Microencapsulated bitter compounds (from Gentiana lutea) reduce daily energy intakes in humans

Abstract

Mounting evidence showed that bitter-tasting compounds modulate eating behaviour through bitter taste receptors in the gastrointestinal tract. This study aimed at evaluating the influence of microencapsulated bitter compounds on human appetite and energy intakes. A microencapsulated bitter ingredient (EBI) with a core of bitter Gentiana lutea root extract and a coating of ethylcellulose-stearate was developed and included in a vanilla microencapsulated bitter ingredient-enriched pudding (EBIP). The coating masked bitterness in the mouth, allowing the release of bitter secoiridoids in the gastrointestinal tract. A cross-over randomised study was performed: twenty healthy subjects consumed at breakfast EBIP (providing 100 mg of secoiridoids) or the control pudding (CP) on two different occasions. Blood samples, glycaemia and appetite ratings were collected at baseline and 30, 60, 120 and 180 min after breakfast. Gastrointestinal peptides, endocannabinoids (EC) and N-acylethanolamines (NAE) were measured in plasma samples. Energy intakes were measured at an ad libitum lunch 3 h after breakfast and over the rest of the day (post lunch) through food diaries. No significant difference in postprandial plasma responses of gastrointestinal hormones, glucose, EC and NAE and of appetite between EBIP and CP was found. However, a trend for a higher response of glucagon-like peptide-1 after EBIP than after CP was observed. EBIP determined a significant 30 % lower energy intake over the post-lunch period compared with CP. These findings were consistent with the tailored release of bitter-tasting compounds from EBIP along the gastrointestinal tract. This study demonstrated that microencapsulated bitter secoiridoids were effective in reducing daily energy intake in humans.

Targeted intestinal delivery of incretin secretagogues—towards new diabetes and obesity therapies

“…In another study, bitter secoiridoids from the Gentiana lutea root were tested in a microencapsulated formulation mixed into a vanilla pudding, and administered to healthy subjects. Concentrations of gut hormones, including GLP-1, GIP and PYY, were not significantly different after eating pudding containing microencapsulated bitter ingredients compared with control pudding, although subsequent energy intake was reduced [66] . Taken together with the duodenal infusion studies, however, the results do not suggest that bitter substances will provide a strong encapsulatable stimulus for targeting GLP-1 and PYY secretion.…”

Antiadipogenic Effects of Loganic Acid in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes and Ovariectomized Mice

“…Many studies have suggested that single pharmacological compounds that are isolated from natural plants have positive therapeutic effects on herbal medicines [ 9 , 10 ].The root of Gentiana lutea L. (GL) has been used to improve gastrointestinal motility and liver function as a herbal medicine [ 11 ]. Additionally, a recent study reported that GL is effective for body weight control in overweight individuals by reducing their daily energy intake [ 12 ]. Physiological bioactive compounds that have been isolated from GL have been identified, such as iridoids (loganic acid), secoiridoids (gentiopicroside, sweroside, swertiamarin, and amarogentin), and xanthones (isogentisin) [ 13 ].…”

Appetite-Suppressing and Satiety-Increasing Bioactive Phytochemicals: A Systematic Review

“…Out of 32 analyzed studies, 16 (50%) did not report adverse events at all. In 10 of the remaining 16 trials, none of the tested plant extracts caused an adverse event [15,48,49,54,56,64,68,70,71,76]. Six studies [51,58,63,66,67,74] reported mild adverse events such as gastrointestinal distress (e.g., dyspepsia, flatulence, diarrhea, or constipation), skin rash, or headache.…”

“…In multiple studies that recorded the outcomes over several hours on just one or two days, respectively, participants were instructed to refrain from exercise 24 to 48 h before test day [28,51,60,61,62,65,75] and to arrive after an overnight fast at the test center [52,57,62,69,70,76,86]. The bioactive phytochemical was mostly taken with a standardized meal, varying from a breakfast meal with approximately 1150 kJ (275 kcal) [73] to a breakfast buffet with a total amount of approximately 32,962 kJ (7878 kcal) [61].…”