Natural Food Products Research Articles

Synergistic effects of mangrove leaf litter and supplemental feed on water quality, growth and survival of shrimp (Penaeus monodon, Fabricius, 1798) post larvae

Shrimp based mangrove-aquaculture (silvo-aquaculture) is practiced in many countries of the world and leaf litter of different mangrove tree species is a potential nutrient source in these systems. The present study evaluated the effects of mangrove leaf litter from four mangrove species (Sonneratia apetala, S. caseolaris, Avicennia officinalis and Heritiera fomes) on the production of juvenile shrimp (Penaeus monodon) with and without supplemental feed. Fifteen-day-old post larvae (PL15) with an average weight of 0.01 g were reared in 1100 L fibre-reinforced polyethylene tanks containing 1000 L of 10 ppt saline water and a water depth of 0.9 m. Leaf litter with or without supplemental feed was applied to the tanks according to a 4 × 2 factorial design. The PLs were stocked at a density of 100 per tank and the experiment was conducted for 4 weeks without any exchange of water. Both mangrove species and feed application affected shrimp performance and water quality parameters except dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and zoo-plankton concentration. The average survival rate of juvenile shrimp ranged from 86 to 94% in the treatments with both leaf litter and feed, 75–82% in the treatments with only leaf litter and 88% in the treatment with only feed. However, 100% mortality was observed in the treatment without any leaf litter or supplemental feed. Combined, leaf litter and feed resulted in 21 to 33% higher weight gain of shrimp PL than based on the combined contributions of leaf litter only or feed only, indicating synergism. Among the different mangrove species, S. apetala (23.1%) contributed the highest to total weight gain followed by A. officinalis (21.6%), S. caseolaris (21.6%) and H. fomes (10%). The lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) (0.18–0.27) in the treatments combining leaf litter and supplemental feed as compared to the feed-only treatment (0.41) indicated that leaf litter (directly or by stimulating natural food production) contributed to supplemental feeding. The growth of phytoplankton also appeared to contribute in low FCR as evidenced by a positive correlation (P < 0.001, r = 0.681⁎⁎) between phytoplankton concentration and shrimp weight gain. The synergistic effect between leaf litter and supplemental feed can help the farmer to minimize the shrimp production cost by lowering the feed input and enhancing mangrove three coverage on pond dikes as an inexpensive source of natural food.

Classification and Identification of Essential Oils from Herbs and Fruits Based on a MOS Electronic-Nose Technology

The frequent occurrence of adulterated or counterfeit plant products sold in worldwide commercial markets has created the necessity to validate the authenticity of natural plant-derived palatable products, based on product-label composition, to certify pricing values and for regulatory quality control (QC). The necessity to confirm product authenticity before marketing has required the need for rapid-sensing, electronic devices capable of quickly evaluating plant product quality by easily measurable volatile (aroma) emissions. An experimental MAU-9 electronic nose (e-nose) system, containing a sensor array with 9 metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors, was developed with capabilities to quickly identify and classify volatile essential oils derived from fruit and herbal edible-plant sources. The e-nose instrument was tested for efficacy to discriminate between different volatile essential oils present in gaseous emissions from purified sources of these natural food products. Several chemometric data-analysis methods, including pattern recognition algorithms, principal component analysis (PCA), and support vector machine (SVM) were utilized and compared. The classification accuracy of essential oils using PCA, LDA and QDA, and SVM methods was at or near 100%. The MAU-9 e-nose effectively distinguished between different purified essential oil aromas from herbal and fruit plant sources, based on unique e-nose sensor array responses to distinct, essential-oil specific mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Identification of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 inhibitors through in silico structure-based virtual screening and molecular interaction studies.

The novel coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) or COVID‐19 has caused a worldwide pandemic. The fatal virus has affected the health of human beings as well as the socio‐economic situation all over the world. To date, no concrete medicinal solution has been proposed to combat the viral infection, calling for an urgent, strategic, and cost‐effective drug development approach that may be achievable by applying targeted computational and virtual screening protocols. Immunity is the body's natural defense against disease‐causing pathogens, which can be boosted by consuming plant‐based or natural food products. Active constituents derived from natural sources also scavenge the free radicals and have anti‐inflammatory activities. Herbs and spices have been used for various medicinal purposes. In this study, 2,96 365 natural and synthetic derivatives (ligands) belonging to 102 classes of compounds were obtained from PubChem and assessed on Lipinski's parameters for their potential bioavailability. Out of all the derivatives, 3254 obeyed Lipinski's rule and were virtually screened. The 115 top derivatives were docked against SARS‐CoV‐2, SARS‐CoV, MERS‐CoV, and HCoV‐HKV1 main proteases (Mpros) as receptors using AutoDock Vina, AutoDock, and iGEMDOCK 2.1. The lowest binding energy was exhibited by ligands 2 and 6 against all the four Mpros. The molecular dynamic simulation was also performed with ligand 6 using the GROMACS package. Good bioactivity scores, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity profile and drug‐like pharmacokinetic parameters were also obtained. Hydroxychloroquine was used as the control drug.

Consumer Perspectives on Processing Technologies for Organic Food.

Over the last years, consumer demand for natural and healthy convenient food has increased, and with it the demand for organic convenience food. With convenience food, the processing level increases, which consumers are sceptical of. This holds especially for organic consumers who prefer natural, healthy, and sustainable food products. In the literature, consumer preferences are investigated for processed conventional food, but rarely for organic products. Therefore, this study investigates consumers’ knowledge, expectations, and attitudes towards selected processing technologies for organic food. Nine focus groups with 84 organic consumers were conducted, discussing preservation technologies of organic milk and orange juice. Results showed that participants had little knowledge about processing technologies but were interested in their benefits. Organic processing technologies should include fewer processing steps, low environmental impact, while keeping the product as natural as possible. Since consumers want to know benefits but not details of processing, asking consumers for their specific preferences when developing new processing technologies remains challenging. This paper shows how consumers’ benefit and risk perception including their want for naturalness, and scepticism for new technologies shape their evaluation of (organic) food processing technologies. Two consumer groups with different attitudes towards processing could be identified: ’organic traditionalists’ and ‘organic pragmatics’.

Oxidative cross-linking of potato proteins by fungal laccases: Reaction kinetics and effects on the structural and functional properties

Aiming at developing biocatalytic approach to modulate potato proteins functionalities, laccase-catalyzed oxidative cross-linking of potato proteins was investigated in terms of enzyme kinetics, reaction time course and product structural-functional properties. The catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km, mM−1S−1) of fungal laccases in oxidizing patatin-enriched potato protein (PAT, 0.010–0.748) was higher than that of potato protease inhibitors (PIs, 0.008–0.184). While PIs formed more efficiently oxidative cross-linked products. Cross-linking of potato proteins were achieved by laccase alone or by laccase-ferulic acid system; ferulic acid contributed to higher cross-linking extent and to the antioxidant activity of modified proteins. Potato proteins exhibited similar or slightly enhanced solubility upon cross-linking, except that highly cross-linked PIs (cross-linking extent >30%) obtained from Coriolus hirsutus laccase (LacCh)-treatments showed reduced solubility. General improvement in the emulsification property of potato proteins was observed upon cross-linking. Cross-linked potato proteins from LacCh-6 h treatment showed good foaming property; these proteins exhibited enhanced molecular flexibility and the characteristics of mild cross-linking extent (9.6–17.1%) with the accumulation of moderate molecular weight fraction (PAT:60–80 kDa, PIs:30–40 kDa). This study will lay foundations for the exploitation of potato proteins as functional ingredients. Industrial relevanceThe exploitation of novel proteins as functional ingredients is needed in order to meet the high demands for natural, healthy-oriented and sustainable food products. Laccase-catalyzed protein cross-linking is a promising green technology for tailoring the functionality of protein ingredients and achieving the desired textural/rheological quality of final products. The current study demonstrated the effectiveness of this enzymatic approach to enhance foaming and emulsifying properties of potato proteins. This approach can be adopted to modulate the functionality of other plant proteins and to develop plant proteins-based functional ingredients for various applications including stable delivery system, fat-replacing biopolymer matrix, meat analog/vegan products and gluten-replacement formulations.

Three decades of declining natural foods alters bottom-up pressures on American black bears

Wildlife management entails the manipulation of bottom-up and top-down forces that affect populations. For bear management in North America, both food availability (bottom-up) and hunting pressure (top-down) can limit population growth. Whereas seasonal and year-to-year variation in production of fruits and nuts (i.e., primary bear foods) has been widely recognized, long-term trends in natural food production have rarely been reported. Here we compared the current (2015–2019) availability of 18 fruits and nuts representing the main foods of American black bears (Ursus americanus) in north-central Minnesota to what was available three decades earlier (1980s) on the same study area. Timber harvesting was routine in the 1980s but less intensive in recent decades, prompting us to hypothesize that forests matured and consequently produced less fruit for bears due to increased shade. Within each of 12 forest types, we measured the abundance, productivity and biomass (kg/ha) of each fruit-bearing plant species using the same methodology as in the 1980s. Bootstrapped independent two-sample t-tests identified species-specific changes in food availability between the two sampling periods. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to quantify changes for groups of fruit-producing species (i.e., summer/fall foods and short/tall shrubs). For all these groups, availability of the fruiting species changed little, but the probability of forest stands producing any fruit at all in the recent time period (~40%) was nearly half what it was in the 1980s (~80%). At the landscape scale, we estimated a ~70% decline in fruit biomass. Our hypothesis that this decline was due to reduced timber harvesting and thus denser canopy was only partially correct, as we observed the same decline in fruit production within forests of the same type and canopy closure, and also along edges of stands with high light penetration. Decline in fruit availability was due more to a complete lack of production in some stands of the same type and age rather than to general forest maturation. We explored three alternate hypotheses to explain this decline: (1) change in weather (which could affect fruiting directly, or cause issues with pollination), (2) increase in invasive earthworms, and (3) increased deer browsing. None of these were completely consistent with our findings, although it appeared from the extreme spatial variability in fruit production that on-the-ground factors were more of a driving force than weather. The magnitude and complexity of this change in bottom-up forces is a serious issue for bear management.

The Root Causes of Migration: Why Africans Leave their Homes

In recent years, irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa has been under the spotlight. Western media and politicians often use doomsday scenarios to describe the supposedly millions of desperate people knocking at the gates of the European Eldorado to escape poverty and warfare at home. Such a stereotypical conception of sub-Saharan African migration is not only overlooking its root causes, but it is also far from its real dynamics. Thus, inspired by the extensive literature on international migration and based on data availability, 27 potential root causes of migration were selected to cover 30 sub-Saharan countries for the period between 2002 and 2016. The sensitivity and robustness of each potential determinant of both net migration and refugee population is tested using the two approaches of extreme bounds analysis proposed by Leamer and Leonard, and Sala-I-Martin. The results reveal that gross domestic product per capita, domestic credit, trade, foreign direct investment inflows, external debt, youth unemployment, natural resources rents, international tourism, military expenditure, health expenditure, undernourishment, food production, life expectancy, HIV prevalence, population growth, corruption, voice and accountability, rule of law, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and common law are the root causes of migration in sub-Saharan Africa.

Proportion of Grassland at Landscape Scale Drives Natural Pest Control Services in Agricultural Landscapes

Managing regulating ecosystem services delivered by biodiversity in farmland is a way to maintain crop yields while reducing the use of agrochemicals. Because semi-natural habitats provide shelter and food for pest enemies, a higher proportion of semi-natural habitats in the landscape or their proximity to crops may enhance pest control in arable fields. However, the ways in which the spatial arrangement of these habitats affects the delivery of this beneficial ecosystem service to crops remains poorly known. Here, we investigated the relative effects of the amount of grassland in the landscape versus the distance to the nearest grassland on the predation rates of weed seeds and aphids into 52 cereal fields. We found that both seed and aphid predation levels increased with the proportion of grassland in a 500 m radius buffer while the distance to the nearest grassland displayed no effect. We show that increasing from 0 to 50% the proportion of grasslands in a 500 m radius, respectively, increased seed and aphid predation by 38 and 20%. In addition to the strong effect of the proportion of grassland, we found that seed predation increased with the proportion of forest fragments while aphid predation increased with the proportion of organic farming in the landscape. Overall, our results reveal that natural pest control in cereal crops is not related to the distance to the nearest grassland, suggesting that natural enemies are not limited by their dispersal ability. Our study indicates that maintaining key semi-natural habitats, such as grasslands, is needed to ensure natural pest control and support food production in agricultural landscapes.

Mapping foodborne pathogen contamination throughout the conventional and alternative poultry supply chains

Recently, there has been a consumer push for natural and organic food products. This has caused alternative poultry production, such as organic, pasture, and free-range systems, to grow in popularity. Due to the stricter rearing practices of alternative poultry production systems, different types of levels of microbiological risks might be present for these systems when compared to conventional production systems. Both conventional and alternative production systems have complex supply chains that present many different opportunities for flocks of birds or poultry meat to be contaminated with foodborne pathogens. As such, it is important to understand the risks involved during each step of production. The purpose of this review is to detail the potential routes of foodborne pathogen transmission throughout the conventional and alternative supply chains, with a special emphasis on the differences in risk between the two management systems, and to identify gaps in knowledge that could assist, if addressed, in poultry risk-based decision making.

ИННОВАЦИОННАЯ ТЕХНОЛОГИЯ РЫБОРАСТИТЕЛЬНЫХ ПАШТЕТОВ С АНТИОКСИДАНТНЫМИ И ПРОТИВОВИРУСНЫМИ СВОЙСТВАМИ

The article is focused on the increased interest of the Russian people to the natural food products for preventive purposes, which has led to the development of new generation com-bined products with an extended spectrum of action. The method of processing combined fish and vegetable products with antiviral properties has been analyzed for the first time in technological practice. In-depth study has been carried out and proved the innovative nature of the developed food products with antioxidant and antiviral properties. Formulations have been made up and the chemical composition of multicomponent fish-vegetable pates has been determined. The pates have a high nutritional value and comply with the latest safety standards.

Nanoencapsulation of Promising Bioactive Compounds to Improve Their Absorption, Stability, Functionality and the Appearance of the Final Food Products.

The design of functional foods has grown recently as an answer to rising consumers’ concerns and demands for natural, nutritional and healthy food products. Nanoencapsulation is a technique based on enclosing a bioactive compound (BAC) in liquid, solid or gaseous states within a matrix or inert material for preserving the coated substance (food or flavor molecules/ingredients). Nanoencapsulation can improve stability of BACs, improving the regulation of their release at physiologically active sites. Regarding materials for food and nutraceutical applications, the most used are carbohydrate-, protein- or lipid-based alternatives such as chitosan, peptide–chitosan and β-lactoglobulin nanoparticles (NPs) or emulsion biopolymer complexes. On the other hand, the main BACs used in foods for health promoting, including antioxidants, antimicrobials, vitamins, probiotics and prebiotics and others (minerals, enzymes and flavoring compounds). Nanotechnology can also play notable role in the development of programmable food, an original futuristic concept promising the consumers to obtain high quality food of desired nutritive and sensory characteristics.

Consumer activity evaluation in relation to the purchase of food products of a certain regional affiliation

In modern conditions of competition in the food market, a number of factors that have an additional impact on consumer preferences are of particular importance for manufacturers. This issue is particularly relevant for producers of natural food products, where the combination of product characteristics with its regional affiliation will provide an additional competitive advantage and make mutually beneficial relationships with the consumer. At the moment, from the consumer’s point of view, the regional origin of the product is based on the perception of certain parameters, but there is no general opinion on this issue among buyers. This study identifies the main criteria that determine the regional origin of the product from the consumer’s point of view. On the basis of which the analysis of consumer activity in relation to the purchase of food products of a certain regional affiliation in Moscow was made. The results of the study represent the main parameters on the basis of which the consumer’s perception of the regional affiliation of the product occurs. The role of each factor in forming the consumer’s opinion about the regional affiliation of the product is analyzed. The correlation of consumers’ interest in produced regional products of high quality using traditional technologies is noted. The consumer’s perception of the necessary attributes to identify the regional origin of the product is evaluated. The main conclusions regarding the assessment of consumer activity in relation to the purchase of food products of a certain regional affiliation are presented.

Plant-Based Protein Hydrolysate Improves Salinity Tolerance in Hemp: Agronomical and Physiological Aspects

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a multipurpose plant attracting increasing interest as a source for the production of natural fibers, paper, bio-building material and food. In this research we studied the agronomical performance of Cannabis sativa cv. Eletta Campana irrigated with saline water. Under those conditions, we tested the effect of protein hydrolysate (PH) biostimulant application in overcoming and/or balancing deleterious salinity effects. The results of the diverse treatments were also investigated at the physiological level, focusing on photosynthesis by means of a chlorophyll a fluorescence technique, which give an insight into the plant primary photochemical reactions. Four salinity levels of the irrigation solution (fresh water–EC0, and NaCl solutions at EC 2.0, 4.0 or 6.0 dS m−1, EC2, EC4 and EC6, respectively) were combined with 2 biostimulant treatments (untreated (control) or treated with a commercial legume-derived protein hydrolysate (LDPH)). The increasing salinity affected plant photochemistry resulting in lower plant growth and seed production, while the LDPH biostimulant showed a protective effect, which improved crop performance both in control and in salinity conditions. The LDPH treatment improved seeds yield (+38.6% on average of all treated plants respect to untreated plants), as well as residual biomass, relevant in fiber production.

Global Inequality in Agriculture, Nutrition, and Health

Humans globally have similar nutritional needs but face large differences in natural resource endowments and local food production. This study quantifies food system inequality across countries based on natural resource inputs, food/nutrient outputs, and nutrition/health outcomes, from 1970 to 2010. Animal source foods and overweight/obesity show rapid convergence while availability of selected micronutrients demonstrate slower convergence. However, all variables are more equally distributed than national income per capita, whose Gini coefficient declined from 0·71 to 0·65. Inequalities in total and animal-source dietary energy declined from 0·16 to 0·10 and 0·55 to 0·36, respectively. There was convergence in overweight/obesity prevalence from 0·39 to 0·27, while undernutrition and stunting became increasingly concentrated in a few high-burden countries. Characterizing cross-country inequalities in agricultural resources, foods, nutrients, and health can help identify critical opportunities for agriculture and food policies, as well as prioritize research objectives and funding allocation for the coming decade.

Emprendimiento para la producción de mermeladas en recipientes biodegradables, Río Chico, Ecuador

En el artículo se presenta el proyecto de emprendimiento para producir y comercializar mermeladas de banano y naranja en recipientes biodegradables de caña guadua, en el sitio Río Chico, Ecuador. Está dirigido a desarrollar los productos alimenticios 100% natural y artesanal; además contribuye a la conservación del medio ambiente, pues se envasa en un recipiente biodegradable de caña guadua. Se elaboraron las bases de un plan de negocios en particular los aspectos técnicos, comerciales y económicos financieros, que junto a la estructura organizacional propuesta permitiera fundamentar la necesidad y factibilidad del proyecto. Ello va a tener impactos en la comunidad, el empleo femenino y la alimentación sana de la población. Palabras claves: emprendimiento, microempresa, plan de negocio.

In vitro digestibility and stability of encapsulated yerba mate extract and its impact on yogurt properties

The development of ready-to-eat foods containing bioactive extracts represents an important step to improve food consumption. This study aimed to develop a yogurt containing an encapsulated bioactive yerba mate extract. For this, the lyophilized extract was protected through encapsulation in solid lipid particles (SLPs) of beeswax. An encapsulation efficiency (EE) greater than 90% was achieved with an extract content higher than 20%. The FTIR spectrum of the capsules’ wall material, indicated that beeswax efficiently encapsulated the yerba mate extract. The extract antioxidant potential was protected for 45 days under cold storage, and the encapsulation maintained the viability of the yogurt lactic acid bacteria. The increase in free fatty acids from seven to 33% during in vitro digestion indicated the capsule rupture during the digestion process. Moreover, the extract encapsulation maintained viable lactic acid bacteria in yogurt. The addition of SLPs did not affect the acceptability of the yogurt or the consumers’ intention to buy the product. However, the score attributed to the product evaluators was surprisingly low and portrayed the consumer's preference for foods with added sugar. This work introduced a natural, ready-to-eat and health-promoting food product containing SLP-protected antioxidant compounds. The addition of compounds encapsulated in foods is promising and can benefit consumers.

Effect of big eye tuna (Thunnus obesus) head soup with different colloidal particle size on TG and TC deposition in FFA-exposed HepG2 cells.

Micro/nanocolloidal is confirmed as a self‐assembly structure in big eye tuna (Thunnus obesus) head soup, and lipids enriched with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are the major component. In this study, the effect of big eye tuna head soup (BETHS) with different particle size micro/nanocolloidal on lipid accumulation was initially evaluated. The original soup and microfiltration soup (with or without ginger; OGS/OGSG and MFS/MFSG) were prepared firstly. A free fatty acid‐exposed (FFA‐exposed) HepG2 cell model was built using sodium oleic acid (OA) and sodium palmitic acid (PA) (2:1). The triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) in the FFA‐exposed HepG2 cells were 8.6 ng/104 cells and 0.6 nM/104 cells, respectively, which were significantly different with control (p < .05). Both OGS and OGSG could significantly decline the TG deposition of FFA‐exposed HepG2 cells with 31% and 40% (p < .05), and in MFS and MFSG were 23% and 26% (p ≥ .05). Meanwhile, OGS inhibited the deposition of TG mainly in 18–24 hr, and OGSG mainly in 12–18 hr. All the BETHS samples showed no inhibition effect on TC deposition (p ≥ .05). This research might help to understand the improving activity of natural or traditional food products on metabolic syndrome.

Variasi Pemberian Bioton terhadap Kelimpahan Moina sp.

Fish after the egg-bag absorption phase require external feeding, in the form of fresh natural food organisms, such as phytoplankton, zooplankton, or aquatic insect larvae. These natural food organisms are limited in number. The business of mass production of natural food is still limited to several types originating from marine or brackish waters. For this type of natural freshwater fish feed, it is still limited to experimental materials. This study aims to determine the best dosage of Bioton liquid fertilizer added to the maintenance medium to the rate of population abundance of Moina sp. The research was conducted at the Wet Laboratory of Fisheries Cultivation Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmad Yani University, Banjarmasin. The method used in this study was an experiment with a completely randomized design of 4 treatments and 3 replications. The treatment applied was 4 treatments with 3 repetitions, with the following treatment of Bioton liquid fertilizer: A = 5 ml / 3 l water, B = 10 ml / 3 l water, C = 15 ml / 3 l water, and D = without Bioton liquid fertilizer (control). The results showed that the abundance of Moina sp in treatment A = 4,333 ind / l, B = 3,633 ind / l, C = 2,700 ind / l and D = 3,034 ind / l. The ANOVA test results of all treatments were very significantly different, so accept H1, namely giving bioton with different doses had a significant effect on the abundance of Moina sp. The results of the LSD test of all treatments had a very significant difference in abundance, except for treatment D to treatment C which was significantly different, with the best treatment being a dose of 5 ml / 3 l of water (treatment A).

Flavonoids in the Treatment of Diabetes: Clinical Outcomes and Mechanism to Ameliorate Blood Glucose Levels.

For thousands of years, natural food products have been used as a medicine for treating diseases that affect the human body, including diabetes mellitus (DM). Lately, several investigations have been performed on the flavonoid derivatives of plant origin, and their biological activity has been extensively studied. Given our need to know more mechanisms for treating DM, we performed a thorough research review on treating diabetes mellitus based on flavonoids, their therapeutic potential, and biological action. Flavonoids reduce complications in addition to their vital role as effective supplements for preventing diabetes mellitus by regulating glucose metabolism, lipid profile, liver enzyme activity, a protein kinase inhibitor, PPAR, and AMPK with NF-κB. The articles that we reviewed showed the positive role of flavonoids, which in a certain way reduce diabetes, but their side effects still need to be studied further.This review is focused on describing the different types of dietary flavonoids along with their mechanisms of reducing blood glucose and enhancing insulin sensitivity, as well as their side effects.

Effect of barberry (Berberis vulgaris) consumption on blood pressure, plasma lipids, and inflammation in patients with hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors: study protocol for a randomized clinical trial

BackgroundCardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Hypertension is an important and prevalent cardiovascular risk factor. The present study will be conducted to investigate the effect of barberry as a cardio-protective fruit on the blood pressure in patients with hypertension and other CVD risk factors. Furthermore, plasma concentrations of lipids and inflammatory biomarkers will be evaluated.Methods/designThis is an 8-week, prospective, single-blinded, parallel assigned, randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) in which eligible men and women with hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors will be randomized to either placebo powder (PP; containing 9 g maltodextrin, 1 g citric acid, 1 g milled sucrose and edible red color (n = 37)) or barberry powder (BP; containing 10 g milled dried barberry and 1 g of milled sucrose (n = 37)) groups. At baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention, plasma lipids and inflammatory markers, 24-h urinary nitrite/nitrate and sodium excretion, and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) will be measured. Anthropometric measures and dietary assessment will be performed as well. Data analysis will be done using SPSS version-21 software.DiscussionThe interest in natural and functional food products has increased globally. This RCT will add to the growing literature for the potential antihypertensive, lipid-lowering, and anti-inflammatory effects of barberry in humans.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (NCT number) NCT04084847. Registered on 10 December 2019.