Effect of bergamot (Citrus bergamia) by-product on inflammation in adipose tissue in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrom

• Grant number: 23/09275-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutrition Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Camila Renata Corrêa
• Grantee: Murilo Dalarme Tanganini
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a condition characterized by a constellation of factors such as systemic arterial hypertension, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. Among the causes that trigger this syndrome, obesity plays an important role, since inflammation of the adipose tissue can be a favorable condition for the development of the factors that compose it. Having reported this, studies have investigated bioactive compounds, present in foods, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in an attempt to control the manifestation of this disease. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia), especially in the form of extract or juice, has shown promising results in reducing metabolic parameters and modulating inflammation in some organs affected by obesity. However, a single study has shown that a bergamot by-product, commercially called Endoberg®, is effective in some MS parameters. Since inflammation in adipose tissue is one of the triggers for the manifestation of MS, the objective of this project is to evaluate the effect of Endoberg® on inflammation of adipose tissue in rats with MS. For the induction of MS, male Wistar rats will be divided into two groups: control diet (C, n=30) and diet rich in sugar and fat, plus 25% sucrose in drinking water (HSF, n=30) during 20 weeks. After this period, the animals will be relocated into four groups (n=15): control diet with placebo treatment, control diet with Endoberg®, HSF diet with placebo treatment and HSF diet with Endoberg® for another 10 weeks. The administration of Endoberg® and placebo (water) in these groups will be administered via gavage at a concentration of 250mg/kg. At the end of the experiment, euthanasia and the collection of biological material for analysis will be performed. Will be evaluated: nutritional profile (caloric intake, daily food consumption, body weight and adiposity index), parameters of the metabolic syndrome (Systolic Blood Pressure, plasma glycemic and lipid profiles and insulin resistance) and in the epididymal adipose tissue will be measured the Inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-±), morphological analysis by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and Immunohistochemistry for CD68 detection. Parametric data will be presented as mean ± standard deviation and comparisons between groups will be performed by two-way ANOVA with Tukey's post-hoc test. Non-parametric data will be presented as median and interquartile range (p25 and p75) and comparisons between groups will be performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's post-hoc test. P values <0.05 will be considered statistically significant.