Browsing by Person "Stockton, Angela"

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Antioxidant Properties and Beneficial Cardiovascular Effects of a Natural Extract of Pomegranate in Healthy Volunteers: A Randomized Preliminary Single-Blind Controlled Study
(MDPI, 2022-10-28) Al-Dujaili, Emad A. S.; Casey, Ciara; Stockton, Angela
Pomegranates are known to possess anti-hypertensive, anti-atherogenic and cardioprotective effects mainly due to their pleiotropic effects on various cellular pathways, especially those triggered by oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of natural standardized pomegranate (PE) extract on cardiovascular risk factors in 24 healthy volunteers who participated in a randomized, single-blind placebo-controlled study. There were 12 subjects in the PE group and 12 in the placebo group. Variables were measured at baseline and after 14 and 28 days of supplementation are anthropometry, BP, pulse wave velocity, fat and lean body mass, salivary and urinary cortisol, and cortisone, total phenolics, antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation. Urinary total phenolics excretion and antioxidant capacity were significantly increased after 14 and 28 days of PE intake. At day 28, there were also statistically significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), pulse wave velocity, body fat and fat mass, as well as an increase in lean body mass. Significant changes in the placebo group were not found. Glucocorticoid levels showed a significant decrease in saliva cortisol at day 28 (morning) in the PE group, and cortisol/cortisone ratio was significantly decreased following 28 days of PE intake at morning, noon, and evening. Urine free cortisol was significantly reduced at day 14. These findings suggest that pomegranate extract intake may improve antioxidant and oxidative stress status and play a beneficial role in the attenuation of some cardiovascular risk factors. Future studies should concentrate on overweight and older people.
Effect of Pomegranate Extract Consumption on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors, Stress Hormones, and Quality of Life in Human Volunteers: An Exploratory Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
(ECronicon, 2015-10-15) Stockton, Angela; Al-Dujaili, Emad A. S.; McDougall, Gordon; Davidson, Isobel; Drummond, Sandra; Wyness, Laura
Background: Pomegranate extract (PE) provides a rich and varied source of biophenols, which can act as powerful antioxidants. The most abundant being ellagitannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic and gallic acid derivatives.. Evidence suggests that pomegranate juice consumption may alleviate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. This exploratory study investigates the effect of PE consumption on blood pressure (BP), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), stress hormone levels (cortisol/cortisone) and quality of life in healthy human volunteers. Methods: Seven males and 22 females(n = 29) participated in a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled exploratory study (BMI: 25.05 3.91 kg/m_, age: 34.5 13.7 years). All participants consumed either one PE (Pomanox, Pomegreat) or a placebo capsule daily, after a meal, for 4 weeks. Dietary history and habits and the health related Quality of Life questionnaire (Rand 36) were recorded pre- and post-intervention. BP, salivary cortisol and cortisone levels (am, noon, and pm) were assessed by ELISAs, and fasting blood was obtained at baseline and after 4 weeks to compare glucose, insulin and insulin resistance parameters. Results: All participants randomised in the study completed the intervention. Systolic BP was significantly reduced following PE from 120.3 13.3 to 115.6 13.1 mmHg (P = 0.012). There was a reduction in the HOMA-IR levels from2.22 2.62 to 1.61 1.88 (P = 0.045), and glucose, insulin and uric acid all decreased from baseline. No significant changes were recorded in volunteers taking the placebo. PE consumption caused a significant drop of salivary cortisol levels (am; 39.5 19.6%, p < 0.001 and noon; 43.1 32.3%, p = 0.016). The salivary cortisol/cortisone ratio was also significantly reduced (am from 1.11 0.51 to 0.55 0.26, p < 0.001, noon 1.57 0.85 to 0.75 0.72, p < 0.001 and pm; 1.22 0.90 to 0.74 0.59, p = 0.011). Physical (p = 0.018) and social functioning (p = 0.021), pain (p = 0.003), general health (p = 0.008) and overall Quality of Life score (p = 0.007) were significantly improved in those taking the PE capsules. The intervention was delivered successfully with no withdrawals. Conclusions: These results suggest that PE intake rich in biophenols may ameliorate cardiovascular risk factors, reduce stress levels and improve perceived health related quality of life. The reduction in salivary cortisol levels may prove beneficial for people suffering from chronic stress. This exploratory study provides useful information required to conduct a definitive trial.
Effect of Pomegranate Extract Consumption on Satiety Parameters in Healthy Volunteers: A Preliminary Randomized Study
(MDPI, 2022-08-31) Stockton, Angela; Al-Dujaili, Emad A. S.
There has been an increasing interest in nutraceuticals and functional foods in reducing appetite and to lose weight. We assessed the effect of oral pomegranate extract (PE) and PE juice (PJ) intake vs. placebo on satiety parameters in healthy volunteers. Twenty-eight subjects (mean age 34.5 ± 13.7 years, body mass index [BMI] 25.05 ± 3.91 kg/m2) were randomized to 3-week priming supplementation with PE (Pomanox®) or placebo. On week 3, satiety parameters were determined on 1 testing day after participants ingested a breakfast and a lunch meal with PJ juice, using 100-mm visual acuity scales (VAS) for hunger, desire to eat, fullness and satisfaction. Meal quality and palatability were also tested. The desire to eat was less at all time points in the PJ juice with PE priming group and participants were also less hungry (p = 0.044) than those who consumed placebo. There was an overall significant difference between the groups (p 0.001). Participants in the PJ juice with PE priming group experienced significantly greater satisfaction (p = 0.036) and feeling of fullness (p = 0.02) than those in the placebo group. These findings suggest that consumption of PE could have the potential to modulate satiety indicators.
Effect of pomegranate extract on blood pressure and anthropometry in adults: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial
(CUP, 2017-08-09) Stockton, Angela; Farhat, Grace; McDougall, Gordon J.; Al-Dujaili, E. A. S.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum), a polyphenol-rich fruit, has been suggested to reduce cardiovascular risk due to its antioxidant properties. Hypertension and obesity are the most preventable cardiovascular risk factors. Few studies on blood pressure and/or body-weight status have been conducted in human subjects. Previous investigations have tended to focus on pomegranate juice. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of pomegranate extract (PE) on blood pressure and anthropometric measures in adults with no symptomatic disease. A total of fifty-five participants enrolled in a randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial where they were assigned to either PE capsules or placebo capsules for 8 weeks. Blood pressure, body weight, waist circumference, waist:hip ratio (WHR) and body composition (lean body mass, body fat) were measured at baseline, week 4 and week 8. Results showed a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure after 8 weeks (by 279 (sd 532) mmHg; P < 005), while the decrease in systolic blood pressure did not reach statistical significance (257 (sd 74) mmHg; P > 005). Body fat percentage, lean body mass, waist circumference and WHR did not significantly differ between groups at the end of the intervention. Results suggest that PE may reduce blood pressure and possibly prevent hypertension in the normotensive population. Further large trials are required to elucidate this effect.
THE EFFECT OF POMEGRANATE ON ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL, COGNITIVE AND SATIETY INDICATORS OF RISK FACTORS FOR NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
(Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, 2019) Stockton, Angela
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular, endocrine, metabolic and cerebrovascular diseases are increasing contributors to, and major causes of worldwide morbidity and mortality. Hypertension and obesity are the most preventable cardiovascular risk factors which can be modified by diet and lifestyle changes. The pomegranate, valued as a medicinal fruit since antiquity, and its extract (PE), are both rich in polyphenol antioxidants which have the potential to improve both the management and outcomes of chronic disease, to decrease blood pressure and increase satiety, thus assisting in the reduction of cardiovascular disease (CVD), overweight and obesity. Chronic pomegranate supplementation has recently been shown to improve memory retention, and verbal memory with increased functional brain activity during visual and verbal memory tasks. PE consumption may perform a role in enhancing cognitive performance or towards preventing cognitive decline. The primary aims of this research were to investigate the effects of PE on BP and stress hormones, and to explore the relationship between PE intake and satiety, anthropometry, quality of life (QoL) and cognitive function indicators. Four studies were conducted in healthy volunteers to fulfil these aims using double-blind, placebo-controlled, RCT designs. The first three parallel studies were conducted over 4 and 8 weeks. The exploratory (Pom-01; n=29), satiety (Pom-01s; n=29) and blood pressure and anthropometry (Pom-02; n=55) studies investigated the effect of PE consumption on anthropometric, physiological, biochemical, satiety and QoL parameters. The fourth crossover RCT (Pom-03; n=20) explored the acute effect of PE on cognitive function. In Pom-01, paired t-tests showed that systolic BP was significantly reduced following PE intake (4.75 mmHg; p = 0.012), with reductions in diastolic BP (1.73 mmHg; p˃0.05). Levels of HOMA-IR (p = 0.045), glucose, insulin and uric acid all decreased. No significant changes were recorded in volunteers taking the placebo (PL). ANOVA indicated no significant differences between the groups. PE consumption caused a highly significant drop in salivary cortisol levels (p = 0.016 to p<0.001), and the cortisol/cortisone ratio was also significantly reduced (p = 0.011 to p< 0.001). The RAND 36 QoL questionnaire showed significant improvements in physical (p = 0.018) and social functioning (p = 0.021), pain (p = 0.003), general health (p = 0.008) and overall QoL score (p = 0.007) over the 4-week study within the PE group compared to no significant changes in these parameters within the PL. In Pom-01s, volunteers taking PE reported feeling less hungry, with less desire to eat, felt fuller and more satisfied, and ate less (p = 0.05) than those who consumed the PL. There was a significant difference between the PE and PL groups in Pom-02 for diastolic BP (F2, 102 =4·4; p = 0·02), where PE decreased (2.79mmHg) compared to placebo. There was a similar non-significant decrease in magnitude of SBP (2.6mmHg) compared to PL. The QoL questionnaire, showed that significant improvements were also found in four parameters for the PE group between baseline and 8 weeks: energy (p = 0.017), emotional well-being (p = 0.003), social functioning (p = 0.046) and the overall QoL score (p = 0.022). There were no significant differences in the PL group. Acute PE ingestion in Pom-03 improved aspects of cognitive performance in healthy adults (Picture Recognition, p = 0.026; overall logical reasoning reaction time (RT), p<0.001; serial subtraction, p<0.001) compared to the non-biophenol PL. These results suggest that PE intake could be useful for public health. It may ameliorate non-communicable disease risk factors, reducing stress and blood pressure levels, improving cardiovascular health, perceived health related quality of life and aspects of cognitive function. The concurrent ability to decrease insulin resistance and modulate indicators of satiety could be of benefit to those who suffer from diabetes (type 2), metabolic syndrome or obesity. Future dietary intervention RCTs should focus on PE treatment effects over time and explore the most effective dosages in different population groups, age and body composition ranges. Key words: Pomegranate, Pomegranate Extract (PE), Polyphenols, Antioxidants, Anthropometry, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Cortisol, Diabetes, Stress, Insulin resistance, Satiety, Quality of Life, Health, Cognitive function, Memory, Ageing, Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, Non-communicable diseases.