title: THE CONSUMPTION OF RED PUPUNHA (BACTRIS GASIPAES KUNTH) INCREASES HDL CHOLESTEROL AND REDUCES WEIGHT GAIN OF LACTATING AND POST-LACTATING WISTAR RATS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The lactating and post-lactating periods are marked by large metabolic change. Production of milk is 60% lipid dependent. We reported in a recent scientific meeting that Red pupunha palm tree fruit increases HDL cholesterol in lactating rats. This study evaluated if consumption of Red Pupunha by adult female rats has a beneficial impact on the lipid metabolism of lacting and post-lacting adult rats.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate if consumption of red pupunha has a beneficial effect in the lipid metabolism of lacting and post-lacting adult Wistar rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups including two for control; (1) control adult lactating rats, (2) control adults post-lactating rats; and two experimental groups; (3) pupunha adults lactating rats and (4) pupunha adult post-lactating rats were evaluated and compared regarding: weight gain, food consumption, plasma total protein, glucose, total lipid, triglycerides, total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol levels. The mean difference and its 95% confidence intervals were used for group comparisons. Group comparisons were evaluated by using analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA). The statistical significance of the pairwise differences among groups was assessed by using the two-sided Tukey test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no important differences in food consumption, plasma glucose, total lipids and triglycerides among groups. The red pupunha lactating group gain less weight showing lower body mass index (BMI) than controls (p < 0.05). Total cholesterol was lower in red pupunha lactating than in controls but not in the red pupunha post-lactating group as compared to controls. Triglycerides were lower in the post-lactating red pupunha group as compared to the control group (p = 0.039) but not for the lactating groups. Red pupunha lactating and post-lactating groups had higher HDL-cholesterol than their corresponding control groups (p ≤ 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Original findings include the beneficial effect of red pupunha in post-lactating rats increasing the HDL-cholesterol and lowering the BMI. Red pupunha was confirmed to increase HDL-cholesterol in lactating rats. These results suggest that red pupunha is a healthy fruit to be consumed during lactating and post-lactating periods as it is related to better lipid profile and less body weight gain.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil.
authors.forename: R Piccolotto
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil.
authors.forename: J R Gonzaga
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil.
authors.forename: R Souza
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: de Aquino Sales
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil.
authors.forename: M Gassen
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.affiliation: Public Health Program, Ponce School of Medicine and the Health Sciences, Ponce, Puerto Rico, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bayona
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Marcon
authors.affiliation: Public Health Program, Ponce School of Medicine and the Health Sciences, Ponce, Puerto Rico, USA.
authors.forename: J Barros
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Monteiro
keywords: HDL-cholesterol; Red pupunha fruit; lactating and post-lactating periods; lipid profile; nutrition