A monocentric, randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover trial of nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) on the lipid regulator prostaglandin E2

Corinna Herz; Linda Frei; Hoai T T Tran; Sophie Claßen; Jenny Spöttel; Mareike Krell; Franziska S Hanschen; Marjan Arvandi; Nadine Binder; Monika Schreiner; Sascha Rohn; Evelyn Lamy

doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1223158

A monocentric, randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover trial of nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) on the lipid regulator prostaglandin E₂

Front Nutr. 2023 Aug 3:10:1223158. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1223158. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Molecular Preventive Medicine, University Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
² Institute of Food Chemistry, Hamburg School of Food Science, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
³ Plant Quality and Food Security, Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Großbeeren, Germany.
⁴ Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, Institute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and HTA, UMIT TIROL, University for Health Sciences and Health Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria.
⁵ Institute of General Practice/Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
⁶ Institute of Food Technology and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

Scope: As prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂) has important roles in physiological and inflammatory functions, a double-blind randomized controlled crossover study to investigate the potential of nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) for modulating PGE₂ was conducted, aiming at clarifying the role of benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC). As secondary parameters leukotriene 4 (LTB₄), and cytokine release (tumor necrosis factor alpha, TNF-α; interleukins IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-12) were quantified.

Methods and results: Thirty-four healthy female participants consumed 1.5 g nasturtium containing BITC, (verum) or no BITC (control) twice a day for 2 weeks each. Nasturtium intervention resulted in an increase in mean PGE₂ levels in serum samples (verum: 1.76-fold, p ≤ 0.05; control: 1.78-fold, p ≤ 0.01), and ex vivo stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (verum: 1.71-fold, p ≤ 0.01; control: 1.43-fold). Using a pre-to-post responder analysis approach, 18 of 34 subjects showed a > 25% PGE₂ increase in serum, while it was >25% decreased for 9 subjects (stimulated PBMC: 14 and 8 of 28, respectively). Under the selected conditions, the BITC content of nasturtium did not affect the observed changes in PGE₂. Verum intervention also increased mean LTB₄ serum level (1.24-fold, p ≤ 0.01), but not in LPS stimulated PBMC, and significantly increased TNF-α release in stimulated PBMC after 3 h (verum: 1.65-fold, p = 0.0032; control: 1.22-fold, p = 0.7818). No change was seen in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, or the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, and IL-12.

Conclusion: In contrast to the previously reported in vitro results, on average, LPS activated PBMC and serum from both groups showed increased PGE₂ levels. Further analyses suggest that PGE₂ release after intervention could possibly depend on the baseline PGE₂ level. Identification of phenotypes that respond differently to the nasturtium intervention could be useful to establish personalized approaches for dosing phytopharmaceuticals medicines.

Keywords: Brassicaceae; Tropaeolum majus; benzyl isothiocyanate; nutrition-based intervention; personalized nutrition; responder analysis.