Effects of Banana (Musa spp.) Bract Flour on Rats Fed High-Calorie Diet.

Research background: The extensive cultivation of bananas (Musa sp.) is related to producing tons of residues, such as leaves, pseudostems and bracts (inflorescences). The banana bract is a commercially interesting residue due to its dietary fibre content and high antioxidant potential. With this in mind, this study evaluates the effects of administering banana bract flour in animal models fed a cafeteria diet. Experimental approach: Thirty-two male rats were divided into 4 groups: (i) control diet, (ii) control diet with 10 % banana bract flour, (iii) hypercaloric diet, and (iv) hypercaloric diet with 10 % bract banana flour. The study was conducted for 12 weeks and included analysis of phenolic compounds, assessment of the antioxidant effect of banana bract flour, determination of serum biochemical parameters (glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), amylase, albumin, uric acid, creatine, total protein, and oral glucose), determination of faecal fat content, and histomorphological analysis of the liver, pancreas and adipose tissue. In addition, molecular parameters such as IL6, total and phosphorylated JNK, total and phosphorylated IKKß, TNFα, TLR4 and HSP70 were determined. Results and conclusions: The banana bract flour showed a high content of phenolic compounds and an antioxidant effect. The in vivo results suggest that the supplementation of a hypercaloric diet with banana bract flour prevented pathological damage by reducing total cholesterol and glucose amounts, which may imply a hepatoprotective effect of this supplement. Thus, using banana bract flour as a supplement can increase the consumption of fibre, antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Novelty and scientific contribution: The development of flour from banana waste and its inclusion in the diet can prevent and/or help treat obesity. In addition, the use of banana bracts can help protect the environment, as they are considered a source of waste by the food industry.

Acute and subacute (28 days) oral toxicity studies of tucum almond oil (Bactris Setosa Mart.) in mice.

Oils extracted from almonds are often used with particular interest due to their prospective health effects and benefits. Tucum is a Pantanal fruit widely consumed by local population and no in vivo toxicity studies regarding its safety are available in the literature to date. This study investigated the acute and subacute toxicity of tucum almond oil (TAO) in mice by evaluating its safety profile. For the acute (2000 mg/kg) and subacute (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) toxicity studies, TAO was administered orally to mice according to 425 and 407 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Guidelines, respectively. Food intake, body, and organ weight of animals were recorded. Signs of toxicity were assessed, and hematological, biochemical and histopathological analyses were performed. In the acute toxicity study, no mortality or behavioral changes were observed in mice treated with 2000 mg/kg, indicating that LD50 is higher than this dose. In the subacute toxicity test, the doses evaluated did not produce relevant changes in hematological, biochemical or histopathological parameters in the exposed animals. The data obtained suggest that TAO did not induce toxicity after exposure to a single or repeated doses and LD50 value may be considered to be more than 2000 mg/kg body weight.

The Use of Natural Fiber-Rich Food Product Is Safe and Reduces Aberrant Crypt Foci in a Pre-Clinical Model.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is a highly prevalent disease, requiring effective strategies for prevention and treatment. The present research aimed to formulate a natural fiber-rich food product (NFRFP) and to evaluate its safety, toxicogenetics, and effects on aberrant crypt foci induced by 1,2-dimethyl-hydrazine in a preclinical model. METHODS: A total of 78 male Wistar rats were distributed in six experimental groups: negative control, positive control (1,2-Dimethylhydrazine-40 mg/Kg), and four groups fed with 10% NFRFP: NFRFP, pre-treatment protocol, simultaneous treatment, and post-treatment protocol. RESULTS: The NFRFP was shown to be a good source of fibers and did not change biometric, biochemical, hematological, and inflammatory parameters, and did not induce signs of toxicity and genotoxicity/carcinogenicity. NFRFP exhibited a chemopreventive effect, in all protocols, with damage reduction (% DR) of 75% in the comet test. NFRFP reduced the incidence of aberrant crypt outbreaks by 49.36% in the post-treatment protocol. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest the applicability of NFRFP in the human diet due to potential production at an industrial scale and easy technological application in different products, since it could be incorporated in food without altering or causing small changes in final product sensory characteristics.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Induced by High-Fat Diet in C57bl/6 Models.

Researchers have a range of animal models in which to study Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Induction of NAFLD by a high-fat diet in the C57BL/6 strain is the most widely used among mice. In this study, we review works that performed NAFLD induction by a high-fat diet using the C57BL/6 strain, focusing on experiments on the effects of lipid ingestion. Studies are initially distinguished into researches in which mice received lipids by oral gavage and studies in which lipid was added to the diet, and each of these designs has peculiarities that must be considered. Oral gavage can be stressful for animals and needs trained handlers but allows accurate control of the dose administered. The addition of oils to the diet can prevent stress caused to mice by gavage, but possible changes in the consistency, taste, and smell of the diet should be considered. Regarding the experimental design, some variables, such as animal sex, treatment time, and diet-related variables, appear to have a definite pattern. However, no pattern was found regarding the number of animals per group, age at the beginning of the experiment, time of adaptation, the substance used as a vehicle, and substance used as a control.