Pasta Supplemented with Opuntia ficus-indica Extract Improves Metabolic Parameters and Reduces Atherogenic Small Dense Low-Density Lipoproteins in Patients with Risk Factors for the Metabolic Syndrome: A Four-Week Intervention Study

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Rosaria Vincenza Giglio, University of Palermo; Giuseppe Carruba, ARNAS Civ Cristina & Benfratelli; Arrigo F.G Cicero, Alma Mater Studiorum Univ Bologna; Maciej Banach, Medical University Lodz; Angelo Maria Patti, University of Palermo; Dragana Nikolic, University of Palermo; Letizia Cocciadiferro, ARNAS Civ Cristina & Benfratelli; Maurizio Zarcone, ARNAS Civ Cristina & Benfratelli; Yajnavalka Banerjee, Mohammed Bin Rashid Univ Med & Hlth Sci; Ali A. Rizvi, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-11-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 by the authors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/metabo10110428
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: METABOLITES
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 11
• Start Page: 1
• End Page: 14
• Grant/Funding Information: This research received no external funding and was performed independently, using university research funds only. The authors did not receive financial or professional help with the preparation of the manuscript.; This project was funded in the frame of the National Operative Programme (PON) Research and Competitiveness 2007–2013, Notice 713/Ric. The Ministry of Education, University & Research (MIUR), Axis I—Support to structural changes, Operational Objective—Networks to strengthen the scientific and technological potential of Convergence Regions, The Action: High Technology Clusters and Related Networks. In addition, part of this work was carried out using instruments provided by the Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology and funded with the Italian National Operational Programme for Research and Competitiveness 2007–2013 grant awarded to the project titled “CyberBrain-Polo di innovazione” (Project code: PONa3_00210, European Regional Development Fund).
• Keywords: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; FRUIT; nutraceuticals; CHOLESTEROL; SUBCLASSES; CACTUS PEAR; OXIDATIVE STRESS; cardiovascular risk; NUTRACEUTICALS; LIPID-ACCUMULATION; Science & Technology; ANTIOXIDANT BETALAINS; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; LDL SIZE; Opuntia ficus-indica; CLINICAL-SIGNIFICANCE; dyslipidemia
• Research Categories: Chemistry, Biochemistry; Biology, Molecular; Health Sciences, Nutrition

Abstract

Food supplementation with Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) has been associated with a significant reduction in total cholesterol, body fat, hyperglycemia and blood pressure. Since OFI may also have antioxidant and anti-atherogenic properties, we hypothesized that its supplementation might reduce atherogenic lipoproteins, including small, dense low-density lipoproteins (sdLDL). Forty-nine patients (13 men and 36 women, mean age: 56 ± 5 years) with one or two criteria for the metabolic syndrome weekly consumed 500 g of pasta supplemented with 3% OFI extract (30% of insoluble polysaccharides with high antioxidant power) for 1 month. The full LDL subclass profile was assessed by gel electrophoresis (Lipoprint, Quantimetrix, Redondo Beach, CA, USA). After 1 month of pasta supplementation, waist circumference (p = 0.0297), plasma glucose (p < 0.0001), triglycerides (p = 0.0137), plasma creatinine (p = 0.0244), urea and aspartate transaminase (p < 0.0001 for each) significantly decreased. A percentage increase in larger, less atherogenic LDL-1 (p = 0.0002), with a concomitant reduction in smaller, denser LDL-2 (p < 0.0001) and LDL-3 (p = 0.0004), were found. LDL-4 and-5 decreased, although not significantly. This is the first intervention study suggesting that pasta enriched with an OFI extract may have beneficial effects on some metabolic parameters and the LDL particle sizes, reducing atherogenic sdLDL. Future studies will help to establish if these findings impact cardiovascular outcomes.