Acceptability and tolerability of a Hibiscus sabdariffa L. beverage and effect on biomarkers of pregnant women : Phase I pilot trial
Alcantar Rodríguez, Víctor (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)
Osorio Díaz, Perla (Centro de Desarrollo de Productos Bióticos)
González vargas, Edmundo (Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad Centenario de la Revolución Mexicana)
Puga Díaz, Rubén (Centro de Desarrollo de Productos Bióticos)
Gutierrez Trujillo, Jesús (Centro de Desarrollo de Productos Bióticos)
Saldo Periago, Jordi (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Background: Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (HS) is a plant in the Malvaceae family, known as roselle, whose calyces contain compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Various studies have demonstrated its antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic, and glycemic control effects. During pregnancy, women also experience metabolic and biochemical changes that allow them to adapt to the development of a new human being. Among these metabolic changes are increased plasma concentrations of glucose and fatty acids, which can serve as substrates for fetal growth. However, if not adequately controlled, they can lead to gestational diabetes and dyslipidemia. One of the main complications of pregnancy is hypertensive disorders, which affect 10% of worldwide pregnancies and are the leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Objective: This work aimed to evaluate the acceptability and tolerability of a Hibiscus sabdariffa beverage and its effect on biomarkers in women in the second trimester of pregnancy. Methods: A four-week phase I pilot trial was conducted in women in their second trimester of pregnancy. Participants consumed a daily dose of HS beverage, which provides 9. 6 mg of total anthocyanins, and several metabolic parameters were recorded (diastolic and systolic blood pressure, plasma glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and creatinine concentrations, as well as urinary protein levels). Measurements were taken before the start of the trial and at the end of the 4 weeks following beverage consumption. Results: The protocol for this study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Centro de Desarrollo de Productos Bióticos. Ten women participated in the trial. Diastolic and systolic blood pressure values did not change significantly between the initial and final measurements. Plasma markers also showed no significant differences between the two measurements, although there was a slight decrease in glucose (from 80. 5 ± 8. 4 to 74. 8 ± 9. 6 mg/dL) and triglycerides (from 110. 7 ± 24. 5 to 105. 7 ± 14. 4 mg/dL). The limitations of this work were the number of participants and the study time, however, as it was a phase I pilot trial, the aim was to identify the acceptability and tolerability of the beverage and to obtain preliminary information regarding the biomarkers to apply them in a study with a larger number of participants over an extended period.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Functional Foods in Health and Disease, Vol. 15 Núm. 11 (2025) , p. 841-853, ISSN 2160-3855

DOI: 10.31989/ffhd.v15i11.1768

13 p, 743.4 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles