A beverage containing ora-pro-nobis flour improves intestinal health, weight, and body composition: A double-blind randomized prospective study

A Critical Appraisal of the Most Recent Investigations on Ora-Pro-Nobis (Pereskia sp.): Economical, Botanical, Phytochemical, Nutritional, and Ethnopharmacological Aspects

“…After these pioneering studies, relatively few investigations have explored the ora-pro-nobis potential up until the last decade. After the year 2009, however, there was a significant increase in studies in which the ora-pro-nobis plants were analyzed from several angles and viewpoints including their nutritional potential [20], fruit carotenoids profile and total polyphenols [3], mucilage extraction [21], bioactivity and chemical characterization [13,14], and the use of the leaves to enrich foods [22]. All these and other aspects that were approached by several additional studies will here be detailed and analyzed in separate sections and subsections.…”

“…Most of the studies listed in Table 3 evaluated only the approximate composition and sensory acceptance of the food formulated with ora-pro-nobis flour. The work that describes the development of a milk-based beverage containing ora-pronobis flour, however, presents a more in-depth study of the health benefits associated with its consumption [22]. These authors evaluated the effect of the beverage on the intestinal microbiota, gastrointestinal symptoms, and anthropometric parameters in women.…”

“…Yogurt Approximate composition, pH, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium BB-12 counting, and sensory analysis (acceptance test) [54] Milk-based beverage Approximate composition, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, clinical trial (analysis of fecal microbiota, gastrointestinal symptoms, and anthropometric parameters) [22] Talharim pasta Sensory analysis (acceptance and preference tests) and proximate composition [55] Bread Approximate composition and sensory analysis (acceptance test) [56] Bread Sensory acceptance test and purchase intention Cake Protein content and sensory evaluation (acceptance test) [57] Bread and pie Sensory acceptance test [58] Bread Sensory acceptance test [59] Veggie pie Sensory acceptance test [60] Cake Approximate composition [61] Hot dog Approximate composition, color, pH, texture profile analysis, and sensory acceptance tests [62] Extruded corn snack Approximate composition and sensory analysis (acceptance test) [52] Vegan chickpea burger Approximate composition, color, and sensory analysis (acceptance test) [63] Cereal bar Protein content and sensory evaluation (acceptance test) [53] Paçoca (peanut candy) Sensory acceptance test [51] Rice dumplings (leaves in natura) Approximate composition and sensory analysis (acceptance test) [64] Rice dumplings were prepared with the addition of ora-pro-nobis leaves in natura (0%-standard, 2.5%, and 5%) [64]. There were high levels of similar acceptability among the dumpling formulations in the sensory evaluation.…”

Pereskia aculeata Miller as a Novel Food Source: A Review

“…Concerning the metabolic aspects, Barbalho et al, (2016) [39] administrated OPN leaf flour to Wistar rats and observed significant health improvements, including a reduction in weight gain, visceral fat, levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, very-low-density lipoprotein, and increased HDL-c and enhancement of intestinal motility. Moreover, in double-blind, randomized clinical studies with humans, Vieira et al, (2019, 2020) [47,48] noticed that the consumption of OPN leaf flour in biscuits and beverages improved intestinal health and reduced weight, waist circumference, and body fat and increased satiety. The authors suggested that these results are associated with the presence of dietary fiber and phytochemical compounds, such as polyphenols, in the OPN leaves.…”

“…In vivo using Wistar rats Improved metabolic profile Increased intestinal mobility [39] In vivo randomized cross-over intervention with adult men Improved gastrointestinal symptoms Increased satiety [47] In vivo double-blinded randomized clinical trial with adult women Reduced weight, waist circumference, body fat, eructation, and constipation Increased satiety Improved feces consistency [48] Anti-inflammatory In vivo using Swiss and Wistar rats Reduction of the inflammatory process of acute and chronic ear dermatitis Absence of dermal toxicity [49] In vivo using Swiss rats Antinociceptive activity (analgesic effect) [50] In vitro using fibroblast cells L929 Wound healing capacity Absence of cytotoxicity [18] One of the main popular claims of OPN leaves concerns their antioxidant properties. In fact, OPN leaves contain high concentrations of several classes of antioxidants, including carotenoids (α and β-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and violaxanthin) [51], phenolic compounds such as caffeic, chicoric, and coumaric acid derivatives, flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin glycoside derivatives) [52,53], and terpenoids (phytol, γ-tocopherol, vitamin E, squalene, and lupeol) [54], among others.…”