Abstract
The phytochemical composition of fruits, especially polyphenols, depends on the environmental conditions under which these fruits are cultivated and the agronomic practices followed. Therefore, the consumption of fruits from different origins, with different polyphenol signatures, could have differential effects on health. In addition, recent studies have shown that variation in the biological rhythms due to changes in the photoperiod in the different seasons differentially affect the metabolism in animal models, thus conditioning their response to food consumption. Considering all, this article evaluates the effects of consumption of sweet cherry from different sources, local (LC) and non-local (nLC), on plasma metabolic parameters and the gene expression of key enzymes of lipid metabolism in Fischer 344 rats under photoperiods simulating different seasons. Animals were classified into three photoperiods (L6, L12 and L18) and three treatments (LC, nLC and VH). Both the photoperiod and the treatments significantly affected the evaluated parameters. An effect of the photoperiod on triacylglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids and the mRNA concentration of crucial enzymes from the hepatic lipid metabolism was observed. Furthermore, the consumption of fruit in L12 lowered blood glucose, while the different treatments affected the hepatic expression of genes related with lipidic enzymes.
Highlights
Polyphenols are secondary metabolites synthesized by plants, which, thanks to their characteristic phenolic structure, have certain protective effects against chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular [1,2], neurodegenerative [3] and metabolic pathologies [4,5], as well as activity against some types of cancer [6,7,8]
The animals exposed to L12 presented a higher amount of MWAT than those animals exposed to L6 or L18
The results demonstrate that the consumption of cherry in its natural season, L18, could stimulate the gene expression of lipogenic enzymes and a decrease in the serum concentration of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), at the same time that it improves insulin sensitivity
Summary
Polyphenols are secondary metabolites synthesized by plants, which, thanks to their characteristic phenolic structure, have certain protective effects against chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular [1,2], neurodegenerative [3] and metabolic pathologies [4,5], as well as activity against some types of cancer [6,7,8]. These phytochemicals are present in fruits, vegetables, tea, chocolate, coffee and oils, among others. Their consumption has been associated with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and antifungal properties, in both animal and human models [12,13,14]
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