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The Mediterranean Diet and Cardiovascular Health

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2023) | Viewed by 4785

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Isac Medeiros

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Guest Editor

Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas/Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Cidade Universitária—Campus I, Caixa Postal 5009, João Pessoa 58051-970, Brazil
Interests: redox signaling; antioxidants; cardiovascular diseases; hypertension; endothelial dysfunction; natural products; aging; pharmacy; pharmacology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Risk factors such as unhealthy diet, smoking, and dyslipidemia can enhance the development of CVDs. Moreover, the aging process also drives physiological changes that negatively impact the cardiovascular system, mainly when synergism with traditional risk factors occurs, which explains, at least in part, the high number of deaths in the elderly population derived from these diseases.

There is evidence that a nutrient-dense diet with vegetables and fruits containing micronutrients, such as vitamins, carotenoids, and other phytochemicals, protects against CVDs. Phytochemicals are secondary metabolites produced by plants to defend themselves in stress conditions, such as lignans, stilbenes, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. Therefore, dietary phytochemicals such as resveratrol and quercetin reduce endothelial and vascular smooth cell dysfunction, decrease inflammation, neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS), and prevent mitochondrial dysfunction, making them unique as cardioprotectors. Hence, identifying the beneficial effects of using natural bioactive compounds as a promising therapeutic approach for preventing and treating CVDs is essential for the maintenance of human health.

Therefore, this Special Issue invites authors to submit original research and review articles covering the molecular, cellular, and physiological aspects of phytochemicals and their implications on CVDs.

Prof. Dr. Isac Medeiros
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

cardiovascular diseases
cardiovascular aging
natural products
cardiovascular pharmacology
cardiometabolic dysfunction
phytomedicine
phytochemicals
mediterranean diet
nutrition

Published Papers (2 papers)

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14 pages, 3844 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Carvacrol Improves Vascular Function in Hypertensive Animals by Modulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells

by Tays Amanda Felisberto Gonçalves, Viviane Silva Lima, Arthur José Pontes Oliveira de Almeida, Alinne Villar de Arruda, Ana Caroline Meneses Ferreira Veras, Thaís Trajano Lima, Evyllen Myllena Cardoso Soares, Adhonias Correia dos Santos, Maria Eduarda Costa de Vasconcelos, Mathania Silva de Almeida Feitosa, Robson Cavalcante Veras and Isac Almeida de Medeiros

Nutrients 2023, 15(13), 3032; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15133032 - 4 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1507

Abstract

Carvacrol, a phenolic monoterpene, has diverse biological activities, highlighting its antioxidant and antihypertensive capacity. However, there is little evidence demonstrating its influence on vascular regeneration. Therefore, we evaluated the modulation of carvacrol on endothelial repair induced by endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) in hypertension. Twelve-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were treated with a vehicle, carvacrol (50 or 100 mg/kg/day), or resveratrol (10 mg/kg/day) orally for four weeks. Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as the normotensive controls. Their systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured weekly through the tail cuff. The EPCs were isolated from the bone marrow and peripherical circulation and were quantified by flow cytometry. The functionality of the EPC was evaluated after cultivation through the quantification of colony-forming units (CFU), evaluation of eNOS, intracellular detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and evaluation of senescence. The superior mesenteric artery was isolated to evaluate the quantification of ROS, CD34, and CD31. Treatment with carvacrol induced EPC migration, increased CFU formation and eNOS expression and activity, and reduced ROS and senescence. In addition, carvacrol reduced vascular ROS and increased CD31 and CD34 expression. This study showed that treatment with carvacrol improved the functionality of EPC, contributing to the reduction of endothelial dysfunction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Mediterranean Diet and Cardiovascular Health)

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16 pages, 2098 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Vegetable and Fruit Intake Variety and Cardiovascular Health and Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

by Stephanie K. Nishi, Nadine Khoury, Cristina Valle Hita, Andreea Zurbau, Jordi Salas-Salvadó and Nancy Babio

Nutrients 2023, 15(23), 4913; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15234913 - 24 Nov 2023

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Abstract

Introduction: A multitude of evidence supports the consumption of a higher quantity of vegetables and fruits for their cardiovascular benefits. Nonetheless, the extent to which variety is associated with cardiovascular health remains unclear. Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies (prospective cohort and cross-sectional studies) assessing the role of a variety of vegetable and fruit consumption in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in adults. Data Sources: MEDLINE-PubMed, Cochrane databases, and reference lists were searched through March 2023. Data Extraction: Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed the risk of bias (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Tool and Newcastle–Ottawa Scale). Data Analysis: Data were pooled (fixed and random [DerSimonian and Laird] effects for <5 and ≥5 study comparisons, respectively), and heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran Q statistic and quantified (I² statistic). The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to assess the overall certainty of the evidence. Five cross-sectional (n = 45,761) and seven prospective studies (n = 253,422) met the eligibility criteria. Greater variety of vegetable and fruit consumption was prospectively related to decreased all-cause mortality (risk ratio, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.82–0.97], seven study comparisons, n = 196,925), while no significant associations were observed with assessed cardiovascular-related mortality or morbidity. For all outcomes, the certainty of the evidence was graded as “low” or “very low” owing to inconsistency and/or imprecision. Conclusions: Overall, this study shows that greater variety in vegetable and fruit consumption may reduce all-cause mortality and highlights the need for additional studies with a higher degree of evidence to better understand its role in cardiovascular health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Mediterranean Diet and Cardiovascular Health)

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