Emerging microencapsulated apricot kernel powder improves biochemical parameters in rats

This study appears to be the first attempt to use a novel microencapsulated apricot kernel powder (MAKP) to improve diabetes- and obesity-related parameters in the serum and liver tissue of normal-diet- and cafeteria-diet-fed rats. For this purpose, bitter apricot kernel powder (AKP) was microencapsulated within a maltodextrin matrix under optimized conditions, and the effects of treatment with MAKP at two doses (4 and 8 mg) on the parameters in normal-diet- and cafeteria-diet-fed rats were established. MAKP was characterized in terms of its molecular properties, revealing that AKP could be successfully encapsulated. MAKP was established to have clear effects of increasing (P < 0.01) the levels of the native thiol, total thiol, total antioxidant status, high-density lipoprotein and thioredoxin reductase parameters and of decreasing (P < 0.01) the levels of the total oxidant status, disulfide, indexes I and II, oxidative stress index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, glucose, triglyceride, catalase, superoxide dismutase, tumor necrosis factor alpha and glutathione peroxidase parameters. However, these effects were dose independent and more prominent in the rats fed cafeteria diet. As a consequence, the use of MAKP significantly (P < 0.01) improved these parameters in the rats fed cafeteria diet, suggesting that the use of MAKP may contribute to the current efforts that are being exerted to treat diabetes and obesity-related disorders.