| Grant number: | 18/24477-4 |
| Support type: | Regular Research Grants |
| Duration: | May 01, 2019 - April 30, 2021 |
| Field of knowledge: | Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science |
| Principal Investigator: | Maria Ines Genovese Rodriguez |
| Grantee: | Maria Ines Genovese Rodriguez |
| Home Institution: | Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Assoc. researchers: | Carlos Mario Donado Pestana |
Abstract
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the last decades and has been associated with the risk of insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, systemic inflammation, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Evidence has shown that the consumption of bioactive compounds in foods, especially polyphenols, as part of a balanced diet, can reduce the risk of developing diseases and metabolic disorders associated with obesity. The Brazilian flora is characterized by its wide biodiversity, rich in plant families with therapeutic potential, such as Myrtaceae. Myrtaceae species including jabuticaba (Plinia jaboticaba (Vell.) Berg), cambuci (Campomanesia phaea Berg.) and cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC) are distributed in different Brazilian biomes such as Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. These species are an important source of bioactive polyphenols and previous studies have reported functional biological activities for the compounds present in their fruits. In view of the above, the objective of this project will be to deepen the studies on the effects of the polyphenols of these native Brazilian fruits of the Myrtaceae family on an animal model of inflammation and insulin resistance associated with obesity induced by a diet rich in lipids and sucrose, aiming to elucidate their mechanisms of action. The effects of polyphenols in the modulation of intestinal microbiota populations will be studied and proteomic analysis of selected tissues including liver, muscle and adipose tissues will be performed to identify transcription factors involved in anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory modulation of the polyphenols in the inflammation condition. In order to better understand these possible beneficial effects, the characterization of the morphological, metabolic and inflammatory profile of the tissues will be performed and the mechanisms of action related to signal transduction of insulin signaling pathways and activation of common inflammatory pathways in the context of obesity induced by excessive exposure to nutrients. (AU)