Purified berry anthocyanins but not whole berries normalize lipid parameters in mice fed an obesogenic high fat diet

Abstract

Male C57BL/6 mice received diets with either 10% of kcal from fat, or a high fat diet [45% (HF45) or 60% (HF60) kcal from fat]. Diets were prepared with or without freeze-dried powders (10%) from whole blueberries (BB), strawberries (SB), Concord grape or black raspberry. In the 2nd study, purified anthocyanins (ACNs) from SB or BB were added to the drinking water of the treatments fed the HF60 diet. In Study 1, serum triglycerides were increased by feeding the HF45 diet but were elevated further when black raspberry or BB was included in the HF45 diet. Liver total lipids and triglycerides were increased in mice fed HF45 diet and inclusion of any of the berry powders in the HF45 diet did not alter concentrations compared to HF45 controls. In the 2nd study, mice fed the HF60 diet plus purified ACNs from BB in the water had lower body weight gains and body fat than the HF60 fed. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were elevated with the HF60 diet and decreased to control levels when ACNs from either SB or BB were included in the drinking water. Serum leptin levels were consistently decreased to control low fat levels in those ACN treatments in which measures of body fat were decreased. Administering purified ACNs from BB and strawberry via drinking water prevented the development of dyslipidemia and obesity in mice, but feeding diets containing whole berries or purple corn (PC) ACNs did not alter the development of obesity.

Effect of Aronia melanocarpa (Black Chokeberry) supplementation on the development of obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet

“…One issue could be the anthocyanin concentration in the diets. However, the anthocyanin concentration in this study (1.44 g/kg diet) was comparable to published literature on purple corn (2 g/kg diet), blueberry powder (2.43 g/kg diet) [27], and cornelian cherry (1 g/kg diet) [35], and higher than studies using blueberry powder at lower concentrations (260 mg/kg diet) [26] and strawberry powder (33 mg/kg diet) [36]. The mechanisms as to why supplementation of purified anthocyanins delays the development of obesity and supplementation with the whole berry does not prevent obesity still need to be elucidated.…”

“…Other studies have also reported either increased obesity [28] or equivalent adiposity [29] with supplementing a high-fat diet with whole blueberry powder at 2 or 4% of the total diet weight. Whole, freeze-dried black raspberry powder was also ineffective in preventing obesity [30]. In addition, whole strawberries did not promote obesity when supplemented in a high-fat diet, and some measures indicated possible antiobesity effects [26,[30][31][32][33][34].…”

“…In the study by Heyman and Axling [25], 20% of the diet in the berry experimental groups came from freeze dried berries. Earlier studies comparing whole versus powdered blueberries or strawberries found that the whole berries were not effective in preventing obesity [26,27] and, in some cases, tended to promote obesity in the context of a high-fat diet but not with a low-fat diet. Other studies have also reported either increased obesity [28] or equivalent adiposity [29] with supplementing a high-fat diet with whole blueberry powder at 2 or 4% of the total diet weight.…”

“…Whole, freeze-dried black raspberry powder was also ineffective in preventing obesity [30]. In addition, whole strawberries did not promote obesity when supplemented in a high-fat diet, and some measures indicated possible antiobesity effects [26,[30][31][32][33][34]. However, feeding purified anthocyanins in the drinking water from blueberries (2.8 mg/day) or strawberries has been shown to reduce obesity in a rodent model [31].…”

Boysenberry Polyphenols Suppressed Elevation of Plasma Triglyceride Levels in Rats

“…Inhibition of the constitution of the emulsion is another candidate mechanism for the Fr2-mediated suppression of the plasma TG levels. Numerous studies have demonstrated natural polyphenols inhibit the elevation of serum cholesterol levels in mammals (19)(20)(21). We have previously demonstrated that BBJ significantly decreased cholesterol levels in rat livers after long-term feeding of a highfat diet, similar to other polyphenols (13).…”