2011 Graduate Research Forum Presentation and Poster Abstracts.doc

University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Graduate Student Research Forum 2011 Student Presentation Abstracts March 26, 2011 Department of Nutritional Sciences ORAL PRESENTATIONS Consumption of one lutein-enriched egg per day decreases C reactive protein, plasma insulin levels and improves insulin sensitivity in men and women. Shymaa M. Ata, Jacqueline Barona, Maria Luz Fernandez Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. Thirty three subjects (men and women) aged 40 – 75 y were recruited and randomly assigned to consume either 1 egg per day (200 additional μg lutein/d) (EGG), one lutein-enriched egg (800 additional μg/d) (L-EGG) or the equivalent amount of egg substitute (0 additional μg lutein)(SUB) for 12 wk. Dietary records and plasma lutein concentrations indicated that subjects complied with the diet. Plasma glucose levels did not change over time in any of the groups. However plasma insulin levels were significantly reduced from 384 ± 150 to 279 ± 161 pmol/L ( P 0.01) in the L-EGG group with no changes in the EGG or SUB groups. Similarly, insulin resistance as measured by homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) was reduced from 1.55 ± 0.76 to 1.02 ± 0.82 (P = 0.008) in the L-EGG group only. Although no changes were observed in Inteleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha or monocyte chemotactic protein-1 over time, those subjects consuming eggs (EGG and L-EGG groups) had a significant reduction in CRP after 12 wk. Further, 4 of the subjects had metabolic syndrome at the beginning of the intervention (2 EGG and 2 SUB) and only 1 subject from the SUB group remained in this condition. These data suggest that consumption of one egg per day decreases inflammation and the inclusion of additional lutein results in decreased insulin levels and improved insulin sensitivity [Supported by the American Egg Board].  An antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of lutein in aorta and liver of guinea pig