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Effects of the Dietary Addition of Amaranth (Amaranthus mantegazzianus) Protein Isolate on Antioxidant Status, Lipid Profiles and Blood Pressure of Rats

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Abstract

The effects of the dietary addition of 2.5 % (w/w) Amaranthus mantegazzianus protein isolate (AI) on blood pressure, lipid profiles and antioxidative status of Wistar rats were evaluated. Six diets were used to feed animals during 28 days: (base (AIN93G), Chol (cholesterol 1 %, w/w), CE (α-tocopherol 0.005 %, w/w), CholE (cholesterol 1 % (w/w) + α-tocopherol 0.005 %, w/w), CAI (AI 2.5 % w/w), CholAI (cholesterol 1 % (w/w) + AI 2.5 %, w/w). Lipid profiles of plasma and liver and faecal cholesterol content were analyzed. Antioxidant status was evaluated by the ferric reducing activity of plasma (FRAP), the 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in plasma and liver. Blood pressure was measured in the tail artery of rats. CholA group presented a significant (α < 0.05) reduction (16 %) in the plasma total cholesterol. In liver, the intake of cholesterol (Chol group) induced a significant increment in cholesterol and triglycerides (2.5 and 2.3 times, respectively), which could be decreased (18 % and 47 %, respectively) by the addition of AI (CholA group). This last group also showed an increased faecal cholesterol excretion (20 %). Increment (50 %) in FRAP values, diminution of TBA value in plasma and liver (70 % and 38 %, respectively) and diminution of SOD activity (20 %) in plasma of CholA group suggest an antioxidant effect because of the intake of AI. In addition, CA and CholA groups presented a diminution (18 %) of blood pressure after 28 days.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by an Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT, Argentina) project (PICT 2007-1119) and a CONICET project (PIP 2008-01330). Authors Rinaldi, Añón and Tironi are members of CONICET (Argentina). Authors want to thank to Nilda Reinaudi (Facultad de Agronomía, UNLPam, Argentina) and Guillermo Peiretti (Facultad de Agronomía, UNRC, Argentina) for the provision of amaranth seeds, and to Cátedra de Nutrición y Bromatología (Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, UBA, Argentina) for the collaboration in the diets preparation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos (CIDCA) – CCT La Plata-CONICET, UNLP, 47 y 116 (1900), La Plata, Argentina

    María B. Lado, Julieta Burini, María C. Añón & Valeria A. Tironi

  2. Centro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares - CCT La Plata-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina (UNLP), 60 y 120 (1900), La Plata, Argentina

    Gustavo Rinaldi

Authors
  1. María B. Lado
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  2. Julieta Burini
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  3. Gustavo Rinaldi
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  4. María C. Añón
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  5. Valeria A. Tironi
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Correspondence to Valeria A. Tironi.

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Conflict of Interest

M. B. Lado declares that she has no conflict of interest.

J. Burini declares that she has no conflict of interest.

G. Rinaldi declares that she has no conflict of interest.

M. C. Añón declares that she has no conflict of interest.

V. Tironi declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Lado, M.B., Burini, J., Rinaldi, G. et al. Effects of the Dietary Addition of Amaranth (Amaranthus mantegazzianus) Protein Isolate on Antioxidant Status, Lipid Profiles and Blood Pressure of Rats. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 70, 371–379 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-015-0516-3

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