadas de acordo ao primeiro ensaio), foram adicionados 40 mL leite e/ou 5 g de açúcar. A atividade antioxidante foi investigada pelo ensaio de eliminação de radicais ABTS, pela capacidade de absorção de radicais peroxila de oxigênio pelo (ORAC) e a capacidade de eliminação de radicais DPPH. O teor total de fenólicos foi determinado pelo método de Folin-Ciocalteau, as melanoidinas foram avaliadas pela absorbância a 420 nm e a digestão in vitro foi realizada por hidrólise assistida por enzimas digestivas. O perfil fenólico foi avaliado por CLAE/DAD. A capacidade de inibição da peroxidação lipídica foi determinada pela medição de substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS). Resultados: No primeiro ensaio, todas as bebidas de café em cápsula apresentaram atividade antioxidante de acordo os métodos ORAC, DPPH e ABTS, variando de acordo a intensidade (torra) de cada cápsula. O teor de fenólicos variou de 191,41 a 374,36 mg equivalentes de ácido clorogênico/dose de café e as melanoidinas variaram entre 0,197 nm e 0,372 nm. No segundo ensaio, os fenólicos totais variaram de 129,40 a 541,81 mg equivalentes de ácido clorogênico/dose nas bebidas digeridas e não digeridas, respectivamente. A atividade antioxidante foi maior nas bebidas com adição de leite. O teor total de fenólicos foi maior nas amostras não digeridas. O perfil fenólico encontrado nas amostras não digeridas e digeridas, foi cafeína, ácido clorogênico, ácido cafeico, ácido p-cumárico e ácido ferúlico. Após a digestão in vitro, os ácidos fenólicos e a cafeína estavam mais bioacessíveis nas bebidas de café com adição leite e com leite e açúcar em comparação com as bebidas de café puras. As bebidas não digeridas apresentaram menor produção de TBARS em relação àquelas digeridas. Conclusão: Todas bebidas de café expresso em cápsulas estudadas apresentaram atividade antioxidante. A maior intensidade da torra pode influenciar a quantidade de fenólicos totais e atividade antioxidante. O conteúdo de ácidos fenólicos e cafeína e a atividade antioxidante das bebidas dependem dos ingredientes adicionado à preparação. Os compostos são mais bioacessíveis em bebidas com leite com açúcar e com leite, em comparação com bebidas puras. Os resultados sugerem que existem interações entre ácidos fenólicos e componentes do leite por meio de interação hidrofóbicas e/ou hidrofílicas que afetam a biodisponibilidade de ambos

Introduction: Coffee is the second most consumed drink in the world. Coffee beans are one of the most important food "commodities" being the main agricultural export product. World coffee production in the 2016-2017 harvest reached 153,869 million bags of 60 kilos. The coffee drink is consumed of several methods and preparations, the addition of sugar and / or milk is the most common. The increasing consumption of espresso capsules has been gaining the homes of the Brazilian population with a 29% increase from 2010 to 2015, with an estimated growth of around 18% from 2015 to 2020. The search for different types of coffee is related to the sensory effects that coffee can exert on humans. However, coffee is considered a bioactive beverage with antioxidant effect that acts as anticancer, anti-obesity, antidiabetic, antihypertensive and hepatoprotective Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the espresso capsules according to their intensity (roast) and to evaluate the effect of the addition of the ingredient on the phenolic compounds, the antioxidant activity and its bioacessibilide. Objective: To evaluate the effect of different roast intensities and the addition of the ingredient on the phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity of the espresso capsules and its bioaccessibility. Material and Methods: The present project was divided into two trials. The first trial included: Fourteen commercial espresso capsules, thirteen traditional and one decaffeinated. The second trial had three capsules, two traditional and one decaffeinated. Both were purchased at food stores in the city of São Paulo. In the first assay the beverages were prepared as described on the package using a domestic kettle and water. In the second assay, the beverages were prepared according to the first test, but 40 ml of milk and / or 5 g of sugar. The antioxidant activity was investigated by the ABTS radical scavenging assay, oxygen radical scavenging ability (ORAC) and the DPPH radical scavenging ability. The total phenolic content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method, as melanoidins were evaluated for absorbance at 420 nm and an in vitro digestion was performed by digestive enzyme assisted hydrolysis. The phenolic profile was evaluated by HPLC / DAD. Lipid peroxidation was determined by the action of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Results: In the first trial, all capsule coffee beverages presented antioxidant activity according to the ORAC, DPPH and ABTS methods, varying according to the intensity (roast) of each capsule. The phenolic range ranged from 191.41 to 374.36 mg of chlorogenic acid equivalent / mL of coffee and the melanoidins ranged from 0.197 nm to 0.372 nm. In the second assay, total phenolics ranged from 129.40 to 541.81 mg equivalents of chlorogenic acid / dose in the digested and undigested beverages, respectively. The antioxidant activity was higher in beverages with milk addition. The total phenolic content was higher in the undigested samples. The phenolic profile found in the undigested and digested samples was caffeine, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid. After in vitro digestion, phenolic acids and caffeine were more bioaccessible in coffee drinks with added milk and with milk and sugar compared to pure coffee beverage. Undigested beverages presented lower TBARS production in relation to those digested. Conclusions: All espresso drinks in capsules studied have antioxidant activity. The intensity can influence the amount of total phenolics and antioxidant activity. The content of phenolic acids and caffeine and the antioxidant activity of the beverages depend on the ingredients added to the preparation. The compounds are more bioavailable in milk and sugar milk beverages compared to pure beverages. The results suggest that there are interactions between phenolic acids and milk components through hydrophobic and / or hydrophilic interaction that affects the bioavailability of both