Abstract

Caryocar brasiliense (pequi) is an exotic fruit, high in monounsaturated fat acids (MUFA) and bioactive compounds, which have beneficial effects on cardiometabolic risk factors. However, this fruit is poorly studied in this context. In this study, the effects of pequi pulp intake on cardiometabolic risk factors of rats were evaluated. Therefore, 16 male weaned rats were divided into two groups: Control group and Pequi group. Control group was feed a standard diet and pequi group, the same diet added pequi pulp (3.26 g.100-1) for 15 weeks. At the end, plasma lipids, glucose, insulin, Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance index (HOMA-IR), blood pressure, heart rate, hepatic and fecal lipids and intestinal histomorphometric parameters were accessed. Liver and heart samples were harvested for redox status assays. There were no differences between experimental groups for blood pressure, heart rate, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and liver and heart redox status (p<0.05). Pequi group had lowered lipid hepatic deposition and increased fecal output (p<0.05), increased intestinal villus height and crypt depth. Thus, pequi pulp intake minimized liver fat deposition by increasing its intestinal output and improved intestinal structure of rats, which can contribute for reducing cardiometabolic risk factors. MUFA, carotenoids and fibres can be associated, at last in part, with these effects.

Key words: Caryocar brasiliense, pequi, cardiometabolic risk, lipid metabolism, redox status.