RESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to gain more insight into the beneficial effects of mango fruit powder on the early metabolic adverse effects of a high-fat diet. METHODS: The progressive dose-response effects of mango fruit powder on body composition, circulating parameters, and the expression of genes related to fatty acid oxidation and insulin sensitivity in key tissues were studied in mice fed a moderate (45%) high-fat diet. RESULTS: Findings suggest that mango fruit powder exerts physiological protective effects in the initial steps of insulin resistance and hepatic lipid accumulation induced by a high-fat diet in mice. Moreover, AMPK and SIRT1 appear as key regulators of the observed improvement in fatty acid oxidation capacity, as well as of the improved insulin sensitivity and the increased glucose uptake and metabolism through the glycolytic pathway capacity in liver and skeletal muscle. CONCLUSION: In summary, this study provides evidence that the functional food ingredient (CarelessTM) from mango fruit prevents early metabolic alterations caused by a high-fat diet in the initial stages of the metabolic syndrome.