Abstract Summary/Description
Western diet, characterized by high intakes of saturated fats is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Plant-based foods, such as nuts, have been shown to be cardioprotective. Baru (Dipteryx alata) is a tree native to the Brazilian Cerrado that produces baru nuts which are rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. This study aimed to examine the effect of baru nut supplementation on blood pressure (BP) and cardiac function. UM-HET3 mice were fed a low-fat, low-sucrose, and -salt (LFLSS) diet alone (n=24) or supplemented with baru (5% w/w; n=12) for four weeks. At week 5, a subset of LFLSS mice were switched to consume a high-fat, high-sucrose and -salt, (HFHSS; n=12) diet while LFLSS + baru was switched to a HFHSS + baru (5% w/w) for an additional 12 weeks. BP was measured biweekly starting at week 4 using tail-cuff plethysmography and cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography at weeks 5 and 15. BP was found to be lower in the baru group after 12 weeks of HFHSS diet compared to the other groups, although not significantly. As expected, 12 weeks of HFHSS diet significantly decreased ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS). At the end of the study, baru-supplemented mice had significantly higher EF, FS, and stroke volume (SV) compared to HFHSS alone. Our results suggest that baru supplementation improves cardiac function in mice fed a HFHSS diet. Further studies are ongoing to shed light into the underlying mechanisms.
