Influence of pomegranate seed oil and bitter melon aqueous extract on polyunsaturated fatty acids and their lipoxygenase metabolites concentration in serum of rats

doi:10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2016.07.005

Prostaglandins & Other Lipid Mediators

Volume 126, November 2016, Pages 29-37

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2016.07.005 Get rights and content

Highlights

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Percentage share of fatty acids in total fatty acids pool in serum of rats was diversified in relation to applied diet supplementation with pomegranate seed oil and/or bitter melon fruits aqueous extract.
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Cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (rumenic acid, RA) level tended to increase in group supplemented simultaneously with both dietary supplements.
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Rumenic acid highest share in total fatty acids pool was detected in group receiving solely bitter melon dried fruits aqueous extract.
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Bitter melon fruits aqueous extract significantly increased RA content in fatty acids pool in serum.
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Pomegranate seed oil elevates 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid concentration in serum of rats.

Abstract

Competition with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and an impact on eicosanoid biosynthesis may be one of mechanisms of conjugated linolenic acids (CLnA) action. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of diet supplementation with pomegranate seed oil, containing punicic acid (PA)—one of CLnA isomers, and an aqueous extract of dried bitter melon fruits, administered separately or together, on PUFA and their lipoxygenase metabolites’ concentration in serum of rats. Percentage share of fatty acids was diversified in relation to applied supplementation. PA was only detected in serum of pomegranate seed oil supplemented group, where it was about 1%. Cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (rumenic acid, RA) level tended to increase in group supplemented simultaneously with both dietary supplements whereas its highest share in total fatty acids pool was detected in group receiving solely bitter melon dried fruits aqueous extract. This indicates that consumption of bitter melon tea significantly increased RA content in fatty acids pool in serum. However, pomegranate seed oil elevated procarcinogenic 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid concentration. Taking into account that pomegranate seed oil and bitter melon dried fruits are dietary supplements accessible worldwide and willingly consumed, the biological significance of this phenomenon should be further investigated. We presume, that there may be a need for some precautions concerning the simultaneous use of these products.

Introduction

‘Conjugated fatty acids’ is a term referring to a group of positional and geometric isomers of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) with conjugated double bonds system in their carbon chain. For many years they have attracted considerable attention due to their numerous beneficial health effects. Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), which are conjugated forms of linoleic acid (cis-9, cis-12 octadecadienoic acid, LA) have been investigated because of their anit-cancerogenic, anti-atherogenic, anti-obesity, lipid metabolism regulation and antioxidant activity. Rumenic acid (cis-9, trans-11 CLA, RA) is a predominant CLA isomer naturally present in milk, meat and fat of ruminants (cows, sheep, goats, camels) but also in milk of kangaroos. However, their content is rather small and they constitute <1% of total fatty acids share [1], [2]. Conjugated linolenic acids (CLnA, super CLA), which is another group of conjugated fatty acids, naturally occurre in seeds of certain plants, where usually they are prevalent of all fatty acids (>60%). Several fatty acids belong to CLnA, but α-eleostearic acid (cis-9, trans-11, trans-13 octadecatrienoic acid) from bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and punicic acid (cis-9, trans-11, cis-13 octadeatrienoic acid, PA) from pomegranate (Punica granatum) are of special attention [3], [4]. There are some very promising researches referring to the biological activities of CLnA, such as anti-cancerogenic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant [2], [5], [6]. CLnA also seem to influence lipid metabolism, especially blood lipids [7], [8], [9] and fatty acids profile of tissues [8], [10] but little is known of their impact on PUFA metabolites formation on both cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways.

COX biologically active metabolites of 20-carbon PUFA, such as prostaglandin E₂ (PEG₂), prostacyclin and thromboxane A₂ (TXA₂)—which belong to eicosanoids, are very well characterized. LOX metabolites of PUFA: arachidonic acid (C20:4 n-6, AA) derivatives—15-, 12-, 5-hydoxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETE), linoleic acid (LA) derivatives—13-, 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids (HODE), and eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 n-3, EPA) derivatives—15-, 12-, 5-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acids (HEPE), appear to play an important role in various physiological and pathological stages. CLA seem to influence HETE, HODE and HEPE formation [11], [12] but there are no data describing CLnA impact on these LOX metabolites of PUFA.

Pomegranate—Punica granatum (Punicaceae) comes from the Himalayas in northern India to Iran but nowadays it grows in most of the countries of tropical and subtropical regions of the world [13]. Since antiquity it has been known from its multidirectional beneficial influence on health but it is also consumed fresh and in form of juice, extract, wine or liqueur [6], [14], [15]. Seeds of pomegranate contain the highest amount of CLnA (86%), among which punicic acid is prevalent (over 50% of all fatty acids) [3].

Momordica charantia (Cucurbitaceae) is commonly known as bitter melon, bitter gourd, balsam pear, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, African cucumber, wild cucumber or karela [16]. It grows in many parts of Asia, South America, east Africa and Caribbean and its fruits are used as a vegetable as well as a medicine [16], [17]. In Okinawa bitter melons are very often consumed and their dietary intake is linked with the longest lifespan in Japan [18]. Fruits are traditionally recommended in Chinese and Indian medicine as anti-inflamatory, anti-leukemic, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, anti-ulcer and anti-diabetic [19] and nowadays also dried fruits extracts or lyophilized fruits are recommended as dietary supplements. α-Eleostearic acid of CLnA family, which is present mainly in seeds and in small amount also in flesh, also exerts many activities potentially beneficial for health [9], [20]. Charantin, vicine and polypeptide-p are among phytochemicals responsible for e.g. blood glucose lowering capacity of bitter melon [16].

Pomegranate seed oil and bitter melon dried fruits are used not only as natural remedies in folk medicine but also as dietary supplements. They are available and willingly consumed worldwide. Although results of numerous experiments emphasize the beneficial influence of both supplements, there is no research concerning their simultaneous use. The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of diet supplementation with pomegranate seed oil and aqueous extract of dried bitter melon fruits (bitter melon tea), administered to the rats separately or together, on polyunsaturated fatty acids and their lipoxygenase metabolites (HETE, HODE and HEPE) in serum.

Section snippets

Pomegranate seed oil

Commercially available cold pressed, unrefined oil from seeds of pomegranate fruits (INCI: Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Zielony Klub) was purchased from the local market (Kielce, Poland). It was stored at 8° C before administration to animals. It contains cis-9, trans-11, cis-13 CLnA (PA), which is the predominant fatty acid and constitutes 32.7 ± 1.6% of all fatty acids.

Bitter melon aqueous extract

Commercially available dried fruit of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) (Tra Kho Qua, Gohyah Tea, CTE JSCO) was

Results

Diet supplementation with pomegranate seed oil and/or bitter melon aqueous extract did not influence negatively overall health condition of the animals (Table 4). Although the initial body mass of the supplemented animals was significantly lower than mean body mass of the CON group, they reached high body mass at the end of the experiment. Mean initial body mass of animals assigned to the group G was the lowest but mass increase in this group was the highest and similar to that in other groups.

Discussion

To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the influence of a separate or combined administration of pomegranate seed oil and bitter melon tea on health status as well as PUFA and their LOX metabolites concentrations in female Sprague-Dawley rats.

We do not report any harmful impact of applied diet modification on body and organ weight. No adverse effects are attributed to pomegranate consumption. The randomized controlled trial on which 3 g of PA were administered for 28 days to healthy

Conclusions

This is the first report demonstrating the influence of separate and combined administration of pomegranate seed oil and bitter melon tea on PUFA and their LOX metabolites concentration in serum of rats. Our results indicate that punicic acid—one of CLnA isomers, is converted to rumenic acid—one of CLA isomers and changes fatty acids profile in serum. Simultaneous administration of pomegranate seed oil and bitter melon aqueous extract increase the RA content in serum in comparison with

Ethical standards

This research and guiding principles in the care of laboratory animals were approved by The Local Ethical Committee on Animal Experiments and they comply with the law of Poland.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mrs. Joanna Bekier, Mrs. Kamila Mlodziejewska, Mrs. Katarzyna Dunin-Szpotanska and Mrs. Teodozja Bombalska for their excellent technical support.

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Original Research ArticleInfluence of pomegranate seed oil and bitter melon aqueous extract on polyunsaturated fatty acids and their lipoxygenase metabolites concentration in serum of rats

Highlights

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Pomegranate seed oil

Bitter melon aqueous extract

Results

Discussion

Conclusions

Ethical standards

Conflict of interest

Acknowledgements

J. Biosci. Bioeng.

Nutrition

Nutrition

Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediators

Biochim. Biophys. Acta

J. Ethnopharmacol.

J. Nutr.

J. Ethnopharmacol.

J. Chromatogr. A

J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal.

J. Ethnopharmacol.

Biochim. Biophys. Acta

Biochim. Biophys. Acta

J. Biol. Chem.

Conjugated linoleic acid as a potential protective factor in prevention of breast cancer

Postepy Hig. Med. Dosw.

Conjugated linolenic acids and their bioactivities: a review

Food Funct.

Determination of conjugated linolenic acid content of selected oil seeds grown in Turkey

JAOCS

Nutritional characteristics of oil containing conjugated octadecatrienoic fatty acid

Ann. Nutr. Metab.

Dietary effect of pomegranate seed oil rich in 9cis, 11trans, 13cis conjugated linolenic acid on lipid metabolism in obese, hyperlipidemic OLETF rats

Lipids Health Dis.

Absorbtion and metabolism of conjugated α-linolenic acid given as free fatty acids or triacylglycerols in rats

Nutr. Metab.

Dietary comparison of conjugated linolenic acid (9 cis, 11 trans, 13 trans) and α-tocopherol effects on blood lipids and lipid peroxidation on alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus in rats

Lipids

Original Research Article
Influence of pomegranate seed oil and bitter melon aqueous extract on polyunsaturated fatty acids and their lipoxygenase metabolites concentration in serum of rats