Postprandial Bioactivity of Spread Cheese, Enhanced with Mountain Tea and Orange Peel Extract, in Healthy Volunteers. A Pilot Study

Olga Papagianni,Charalampos Karantonis,Thomas Loukas,Theodora Biagki,Athanasios Magkoutis,Charalampia Dimou,Antonios Koutelidakis

doi:10.3390/foods_2020-07671

Abstract

Post-prandial lipemia, glycemia and oxidative stress may affect the outcome of cardiovascular disease. It has been investigated that the enhancement of spread cheese with mountain tea (Sideritis sp.) and orange peel extract, may reduce post-prandial metabolic biomarkers in healthy volunteers. The purpose of the present pilot study was to investigate the possible post-prandial bioactivity of such a spread cheese. In the framework of cross-over design, nine healthy volunteers 20–30 years old, consumed a meal, rich in fat and carbohydrates (80 g white bread, 40 g butter and 30 g full fat spread cheese). After a week washout period, the same volunteers consumed the same meal with the spread cheese, enhanced with 6% mountain tea–dried orange peel extract. Blood sampling took place before, 1.5, 3 and 5 h after meal consumption. Total plasma antioxidant capacity, serum lipids, glucose, uric acid and anticoagulant activity were measured at each time point. There was a statistically significant increase in the antioxidant capacity of plasma 3 h after the meal consumption in the presence of cheese enhanced with extract, compared to the consumption of conventional cheese (p < 0.05). The increase rate of glucose and triglycerides showed a decreasing tendency, 1.5 h after eating the meal with the extract. The remaining biomarkers did not show statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). More studies in a larger sample are needed to draw safer conclusions about the effect of extract on metabolic biomarkers, such as oxidative stress, lipemia and glycemia.

Highlights

The basic result of the study was that a statistically significant increase was observed in the total antioxidant capacity of plasma 3 h after the consumption of the intervention Proceedings 2021, 70, 19 meal, compared to the consumption of the control meal (p < 0.05)
The remaining biomarkers did not show statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that the enhancement of a spread cheese with mountain tea and orange peel extract may be beneficial on the antioxidant capacity of the plasma, attenuating possible post-prandial oxidative stress
The present study showed a possible effect of natural bioactive compounds on postprandial plasma antioxidant capacity

Summary

Introduction

The dynamic period, which includes metabolic processes after digestion and absorption, is described as the post-prandial state. Prolonged and excessive metabolic (lipemia, glycemia) and oxidative imbalance that can occur after a meal is called “post-prandial oxidative stress” [1]. Scientific evidence suggests that post-prandial lipemia, glycemia and oxidative stress may promote cell dysfunction and affect the outcome of cardiovascular disease (CVD) [2,3]. The sudden increase in plasma glucose and triglycerides, after consuming a meal is reported to be an activator of endothelial cell inflammation. Oxidative stress is a promotive factor in the effect of metabolic stress on vascular dysfunction and the formation of inflammation. Macronutrients in the consumed meal influence the post-prandial responses [4]

Objectives

Methods

Results