Brazilian native fruits: role of phenolic bioactive compounds in dyslipidemia and insulin resistance associated to diet

Abstract

The rapid increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity is a threat to public health and clearly indicates an epidemic behavior, even surpassing malnutrition and infectious diseases. Among the diseases directly associated with overweight, the incidence of type 2 diabetes is growing alarmingly. The search for new strategies to contain its advance is critical to minimize the impact on quality of life and reduce the costs of health systems. Diets rich in fruit and vegetables are associated with reduced risk of chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and phenolic compounds appear to be partly responsible, given their ability to modify the digestion and absorption of nutrients, acting in various metabolic pathways, and modulate colonic microbiota. In this context, Brazilian native fruits emerge as excellent sources of phenolic bioactive compounds with unique profile, including bioactive compounds not found in any other fruit, which were previously related to beneficial health effects. In this way, the objective of this study is to evaluate "in vivo" the effects of long-term consumption of different phenolic fractions of Brazilian native fruits (cupuaçu, jabuticaba, cambuci and cagaita) in animal models of prevention and treatment of obesity induced by high fat and high sucrose diet. The mechanisms involved in the protection potential of phenolics against the development of obesity and insulin resistance will be also studied, and also whether the possible beneficial effects observed are related to modulation of the populations of microbiota and reduction of endotoxemy and inflammation of visceral tissue. (AU)