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The effect of consuming Palmaria palmata-enriched bread on inflammatory markers, antioxidant status, lipid profile and thyroid function in a randomised placebo-controlled intervention trial in healthy adults

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Abstract

Purpose

Palmaria palmata (P. Palmata) is reported to contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds albeit no study has investigated these effects in humans.

Methods

A randomised parallel placebo-controlled human intervention study was carried out to investigate the effect of consuming P. Palmata (5 g/day) incorporated into a bread on serum markers of inflammation [C-reactive protein (CRP); cytokine analysis] with secondary analysis investigating changes in lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides), thyroid function [thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)] and antioxidant status ferric reducing antioxidant power. ANCOVA with baseline values as covariates, controlling for age, BMI, sex and smoking status, was used to compare differences between treatment groups over time . In vitro studies investigated the inflammatory activity of P. Palmata extracts (hot water, cold water and ethanol extract), protein extracts and associated protein hydrolysates using a Caco-2 inflammation cell model.

Results

Consumption of P. Palmata-enriched bread significantly increased serum CRP (+16.1 %, P = 0.011), triglycerides (+31.9 %, P = 0.001) and TSH (+17.2 %, P = 0.017) when compared to the control group. In vitro evaluation of P. palmata extracts and protein hydrolysates identified a significant induction of IL-8 secretion by Caco-2 cells, and the hot water P. palmata extract was shown to increase adipocyte glycerol release (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Evidence from this human study suggests that P. palmata stimulates inflammation, increases serum triglycerides and alters thyroid function; however, these changes are not likely to impact health as changes remained within the normal clinical range. The data from the in vitro study provided indications that IL-8 may contribute to the apparent immunostimulation noted in the human study.

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Acknowledgments

This project (Grant Aid Agreement No. MFFRI/07/01) is carried out under the Sea Change Strategy with the support of the Irish Marine Institute and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, funded under the National Development Plan 2007–2013.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, UK

    Philip Allsopp, William Crowe, Emma S. Brown, Sonja S. Taylor, Pamela J. Magee, Chris I. R. Gill, Conall R. Strain, Vicky Hegan, Julie M. W. Wallace, Paul Cherry, J. J. Strain & Emeir M. McSorley

  2. School of Agriculture and Food Science, Institute of Food & Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

    Bojlul Bahar & John V. O’Doherty

  3. Department of Life Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Pádraigín A. Harnedy

  4. Department of Life Sciences, School of Science, Institute of Technology Sligo, Sligo, Ireland

    Thomas J. Smyth

  5. Irish Seaweed Research Group, Ryan Institute, Environmental Marine and Energy Research, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway, Ireland

    Anna Soler-Vila

  6. Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Ulster, Belfast, BT15 1ED, Northern Ireland, UK

    Martin Devaney & Richard J. FitzGerald

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  1. Philip Allsopp
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  2. William Crowe
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  3. Bojlul Bahar
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Correspondence to Philip Allsopp.

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Allsopp, P., Crowe, W., Bahar, B. et al. The effect of consuming Palmaria palmata-enriched bread on inflammatory markers, antioxidant status, lipid profile and thyroid function in a randomised placebo-controlled intervention trial in healthy adults. Eur J Nutr 55, 1951–1962 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-015-1011-1

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