Nasturtium (Tropaeolum Majus L) Intake and Biochemical Parameters in Pre-diabetic Subjects in Bogota Colombia
Condition: Pre Diabetes
MeSH terms: Prediabetic State
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Brassicaceae plant family have a high content of bioactive compounds such as e.g.
      glucosinolates (GSLs) and isothiocyanates (ICTs) associated, recently, with diabetes
      prevention. This research proposal has the intention of evaluating if the ingestion of
      freeze-dried nasturtium has a positive effect on the insulin response, lipid profile,
      oxidative stress biomarkers and gene expression of RESISTIN, GLUT 4, acetyl-CoA carboxylase-a
      (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FASN), NRF-2, NQO1, SFRXN1, glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPx-2),
      FOXO1, FOXO3 and FOXO6 in subjects with glucose intolerance.
    

Detailed description: 
      Epidemiological and animal studies have shown that consumption of fruits and vegetables
      decreases the risk of chronic diseases. Especially in T2D, the primary prevention is
      considered as a public health priority. Some studies show an inverse association between
      vegetables intake and T2D prevention, although the underlying mechanisms and the effect of
      individual antioxidant compounds are still unclear.

      Brassicaceae plant family (e.g., broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, watercress, Nasturtium,
      garden cress, kale, cauliflower), have a high content of bioactive compounds such as e.g.
      glucosinolates (GSLs), isothiocyanates (ICTs) and polyphenols, associated, recently, with
      diabetes prevention (18). Human studies in diabetic patients have shown that the consumption
      of broccoli sprouts powder (BSP) containing high concentration of the GLS sulphoraphane for 4
      weeks decreases serum insulin concentration, homoeostasis model assessment of insulin
      resistance (HOMA-IR), LDL, inflammation and antioxidant markers. Besides sulphoraphane other
      GLSs have showed a protective effect in diabetes. Recently, mice fed with very high fat diet
      (VHFD) supplemented with 5% of moringa concentrate rich in benzyl isothiocyanate showed that
      moringa isothiocyanates (MICs) improved glucose tolerance and insulin signaling; reduced
      plasma leptin, resistin, cholesterol, IL-1β, TNFα, and lower hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase
      (G6Pase) gene expression. This evidence suggest that MICs could play a role in T2D prevention
      probably by inhibiting rate-limiting steps in liver gluconeogenesis resulting in direct or
      indirect increase in insulin signaling and sensitivity.

      Recently in vitro studies in human and osteosarcoma hepatoma cells (HepG2 cells) stimulated
      with benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) from Tropaeolum majus, show that this compound is able of
      1) regulate the insulin signaling pathway, 2) down-regulate the gene and protein expression
      of gluconeogenic enzymes G6Pase and phosphoenol piruvatokinase (PEPCK) and 3) up-regulate the
      gene expression of antioxidant and phase II detoxification genes manganese superoxide
      dismutase (MnSOD), nuclear factor (erythroid derived)-like2 (NRF2), NAD(P)H dehydrogenase
      (quinone 1) (NQO1) and sulfiredoxin-1 (SFRXN1) (21). According with this evidence BITC could
      mimics the fasting state, in which insulin stimuli is absent and transcription factors remain
      in the nucleus modulating gene expression of their target genes, with the advantage of
      down-regulating gluconeogenesis instead of increase it suggesting that BITC could have a
      therapeutic role in the prevention or treatment of T2D.

      Despite of strong evidence of 1) chronic inflammation as an underlying cause of T2D, and 2)
      high levels of oxidative stress under T2D conditions the use of ITC-rich foods as
      therapeutics in T2D remains virtually unknown. For that reason this research proposal has the
      intention of evaluating if the ingestion of freeze-dried nasturtium has a positive effect on
      the insulin response, lipid profile, oxidative stress biomarkers and gene expression of
      RESISTIN, GLUT 4, acetyl-CoA carboxylase-a (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FASN), NRF-2, NQO1,
      SFRXN1, glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPx-2), FOXO1, FOXO3 and FOXO6 in subjects with glucose
      intolerance.
    

Intervention name(s): Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus); Placebo
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): Freeze dried nasturtium (Edible flower); collagen colored with green pigment used in the food industry
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Tropaeolum majus L.