Effects of Baru Almond and Brazil Nut Against Hyperlipidemia and Oxidative Stress In Vivo

Abstract

<p>This study evaluated the effect of baru (<em>Dipteryx alata </em>Vog.) almond, an edible seed native from Brazilian Savanna, and Brazil nut (<em>Bertholletia excelsa</em> H. B. K.) on serum lipid profile and hepatic lipid peroxidation in rats fed high-fat diets. Four groups of eight young adult male Wistar rats were treated for nine weeks with one of the following diets: high-fat diets - 0.1% colic acid + 1% cholesterol + 5% lard + 15% of lipid from lard, baru almond or Brazil nut - and reference diet (7% soybean oil). Groups fed with baru almond and Brazil nut showed lower serum contents of total cholesterol and triacylglycerols than those of lard group. Baru almond group also showed higher HDL-c concentration than those of Brazil nut and lard groups, similar to that of reference group. Lipid peroxidation (through total malondialdehyde) was lower and vitamin E content was higher in the livers of the animals treated with baru almond and Brazil nut than those of lard group. These results indicate that the Brazilian native oilseeds, especially baru almond, have great potential for dietary use in dyslipidemia prevention and control.</p>

Oilseeds native to the Cerrado have fatty acid profile beneficial for cardiovascular health

“…Brazil nut stands out with almost 60% lipids, whereas the other nuts contain approximately 45% lipids. This finding is consistent with that found by other authors in different nuts 1,4,5,10 .…”

“…The predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the Brazil nut, approximately 50%, was also observed in other studies 5,10 . It is worth adding that the tendency of polyunsaturated fatty acids to undergo oxidation is higher than that of monounsaturated fatty acids; thus, the Brazil nut is more vulnerable to oxidation.…”

“…Studies have confirmed the positive effects of edible seeds and nuts consumption on serum lipid profile and oxidative stress [8][9][10] . It has been found that the daily intake of 20 g of baru almond for 45 days, reduced serum concentrations of total cholesterol, Low Density Lipoproteincholesterol ( LDL-c), and non-High Density Lipoproteincholesterol (non-HDL-c) in mildly hypercholesterolemic adults 11 .…”

Consumption of baru nuts (Dipteryx alata) in the treatment of obese mice

“…Consumption of baru almonds also reduces adiposity and improves the lipid profile in women with overweight and obesity (SOUZA, 2014). Therefore, this type of food can be beneficial in the current nutritional and epidemiological transition phase experienced by the Brazilian population, who consume a large amount of saturated fat -and carbohydrate-rich foods (FERNANDES et al, 2015) and have a high obesity prevalence. To further investigate the potential of this food, the present study analyzed the effect of baru almond consumption on the body weight, visceral fat (percent adiposity, amount of adipose tissue) and blood levels (such as triglycerides, total cholesterol, and glucose) in Swiss mice with diet-induced obesity.…”

“…In the group fed with HGBA diet, the negative effect of diet HG was; however, attenuated by the consumption of baru flour, confirming studies conducted with other almonds (CHOUDHARY et al, 2009). In addition, FERNANDES et al (2015) showed that the serum levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides in Wistar rats treated with baru almonds are lower than those in animals fed lard. Other studies showed that diet supplementation with baru almonds improved the serum lipid levels in moderately hypercholesterolemic individuals, and recommended this food to prevent cardiovascular diseases (BENTO et al, 2014).…”