Apple Peel Supplemented Diet Reduces Parameters of Metabolic Syndrome and Atherogenic Progression in ApoE−/− Mice

Abstract

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) represent about 30% of all causes of death worldwide. The development of CVD is related in many cases with the previous existence of metabolic syndrome (MS). It is known that apple consumption has a cardiovascular protecting effect, containing phenolic compounds with antioxidant effect, which are concentrated in the fruit peel. The objective of this study was to test the effect of apple peel consumption in a murine model of MS and apoE−/− mice. Apple supplemented diets reduced the biochemical parameters (glycaemia, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, ureic nitrogen, triglycerides, insulin, and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA)) of MS model in CF1 mice significantly. The model apoE−/− mouse was used to evaluate the capacity of the apple peel to revert the progression of the atherogenesis. FD with HAP reverts cholesterol significantly and slows down the progression of the plate diminishing the cholesterol accumulation area. With these results, it can be concluded that the consumption of apple peel reduces several MS parameters and the atherogenic progression in mice.

Fruits for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

“…It also indicated that the cholesterol-lowering ability of apple was mainly due to phytocompounds, such as catechin, epicatechin, procyanidin B1, and β-carotene [ 76 ]. The development of CVDs is related with the previous existence of MS. Another study suggested that apple peel reduced the biochemical parameters (glycaemia, TC, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-C, TG, ureic nitrogen, insulin, and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA)) in CF-1 mice with MS, diminished the cholesterol accumulation area, and reverted the progression of the atherogenesis in apoE −/− mice [ 77 ].…”

Consumption of flavonoid-rich fruits and risk of CHD: a prospective cohort study

“…Database from the United States Department of Agriculture (29) has shown the flavonoid composition of fruits, though the specific compositions of flesh and peel have not been shown. Recent research has shown apple peel possesses more flavonoid than apple flesh (30) , thus indicating apple peel's dietary benefit (31,32) . In Japan, unlike in many countries, it is common to peel apples before eating them.…”

The Impact of Dietary Supplementation of Whole Foods and Polyphenols on Atherosclerosis

“…There were three apple [148][149][150], one litchi [151], and one plum [152] studies. Two of the apple studies focused strictly on polyphenols from Fuji/Granny Smith apples and a mixture of apple polyphenols (not described) [149,150], and the other [148] compared polyphenols in the peel to the fiber from cider apples. The cider apple, Granny Smith apple, litchi, and dried plums studies incorporated the treatment into diets.…”

“…Xu et al reported that TC, TG, and LDL were reduced, while HDL was increased (~49%) by apple polyphenols [150]. In contrast, Gonzalez et al and Auclair et al observed that TC and TG were unchanged by their apple treatments [148,149]. Interestingly, unlike the other fruits, many possible mechanisms can explain the protective effects of apple, litchi, and plums in atherosclerosis.…”

“…Interestingly, unlike the other fruits, many possible mechanisms can explain the protective effects of apple, litchi, and plums in atherosclerosis. The apple studies attenuated atherosclerosis through a large variety of metabolic improvements, including increased PPARα, Nrf2, GPx, and SOD activity by apple polyphenols [150]; reduced plasma uric acid concentration (a byproduct of purine degradation that stimulates inflammation, leading to endothelial dysfunction [153]) by cider apple polyphenols [148]; and decreased circulating cholesterol in serum due to improved antioxidant capacity by Granny Smith apple peels [149]. Additionally, Xu et al showed reduced VCAM-1 levels by apple polyphenols, similarly to dealcoholized wines [136].…”