Effects of diet supplementation with Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia HBK McVaugh) fruit in a rat model of diet-induced obesity

Amazonian Camu-camu fruit (Myrciaria dubia HBK Mc Vaugh) has attracted interest from food and cosmetics industries because of its rich content of vitamin C, flavonoids and anthocyanins. The goal of this study was investigates the antiobesity action of the ingestion of the Camu-camu pulp in a rat model of diet-induced obesity. Wistar rats with obesity induced by subcutaneous injection of monosodium glutamate receiving diet ad libitum. The rats were divided in two groups: an experimental group that ingested 25 mL/day of Camu-camu pulp (CCG) and a non treated group (CG). After 12 weeks, the animals were sacrificed. Blood, liver, heart, white adipose tissues were collected and weighted, biochemical and inflammatory profiles were determinate as well. Animals that received the pulp of Camu-camu reduced their weights of the fat in white adipose tissues, glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-c and insulin blood levels. There was an increase in HDL-c levels. No change was observed in inflammatory markers and liver enzymes. Camu-camu pulp was able to improve the biochemical profile of obesity in rats suggesting that this Amazonian fruit can be further used such a functional food ingredient in control of chronic diseases linked to obesity

Determinação de elementos essenciais e não essenciais em palmito de pupunheira Determination of essential and non-essential elements in palm heart of peach palm

Considerando-se a atual situação epidemiológica do Brasil em que a obesidade e as doenças crônico-degenerativas (doenças cardiovasculares, diabetes mellitus e câncer) passam a ser destaque em saúde pública, parece prudente a preocupação quanto à caracterização química dos alimentos regionais com potencial econômico e nutricional, em especial os de baixo teor calórico, como o palmito. Sendo assim, determinou-se a composição centesimal, fitato e elementos minerais (macro e micro) no palmito de pupunheira in natura e cozido. O palmito de pupunheira utilizado foi o da raça Pampa Hermosa, da Estação Experimental de Fruticultura da Coordenação de Pesquisas em Ciências Agronômicas (CPCA) do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), em Manaus (AM), coletado no período chuvoso, em janeiro de 1995. Tomou-se aleatoriamente 3,5 kg de palmito de 110 progênies de pupunha inerme, com 2 anos de idade, por ocasião do primeiro corte. As palmeiras foram cultivadas em Latossolo Amarelo, isento de adubação. As análises químicas foram efetuadas no Laboratório de Nutrição e Físico-Química dos Alimentos do INPA e IPEN-CNEN. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, verificou-se que o palmito, in natura e cozido, apresentou em 100g da parte comestível respectivamente, alto teor de umidade, em torno de 90%; 1,5 g de proteínas; baixo teor de lipídio (0,3 e 0,2 g) e; concentrações importantes de fibra alimentar (3,8 e 2,2 g). Em relação aos elementos minerais nutricionalmente importantes sobressairam, também em 100g da parte comestível, K (194,0 mg; 128,0 mg); Ca (42,4 mg ; 42,9 mg); Mg (3,4 mg; 2,2 mg); Fe (237,7 µg; 265,2 µg), Se (2,1 µg; 2,8 µg), respectivamente no palmito in natura e cozido. Dos elementos minerais não essenciais na alimentação, destacaram-se o bromo (830,4 ±5,8 µg%; 434±5,8 µg%) e o rubídio (315,2±3,2 µg%; 433,5±34,0 µg%) respectivamente para palmito in natura e cozido. A concentração de fitato (hexafosfato de mioinositol) foi de 554,7 mg% para o palmito in natura e 379,1 mg%, para o palmito cozido. Apesar do palmito ser um alimento dietético sob o ponto de vista nutricional, devido à baixa concentração em calorias e à presença de fibra, o mesmo pode contribuir no aporte de minerais essenciais na alimentação da população Amazônica.<br>In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the ocurrence of obesity and chronic or degenerative diseases (cardiovascular, diabetes mellitus, cancer) in Brazil. Therefore, studies on the nutritional composition of regional foodstuffs, especially those with low calorific content and high commercial value, are highly justified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the centesimal phytate and mineral micro or macroelement composition of in natura or cooked palm heart of peach palm (Pampa Hermosa race), collected in January 1995 (rainy season) in the fruit experimental station of the Coordenação de Pesquisas em Ciências Agronômicas (CPCA), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), in Manaus, Brazil. Chemical analyses were conducted on a total of 3.5 kg of plant heart samples, taken at random from 110 spineless progeny from Yurimáguas, Peru, which were grown on non-fertilized soil. Analyses were conducted in the Nutrition and Food Physico-Chemical laboratory of INPA and IPEN-CNEN. Each 100 g of the edible part of in natura or cooked palm heart provided low concentrations of lipids (0.3 and 0.2 g, respectively) and high concentrations of fibre (3.8 and 2.2, respectively). Both type of palm heart contained (in 100 g): 90% humidity and 1.5 g protein. The results for nutritionally important minerals were as follows (in 100 g of in natura or cooked palm heart, respectively): K (194.0 mg; 128.0 mg), Ca (42.4 mg; 42.9 mg), Mg (3.4 mg; 2.2 mg), Fe (237.7 µg; 265.2 µg), and Se (2.1 µg: 2.8 µg). The concentrations of non essential elements minerals in in natura and cooked palm heart were, respectively, as follows: bromine (830.4±5.8 µg%; 434.0±5.8 µg%) and rubidium (315.2±3.2 µg%; 433.5±34.0 µg%). The concentration of phytate in 100 g of palm heart, was as follows: 554.7 mg (in natura) 379.1 mg (cooked). Although palm heart can be considered a dietetic foodstuff, being rich in fibre and low in calories, it can be recommended as a good source of minerals for the Amazonian populations

Efeito da suplementação com pupunha como fonte de vitamina A em dieta: estudo em ratos Effect of supplementation with peach palm as source of vitamin A: study with rats

Foi estudado o efeito da suplementação com pupunha (Bactris gasipaes H.B.K.), polpa cozida e transformada em farinha, como fonte de vitamina A, em dieta regional de Manaus, AM,Brasil, por meio do ensaio biológico com ratos. A metodologia utilizada foi da depleção dos animais em zinco e vitamina A, seguida da repleção com a dieta regional (DR), DR + pupunha, DR + vitamina A e dieta controle (DC). A dieta foi elaborada para famílias com rendimentos inferiores a dois salários-mínimos. Foram utilizadas ratas albinas adultas pós-parto, cada qual com 6 filhotes machos, que receberam ração à base de caseína lavada com EDTA a 1%, sem adição de Zn e vitamina A, por 25 dias, com a finalidade de obtenção de animais recém-desmamados deficientes nestes dois nutrientes. O período de repleção dos animais, recém-desmamados, foi de 30 dias e o delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado com 4 tratamentos de 8 animais cada. A suplementação efetuada seguiu as recomendações do "Committee on Laboratory Animal Diets". Os parâmetros empregados para a avaliação da utilização de vitamina A foram as concentrações de vitamina A no fígado e plasma e o crescimento dos animais. Ao final do experimento, observou-se que os animais que consumiram a ração à base da dieta regional de Manaus, suplementada com pupunha e vitamina A, apresentaram, respectivamente, concentração significativamente maior de vitamina A no fígado, 43,3 ± 6,5 µg/g e 42,0 ± 4,3 µg/g em relação à dieta regional, 5,5 ± 1,1 µg/g (p<0,05). A quantidade de zinco presente na dieta regional de Manaus, 10,7 mg diários, foi biodisponível quando avaliada pela concentração de zinco nos fêmures. Os resultados sugerem que existe necessidade de suplementação da dieta regional de Manaus com vitamina A para a manutenção das reservas hepáticas, podendo, para tanto, ser utilizada a fonte natural da pupunha.<br>The effect of supplementation with peach palm (Bactris gasipaes H.B.K.), as an alternative source of vit. A, in the regional diet of Manaus, AM, Brazil, in which the pulp was cooked and transformed into flour, was studied. The biological trial involved rats which were depleted in zinc and vitamin A, followed by repletion using the regional diet (RD), RD plus peach palm and RD plus vitamin A. The parameters used to determine the utilization of vitamin A were the vitamin A concentrations in the liver and plasma, and the growth of the animals. The diet was prepared according to the data of Shrimpton and Giugliano for families earning less than two legal minimum salaries. Adult post-partum rats were used, with six male pups each, which received a diet based on casein washed with 1% EDTA, without the addition of zinc or vitamin A for a period of 25 days, for the purpose of obtaining newly-weaned animals which were deficient in Zn and Vit.A. A control group received a diet also based on casein washed with 1% EDTA, but with all the nutrients in the quantities suggested by the Committee on Laboratory Animal Diets. The repletion period of the newly-weaned rats was of 30 days and the experimental design was entirely randomized with four groups of eight rats each. The diet supplementation followed the recommendations of the Committee on Laboratory Animal Diets. At the end of the experiment, it was observed that rats which consumed the diet based on the regional diet of Manaus supplemented with either peach palm or vitamin A showed a significantly greater concentration of vitamin A in the liver, 43.3 ± 6.5 µg/g, 42.0 ± 4.3 µg/g, respectively in relation to the regional diet, 5.5 ± 1.1 µg/g (p<0.05). The amount of zinc present in the regional diet, 10.7 mg per day, was bioavailable as determined by the concentration of zinc in the femurs. The results suggest that the regional diet of Manaus needs to be supplemented with vitamin A to maintain the hepatic reserves, and that such suplementation can be accomplished with peach palm, an abundant local commodity

Effects of diet supplementation with Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia HBK McVaugh) fruit in a rat model of diet-induced obesity

Amazonian Camu-camu fruit (Myrciaria dubia HBK Mc Vaugh) has attracted interest from food and cosmetics industries because of its rich content of vitamin C, flavonoids and anthocyanins. The goal of this study was investigates the antiobesity action of the ingestion of the Camu-camu pulp in a rat model of diet-induced obesity. Wistar rats with obesity induced by subcutaneous injection of monosodium glutamate receiving diet ad libitum. The rats were divided in two groups: an experimental group that ingested 25 mL/day of Camu-camu pulp (CCG) and a non treated group (CG). After 12 weeks, the animals were sacrificed. Blood, liver, heart, white adipose tissues were collected and weighted, biochemical and inflammatory profiles were determinate as well. Animals that received the pulp of Camu-camu reduced their weights of the fat in white adipose tissues, glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-c and insulin blood levels. There was an increase in HDL-c levels. No change was observed in inflammatory markers and liver enzymes. Camu-camu pulp was able to improve the biochemical profile of obesity in rats suggesting that this Amazonian fruit can be further used such a functional food ingredient in control of chronic diseases linked to obesity