The Effect of Piceatannol from Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis) Seeds on Metabolic Health in Humans
What this study found
Overweight men receiving piceatannol showed improved insulin sensitivity after 8 weeks: fasting insulin decreased from 8.3 to 6.7 µU/mL (p=0.0244); HOMA-IR change −17.2% with piceatannol vs +31.4% with placebo (p=0.016). BP decreased from 131.4 to 120.8 mmHg (p=0.0279); HR decreased from 67.6 to 59.0 bpm (p=0.036). Non-overweight groups showed no insulin-sensitivity or BP/HR improvements; glycated albumin decreased in non-overweight women from 14.4% to 13.9% (p=0.0118). No significant changes in endothelial function, lipids, inflammation, oxidative stress, mood, or Sirt1/p-AMPK expression in…
- Study & population
- Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; 39 adults aged 20–70 years; included overweight (BMI ≥25) and non-overweight (BMI <25) men and women (20 men, 19 women).
- Intervention
- Piceatannol, 20 mg/day, oral capsules, 8 weeks; taken as two capsules per dose, twice daily (total four capsules daily).
- Key limitation
- Small sample size per group (n=5); short duration (8 weeks); single-dose assessment (20 mg/day); limited endpoints; findings may not generalize; no glucose-tolerance testing performed.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Animal studies have shown the beneficial effects of piceatannol on metabolic health; however, there is a lack of human studies designed to examine these effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of piceatannol on metabolic health in humans. This randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 39 subjects, including 10 overweight men and 9 overweight women (BMI ≥ 25), as well as 10 non-overweight men and 10 non-overweight women (BMI < 25). Subjects received piceatannol (20 mg/day) or placebo capsules for eight weeks in a random order. The primary outcome was the effect of piceatannol on glucose-metabolism, including insulin sensitivity. The secondary outcomes were the effects on other parameters, including blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), endothelial function, lipids, inflammation, oxidative stress, mood status, and Sirt1 and phospho-AMP-activated kinase (p-AMPK) expression in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs). Supplementation with piceatannol in overweight men reduced serum insulin levels, HOMA-IR, BP and HR. Other groups, including non-overweight men, as well as overweight and non-overweight women, showed no beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity, BP and HR. Furthermore, piceatannol is not associated with other data, including body weight (BW), body composition, endothelial function, lipids, inflammation, oxidative stress, mood status, and Sirt1/p-AMPK expression in PBMNCs. In conclusion, supplementation with piceatannol can improve metabolic health, including insulin sensitivity, BP and HR, in overweight men.