Abstract
Oil palm fruit is widely used for edible oils, but the health benefits of other components are relatively unknown. We examined if consuming a polyphenol-rich extract of the fruit, from a vegetation by-product of oil processing, which also contains fibre, has gastro-intestinal benefits in rats on a Western-type diet (WD). The oil palm preparation (OPP) was added to food (OPP-F) or drinking water (OPP-D) to provide 50 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/d and compared to effects of high amylose maize starch (HAMS; 30%) in the diet or green tea extract (GT; 50 mg GAE/d) in drinking water over 4 wk. OPP treatments induced some significant effects (P < 0.05) compared to WD. OPP-D increased caecal digesta mass, caecal digesta concentrations of total SCFA, acetate and propionate (OPP-F increased caecal butyrate concentration), the numbers of mucus-producing goblet cells per colonic crypt, and caecal digesta abundance of some bacteria which may provide benefit to the host (Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Akkermansia muciniphila and Ruminococcus gnavus). HAMS induced similar effects but with greater potency and had a broader impact on microbe populations, whereas GT had minimal impacts. These results suggest dietary OPP may benefit the large bowel.
Highlights
The fruit of the African oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, is a significant global food source, being the world’s largest source of edible oils, and of high economic value to numerous countries [1]
The oil palm fruit mesocarp is a rich source of natural anti-oxidants, including carotene and vitamin E, and is likely to contain a range of beneficial compounds, including fibres, which have yet to be characterised or used, and an opportunity exists to identify bioactive components that may promote health, including health of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
Caecal digesta bulk (Table 2) was significantly increased relative to the Western-type diet (WD) group when oil palm preparation (OPP) was consumed as a drink but not when added to the diet
Summary
The fruit of the African oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, is a significant global food source, being the world’s largest source of edible oils, and of high economic value to numerous countries [1]. The genome of this plant has recently been sequenced to enable a deeper understanding of its important traits [2]. There is growing evidence that the consumption of plant polyphenols can have many health benefits in humans [3] and oil palm fruit may be a rich source of these molecules. The health benefits of polyphenols are largely attributable to their immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties [5,6], green tea polyphenols may protect
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