Evaluation of bioavailability and anti-obesity effects of aqueous extract of ilex paraguariensis before and after enzymatic biotransformation

• Grant number: 12/00072-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2012
• End date: March 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Lima Ribeiro
• Grantee: Luciane Ferreira de Lima
• Host Institution: Universidade São Francisco (USF). Campus Bragança Paulista. Bragança Paulista , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Obesity is now an emerging public health problem, mainly because this is associated with many conditions such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and diabetes. It is believed that the sedentary lifestyle and dietary habits appear to represent a major risk factor in the development of obesity. Currently, several strategies are used in order to reduce body weight, such as the use of natural dietary supplements. In this sense the work done by our research group has contributed to advances in knowledge of the functional properties of yerba mate, indicating a potent effect in inhibiting adipogenesis. Although the results previously obtained are promising, numerous clinical studies in animals and humans have established two clear pieces of evidence with regard to dietary polyphenols: 1. Have a high potential to exert beneficial effects, especially regarding its antioxidant properties, such as cancer, 2. It has a low absorption capacity. The most recent studies indicate that the main limitation in the bioavailability of polyphenols is relative to their absorption in the intestinal lumen, especially due to the high molecular weight and high polarity of the structure of some of these compounds. Thus, this project proposes to assess the bioavailability, in vivo, of the aqueous extract of Ilex paraguariensis before and after the reaction of enzymatic biotransformation, and verify the functional effects of the extract biotransformed in an experimental model of obesity. (AU)