Functional properties of a fermented pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice enriched with pomegranate seed oil

ISAS, ANA SOFÍA; BALCELLS, FLORENCIA; MALDONADO GALDEANO, MARÍA CAROLINA; DE VUYST, LUC; MATEOS, RAQUEL; MOZZI, FERNANDA; VAN NIEUWENHOVE, CARINA

Egmond aan Zee

Simposio; 4th International Symposium on Lactic Acid Bacteria.; 2023

Royal Netherlands Society for Microbiology (KNVM)

Pomegranate juice (PJ) contains a wide variety of bioactive polyphenols, with hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Its seed oil (PO) is rich in conjugated linolenic acid isomers, mainly punicic acid, that have several biological effects. Nowadays, fruit juices fermented by lactic acid bacteria are increasingly becoming of interest within the functional beverage market. A PJ (60 %, v/v, pH 4.5) enriched with edible PO (0.5 %, v/v) was fermented by Lactiplantibacillus paraplantarum CRL2051 at 30 °C for 48 h. The functional properties of the fermented beverage (FPJO-CRL2051) were evaluated in C57BL/6 female mice fed with a high-fat diet (30 %, m/m, fatty content, HFD). Mice (5-week-old) were divided into 5 groups (n = 6) and fed ad libitum with (i) Biotherium control (CB): standard diet + water; (ii) HFD control: HFD + water; (iii) UPJO: HFD + unfermented PJ+PO; and (iv) FPJO-CRL2051: HFD + FPJO-CRL2051. After 8 weeks, animals were anesthetized and sacrificed; blood was collected, and tissues were removed and weighed. The results showed that FPJO-CRL2051 consumption significantly diminished mesenteric and inguinal fat deposition. Also, serum levels of triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, INF-γ, and IL-12) were significantly reduced in treated animals compared with the HFD control group. In addition, glutathione peroxidase activity and TBARS concentration in FPJO-CRL2051 group presented similar values as CB. The fat accumulation in the hepatocytes was significantly lower in mice that consumed FPJO-CRL2051 than in HFD control animals. This study demonstrated the promising biological effects of FPJO-CRL2051 as a functional beverage for consumers.