Evaluation of novel nutraceuticals based on the combination of oat beta-glucans and a green coffee phenolic extract to combat obesity and its comorbidities. A randomized, dose-response, parallel trial

Decoding coffee cardiometabolic potential: Chemical composition, nutritional, and health relationships

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide, recognized for its unique taste and aroma and for its social and health impacts. Coffee contains a plethora of nutritional and bioactive components, whose content can vary depending on their origin, processing, and extraction methods. Gathered evidence in literature shows that the regular coffee consumption containing functional compounds (e.g., polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, and melanoidins) can have potential beneficial effects on cardiometabolic risk factors such as abdominal adiposity, hyperglycemia, and lipogenesis. On the other hand, coffee compounds, such as caffeine, diterpenes, and advanced glycation end products, may be considered a risk for cardiometabolic health. The present comprehensive review provides up-to-date knowledge on the structure-function relationships between different chemical compounds present in coffee, one of the most prevalent beverages present in human diet, and cardiometabolic health.

Modulatory effect of green coffee bioactives on high-fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL6 mice model

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of green coffee bioactives in ameliorating the effects of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity through in vitro and in vivo assessments.

METHODS

Green coffee extract (GCE) was obtained by implementing a novel green extraction technique. The efficacy of GCE to inhibit in vitro pancreatic amylase and lipase was evaluated. Further, in vivo studies were conducted using a C57BL6 mice model grouped as starch-fed diet control, HFD control, HFD + positive control, HFD + GCE (100 mg/kg body weight), and HFD + GCE (200 mg/kg body weight). Animal body weight, diet intake, and fecal fat excretion were measured during the feeding period. On completion of the experiment, blood serum was collected for biochemical analysis, and organs were harvested for assessing the obesity-related biomarkers.

RESULTS

The obtained GCE was enriched with polyphenols and alkaloids. GCE led to significant (P < 0.05) in vitro inhibition of pancreatic amylase and lipase. GCE supplementation considerably prevented weight gain in treated groups post-consumption of HFD. It also led to increased fecal fat excretion and regulated the high-fat-mediated blood glucose levels. GCE effectively modulated the blood lipid profile, morphology of adipose and liver tissues, and liver antioxidant defense enzymes and resulted in hepatoprotective effects. It also downregulated the genes associated with lipid biosynthesis.

CONCLUSIONS

GCE exhibits promising results in suppressing the consequences associated with HFD-induced obesity. It has the potential to be incorporated into food products benefiting consumer health and food industries.

Dietary Supplements Containing Oat Beta-Glucan and/or Green Coffee (Poly)phenols Showed Limited Effect in Modulating Cardiometabolic Risk Biomarkers in Overweight/Obese Patients without a Lifestyle Intervention

Obesity has reached pandemic proportions and has become a major health concern worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to find new strategies against this condition and its associated comorbidities. Green coffee polyphenols (GCP) and oat beta-glucans (BGs) have proven their hypolipidaemic and hypoglycaemic effects. This study aimed to examine the effects of the long-term consumption of supplements containing GCP, BG or the novel GCP/BG combination on lipid and glucose metabolism biomarkers in overweight/obese subjects who maintained their dietary habits and physical activity, hence addressing the difficulty that this population faces in adapting to lifestyle changes. A randomised, crossover, blind trial was carried out in 29 volunteers who consumed either GCP (300 mg), BG (2.5 g) or GCP/BG (300 mg + 2.5 g) twice a day for 8 weeks. Blood samples were collected, and blood pressure and body composition were measured at the beginning and end of each intervention. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL-C) cholesterol, glycated haemoglobin, fasting glucose, insulin, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and different hormones and adipokines were analysed. Only VLDL-C (p = 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.027) decreased after the intervention, especially with the BG supplement. There were no other significant changes in the analysed biomarkers. In conclusion, the regular intake of GCP, BG and GCP/BG without lifestyle changes is not an efficient strategy to improve lipid and glucose homeostasis in overweight/obese subjects.

Impact of Oats on Appetite Hormones and Body Weight Management: A Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This study aims to review the hunger hormones in obesity management and the impact of oats in regulating these hormones for hunger suppression and body weight management. In this review, the impact of various edible forms of oats like whole, naked, sprouted, or supplemented has been investigated for their appetite hormones regulation and weight management.

RECENT FINDINGS

The onset of obesity has been greatly associated with the appetite-regulating hormones that control, regulate, and suppress hunger, satiety, or energy expenditure. Many observational and clinical studies prove that oats have a positive effect on anthropometric measures like BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, lipid profile, total cholesterol, weight, appetite, and blood pressure. Many studies support the concept that oats are rich in protein, fiber, healthy fats, Fe, Zn, Mg, Mn, free phenolics, ß-glucan, ferulic acid, avenanthramides, and many more. Beta-glucan is the most important bioactive component that lowers cholesterol levels and supports the defense system of the body to prevent infections. Hence, several clinical studies supported oats utilization against obesity, appetite hormones, and energy regulation but still, some studies have shown no or little significance on appetite. Results of various studies revealed the therapeutic potentials of oats for body weight management, appetite control, strengthening the immune system, lowering serum cholesterol, and gut microbiota promotion by increased production of short-chain fatty acids.

Prospects of ultrasonically extracted food bioactives in the field of non-invasive biomedical applications - A review

Foods incorporated with bioactive compounds, called nutraceuticals, can fight or prevent or alleviate diseases. The contribution of nutraceuticals or phytochemicals to non-invasive biomedical applications is increasing. Although there are many traditional methods for extracting bioactive compounds or secondary metabolites, these processes come with many disadvantages like lower yield, longer process time, high energy consumption, more usage of solvent, yielding low active principles with low efficacy against diseases, poor quality, poor mass transfer, higher extraction temperature, etc. However, nullifying all these disadvantages of a non-thermal technology, ultrasound has played a significant role in delivering them with higher yield and improved bio-efficacy. The physical and chemical effects of acoustic cavitation are the crux of the output. This review paper primarily discusses the ultrasound-assisted extraction (USAE) of bioactives in providing non-invasive prevention and cure to diseases and bodily dysfunctions in human and animal models. The outputs of non-invasive bioactive components in terms of yield and the clinical efficacy in either in vitro or in vitro conditions are discussed in detail. The non-invasive biomedical applications of USAE bioactives providing anticancer, antioxidant, cardiovascular health, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial benefits are analyzed in-depth and appraised. This review additionally highlights the improved performance of USAE compounds against conventionally extracted compounds. In addition, an exhaustive analysis is performed on the role and application of the food bioactives in vivo and in vitro systems, mainly for promoting these efficient USAE bioactives in non-invasive biomedical applications. Also, the review explores the recovery of bioactives from the less explored food sources like cactus pear fruit, ash gourd, sweet granadilla, basil, kokum, baobab, and the food processing industrial wastes like peel, pomace, propolis, wine residues, bran, etc., which is rare in literature.

Genetic Variations on Redox Control in Cardiometabolic Diseases: The Role of Nrf2

The transcription factor Nrf2 is a master regulator of multiple cytoprotective genes that maintain redox homeostasis and exert anti-inflammatory functions. The Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway is a paramount target of many cardioprotective strategies, because redox homeostasis is essential in cardiovascular health. Nrf2 gene variations, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), are correlated with cardiometabolic diseases and drug responses. SNPs of Nrf2, KEAP1, and other related genes can impair the transcriptional activation or the activity of the resulting protein, exerting differential susceptibility to cardiometabolic disease progression and prevalence. Further understanding of the implications of Nrf2 polymorphisms on basic cellular processes involved in cardiometabolic diseases progression and prevalence will be helpful to establish more accurate protective strategies. This review provides insight into the association between the polymorphisms of Nrf2-related genes with cardiometabolic diseases. We also briefly describe that SNPs of Nrf2-related genes are potential modifiers of the pharmacokinetics that contribute to the inter-individual variability.

Regular Consumption of Green Coffee Phenol, Oat β-Glucan and Green Coffee Phenol/Oat β-Glucan Supplements Does Not Change Body Composition in Subjects with Overweight and Obesity

Many in vitro and in vivo studies support that green coffee polyphenols (GCP) and beta-glucans (BG) present important hypolipidaemic and hypoglycaemic effects. However, their weight-management/-reducing properties are less clear. Considering that these compounds act on different metabolic pathways, their combination could increase their beneficial health effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of regularly consuming supplements containing GCP, BG or the novel GCP/BG combination on body composition in overweight/obese subjects without changing their dietary and physical activity habits, hence addressing the difficulty to adapt to lifestyle changes. A randomised, cross-over, blind trial was carried out in 29 volunteers who consumed GCP (300 mg), BG (2.5 g) or GCP/BG (300 mg + 2.5 g) twice a day for 8 weeks. At the beginning and end of each of the interventions, body weight, body mass index, body fat%, intracellular and extracellular water, skinfolds (tricipital, bicipital, subscapularis, suprailiac, leg and thigh) and body circumferences (waist, hip, thigh, calf, branchial) were measured. Along the study, volunteers filled out 72 h dietary records, and physical activity was measured using accelerometers. The results show that dietary intake and physical activity were unchanged throughout the study; however, there were no changes in any of the body composition parameters analysed with any of the food supplements. In conclusion, the regular intake of GCP, BG and GCP/BG, without changes in diet and physical activity, is not an efficient strategy to lose weight or induce other positive changes in body composition, although results should be taken with caution as the study was underpowered.