Phytonutrients of Bitter Apricot Seeds Modulate Human Lipid Profile and LDL Subfractions in Adults with Elevated Cholesterol Levels
Open Access
- 13 January 2022
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Vol. 19 (2), 857
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020857
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of short-term consumption of bitter apricot seeds phytonutrients on cardiovascular risk factors with a special focus on LDL cholesterol subfractions using the Lipoprint system. A group of 34 adult volunteers (21 female/13 male) consumed 60 mg kg−1 of body weight of bitter apricot seeds daily for 42 days. Subjects were divided into two groups: one with normal cholesterol levels (NTC) and one with elevated total cholesterol levels (ETC). Blood serum levels of total cholesterol (T-C), low-density cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) did not change significantly (p > 0.05) in NTC group. However, there were significant decreasing of T-C (p ˂ 0.05) and LDL-C (p < 0.01) in ETC group. The LDL1, LDL2, and atherogenic LDL3−7 subfractions progressively decreased after 42 days of apricot seeds consumption in ETC group (p < 0.05). Apricot seeds consumption was associated with a significant increase in the mean LDL particle size especially in ETC group (p ˂ 0.01). The results of the present study support the hypothesis that daily consumption of bitter apricot seeds for 42 days positively modified the lipoprotein profile in the group with elevated total cholesterol.Funding Information
- Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (APVV-18-0312, VEGA 1/0 266/20)
- The Operational Program Integrated Infrastructure within the project: Demand-driven research for the sustainable and inovative food, cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (Drive4SIFood 313011V336)
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