Does the Nature of Added Bioactive Lipids Affect the Biological Properties of Yogurts?-Case Study Coconut and Avocado Oils

Bioactive lipids play an important role in human health and their benefits are linked to their chemical nature; for example, medium-chain fatty acids can have an important contribution to body weight management. This work aimed to test a strategy to enhance the quality profile and gastrointestinal tract resistance of previously developed vegetable oil-functionalized yogurts and further probe the biological potential of functionalized yogurts. Fortification with coconut and avocado vegetable oils led to increased nutritional value through an increase in essential fatty acids content, particularly in yogurts with vegetable oil bigels. One of the main problems with bioactive fatty acids fortification is their poor stability during in vitro digestion and consequently poor bioavailability. Despite this, the digested samples decreased lipid accumulation in Hep G2 and 3T3-L1 cells Functionalized yogurts were also responsible for high improvements in adiponectin secretion (35% for COY, 46% for CBY, 53% for AOY, and 48% ABY) compared with control yogurt. Moreover, in the inflammatory model, a reduction between 30% (for control yogurt) and 70% (for CBY) was observed for IL-6 secretion in LPS-stimulated cells. Considering these results, yogurt's fortification with vegetable oils can be a viable alternative strategy to be scaled up for obesity management.

Automated summary

Bioactive lipids, such as medium-chain fatty acids, have important health benefits. This study aimed to enhance the quality and gastrointestinal resistance of vegetable oil-functionalized yogurts and investigate their potential health effects. Fortification with coconut and avocado vegetable oils improved the nutritional value of the yogurts, particularly those with vegetable oil bigels. Despite the poor stability and bioavailability of bioactive fatty acids, the fortified yogurts showed reduced lipid accumulation in cells and improved secretion of adiponectin, a hormone associated with metabolism regulation. They also demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects. These findings suggest that fortifying yogurt with vegetable oils could be a viable strategy for managing obesity.