P1: Black currants and cornelian cherry juices prevent body characteristics and plasma lipid disturbance in high-fat high-fructose fed rats

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of conditions- visceral obesity, high fasting glucose, high triglyceride, low HDL-cholesterol, high blood pressure -that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Polyphenols from natural sources have an ameliorating effect on obesity-related metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular disease. This study was aimed to test the effects of polyphenol rich black currants (Ribes nigrum) and cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) juices on the body characteristics and plasma biochemistry parameters associated with MetS development in high-fat high-fructose (HFHF) fed rats. Male 4-month-old Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n=8): Control fed with standard chow diet +drinking water; HFHF fed with HFHF diet (standard chow diet with 25% sunflower oil, 20% fructose, 1% cholic acid) +drinking water; BC-HFHF fed with HFHF diet +25% black currants juice in drinking water; CC-HFHF fed with HFHF diet +25% cornelian cherry juice in drinking water. After 10 weeks of the dietary treatment, an increase of body fat (27,89±5,76 vs 14,97±2,85g), systolic (153,57±11 vs 128,33±12 mmHg) and diastolic (117,25±12 vs 100±12 mmHg) blood pressure, plasma glucose (6,36 ±0,72 vs 5,26 ±0,28 mmol/l), total (1,65±0,13 vs 1,41±0.10 mmol/l) and LDL-cholesterol (0,45±0,15 vs 0,24±0,16 mmol/l), and triglycerides (0,80±0,14 vs 0,64±0,12 mmol/l) was detected in HFHF group in comparison with Control, while HDLcholesterol was decreased (0,71±0,09 vs 0,97±0,14 mmol/l). Parallel treatment with black currants juice resulted in reduced body (391±35 vs 42±20g), fat (20,46±3,88 vs 14,97±2,85g) and liver mass (9,06±0,72 vs 10,23±1,29g), as well as in decreased glucose level (5,20±0,43 vs 6,36±0,72 mmol/l), total cholesterol (1,13±0,18 vs 1,65±0,13 mmol/l), triglycerides (0,51±0,21 vs 0,80±0,14 mmol/l) and liver enzymes AST (99,15±19 vs 193,68±70 IU/l) and ALT (35,20±3,5 vs 53,23±14 IU/l) in BC-HFHF when compared to HFHF group. Similarly, the lower total cholesterol (1,30±0,14 vs 1,65±0,13 mmol/l), triglycerides (0,58±0,16 vs 0,80±0,14 mmol/l), AST (110,30±60 vs 193,68±70 IU/l) and systolic blood pressure (141,17±9 vs 153,57±11 mmHg) were observed in CC-HFHF when compared with HFHF group. Obtained results have shown that polyphenol rich black currants and cornelian cherry juices have beneficial effect on the prevention of body characteristics and plasma biochemistry, particularly plasma lipid disturbance during dietary-induced MetS development.