Study to evaluate the beneficial effects on the cardiovascular health of new apple varieties with red pulp

The University of Lleida (UdL) and the Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida (IRBLleida) have initiated a study to evaluate the absorption, metabolism and bioavailability of phenolic compounds, chemical compounds found in plants and fruits, of the new red apple varieties. This study will allow to determine the beneficial effects on the cardiovascular health of this variety. The apple with red pulp has been specially chosen for its contribution in anthocyanins, common compounds of red fruits that have antioxidant effects beneficial to health. The study corresponds to a project coordinated with the Research Group on Functional Nutrition, Oxidation and Cardiovascular Disease, Functional Nutrition, Oxidation, and CVD Research Group (NFOC-Health) of the Department of Medicine and Surgery of the Rovira y Virgili University, led by Rosa Solà.

The Antioxidant Research Group of the Department of Food Technology of the UdL School of Agricultural Engineering, led by M. José Motilva, in collaboration with the scientific-technical service of the Unit for the Detection and Treatment of Atherothrombotic Diseases (UDETMA) and the Vascular Imaging Laboratory of IRBLleida, has started this study that has 10 healthy volunteers from 25 to 50 years old. The project was carried out in November in the new facilities of IRBLleida, in the biomedical building 2.

The volunteers carry out the fasting ingestion of a red apple snack (equivalent to the intake of two apples), and then collect blood and urine samples at different times and up to 24 hours. The intake of dehydrated snack allows to preserve all the bioactive compounds and vitamins of fresh fruit and increases the concentration of compounds beneficial for cardiovascular health, without side effects.