Pilot Trial of Vachellia farnesiana Pod Polyphenol Extract: Feasibility, Acute Postprandial Glycemic Response, and Incretin Hormone Modulation in Healthy Adults
Abstract
Background Medicinal plants contain bioactive compounds with potential benefits for metabolic regulation, including glucose homeostasis. Vachellia farnesiana (VF) pods are rich in polyphenols, including quercetin, catechins, methyl gallate, prutin, and hydroxycinnamic acids; however, their clinical effects in humans remain underexplored. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and acute metabolic effects of a polyphenol-rich extract from VF pods in healthy adults, with emphasis on glycemic regulation and incretin hormone responses. Methods A single-blind, randomized, controlled pilot trial was conducted in 60 healthy volunteers (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2). Participants received a single oral dose of VF extract (1.2 mg/kg) or placebo (water) before a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Blood glucose, insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) concentrations were measured at multiple time points. Safety was assessed through clinical symptoms, hepatic and renal biomarkers, and urinary levels of kidney injury molecule-1. Results VF extract was well tolerated, with no adverse clinical events or biochemical changes in liver and kidney function. Glycemic reduction during OGTT (P = 0.117), as well as GLP-1 (P = 0.288) and GIP (P = 0.085) concentrations, did not reach statistical significance. Insulin concentrations remained unchanged, suggesting that incretin enhancement is independent of insulin…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 60 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Quercetin Influences Quorum Sensing in Food Borne Bacteria: In-Vitro and In-Silico Evidence
- Phenolic-protein interactions: insight from in-silico analyses – a review
- In Silico Discovery of Candidate Drugs against Covid-19
- Neuropharmacological Effects of Quercetin: A Literature-Based Review
- In vitro and in silico anti-dengue activity of compounds obtained from Psidium guajava through bioprospecting
- Effect of Quercetin Rich Onion Extracts on Bacterial Quorum Sensing
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.