Evaluation of metabolic effects related to interesterified fat intake in preclinical models and estimation of its consumption in a sample of individuals

• Grant number: 23/04787-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutrition Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Marciane Milanski Ferreira
• Grantee: Marciane Milanski Ferreira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas (FCA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Adriana Souza Torsoni ; Hervé Le Stunff ; Ligiana Pires Corona ; Penélope Lacrísio dos Reis Menta

Abstract

Diets rich in fats have been the frequent target of studies and demonstrated a negative influence on energy metabolism, on the development of obesity and associated chronic diseases. In recent years, partially hydrogenated fat containing trans isomers has been linked to deleterious effects on health, such as dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease and obesity. However, with the prohibition of its use in food formulations by ANVISA Resolutions RDC 332/2019 and RDC 632/2022, there is apprehension by health authorities that the food industry will use other types of unhealthy fats in its place, which could be equally harmful to the health of the population. In this context, interesterified fat has been widely used as a substitute for trans fat by the food industry, however, studies in animal models have shown that interesterified fat can have important effects on metabolic parameters and on the lipid profile, which raises health concerns. In human studies that evaluated the consumption of interesterified fat, the results are often controversial and diverge from animal studies, mainly due to different experimental models, times of exposure to treatment and oils or blends adopted in the studies. Furthermore, the pattern of interesterified fat intake by the population is unclear due to the lack of data on its content in individual foods. Therefore, our main objectives are to evaluate the metabolic effect of interesterified palm fat in a preclinical model, using experimental animals, and its metabolites in cell lines, and to compare its effects with those of partially hydrogenated soybean oil, rich in trans fatty acids. Still, we intend to estimate the consumption of interesterified fat in a sample of individuals living in Limeira and correlate it with possible observed metabolic changes. In the face of the current scenario that signals zero tolerance for the use of partially hydrogenated fat by the food industry and the consequent replacement by interesterified fat, it becomes extremely relevant to understand the effect of this type of structured fat on the body. (AU)