Effect of colonic fermentation on the antidiabetic potential of uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis Cambess.)

• Grant number: 22/05242-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: November 30, 2022
• End date: November 29, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Glaucia Maria Pastore
• Grantee: David de Paulo Farias
• Supervisor: Vincenzo Fogliano
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands
• Associated to the scholarship: 20/00225-6 - Determination of antioxidant potential, in vitro bioaccessibility and evaluation of antidiabetic and prebiotic activities from the uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis Cambess), BP.DR

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) currently represent a serious public health problem worldwide. Among the NCDs, diabetes mellitus stands out mainly for its high mortality rates, in addition to its social and economic repercussions. Within this context, the consumption of vegetables is highly recommended because such foods, in addition to nourishing, can provide important bioactive compounds for maintaining the redox state in the human body, reducing the incidence of NCDs related to nutritional and metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Phenolic compounds are bioactive ingredients with great therapeutic potential for the prevention and management of diabetes, as they can reduce oxidative stress, inhibit the activity of key enzymes related to carbohydrate metabolism, stimulate insulin signaling and secretion, as well as modulate the gut microbiota with adjacent effects. Uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis Cambess) is a fruit species native to the Atlantic Rainforest that has excellent nutritional value and is considered a good source of bioactive compounds such as phenolics. However, little information is available in the literature about its prebiotic potential and antidiabetic activity. Thus, this project proposes to evaluate the influence of colonic fermentation on the antidiabetic potential of uvaia fractions in order to provide subsidies for future research that seek to highlight the functional potential of this species and at the same time contribute to the development of new natural therapeutic agents with potential for the management of diabetes. (AU)