Compostos bioativos das frutas combatem
chamada 'síndrome metabólica'.
Substâncias atuam em células dos tecidos
conjuntivo, vascular e gorduroso.
Frutas com caroço como pêssego, ameixa e
nectarina contêm compostos bioativos capazes de combater a chamada
"síndrome metabólica", doença que altera as taxas de glicose,
triglicérides, colesterol, pressão e peso, conclui um estudo feito na Universidade
Texas A&M, nos EUA.
Os resultados serão apresentados à Sociedade
Americana de Química em agosto, na Filadélfia.
Segundo o cientista de alimentos Luis
Cisneros-Zevallos, do centro de pesquisas AgriLife da universidade, essas
frutas apresentam compostos fenólicos, antioxidantes que agem contra
inflamações, diabetes tipo 2 – relacionada à obesidade – e doenças
cardiovasculares.
As principais substâncias encontradas são
antocianinas, ácido clorogênico, derivados de quercetina e catequinas. Elas
atuam em células dos tecidos conjuntivo, vascular e gorduroso, controlando
diferentes expressões de genes e proteínas.
Cisneros-Zevallos acredita que essa é a primeira
vez que compostos bioativos de frutos mostram potencial para trabalhar em
diferentes frentes contra uma doença.
O pesquisador ressalta que, de acordo com as
estatísticas, 30% da população americana está obesa ou com sobrepeso, e os
casos aumentam a cada ano em números alarmantes.
Apesar de os hábitos de vida e a predisposição
genética terem uma grande responsabilidade sobre a obesidade, a síndrome
metabólica também pode causar o excesso de peso.
A equipe pretende continuar a estudar o papel de
cada tipo de composto sobre os mecanismos moleculares e confirmar o trabalho em
ratos.
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Data Edição: 20/06/2012 Fonte: G1 ARTIGO ORIGINAL Peaches, plums, nectarines give obesity, diabetes slim chance
Writer: Kathleen Phillips, 979-845-2872, ka-phillips@tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, 979-845-3244, lcisnero@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – Peaches, plums and nectarines have
bioactive compounds that can potentially fight-off obesity-related
diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to new studies by Texas
AgriLife Research.
The study, which will be presented at the American Chemical
Society in Philadelphia next August, showed that the compounds in stone
fruits could be a weapon against “metabolic syndrome,” in which obesity
and inflammation lead to serious health issues, according to Dr. Luis
Cisneros-Zevallos, AgriLife Research food scientist.
Stone
fruits, such as nectarine, have been shown to have many health benefits
in studies at Texas AgriLife Research. (Texas AgriLife Research photo
by Kathleen Phillips)
“In recent years obesity has become a major concern in society due to
the health problems associated to it,” said Cisneros-Zevallos, who also
is an associate professor at Texas A&M University. “In the U.S.,
statistics show that around 30 percent of the population is overweight
or obese, and these cases are increasing every year in alarming
numbers.”
While he acknowledged that lifestyle, genetic predisposition and diet
play a major role in one’s tendency toward obesity, “the major concern
about obesity is the associated disease known as metabolic syndrome.
“Our studies have shown that stone fruits – peaches, plums and
nectarines – have bioactive compounds that can potentially fight the
syndrome,” Cisneros-Zevallos said. “Our work indicates that phenolic
compounds present in these fruits have anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory
and anti-diabetic properties in different cell lines and may also reduce
the oxidation of bad cholesterol LDL which is associated to
cardiovascular disease.”
What is unique to these fruits, he said, is that their mixture of the
bioactive compounds work simultaneously within the different components
of the disease.
“Our work shows that the four major phenolic groups – anthocyanins,
clorogenic acids, quercetin derivatives and catechins – work on
different cells – fat cells, macrophages and vascular endothelial
cells,” he explained. “They modulate different expressions of genes and
proteins depending on the type of compound.
“However, at the same time, all of them are working simultaneously in
different fronts against the components of the disease, including
obesity, inflammation, diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” he
explained.
Cisneros-Zevallos said this is believed to be the first time that
“bioactive compounds of a fruit have been shown to potentially work in
different fronts against a disease.”
“Each of these stone fruits contain similar phenolic groups but in
differing proportions so all of them are a good source of health
promoting compounds and may complement each other,” he said, adding that
his team plans to continue studying the role of each type of compound
on the molecular mechanisms and confirm the work with mice studies.
The studies on the health benefits of stone fruit are funded by the
California Tree Fruit Agreement, The California Plum Board, the
California Grape and Tree Fruit League and the Texas Department of
Agriculture. The Cisneros-Zevallos lab team in this study included
Freddy Ibanez, Paula Castillo, Paula Simons and Dr. Congmei Cao.
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