Antihypertensive activity of blueberries fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 15313 and effects on the gut microbiota in healthy rats.

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS:

The aim of the present animal study was to examine the anti-hypertensive capacity of two probiotic products combining blueberries and the tannase producing probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 15313 and to investigate if such an effect is linked to a change in the gut microbiota.

METHODS:

Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups of nine each. Three groups of the animals were treated with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) in the drinking water (40 mg/L) to induce a hypertensive state, and the other three groups were not treated with L-NAME (healthy rats). Two blueberry products differing in their phenolic acid content were tested and each rat received 2 g/day of the fermented blueberry powders for 4 weeks. The effects of the study products on the blood pressure, blood lipids, inflammatory markers, organ weights as well as caecal microbiota of the healthy (non-L-NAME-treated) rats were analyzed.

RESULTS:

After four weeks, healthy rats consuming freeze dried fermented blueberries with probiotics had a significant reduction in blood pressure compared to the control rats. In rats with L-NAME induced hypertension there was a significant reduction of the blood pressure after two weeks treatment. The probiotic product with a higher content of phenolic acids reduced ALAT in the healthy rats. Furthermore, ingestion of the probiotic blueberry products resulted in changes of the gut microbiota in the healthy rats.

CONCLUSIONS:

Blueberries fermented with the tannase producing bacteria L. plantarum DSM 15313 have anti-hypertensive properties and may reduce the risk for cardiovascular diseases.

• Authors: Irini Lazou Ahrén, Jie Xu, Gunilla Önning, Crister Olsson, Siv Ahrné, Göran Molin
• Journal: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) (Clin Nutr) Vol. 34 Issue 4 Pg. 719-26 (Aug 2015) ISSN: 1532-1983 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25194632 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antihypertensive Agents
• Plant Preparations
• NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester

Topics

• Animals
• Antihypertensive Agents (pharmacology)
• Blood Pressure (drug effects)
• Blueberry Plants (chemistry, microbiology)
• Body Weight
• Fermentation
• Fruit (chemistry, microbiology)
• Gastrointestinal Microbiome
• Heart (drug effects)
• Hypertension (chemically induced, drug therapy)
• Kidney (drug effects, metabolism)
• Lactobacillus plantarum (metabolism)
• Liver (drug effects, metabolism)
• Male
• NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester (adverse effects)
• Organ Size (drug effects)
• Phytotherapy
• Plant Preparations (pharmacology)
• Probiotics
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Spleen (drug effects, metabolism)