Evaluation of the Effects of Instant Cascara Beverage on the Brain-Gut Axis of Healthy Male and Female Rats
Paula Gallego-Barceló,
Ana Bagues,
David Benítez-Álvarez,
Yolanda López-Tofiño,
Carlos Gálvez-Robleño,
Laura López-Gómez,
María Dolores del Castillo,
Raquel Abalo
Affiliations
Paula Gallego-Barceló
Department of Basic Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), 28922 Alcorcón, Spain
Ana Bagues
Department of Basic Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), 28922 Alcorcón, Spain
David Benítez-Álvarez
Department of Basic Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), 28922 Alcorcón, Spain
Yolanda López-Tofiño
Department of Basic Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), 28922 Alcorcón, Spain
Carlos Gálvez-Robleño
Department of Basic Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), 28922 Alcorcón, Spain
Laura López-Gómez
Department of Basic Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), 28922 Alcorcón, Spain
María Dolores del Castillo
Food Bioscience Group, Department of Bioactivity and Food Analysis, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Alimentacion (CIAL) (CSIC-UAM), Calle Nicolás Cabrera, 9, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Raquel Abalo
Department of Basic Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), 28922 Alcorcón, Spain
Instant cascara (IC) is a sustainable beverage obtained from dried coffee cherry pulp, rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. The present research aimed to determine the effects of IC on general health and brain-gut axis parameters of healthy female and male rats. Wistar rats were exposed to IC (10 mg/mL) in their drinking water for 3 weeks. Body weight and solid and liquid intakes were monitored as indicators of food safety. Gastrointestinal transit was radiographically evaluated one day (acute) and 3 weeks (chronic) after the start of IC exposure. Locomotor activity, anxiety, and anhedonia of the animals after 3 weeks of treatment was also studied. Overall, compared to water-exposed animals, IC significantly increased food intake in males (p p p > 0.05). In conclusion, repeated intake of IC at the studied concentration did not negatively affect brain-gut axis functions of healthy male and female rats. Anxiety behavior, diarrhea, constipation, abnormal weight modifications, or other typical effects of toxicity were not observed in animals treated with the new powdered beverage, suggesting its food safety under the studied conditions.