Effect of aqueous green coffee extract (Coffea canephora) on the intestinal health of Wistar rats fed with a hypercaloric and hyperlipidic diet

Abstract

Inadequate eating habits, such as excessive caloric intake and diets high in saturated fats, are associated with the development of obesity and intestinal alterations. Green coffee is rich in bioactive antioxidant compounds, which may assist in obesity management. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of aqueous green coffee extract on intestinal health in Wistar rats fed a high-fat diet. The four experimental groups (n = 8) were: CT (control diet), HF (high-fat diet), HFP (prevention experimental group – high-fat diet with extract supplementation from the first experimental week), and HFT (treatment experimental group – high-fat diet with extract supplementation starting from the 8th week). Compared to the CT group, the HF group exhibited a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in intestinal pH, NO, and SOD levels, as well as in the morphometric parameters of the intestinal mucosa and the quantification of TJ proteins – claudin and occludin. In contrast, preventive supplementation with GCE (HFP group) effectively preserved intestinal mucosal integrity and maintained claudin and occludin. On the other hand, therapeutic supplementation (HFT) reduced the intestinal pH, increased butyrate and acetate levels, recovered the mucosal morphometric parameters, and enhanced the quantification of claudin and occludin. The HFP group showed an increase in Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia and a reduction in Firmicutes. The high-fat diet reduced species richness and diversity and GCE was not able to reverse this. These findings demonstrate the beneficial effects of aqueous green coffee extract on intestinal health, highlighting its potential as a strategy for preventing and treating intestinal alterations induced by a high-fat diet.