Dietary supplementation with Mexican foods, Opuntia ficus indica, Theobroma cacao, and Acheta domesticus: Improving obesogenic and microbiota features in obese mice

Abstract

IntroductionAn obesogenic diet, a diet high in saturated fats and sugars, is a risk factor for the development of multiple obesity-related diseases. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with a mixture of Mexican functional foods (MexMix), Opuntia ficus indica (nopal), Theobroma cacao, and Acheta domesticus (edible crickets), compared with a high-fat and fructose/sucrose diet on an obesogenic mice model.MethodsFor this study, 18 male C57BL/6J mice were used, which were divided into three groups: (1) control group: normal diet (ND), (2) HF/FS group: high-fat diet along with 4.2% fructose/sucrose and water (ad libitum access), and (3) therapeutic group (MexMix): HF/FS diet up to week 8, followed by HF/FS diet supplemented with 10% nopal, 10% cocoa, and 10% cricket for 8 weeks.ResultsMexMix mice showed significantly reduced body weight, liver weight, visceral fat, and epididymal fat compared with HF/FS mice. Levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, insulin, glucose, GIP, leptin, PAI-1, and resistin were also significantly reduced. For identifying the gut microbiota in the model, 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis was performed, and the results showed that MexMix supplementation increased the abundance of Lachnospira, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, and Blautia, bacteria involved in multiple beneficial metabolic effects. It is noteworthy that the mice supplemented with MexMix showed improvements in cognitive parameters, as evaluated by the novel object recognition test.ConclusionHence, supplementation with MexMix food might represent a potential strategy for the treatment of obesity and other diseases associated with excessive intake of fats and sugars.

Gut microbiome and frailty: insight from genetic correlation and mendelian randomization

“…Early animal experiments found that feeding Eubacterium coprostanoligenes significantly decreased blood cholesterol concentrations in mice 47 and rabbits 48 . A recent intervention experiment in mice also found that supplementation with a mixture of Opuntia ficus-indica, Theobroma cacao, and Acheta domesticus increased the abundance of Eubacterium coprostanoligenes in obese mice, thereby reducing serum cholesterol levels 49 . Meanwhile, a large-scale study based on the UK Biobank found that lower levels of total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were associated with a higher prevalence of frailty 50 .…”

Effects of Foods of Mesoamerican Origin in Adipose Tissue and Liver-Related Metabolism

“…More than 200 molecules have been described in cacao beans; the polyphenol content is about 12-18% of the dry weight, where 60% of the total polyphenols corresponds to monomeric and oligomeric flavanols. The principal monomeric flavanols are (−)-epicatechin, (+)-catechin, and procyanidin B2 (Table 1) [22,23]. Flavanols act as natural antioxidants and interact with signaling proteins, enzymes, DNA, and membranes [22,24].…”

“…It is native to American continent. This vegetable has been recognized as a functional food (a food that benefits human health in addition to the effect of their nutrients alone) based on its high content of fiber, antioxidant molecules like vitamin C, and other bioactive molecules including polyphenols/flavonoids (Table 1) [23].…”

“…Rosas et al evaluated the effect of supplementation of a mixture of Nopal, Cacao bean, and cricket powder (MexMix) in lipid and obesogenic pathways in mice fed with a high-fat/high-sugar diet [23]. Among the results, MexMix showed significantly reduced body weight, liver weight, and visceral/epididymal fat versus high-fat/high-sugar mice.…”

“…Also, levels of serum lipids such as triglycerides, cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, insulin, glucose, leptin, resistin, among others, were significantly reduced. On the other hand, MexMix showed an effect on gut microbiota, increasing bacteria involved in beneficial metabolic effects like Lachnospira, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, and Blautia [23].…”