Effects of aronia berry (poly)phenols on vascular function and gut microbiota: a double-blind randomized controlled trial in adult men

Abstract

Background Aronia melanocarpa is a rich source of (poly)phenols. Previous research has demonstrated that these berries may provide cardiovascular health benefits in high-risk populations. However, very few studies have investigated the effects of daily consumption of dietary achievable amounts of the berries in healthy subjects. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aronia berries on vascular function and gut microbiota composition in a healthy population. Methods A double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel designed study was conducted in 66 healthy men randomly allocated to consume a (poly)phenol-rich extract (116 mg, 75 g berries), a whole fruit powder (12 mg, 10 g berries), or placebo (maltodextrin) for 12 wk. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD), arterial stiffness, blood pressure, heart rate, and serum biochemistry were assessed. Plasma (poly)phenol metabolites were analyzed by LC-MS. Gut microbiota composition was determined via 16S rRNA sequencing in stool samples. Results Consumption of aronia whole fruit and extract powder for 12 wk led to a significant increase in FMD over control of 0.9% ± 0.4% (95% CI: 0.13%, 1.72%) and 1.2% ± 0.4% (95% CI: 0.36%, 1.97%), respectively. Acute improvements in FMD were also observed 2 h after consumption of aronia extract on day 1 (1.1% ± 0.3%, P = 0.003) and 12 wk later (1.5% ± 0.4%, P = 0.0001). Circulating plasma phenolic metabolites increased upon consumption of the aronia treatments. Although no changes were found in gut microbiota diversity, consumption of aronia extract increased the growth of Anaerostipes (+10.6%, P = 0.01), whereas aronia whole fruit showed significant increases in Bacteroides (+193%, P = 0.01). Correlation analysis identified significant associations between changes in FMD, aronia-derived phenolic metabolites, and specific gut microbial genera. Conclusions In healthy men, consumption of aronia berry (poly)phenols improved endothelial function and modulated gut microbiota composition, indicating that regular aronia consumption has the potential to maintain cardiovascular health in individuals at low risk of cardiovascular disease. This trial was registered at CLINICALTRIALs.gov as NCT03041961.

Composition, polyphenol bioavailability, and health benefits of aronia berry: a review

“…Aronia berry consumption improves biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease risk in human intervention studies, but these changes depend on the participant populations. Aronia extract (116 mg) and powder (12 mg) consumption improved flow-mediated dilation, a marker of vascular function, in healthy men (Istas et al, 2019). Consumption of 300 mL/day of aronia juice and 3 g/day of aronia powder reduced systolic/diastolic blood pressure in adults with mildly elevated hypertension, but did not modulate serum lipids (Loo et al, 2016).…”

“…After participants consumed both extracts, plasma anthocyanin concentrations were similar at 96.08 nM and 97.20 nM, respectively (Cao et al, 2001;Kay et al, 2005). In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared polyphenol metabolites in plasma after the consumption of whole aronia fruit or aronia extract (Istas et al, 2019). The total plasma polyphenol concentration was 30 ± 156 µM and 14 ± 106 µM after 12 weeks of consuming extract and whole berries, respectively (Table 11).…”

“…Bioavailability depends on their physicochemical stability, complex formation, food interaction, gastrointestinal absorption, and hepatic and gut metabolism (Luca et al, 2019). Recent work has described how the gut microbiome contributes to aronia polyphenol metabolism and bioavailability (Istas et al, 2019). Significant inter-individual variability of polyphenol metabolism and bioavailability may explain the variable outcomes in human intervention studies and are summarized in Table 11.…”

“…The maximum plasma concentration of dietary polyphenols in humans is in the nanomolar or low micromolar range (Istas et al, 2019). The highest level of polyphenols reported in plasma after aronia consumption has been 1.4 and 592 nmol/L, and appearing in the plasma between 0.5 and 4 h after consumption (Pojer et al, 2013).…”

“…In mice, gut microbiota modulation precedes its antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects (Pei et al, 2019). In healthy adults, polyphenols' consumption equivalent to 75 g of aronia berry or berry powder equivalent to 10 g of aronia berry for 12 weeks did not affect microbial diversity (Istas et al, 2019).…”