Phenolic acid (PA)-rich Brussels chicory leaves (BCL) promote endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-mediated flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in mice. However, it remains unknown whether BCL and also PA-rich Brussels chicory root (BCR) affect FMD in humans. Thirty-two healthy overweight men (aged 37.41 ± 0.87 years) consumed an isocaloric milk smoothie blended with 100 g of BCL containing 228 mg PA, 26.7 g of BCR containing 27 mg PA, or control maltodextrin for 1 week with a 1-week washout period. Before and after each diet phase, fasting and postprandial FMD, HDL functions, and size-defined subclass profiles (small pre-β1-HDL, medium HDL3, and large HDL2) were assessed. Although neither BCL nor BCR consumption affected postprandial FMD, HDL cholesterol, and HDL2 levels, they comparably improved postprandial HDL functions with increased eNOS activities and accelerated endothelial 7-ketocholesterol efflux, decreased pre-β1-HDL, and increased HDL3. Increased eNOS activities of postprandial HDL depended on its function in accelerating endothelial 7-ketocholesterol efflux, the latter inversely correlated to increased HDL3 and negatively to decreased pre-β1-HDL. In the fasting state, neither BCL nor BCR consumption affected FMD and any HDL-related biomarkers. Brussels chicory improves postprandial HDL functions and subclass profiles in healthy overweight men in spite of no change in FMD.
Zhang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.