Abstract
Increasing the ability of the human body to adapt in conditions of physical or emotional stress is promising from the standpoint of the use of preventive nutrition containing functional food ingredients (FFI) with proven effectiveness in complex physiological in vivo studies. In this work, we developed FFI from spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea L.) with a high content of polyphenols and adaptogens—phytoecdysteroids. Using in vivo models of increased physical activity and immobilization-induced emotional stress, we evaluated the nonspecific resistance of rats in response to the addition of the developed FFI to the diet. In the acute toxicity experiment, we found no signs of FFI toxicity up to 5000 mg/kg body weight. As a result of the daily 26-day consumption of FFI, we observed an anxiolytic effect in physiological studies. FFI prevented an increase in the content of biogenic amines in the blood, the main markers of the stress system, and had a positive effect on the lipid metabolism of the rats. The obtained results demonstrate a “smoothing” effect on the body’s reaction in response to induced stress conditions.
Highlights
Nowadays, the daily impact of psychoemotional stress, the development of chronic fatigue syndrome, and increased physical and mental stress makes it necessary to use specialized food products (SFP) with proven adaptogenic effects in human nutrition [1]
The functional food ingredients (FFI) of SFP obtained from traditional food plants are able to form nonspecific resistance in the human body while avoiding the typical disadvantages of pharmacological drugs [2]
The present study aimed to evaluate the non-specific resistance of rats in light of the manifestation of pharmacological effects caused by the combined effect of phytoecdysteroids and other minor biologically active compounds (BAS) included in FFI developed from spinach, under conditions of increased physical energy expenditure and immobilization-induced emotional stress
Summary
The daily impact of psychoemotional stress, the development of chronic fatigue syndrome, and increased physical and mental stress makes it necessary to use specialized food products (SFP) with proven adaptogenic effects in human nutrition [1]. Phytoecdysteroids are known for the numerous and diverse biological activities associated with their anabolic, adaptogenic, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, and hepatoprotective effects [5,6]. Of particular interest in this direction are poorly studied aspects of the synergism of phytoecdysteroid pharmacological effects and the metabolic action of minor biologically active substances. Such combinations are part of the composition of the traditional widely-used food plants in human nutrition, among which one of the popular representatives is spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) [8,9]. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
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