Background Microgreens are the young leafy greens of many vegetables, herbs, grains, and flowers with potential to promote human health and sustainably diversify the global food system. For successful further integration into the global food system and evaluation of their health impacts, it is critical to elucidate and optimize their nutritional quality. Objective We aimed to comprehensively evaluate the metabolite and mineral contents of six microgreens species, and the influence of maturity on their contents. Methods Plant species evaluated were from the Brassicaceae (arugula, broccoli, and red cabbage), Amaranthaceae (red beet and red amaranth), and Fabaceae (pea) plant families. Non-targeted metabolomics and ionomics analyses were performed to examine the metabolites and minerals, respectively, in each microgreen species and its mature counterpart. Results Non-targeted metabolomics analysis detected 3,321 compounds, 1,263 of which were annotated and included nutrients and bioactive compounds. Ionomics analysis detected and quantified 26 minerals including macrominerals, trace minerals, ultratrace minerals, and other metals. Principal component analysis indicated microgreens have distinct metabolite and mineral profiles compared with one another and with their mature counterparts. Several compounds were higher (p < 0.05; fold change ≥ 2) in microgreens compared to their mature counterpart, while some were unchanged or lower. In many cases, compounds that were higher in microgreens compared to the mature counterpart were also unique to that microgreen species. Conclusions These data provide evidence for the nutritional quality of microgreens, and can inform future research and development aimed at characterizing and optimizing microgreen nutritional quality and health impacts.
Microgreens are an emerging functional food crop with promise for sustainably diversifying global food systems, facilitating adaptations to urbanization and global climate change, and promoting human health. Previous work suggests microgreens have high nutritional quality, low environmental impacts, and broad consumer acceptance. For better reception into the global food system and increased per capita consumption, research is needed to elucidate consumer acceptance of various microgreens species, including factors contributing to their acceptance or lack thereof. Using a consumer panel (n = 99), this study evaluated consumer sensory perception and acceptability of six microgreens species (arugula, broccoli, bull's blood beet, red cabbage, red garnet amaranth, and tendril pea), and potential drivers and barriers to consumer acceptance. All microgreens species received high mean liking scores for acceptability by consumers (means ranged from highly acceptable to slightly acceptable), with more distinct differences across microgreens species for flavor and overall acceptability, which appeared to be driven by specific sensory properties. Data from principal component analysis demonstrated that high acceptability scores were associated with higher intent to purchase microgreens and negatively associated with food neophobia. Participants indicated that factors such as knowledge and familiarity of microgreens, cost, access/availability, freshness/shelf life, among other factors, influence their intention to purchase microgreens. These findings suggest that further integration of microgreens into the global food system will be met with high consumer acceptability, but needs to be aligned with enhanced consumer education regarding microgreens, as well as considerations of cost, availability/access, and freshness/shelf life.Practical Application: Researchers investigated consumer sensory perception and acceptability of six microgreens species (arugula, broccoli, bull's blood beet, red cabbage, red garnet amaranth, and tendril pea), and potential drivers and barriers to consumer acceptance. All microgreens tested had high consumer acceptability, but certain factors such as sensory perception and food neophobia impacted their acceptability. Additionally, participants indicated that factors such as knowledge, access and availability, cost, freshness, and shelf life may impact the purchasing of microgreens and thus are important factors to consider for further integration of this emerging functional food crop into the global food system.
Background High-fat meal (HFM) consumption may induce transient postprandial atherogenic responses, including impairment of vascular endothelial function, in individuals with overweight/obesity. Red beetroot juice (RBJ) may modulate endothelial function and other measures of cardiometabolic health. Objective This study investigated the impact of acute and chronic RBJ consumption, including nitrate-dependent and -independent effects, on postprandial endothelial function and other cardiometabolic responses to a HFM. Methods Fifteen men and postmenopausal women with overweight/obesity were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-period, crossover clinical trial. Following an overnight fast, participants underwent baseline assessment of endothelial function (reactive hyperemia index; RHI) and hemodynamics, and biological sample collection. In random order, participants consumed 70 mL (acute visit) of: 1) RBJ, 2) nitrate-free RBJ (NF-RBJ), 3) placebo + nitrate (PBO + NIT), or 4) placebo (PBO), followed by a HFM. RHI was remeasured 4 h post-HFM, and hemodynamic assessment and biological sample collection were performed 1, 2, and 4 h post-HFM consumption. Participants consumed treatments daily for 4 wk (chronic visit), and assessments were repeated before/after the HFM (without consuming treatments). Results HFM consumption did not induce significant impairment of postprandial RHI. No significant differences in RHI were detected across treatment groups following acute or chronic exposure, despite increases in circulating nitrate/nitrite (NOx) concentrations in the RBJ and PBO + NIT groups compared with PBO and NF-RBJ (P < 0.0001 for all time points at the acute visit; P < 0.05 for all time points at the chronic visit). Although the HFM led to significant alterations in several secondary outcomes, there were no consistent treatment effects on postprandial cardiometabolic responses. Conclusions HFM consumption did not impair postprandial endothelial function in this population, and RBJ exposure did not alter postprandial endothelial function or other outcomes despite increasing NOx concentrations. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02949115.
Objectives The gut microbiota is emerging as an important regulator of cardiovascular health. Indeed, gut dysbiosis is increasingly being linked to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Aging and obesity are associated with the development of CVD largely due to the development of vascular dysfunction, namely endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the gut microbiota, blood pressure, and vascular function in aging overweight and obese individuals. Methods This cross-sectional study included fifteen overweight and obese (mean body mass index, BMI: 29.5; range: 25.8–37.0) middle-aged/older men and postmenopausal women (mean age: 53; range: 42–64 years). Blood pressure, arterial stiffness (augmentation index, AIx, and aortic pulse wave velocity, aPWV), and endothelial function (reactive hyperemia index, RHI) were assessed. Stool samples were collected for gut microbiota analysis using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Principal coordinates analysis and Pearson's correlations were performed to evaluate the relationship between the gut microbiota and measures of vascular function and blood pressure. Results Global gut microbiota phenotypes clustered most strongly by aPWV (groups separated by median value) as visualized by Non-Metric Dimensional Scaling plot of Bray-Curtis Distances (stress = 0.09; P = 0.07). Several bacterial taxa correlated with vascular parameters. For example, Bifidobacterium longum (r = 0.80, P < 0.001) and Akkermansia muciniphila (r = 0.56, P = 0.047) were positively correlated with RHI. Bifdobacterium bifidum (r = −0.61, P = 0.02) and Oxalobacter formigenes (r = −0.62, P = 0.02) were negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure. Interestingly, there was no significant clustering by BMI groupings (overweight vs. obese) or correlations between BMI and specific taxa. Conclusions These preliminary data suggest that the gut microbiota is linked to vascular dysfunction and increased blood pressure in aging overweight and obese individuals independent of BMI. Further data collection and analysis are currently underway to explore these relationships in a larger human cohort, and to explore underlying mechanisms through transferring of vascular phenotypes in humans to germ-free mice through microbiota transplantation. Funding Sources NIFA, USDA.
Estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women have oxidative stress-mediated suppression of endothelial function that is exacerbated by high blood pressure. Previous research suggests blueberries may improve endothelial function through reductions in oxidative stress,...
Objectives High-fat meal (HFM) consumption has been shown to impair postprandial endothelial function. Red beetroot juice (RBJ) contains polyphenols, betalains, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, and inorganic nitrate, and has been shown to improve endothelial function. This study investigated the acute and chronic effects of RBJ and its bioactive components on postprandial endothelial function. We hypothesized that a HFM would impair postprandial endothelial function, and that RBJ would attenuate this, in part, through increased circulating nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels. Methods A 4-period randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial was conducted. Fifteen overweight and obese middle-aged/older men and postmenopausal women underwent baseline (T0) assessment of endothelial function (via reactive hyperemia index, RHI) and collection of blood and saliva. Participants consumed one of the following 70 mL treatments (acute exposure): 1) RBJ, 2) nitrate-free RBJ (NF-RBJ), 3) placebo + nitrate (PBO + NIT), and 4) placebo (PBO), followed by a HFM. RHI was measured at 4 hours (T4) post-HFM, and blood and saliva were collected at 1 hour (T1), 2 hours (T2), and T4. Participants then consumed treatments daily for 4 weeks (chronic exposure), and all assessments were repeated before/after the HFM but without consuming treatments. Results No significant time or treatment effects were observed for RHI. Following acute and chronic exposure to RBJ and PBO + NIT, plasma NOx levels were higher at T0 (chronic only), T1, T2, and T4 compared to PBO and NF-RBJ (P < 0.001). After chronic exposure to RBJ, saliva NOx levels were higher at T0, T1, T2, and T4 compared to PBO and NF-RBJ (P < 0.001). Saliva NOx levels for PBO + NIT were higher than both PBO and NF-RBJ at T0 (P < 0.001), but only higher than NF-RBJ at T1 (P = 0.02), and higher than PBO at T4 (P = 0.02). Additionally, there was a time*treatment interaction for plasma and saliva NOx levels following 4 weeks of daily exposure to RBJ and PBO + NIT (P < 0.001). Conclusions The preliminary results of this study suggest that HFM consumption does not significantly impair postprandial endothelial function in this population. In addition, acute and chronic RBJ exposure does not significantly improve endothelial function despite increases in plasma and saliva NOx. Funding Sources Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station, NIFA, USDA.
Objectives Research suggests blueberries and their (poly)phenols may improve endothelial dysfunction, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of consuming 22 g/day for 12 weeks of freeze-dried highbush blueberry powder on endothelial function and other measures of cardiovascular health, oxidative stress, and circulating (poly)phenol metabolites in postmenopausal women with above-normal blood pressure. Methods We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm trial in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women aged 45–65 years with elevated blood pressure or stage 1-HTN. Endothelial function was assessed as brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and normalized to individual shear rate area under the curve (FMD/SRAUC) to control for inter-individual variability in reactive hyperemia-induced shear stress. To assess whether improvements in FMD were mediated by reduced oxidative stress, FMD was assessed before and after intravenous infusion of a supra-physiologic dose of ascorbic acid. Blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and plasma (poly)phenol metabolites were also assessed. Results A total of 43 women completed the trial (n = 32 for endothelial function). Compliance in the Blueberry and Placebo groups were 93% and 91%, respectively. Mean total plasma (poly)phenol metabolite concentrations were increased at 4 (250,053 nmol/L, P < 0.05) and 8 (303,053 nmol/L, P < 0.05) weeks in the Blueberry group compared to baseline (125,798 nmol/L) with a strong trend at 12 weeks (227,971 nmol/L, P < 0.05), and no changes in Placebo. Blood pressure and arterial stiffness were unchanged with both treatments. At 12 weeks, FMD/SRAUC was increased by 96% from baseline (P < 0.05) in the Blueberry group but unchanged in Placebo, and changes in FMD/SRAUC from baseline to 12 weeks were higher (P < 0.05) than Placebo. The response in FMD/SRAUC to ascorbic acid infusion was lower (P < 0.05) at 12 weeks compared to baseline in the Blueberry group but not Placebo. Conclusions These findings suggest blueberries improve endothelial function, and is mediated, in part, by reduced oxidative stress in postmenopausal women with above-normal blood pressure, a high-risk population for developing CVD. Funding Sources US Highbush Blueberry Council and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Objectives Aging is the primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) largely due to vascular endothelial dysfunction, an initiating step in the development of atherosclerosis. The gut microbiota has emerged as an important regulator of cardiovascular health. Aronia berries are rich in polyphenols such as anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and phenolic acids. These compounds, and metabolites resulting from gut microbial and phase II metabolism, have been shown to improve endothelial function. The primary objective of this study is to assess the dose-dependent efficacy of an aronia berry full spectrum dietary supplement to improve vascular endothelial function in middle-aged/older men and postmenopausal women. A secondary goal is to determine whether aronia full spectrum modulation of the gut microbiota is associated with improvements in vascular endothelial function. Methods Healthy men and postmenopausal women (n = 28) aged 45–75 years are being recruited for this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. In random order, participants take a placebo, 500 mg aronia full spectrum, or 1000 mg aronia full spectrum daily for a 6-week period. Each treatment period is separated by a 6-week washout period. The primary outcome is reactive hyperemia index (RHI), a validated measure of vascular endothelial function assessed using peripheral arterial tonometry. Secondary outcome measures include analysis of the gut microbiota in stool samples, hemodynamic parameters including blood pressure and augmentation index, arterial stiffness, and blood biomarkers of cardiovascular and metabolic health including blood lipids, hemoglobin a1c, oxidized LDL, and adhesion molecules. Other outcome measures will include plasma, fecal, and urine polyphenol metabolites. Gut microbial populations will be statistically compared with RHI. Results To date, a total of 22 individuals (11 men/11 women) have been enrolled in the trial and randomized to their intervention order. Of these, 3 have completed the study, 1 was lost to follow-up, and 18 are currently enrolled. Conclusions We hypothesize that this aronia berry dietary supplement will dose-dependently improve vascular endothelial function in healthy middle-aged/older adults, and that improvements will be linked to modulation of the gut microbiota. Funding Sources Naturex.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.