Effects of the Seed Oil of Carica papaya Linn on Food Consumption, Adiposity, Metabolic and Inflammatory Profile of Mice Using Hyperlipidic Diet.

BACKGROUND: Studies indicate that different parts of Carica papaya Linn have nutritional properties that mean it can be used as an adjuvant for the treatment of various pathologies. METHODS: The fatty acid composition of the oil extracted from the seeds of Carica papaya Linn was evaluated by gas chromatography, and an acute toxicity test was performed. For the experiment, Swiss mice were fed a balanced or high-fat diet and supplemented with saline, soybean oil, olive oil, or papaya seed oil. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity tests were performed. After euthanasia, adiposity, glycemia, total cholesterol and fractions, insulin, resistin, leptin, MCP-1, TNF-α, and IL-6 and the histology of the liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue were evaluated. RESULTS: Papaya seed oil showed predominance of monounsaturated fatty acids in its composition. No changes were observed in the acute toxicity test. Had lower food intake in grams, and caloric intake and in the area of adipocytes without minimizing weight gain or adiposity and impacting the liver or pancreas. Reductions in total and non-HDL-c, LDL-c, and VLDL-c were also observed. The treatment had a hypoglycemic and protective effect on insulin resistance. Supplementation also resulted in higher leptin and lower insulin and cytokine resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Under these experimental conditions, papaya seed oil led to higher amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids and had hypocholesterolemic, hypotriglyceridemic, and hypoglycemic effects.

Dietary fiber chemical structures and physicochemical properties of edible Pouteria glomerata fruits, native from Brazilian Pantanal.

Pouteria glomerata is a native species from the Brazilian Pantanal, whose fruit is edible and still underexploited. The objective of this study was to carried out the chemical, nutritional and antioxidant properties of this tropical fruit, as well as to isolate e characterize the chemical strucutre of their dietary fibers. DPPH and ORAC methods were used to determine the antioxidant capacity. Minerals were quantified using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Soluble and insoluble dietary fiber fractions were obtained by the standard enzymatic-gravimetric method and chemically characterized by monosaccharide composition, gel permeation and NMR spectroscopy. Results showed that P. glomerata fruits presented high antioxidant capacity and high levels of vitamin C, minerals, insoluble dietary fiber, and malic acid. The soluble dietary fiber was mainly composed of uronic acids, arabinose, and galactose, and NMR analysis indicated the presence of highly methylesterified homogalacturonan, arabinan and/or arabinogalactan as pectic polysaccharides. Hemicelluloses present in insoluble dietary fiber fraction were solubilized by alkaline treatment, and characterized as (1 â†’ 4)-ß-D-xylan. The results brings new chemical information about this native fruit and may open new opportunities for using it as a potential ingredient for health improvement by human comsumption.