Scientists have observed that orange peels could reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Orange peels may have positive effects on cardiovascular health.
- Scientists have discovered that these peels could reduce the production of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which promotes the onset of cardiovascular diseases.
- This discovery could open the way to new therapeutic avenues.
Often thrown in the trash or compost, organ peels could nevertheless improve cardiovascular health, according to research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The effects of orange peels to protect against cardiovascular diseases
Within our microbiota, certain intestinal bacteria participate in the development of cardiovascular diseases. During digestion, they feed on certain nutrients and produce trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which promotes the onset of cardiovascular pathologies.
In this study, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic (USA) analyzed the effects of orange peels to reduce the production of TMAO and thus prevent the risks of cardiovascular diseases. The scientists tested two types of extracts: a polar fraction and a non-polar fraction. In order to obtain them, they used polar and non-polar solvents to extract the orange peel. “If you imagine your salad dressing, everything in the water or vinegar part is the polar fraction; everything in the oil, away from the water, is the nonpolar fraction (…) The solvents we used are not exactly like water and oil, but they have a similar polarity.”Yu Wang, first author of the study and professor in the department of inflammation and immunity at the Cleveland Clinic.
Orange peels and cardiovascular health: new therapeutic avenues
According to the results, the extract of the nonpolar fraction of orange peel effectively inhibited the production of TMAO. A compound, called feruloylputrescine, in the extract of the polar fraction of orange peel also inhibited the enzyme responsible for the production of TMAO. “This is a new discovery that highlights the previously unrecognized health potential of feruloylputrescine in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (…) Our research paves the way for the development of functional foods enriched with these bioactive compounds, thus offering new therapeutic strategies for heart health”Yu Wang stressed.
