Conclusion
Ingestion of Pera and Moro orange juice induces changes in plasma metabolites related to the regulation of extracellular matrix, inflammation, oxidative stress, and membrane integrity in healthy rats. Moro orange juice induces a larger number of differentially expressed metabolites than Pera orange juice. Alterations in plasma metabolomics induced by both orange juice are not associated with modifications in cardiac extracellular matrix components. Our results allow us to postulate that orange juice may have beneficial effects on pathological cardiac remodeling.
Methods
Sixty male Wistar rats were allocated into 3 groups: control (C), Pera orange juice (PO), and Moro orange juice (MO). PO and MO groups received Pera orange juice or Moro orange juice, respectively, and C received water with maltodextrin (100 g/L). Echocardiogram and euthanasia were performed after 4 weeks. Plasma metabolomic analysis was performed by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Type I collagen was evaluated in picrosirius red-stained slides and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 activity by zymography. MMP-9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2, TIMP-4, type I collagen, and TNF-α protein expression were evaluated by Western blotting.
Results
We differentially identified three metabolites in PO (N-docosahexaenoyl-phenylalanine, diglyceride, and phosphatidylethanolamine) and six in MO (N-formylmaleamic acid, N2-acetyl-L-ornithine, casegravol isovalerate, abscisic alcohol 11-glucoside, cyclic phosphatidic acid, and torvoside C), compared to controls, which are recognized for their possible roles in cardiac remodeling, such as extracellular matrix regulation, inflammation, oxidative stress, and membrane integrity. Cardiac function, collagen level, MMP-2 activity, and MMP-9, TIMP-2, TIMP-4, type I collagen, and TNF-α protein expression did not differ between groups.