Evaluation of cardiovascular protective effect of different apple varieties - Correlation of response with composition.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to identify the phytocompounds, including β-carotene, responsible for the cholesterol-lowering effects of apples in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet.
Results Summary
The study found that β-carotene, along with other phytocompounds, contributed to the cholesterol-lowering ability of apples, particularly the Bravo de Esmolfe variety, which significantly reduced triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and oxLDL levels.
Population
Male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet.
Effective Dosage
Diet supplemented with 20% of apple cultivars (Bravo de Esmolfe, Malápio Serra, and Golden).
Duration
30 days.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
diets rich in fruits and vegetables | decrease | cardiovascular disease (CVD) | - | - | promote health and attenuate or delay the onset | #1 |
apple consumption | decrease | CVD | - | - | reduced risk | #2 |
apple consumption | decrease | cholesterol | - | - | cholesterol-lowering effect | #3 |
diet supplementation with 20% of Bravo de Esmolfe apple cultivar | decrease | serum levels of triglycerides | male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (2%) | 27.2% reduction | decrease significantly | #4 |
diet supplementation with 20% of Bravo de Esmolfe apple cultivar | decrease | total cholesterol concentrations | male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (2%) | 21.0% reduction | decrease significantly | #5 |
diet supplementation with 20% of Bravo de Esmolfe apple cultivar | decrease | LDL cholesterol concentrations | male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (2%) | 20.4% reduction | decrease significantly | #6 |
diet supplementation with 20% of Bravo de Esmolfe apple cultivar | decrease | levels of oxLDL | male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (2%) | 20.0% reduction | significantly improved | #7 |
diet supplementation with 20% of Bravo de Esmolfe apple cultivar | decrease | levels of oxLDL | male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (2%) | 11.9% reduction | significantly improved | #8 |
diet supplementation with 20% of Malapio da Serra apple cultivar | decrease | levels of oxLDL | male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (2%) | 9.8% reduction | significantly improved | #9 |
catechin, epicatechin, procyanidin B1 and β-carotene | decrease | cholesterol | - | - | responsible for the cholesterol lowering ability | #10 |
antioxidant potential | decrease | cholesterol | - | - | contributed to this beneficial effect | #11 |
Epidemiological evidence supports the concept that diets rich in fruits and vegetables promote health and attenuate or delay the onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In particular, a reduced risk of CVD has been associated with apple consumption, probably due to the cholesterol-lowering effect of the main bioactive compounds, namely fibre and polyphenols. In this work, the effect of diet supplementation with 20% of three Portuguese apple cultivars (Bravo de Esmolfe, Malápio Serra and Golden), containing distinct phenolic and fibre concentrations, on serum lipid profile and oxLDL of male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (2%) was evaluated. After 30 days, only Bravo de Esmolfe apple was able to decrease significantly serum levels of triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol concentrations (reductions of 27.2%, 21.0% and 20.4%, respectively, in relation to the cholesterol-enriched diet group, P<0.05). The levels of oxLDL were also significantly improved with the consumption of this apple variety (reductions of 20.0% and 11.9%, in relation to the cholesterol-enriched diet group and control group, respectively, P>0.05) as well as with Malapio da Serra apple (reductions of 9.8% in relation to the cholesterol-enriched diet group, P<0.05). Correlation of the bioactive response with chemical composition showed that catechin, epicatechin, procyanidin B1 and β-carotene are the major phytocompounds responsible for the cholesterol lowering ability of apples. The antioxidant potential may have also contributed to this beneficial effect.