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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #244190

Title: Effects of dietary consumption of cranberry powder on metabolic parameters in growing rats fed high fructose diets

Author
item KHANAL, RAMESH - University Of Arkansas
item ROGERS, T - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item WILKES, SAMUEL - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item HOWARD, LUKE - University Of Arkansas
item Prior, Ronald

Submitted to: Food & Function
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/9/2010
Publication Date: 9/22/2010
Citation: Khanal, R.C., Rogers, T.J., Wilkes, S., Howard, L.R., Prior, R.L. 2010. Effects of dietary consumption of cranberry powder on metabolic parameters in growing rats fed high fructose diets. Food and Function. 1(1):116-123.

Interpretive Summary: Metabolic syndrome is the term given to the clustering of health risk factors including abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and increased body mass index/waist circumference. Although it was believed initially to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome has a stronger association with type 2 diabetes. Management of metabolic syndrome requires, among other measures, a healthy diet for reducing long-term risk. The purpose of the current study was to study dietary factors that might be protective in preventing the development of metabolic syndrome. In this study we found that inclusion of cranberry in the diet was effective in modulating some of the metabolic parameters associated with development of metabolic syndrome in a high fructose fed rat model. Amount of cranberry in the diet was important in that the higher and lower doses studied were not as effective as the intermediate level of approximately 0.7% of the diet.

Technical Abstract: The effect of dietary consumption of a cranberry powder (CP) containing increased amounts of procyanidins and other phytochemicals on metabolic parameters associated with metabolic syndrome was investigated in growing rats fed a high fructose diet. Dietary treatments were control (starch based), high fructose (HF), and HF containing either 3.3, 6.6, or 33 g CP/kg diet. Fasting plasma glucose and triglycerides tended to be higher with HF feeding and were reduced by feeding CP. The area under curve following an oral glucose tolerance test was 35–50% higher in animals fed HF diet vs. control and was decreased to control levels by the low or medium but not high CP diet. Feeding CP tended to lower fasting plasma insulin. Homeostatic models of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and ß-cell function (HOMA-BCF) were lowest in animals fed low or medium CP diets (p < 0.05). Rats fed the control starch diet had slightly higher food intake, final body weight, and abdominal fat compared to animals fed other diets. Kidney weight was higher in HF group and feeding CP decreased kidney weight to normal levels. In the fed state, plasma triglyceride was increased with HF diet, whereas insulin was lower in animals fed HF diet. Overall, inclusion of CP in the diet was effective in modulating some aspects of metabolic parameters associated with metabolic syndrome and the medium level of CP in the diet produced a better response than the lower and higher CP levels.