(P06-022-23) Effects of Acute Montmorency Tart Cherry Supplementation on Food-Induced Increases in Uric Acid and Inflammatory Markers: A Proof of Concept Study

Objectives: Elevated uric acid (UA) levels contribute to gout, hyperglycemia, inflammation, and obesity. High purine intake increases UA levels and can promote inflammation. Polyphenols have been reported to counteract this effect. This study examined if tart cherry (TC) reduces uricemic and inflammatory response to ingesting a meal high in purines.

Methods: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, counterbalanced manner, 8 overweight males and females with mildly elevated UA (42±9 years, 84±21 kg, 28.9±5.5 kg/m², UA 6.0±1.7 mg/dL) donated fasted blood before random assignment to consume capsules containing 960 mg of a dextrose placebo (PLA) or TC (CherryPURE®). After 60-min, participants drank one serving of soup (10 g of carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 1 g fat) containing purines. Blood was taken 240-min post-ingestion. After a 10 – 14-d washout the experiment was repeated with the opposite treatment. Blood was assayed for UA and inflammatory markers. Data were analyzed by General Linear Model (GLM) with repeated measures and mean changes from baseline with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Data are presented as mean [LL, UL].

Results: GLM analysis showed a significant time x treatment interaction effect (p = 0.03, η_p² = 0.51) with no univariate interaction effects. Pairwise analysis of changes from baseline with 95% CI’s revealed significantly increased UA levels in both treatments (PLA 1.70 mg/dL [0.49, 2.9], p = 0.01; TC 1.34 mg/dL [0.1, 2.6], p = 0.03) with no significant differences between treatments (0.36 mg/dL [-1.4, 2.1], p = 0.66, η_p² = 0.01). TNFa levels were not significantly changed from baseline (PLA -3.5 pg/mL [-10.6, 3.5], p = 0.30; TC 4.2 pg/mL [-2.8, 11.3], p = 0.22) nor different between treatments (-7.7 pg/mL [-17.8, 2.3], p = 0.12, η_p² = 0.17). Although not statistically significant, PLA slightly increased in IL6 from baseline (PLA 1.94 pg/mL [-0.7, 4.5], p = 0.13; TC -0.06 pg/mL [-2.7, 2.5], p = 0.96).

Conclusions: Acute TC supplementation (960 mg) promoted an overall different UA and inflammatory response to ingesting a purine containing meal. TC may lessen the uricemic and inflammatory response to high-purine meals in individuals with mildly elevated UA levels. However, more research is needed.

Funding Sources: This study was funded by Anderson Advanced Ingredients (Irvine, CA) in collaboration with Shoreline Fruit LLC (Traverse, MI).