Fermented Berry Beverage Phenolics Reduced Fat Mass and Fasting Blood Glucose in High‐Fat Fed Mice

The objective was to determine the potential of phenolic compounds from a fermented 30:70% blueberry‐blackberry beverage to reduce obesity and hyperglycemia in three week old male diet‐induced obese C57BL/6j mice. Mice (n= 12/group) were randomized into six groups to drink: an alcohol‐free fermented beverage (AFFB) containing 65.1 ± 1.6 mg cyanidin‐3‐glucoside (C3G) equivalents/L; three doses of a phenolic extract where AFFB was eluted through Amberlite XAD‐7HP and adjusted to 6.4 (0.1x), 59.6 (1x) and 192.4 (3x) mg C3G eq./L; sitagliptin (30 mg/kg BW/d) or water as positive and negative controls, respectively. After a week, mice started on a 60% fat diet (HFD). Daily consumption of anthocyanins was 8.4, 1.1, 9.0, and 19.0 mg C3G/kg BW/d for AFFB, 0.1x, 1x, and 3x, respectively, with anthocyanins present predominantly C3G (65.8%). The BW/food intake ratio and sucrose consumption were similar (p > 0.05). Mice in the 3x group had the lowest body weight gain (10.3 ± 0.3 g) and the water group the most weight gain (16.7 ± 1.2 g, p < 0.05). The weight increase was attributed to a gain in fat mass (18.0 ± 0.8 % BW for 3x vs. 31.3 ± 1.1 % BW for water) which was correlated with visceral fat (0.8 ± 0.1 g for 3x vs. 2.4 ± 0.2 g for water), while absolute lean mass did not differ (p > 0.05). After 3 weeks of treatment, all groups had fasting blood glucose (FBG) above 126 mg/dL. At the end of the study (week 12), FBG for 1x and 3x groups was significantly lower (168 and 184 mg/dL, respectively) than the water (222 mg/dL), and the sitagliptin group (217 mg/dL, p < 0.05). Overall, phenolic compounds, mainly anthocyanins, from a fermented blueberry‐blackberry beverage reduced BW gain, fat mass accumulation, and FBG in diet‐induced obese mice. Funded by Hatch grant Division of Nutritional Sciences 20/20