← Back
Phototherapeutic activity of polypyridyl ruthenium(II) complexes through synergistic action of nitric oxide and singlet oxygen.
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Effects of the DailyColors™ Polyphenol Supplement on Serum Proteome, Cognitive
Function, and Health in Older Adults at Risk of Cognitive and Functional Decline.
Mary O’Leary1, Joanna L Bowtell1, Megan Richards2, Esra Bozbaş1, Abbie Palmer2, Kate
Stych2, Monica Meng2, Adam Bloomfield2, Lauren Struszczak1, Jack Pritchard1, Celeste
Lugtmeijer1, George Vere3, Raif Yücel3, Ana Rodriguez Mateos4, Zicheng Zhang4, Jonathan
CY Tang5,6 Clive Ballard7, Anne Corbett7
1
Department of Public Health & Sports Science, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU
2
Department of Health & Community Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU
3
Exeter Centre for Cytomics, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD
4
Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's
College London, London, UK
5
Bioanalytical Facility, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ
6
Departments of Clinical Biochemistry, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS
Foundation Trust, Colney Lane, Norwich, UK
7
Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU
Abstract
The Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced mortality and cognitive decline, largely due
to its polyphenol content. However, Western populations often do not meet recommended fruit
and vegetable intakes. Polyphenols exert anti-inflammatory effects and may influence
extracellular vesicle (EV) dynamics. DailyColors™ is a polyphenol-rich blend inspired by the
Mediterranean Diet, containing extracts from 16 fruits, vegetables, and herbs. This 60-day,
double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial involved 150 UK adults aged 50+ with a
BMI ≥ 25, recruited to complete cognitive and physical fitness assessments via the PROTECTUK online platform. Participants received either a medium (750mg) or high (2000mg) dose of
DailyColors™ (~300mg and ~750mg polyphenols, respectively) or a placebo. A sub-group
(n=15 per group) underwent additional assessments, including blood pressure
measurements, characterisation of circulating EVs and tandem-mass-tagged serum
proteomics. Significant cognitive benefits were observed, with improvements in reaction time
for the high-dose group and accuracy for both active supplement groups. The high-dose group
also showed significant physical fitness gains on the Timed Stand Test (P<0.001). All groups
improved on the Chair Stand Test. Proteomic analysis showed significantly reduced serum
protein expression in immune and pre-β1-HDL pathways, suggesting anti-inflammatory
effects. Pre-β1-HDL proteins are typically elevated in obesity; their reduction suggests a
reversal of this obesity-related effect. No significant changes were noted in EV concentration
or size. DailyColors™ supplementation, may enhance cognitive function, physical fitness, and
systemic health in older, overweight adults, potentially mimicking the anti-inflammatory effects
of the Mediterranean diet. These findings warrant investigation in larger trials.
NOTE: This preprint reports new research that has not been certified by peer review and should not be used to guide clinical practice.
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Introduction
Consumption of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, such as the Mediterranean diet, is
associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality, especially from cardiovascular disease,
and a slower rate of cognitive decline with age [1–4]. However, adopting the Mediterranean
diet outside of its native region can be challenging, with financial barriers, limited ingredient
accessibility, nutritional knowledge gaps, and other socio-cultural factors impacting uptake [5].
Less than a third of British adults consume the recommended five portions of fruit and
vegetables per day—an intake level linked to reduced morbidity and mortality [3,6].
Epidemiological evidence suggests that polyphenols within these foods play a key role in
reducing cardiovascular disease risk and cognitive decline [7,8]. Despite the health
advantages, achieving population-wide increases in fruit, vegetable, and polyphenol intake
remains difficult. Therefore, there is a pressing need for alternative strategies with low barriers
to adoption that deliver similar health benefits.
Dietary polyphenols appear to exert their effects primarily through anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant mechanisms. Cross-sectional human studies reveal that individuals with higher
polyphenol intakes generally show reduced levels of inflammation [9], supporting the observed
links to improved vascular [10–12] and cognitive [13–15] health. Interventional studies in
animal models offer further evidence, showing that polyphenols can significantly lower proinflammatory cytokines [16–19], enhance antioxidant defences [20,21], and improve cognition
[22–25]. Additionally, polyphenols may improve endothelial function and reduce
atherosclerosis in animal models—both crucial factors in cardiovascular health [26].
Interventional human studies reinforce these findings, with randomised controlled trials
showing decreases in inflammation among those consuming polyphenol-rich foods or
supplements [27–30]. Human trials also suggest cognitive, metabolic and vascular benefits,
[31–35]
There is emerging evidence of mechanisms of polyphenol action that appear to represent
extensions of the well-established anti-inflammatory and antioxidant processes, offering a
deeper understanding of how these actions translate into functional health effects. These
include epigenetic modifications and alterations in extracellular vesicles [36,37]. Extracellular
vesicles (EVs) are released by various cell types in response to cellular stress, activation, and
apoptosis, and carry a cargo of bioactive molecules including phenolic compounds. They are
suggested to play an important role in cell-to-cell communication and are associated with
different clinical conditions and aging [37]. A Mediterranean diet intervention elicited a
reduction in the number of some EVs among elderly participants [38], and reduced
prothrombotic vesicle release in individuals at high cardiovascular disease risk [39]. Cocoa
flavanol supplementation has also been shown to decrease circulating endothelial derived
EVs in overweight young participants (700 mg.d-1 for 4 weeks) [40] and in elderly participants
(450 mg.d-1 for 2 weeks) [41]. These complex emerging mechanisms provide a strong
argument for hypothesis-free ‘omic’ analyses of tissues in those supplemented with
polyphenols. Such analyses could provide a more comprehensive understanding of their
effects across various biological systems.
Improving cognitive health trajectory in older adults is a critical public health issue since early
cognitive impairment is a major risk factor for dementia, a devastating condition which affects
one million people in the UK [42]. Several medical and lifestyle factors are known to increase
risk of dementia, and 40% of dementia cases are potentially preventable through addressing
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
modifiable risk [43]. Older adults are increasingly engaged with the importance of maintaining
cognitive health and research shows a desire for accessible interventions to achieve this [44].
Dietary supplements have been raised as a potential means of benefitting cognitive health in
combination with other lifestyle interventions such as cognitive training, yet evidence is mixed
regarding efficacy of supplements to elicit change [45]. Epidemiological evidence supporting
the benefits of the Mediterranean diet is strong but implementation of a dietary intervention is
challenging [46].
DailyColorsTM is a patented proprietary blend of extracts and freeze-dried powders of 16 fruit,
vegetables and herbs, inspired by the Mediterranean Diet and rich in polyphenols. Previous
analyses have suggested that DailyColorsTM contains a broad range of bioactives, including
phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins and chlorogenic acids. One month of DailyColorsTM
supplementation has been observed to increase hypermethylation of the candidate CpG site
cg13108341, contrary to the trend observed at this site during ageing [47]. However, the ability
of DailyColorsTM to mimic the health effects of the Mediterranean Diet and to reflect known
health effects of dietary polyphenols must be interrogated further.
This study aimed to determine the physiological and cognitive effects of 60 days of
supplementation with either a low (750 mg.d-1) or high (2000 mg.d-1) dose of the DailyColorsTM
supplement versus a placebo in overweight older adults. The UK traditional diet provides
approximately 1000mg.d-1 polyphenols [48]. We interrogated the effects of supplementation
on cognition digital measures of health and wellbeing, blood pressure, the serum proteome
and extracellular vesicles.
Experimental Methods
Study Design
This was a 60-day mechanistic three-arm double-blind placebo-controlled randomised clinical
trial delivered through a remote and hybrid design using the PROTECT-UK research platform
[49]. The study received ethical approval from the University of Exeter Public Health & Sports
Sciences Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 2929219). This trial was retrospectively
registered: ISRCTN10734674
Participants
Participants were 150 adults aged 50 and above who were already participants on the
PROTECT-UK ageing cohort study and residing in the UK. Eligible participants had a Body
Mass Index of 25 or above and living within two hours’ travel time from Exeter. Participants
were ineligible if they had a vegan diet, consumed more than five servings of coffee per day
or regularly consumed anti-inflammatory medications, polyphenol-rich dietary supplements or
medications contraindicated for high doses of grapefruit. The first 45 participants enrolled in
the study were invited to complete additional physiological and proteomic assessments. The
remainder of the cohort completed the trial remotely from home.
Recruitment
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Participants were recruited from the PROTECT-UK cohort using the cohort’s consent-forcontact protocol. Pre-screening of existing data was performed to identify individuals fulfilling
the age, location and BMI eligibility criteria, and participants were contacted by email to
register for the study in a bespoke area of the PROTECT-UK website. Participants completed
a screening questionnaire for all eligibility criteria prior to giving informed consent using an
ethically approved digital process. The sub-group of participants for in-person assessments
completed a second consent process for the additional activities using a written informed
consent process.
Treatment Interventions
Participants were allocated to one of three treatment groups. Active treatment groups received
a tablet containing the DailyColorsTM phytonutrient supplement packed into microcrystalline
cellulose capsules containing additional inert packing ingredients of Natural Rice Concentrate
(NuFlow) and Natural Rice Extract (NuMag) at quantities to ensure the correct dose. The low
dose group received 187.5mg DailyColorsTM per tablet, and the high dose group received
500mg DailyColorsTM per tablet. The placebo capsules consisted of identical capsule and inert
packing components and no DailyColorsTM components (See Supplementary Table 1).
Participants received their tablets in the post or at clinic visits if they were recruited to the subgroup assessment protocol and were instructed to take two tablets in the morning and two in
the evening for a 60-day period.
Randomisation and Masking
Randomisation of participants was achieved through minimisation randomisation using a
validated randomisation software. This occurred after a participant had consented to take part
in the trial. The randomisation algorithm stratified participants by age (age brackets of five
years), sex and BMI (brackets of 25 – 29.9, 30-39.9, 40+). Treatment allocation was recorded
electronically by an independent research staff member. Both participants and research team
were blind to allocation, thus removing any bias. Administrative staff on the trial helpdesk that
had direct participant contact were not involved in any data analysis to avoid any unconscious
bias. Similarly, the web developers involved in maintenance of the trial infrastructure were not
involved in any data analysis or interpretation.
Supplement Analysis
The high dose participants consumed a daily (poly)phenol dose of 462 mg.d-1 (94 mg
anthocyanins, 9 mg flavonols, 109 mg phenolic acids, 180 mg flavon-3-ols, and 70 mg other
(poly)phenols), whilst low dose participants received 247 mg.d-1 (34 mg anthocyanins, 5 mg
flavonols, 67 mg phenolic acids, 87 mg flavon-3-ols, and 53 mg other (poly)phenols). Full
details of the supplement composition and analytical methods are available in Supplementary
Tables 2 and 3.
Outcome measures: The full cohort completed measures of cognition, health and wellbeing
through the PROTECT-UK platform. Cognition was assessed using the FLAME cognitive test
battery, which is validated to detect pre-clinical change in working memory, episodic memory,
attention and executive function [50]. Health and wellbeing were assessed using the Patient
Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression [51], General Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7)
for anxiety [52], Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale for function [53], IQCODE for
subjective cognitive performance [54], an adapted sleep questionnaire and EQ-5D for
wellbeing [55]. Physical fitness was measured remotely using a battery of well-established
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
clinical assessments including the Two-Minute Step Test [56], Timed Chair Stand test [57],
Chair-Stand test and self-reported gait velocity.
For the sub-group, further assessments were performed in-person at a clinical facility at
baseline and after 60 days of supplementation. Following 5 minutes of rest in a seated
position, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured three times using a
sphygmomanometer. Body weight and height were recorded. Venous blood samples were
collected from overnight fasted participants into vacutainer tubes (serum silica tubes, plasma
lithium heparin tubes, EVs 3.2% sodium citrate tubes; Greiner Bio-One, UK) through a large
diameter, 21-gauge needle mounted on a 19cm length of plastic tubing (BD Medical, USA) at
each visit. No tourniquet was used during collection of samples for downstream EV analyses.
Two samples were collected at each visit, a basal sample upon arrival at the facility and a
further sample was collected 2h after ingestion of the first (day 1) and last (day 60) dose of
supplement.
Sample size: This was an exploratory trial to determine the mechanistic action of a dietary
supplement and to collate data of indicative effectiveness across a broad range of cognitive,
health genetic and physiological outcomes. The sample size is therefore based on a pragmatic
trial design to allow for collection of the outcome measures. An indicative power calculation
for the cognitive outcomes was based on existing trials of polyphenols with cognitive
outcomes, which showed that 150 participants would be required to detect an effect size of
0.3 at a significance level of 0.05 with 45% power, allowing for 20% dropout (23). The subgroup
sample size of 15 was determined based on our previously published skeletal muscle tissue
proteomic analyses [58].
Safety Monitoring
Safety monitoring was achieved through participant report of adverse events using an online
report function on the PROTECT-UK dashboard for this trial. Participants were able to access
an online questionnaire that captured data required for evaluation of any adverse events,
which prompted review by the trial management team and reporting as appropriate for Good
Clinical Practice. Participants were also able to contact the study helpdesk to report an
adverse event at any time during the study.
Cognitive Data Analysis
Cognitive data was processed to provide total scores for individual tests and cognitive
domains, and subject to a pre-post analysis using paired t-tests, controlling for age and sex.
Data for health and wellbeing data was also analysed using this methodology.
Phenolic Blood Analysis
Plasma samples were analysed for phenolic metabolite concentration at the Bioanalytical
Facility, University of East Anglia. Plasma concentrations of protocatechuic acid, 4hydroxybenzoic acid, hippuric acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid and isoferulic acid were quantified
using a Waters Xevo TQ-XS tandem mass spectrometer coupled with an Acquity I-class ultra
high-pressure liquid chromatography pump (UPLC) system (Waters Corp., Milford, MA, USA)
as described previously [59]. The plasma sample extraction procedure was described in
[60]and detailed here in the supplementary materials with the assay performance statistics
(Supplementary Table 4).
Extracellular Vesicle Blood Analysis
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
To obtain platelet-free plasma (PFP), venous blood was centrifuged at 2,500 x g for 15
minutes, with no brake at room temperature and the upper two-thirds were collected and
centrifuged again at 2,500 x g for 15 minutes, with no brake at room temperature. The upper
three-quarters of each tube were collected and identified as PFP. Prepared PFP was aliquoted
and stored at −80 °C for further analysis.
Isolation: Size exclusion columns (qEVoriginal Gen 2, Izon Science) were used to isolate
circulating EVs from PFP as recommended by the manufacturer. The column within the
operational temperature range (18-24°C) was equilibrated with 30 ml of PBS (Sigma-Aldrich,
Dorset, UK), then 0.5 ml of PFP was loaded on top of the luer-slip cap and allowed to enter
the column. The top reservoir was then filled with PBS and the first 2.5 ml of eluent was
collected in separate collection tubes as these initial fractions primarily contain larger proteins
and debris. Then 0.4 ml of eluent was collected per fraction and the EV-rich fractions (2~4)
were obtained and pooled together.
Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis: The size distribution and concentration of EVs were
determined by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) using a NanoSight 300 (NS300; Malvern,
Amesbury, UK). Isolated EV samples by SEC were diluted in filtered, sterile PBS (SigmaAldrich, Dorset, UK) to carry out the measurement and manually injected into the NTA sample
chamber using a 1 ml syringe and syringe pump at room temperature. Three 1-minute videos
of each diluted sample were captured at camera level 13 and frame rate of 25 per second and
analysed by Nano 3.4 software. The isolation of EVs using SEC results in highly purified EVs,
but some lipoprotein classes may co-isolate with them [61]; in order to achieve the best
possible separation from lipoproteins, a threshold of 70 nm diameter was set. Since the
majority of lipoproteins are smaller than this and the samples were always from fasted
subjects, the EV preparations were essentially free of lipoprotein contamination. However, the
threshold of 70 nm meant that EVs smaller than this could not be captured.
Flow cytometry: In this study, appropriate reporting methods followed MIFlowCyt guidelines,
detailing the flow cytometer settings and reagents used [1]. Prior to flow cytometry, 5 μl of
isolated EVs were stained with 40 μM CFSE (ThermoFisher Scientific, Paisley, UK), then an
antibody staining cocktail of anti-CD31-PE (BD Bioscience, Oxford, UK), anti-CD41a-APC (BD
Bioscience, Oxford, UK), and anti-CD45-BV711 (BD Bioscience, Oxford, UK). Stained EVs
were diluted in filtered PBS before acquisition on a 5-laser Cytek Aurora Flow Cytometer with
an enhanced small particle detection module (ESP) using SpectroFlo software (Cytek
Biosciences Inc, Fremont, CA). SSC and fluorescence gains were increased to the resolution
of EVs and a threshold for both SSC/BL1 (SSC:750 OR BL1:750) was set. Samples were run
on a low flow rate for 2 minutes. Sizing of EVs was conducted using Mie scatter interpolation
via FCMPASS (Welsh 2019 Cytometry A) calibrated for each measurement using ApogeeMix
beads (Cat#1527, Apogee Flow Systems, UK). FCMPASS-processed FCS files were then
gated in FlowJo v10.10.0 (BD Life Sciences) to identify EV populations using fluorescence
minus one (FMO) controls to gate total (CFSE+), platelet-derived EVs (CD41+) and endothelial
cell-derived EVs (CD31+CD45-) and immune-derived (CD45+) EVs (Supplementary Figure 1A
and B), and size/concentration of these populations exported for downstream analysis [62,63].
Detection of coincident EV events (swarming) was ruled out by performing serial dilution of
isolated EVs which showed a linear decrease in event rate (Supplementary Figure 1C). This
corresponded to approximately 5000 events per second, and participant samples were diluted
to run at this event rate.
Proteomics
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Serum samples (10ul) were depleted of the 14 most abundant proteins using High-Select™
Top14 Abundant Protein Depletion Resin, according to the manufacturer’s protocol (Pierce).
Aliquots of 30µg of each depleted sample were digested with trypsin (1.25µg trypsin; 37°C,
overnight), labelled with Tandem Mass Tag (TMTpro) eighteen plex reagents according to the
manufacturer’s protocol (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Loughborough, LE11 5RG, UK) and the
labelled samples pooled.
An aliquot of 200ug of the pooled sample was desalted using a SepPak cartridge according
to the manufacturer’s instructions (Waters, Milford, Massachusetts, USA). Eluate from the
SepPak cartridge was evaporated to dryness and resuspended in buffer A (20 mM ammonium
hydroxide, pH 10) prior to fractionation by high pH reversed-phase chromatography using an
Ultimate 3000 liquid chromatography system (Thermo Fisher Scientific). In brief, the sample
was loaded onto an XBridge BEH C18 Column (130Å, 3.5 µm, 2.1 mm X 150 mm, Waters,
UK) in buffer A and peptides eluted with an increasing gradient of buffer B (20 mM Ammonium
Hydroxide in acetonitrile, pH 10) from 0-95% over 60 minutes. The resulting fractions
(concatenated into 20 in total) were evaporated to dryness and resuspended in 1% formic acid
prior to analysis by nano-LC MSMS using an Orbitrap Fusion Lumos mass spectrometer
(Thermo Scientific).
High pH RP fractions were further fractionated using an Ultimate 3000 nano-LC system in line
with an Orbitrap Fusion Lumos mass spectrometer (Thermo Scientific). In brief, peptides in
1% (vol/vol) formic acid were injected onto an Acclaim PepMap C18 nano-trap column
(Thermo Scientific). After washing with 0.5% (vol/vol) acetonitrile 0.1% (vol/vol) formic acid
peptides were resolved on a 250 mm × 75 μm Acclaim PepMap C18 reverse phase analytical
column (Thermo Scientific) over a 150 min organic gradient, using 7 gradient segments (16% solvent B over 1min., 6-15% B over 58min., 15-32%B over 58min., 32-40%B over 5min.,
40-90%B over 1min., held at 90%B for 6min and then reduced to 1%B over 1min.) with a flow
rate of 300 nl min−1. Solvent A was 0.1% formic acid and Solvent B was aqueous 80%
acetonitrile in 0.1% formic acid. Peptides were ionized by nano-electrospray ionization at
2.0kV using a stainless-steel emitter with an internal diameter of 30 μm (Thermo Scientific)
and a capillary temperature of 300°C.
All spectra were acquired using an Orbitrap Fusion Lumos mass spectrometer controlled by
Xcalibur 3.0 software (Thermo Scientific) and operated in data-dependent acquisition mode
using an SPS-MS3 workflow. FTMS1 spectra were collected at a resolution of 120 000, with
an automatic gain control (AGC) target of 200 000 and a max injection time of 50ms.
Precursors were filtered with an intensity threshold of 5000, according to charge state (to
include charge states 2-7) and with monoisotopic peak determination set to Peptide.
Previously interrogated precursors were excluded using a dynamic window (60s +/-10ppm).
The MS2 precursors were isolated with a quadrupole isolation window of 0.7m/z. ITMS2
spectra were collected with an AGC target of 10 000, max injection time of 70ms and CID
collision energy of 35%.
For FTMS3 analysis, the Orbitrap was operated at 50 000 resolution with an AGC target of 50
000 and a max injection time of 105ms. Precursors were fragmented by high energy collision
dissociation (HCD) at a normalised collision energy of 60% to ensure maximal TMT reporter
ion yield. Synchronous Precursor Selection (SPS) was enabled to include up to 10 MS2
fragment ions in the FTMS3 scan.
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
The raw data files were processed and quantified using Proteome Discoverer software v2.4
(Thermo Scientific) and searched against the UniProt Human database (downloaded January
2024: 82415 entries) using the SEQUEST HT algorithm. Peptide precursor mass tolerance
was set at 10ppm, and MS/MS tolerance was set at 0.6Da. Search criteria included oxidation
of methionine (+15.995Da), acetylation of the protein N-terminus (+42.011Da) and Methionine
loss plus acetylation of the protein N-terminus (-89.03Da) as variable modifications and
carbamidomethylation of cysteine (+57.0214) and the addition of the TMTpro mass tag
(+304.207) to peptide N-termini and lysine as fixed modifications. Searches were performed
with full tryptic digestion and a maximum of 2 missed cleavages were allowed. The reverse
database search option was enabled and all data was filtered to satisfy false discovery rate
(FDR) of 5%.
Data were analysed at the University of Exeter. Data were normalised to the total peptide
amount in each sample and scaled using a pooled 'reference' sample common to both TMT
experiments to facilitate the comparison of protein levels between experiments. Data were
log2 transformed prior to analysis. Data were filtered to include only proteins that were detected
in all samples (432 proteins). Reactome (Reactome V8 (https://reactome.org/)) was used to
perform differential gene expression analysis using the ‘Correlation Adjusted MEan RAnk
gene set test’ (CAMERA) algorithm. The false discovery rate (FDR, Benjamini-Hochbergadjusted p-value < 0.05) and log2 fold change (log2FC) values were calculated by Reactome.
Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify coexpressed protein modules in the whole dataset (R version 4.3.2, WGCNA version 1.72-1. A
power parameter with a signed R2 above 0.80 was chosen, with a soft threshold of 10 used
for WGCNA). Module eigengenes were correlated with physiological traits using WGCNA’s
weighted Pearson correlation. Student’s asymptotic p-value was calculated for these
correlations. Correlations between physiological traits were calculated using the same
approach.
Other Statistical Analysis
Other data (plasma phenolics, EVs, physiological measures) were analyzed using ANCOVA,
with pre-supplementation baseline values as a covariate. Analysis was conducted in IBM
SPSS Statistics v29.
Results
Cohort Characteristics
150 participants were recruited to this study, of whom 45 were recruited to the sub-group for
physiological and proteomic analysis. The mean age of participants was 64 (SD 6.7), 80% of
the cohort was female and the mean BMI was 30 (SD 5.09) kg.m-2. The three intervention
groups were well balanced for the stratification factors of age, sex and BMI with no between
group differences at baseline (Supplementary Table 5). Of these, 141 completed the 60-day
study in the full cohort and 37 completed the sub-group analysis (Figure 1).
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Figure 1. CONSORT Chart showing flow of participants through the study
Anthropometric Data and Blood Pressure
There was no effect of supplementation on anthropometric data. There was a significant
condition effect for systolic blood pressure (p=0.024) when controlled for baseline, with a
greater increase in SBP in the high versus low dose condition (p=0.023) after 60d
supplementation.
Effect of DailyColorsTM supplementation on cognition and digital measures of health
and wellbeing
Analysis of cognitive data showed a significant benefit to attentional measures of reaction time
(Digit Vigilance: Cohen’s D effect size 0.34, P=0.042) in the high dose group and accuracy in
both active intervention groups (Delayed Picture Recognition: Low Dose group ES = 0.41, P
= 0.015; High Dose group ES = 0.42, P = 0.014) but not in the placebo group. No significant
impact was seen on measures of memory or executive function.
For online measures of physical fitness, significant improvement was seen in the High Dose
group in the Timed Stand Test (P<0.001) and on the Chair Stand Test in all groups, with the
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
greatest impact on the active intervention groups (P<0.001). In wellbeing measures, significant
improvement was seen across all groups for depression (P<0.0001) but no impact was seen
on other wellbeing measures (Supplementary Table 6).
Phenolic Metabolites
Sixty days of supplementation did not alter plasma concentration of any of the measured
phenolic metabolites in the fasted state. However, there was a significant elevation of some of
the measured plasma phenolic metabolite concentrations 2 h after ingestion of the first dose
(isoferulic, protocatechuic and vanillic acids) and final dose (protocatechuic and vanillic acids)
of supplement; whilst plasma hippuric acid concentrations decreased 2 h after ingestion of first
and final supplement dose (Figure 2). Two hours after ingestion of the first and final
supplement doses, plasma ferulic (P<0.05) and vanillic acid (P<0.001) concentrations were
significantly higher in the high dose condition than both placebo and Low Dose conditions,
when controlled for baseline concentrations. Additionally, 2 hours after the final dose, plasma
concentrations of isoferulic acid (P<0.05) and vanillic acid (P<0.001) were significantly higher
in the Low Dose group compared to the placebo, after adjusting for baseline levels. In contrast,
2 hours after the final dose, plasma hippuric acid concentration was significantly lower in the
Low Dose group compared to the placebo, after adjusting for baseline levels (P<0.005).
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Figure 2. Effect of sixty days DailyColors™ supplementation on plasma phenolic metabolite
concentrations. Plasma concentrations of phenolic metabolites were measured in the fasted
state and 2 hours after ingestion of the first and final supplement doses. DailyColors™ High
Dose = 2000 mg DailyColors™. DailyColors™ Low Dose = 750 mg DailyColors™ combined
with microcrystalline cellulose as a filler. Placebo = microcrystalline cellulose.
Extracellular Vesicles
The DailyColors™ supplementation had no significant effect on total EV concentration/size or
the size/concentration of specific EV populations (CD31+, CD41 +, CD45 +, or CD31+CD45-),
following the 60-day intervention (Supplementary Figures 2-4).
Effect of DailyColors™ Supplementation on the Serum Proteome
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Sixty days dietary supplementation with DailyColors™ significantly reduced the expression of
proteins in pathways related to the adaptive immune system, the innate immune system,
haemostasis, high-density lipoprotein assembly and vesicle-mediated transport. High-dose
and low-dose DC treatments elicited congruent effects across multiple pathways (Table 1).
These effects were distinct from those of the placebo, with no overlap in the serum proteomic
responses. The placebo reduced the expression of proteins in pathways related to chromatin
organisation, smooth muscle contraction, protein folding, epigenetic regulation of gene
expression and DNA repair (Table 1).
Table 1. Proteomic Themes Differentially Regulated by 60 Days DailyColours or Placebo Supplementation. Reactome parent and first-level
child pathways that significantly differed following supplementation with DailyColors ‘High dose’ (2000 mg) ‘Low dose’ (750 mg) or ‘Placebo’
(microcrystalline cellulose) are presented. Second level immune-related pathways are presented for completeness. Disease-related
pathways are excluded.
High
Low
Placebo
Theme
Adaptive Immune System
Signalling by B cell receptor
Lymphoid- non-lymphoid
immunoregulation
Innate Immune System
FCERI signalling
FCGR Dependent Phagocytosis
Inflammasomes
Complement Cascade
DC
High
DC
Low
Placebo
FDR
LogFC
FDR
LogFC
FDR
LogFC
0.01
0.03
-0.10
-0.23
0.08
0.02
-0.18
-0.29
0.20
0.44
-0.09
-0.18
0.04
0.03
0.03
<0.01
0.60
0.04
0.01
0.06
0.21
0.20
0.61
0.20
-0.12
-0.03
-0.24
-0.26
0.02
-0.06
-0.19
-0.07
-0.04
-0.13
-0.07
-0.13
0.02
0.14
<0.01
<0.01
0.02
0.22
0.01
<0.01
0.01
0.31
0.21
0.31
-0.18
-0.03
-0.32
-0.39
-0.18
-0.11
0.05
-0.13
-0.10
-0.13
-0.18
-0.13
0.49
0.36
0.56
0.34
0.14
0.74
0.28
0.26
0.14
0.01
0.02
0.01
-0.12
-0.05
-0.17
-0.20
-0.26
-0.07
-0.05
-0.09
-0.06
-0.32
-0.28
-0.32
-0.13
-0.13
0.01
0.01
-0.32
-0.32
HDL Assembly
Vesicle Mediated Transport
Haemostasis/Acute Phase Proteins
Chromatin Organisation
Smooth Muscle Contraction
Protein Folding
Epigenetic Regulation of Gene
Expression
0.20
-0.13
0.31
DNA repair
0.20
-0.13
0.31
FDR = False discovery rate. LogFC = Base 2 logarithm of pre-post supplementation fold change.
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
WGCNA identified two protein modules. Module 1 contained 23 – largely cytoskeletal –
proteins (Supplementary File 2). For these analyses, supplementation status was coded as ‘0’
(placebo) or ‘1’ (DailyColors™, either dose). Module 1 was not significantly correlated with
supplementation status (DailyColors™ vs placebo). However, this module displayed significant
correlations with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.29, p = 0.020), balance (r = -0.2, p = 0.026),
attention (r = -0.30, p = 0.018), serum isoferulic acid 2h following supplement consumption (r
= -0.25, p = 0.047), and baseline serum 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (r = -0.30, p = 0.017).
Most (406) other detected – largely acute phase – serum proteins were grouped into Module
0. Proteins in this module were significantly correlated with supplementation status; those
supplemented with DC displayed significantly lower serum concentrations of Module 0
proteins compared to placebo supplemented individuals (r = -0.30, p =0.015).
Correlations between physiological traits were calculated. Supplementation with DailyColors
was positively correlated with ferulic acid and isoferulic acid concentrations 2h post
supplementation (Figure 3); corroborating data presented in Figure 1. DailyColors
supplementation was positively correlated with measures of improved cognitive function
(executive function, picture recognition accuracy, numerical working memory). DailyColors
supplementation was significantly correlated with higher diastolic blood pressure (Figure 3).
Positive correlations were observed between EV surface markers and plasma 4HBA and
hippurate concentrations. CD41+ and CD45+ EV concentrations were positively correlated
with picture recognition reaction time and BMI. Total EV numbers were positively correlated
with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Mean EV size was positively correlated with
better physical performance and balance scores and was negatively correlated with BMI
(Figure 3).
Lower depression and anxiety scores were significantly correlated with better cognitive
function (spatial working memory and choice reaction time; Figure 3).
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Figure 3. Pearson correlations between physiological traits in participants supplemented with
DailyColors ‘High dose’ (2000 mg) ‘Low dose’ (750 mg) or ‘Placebo’ (microcrystalline cellulose)
for 60 days. For these analyses, supplementation status was coded as ‘0’ (placebo) or ‘1’
(Dailycolors, either dose) A blue−white−red gradient indicates Pearson value. * = p <0.05 for
Pearson correlation. EV conc = total extracellular vesicle concentration, flow cytometry.
CD31+, CD41 +, CD45 +, CD31+CD45- denote concentrations of specific EV populations. Total
EV, mean EV size and mode EV size measured via nanoparticle tracking analysis. Basal =
average of data taken before first or final dose of supplement. 2h = average of data taken 2
hours following first or final dose of supplement.
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Discussion
This study investigated the effects of 60 days of DailyColors™ supplementation on
physiological, cognitive, and proteomic outcomes in an older adult cohort. Significant
improvements were observed in cognitive function, particularly in attentional measures and
reaction time, as well as in physical fitness, with marked benefits noted in the high-dose group.
Serum proteomic analysis revealed that DailyColors™ elicited changes in protein expression
in pathways related to inflammation and immunity, vesicle-mediated transport, and high
density lipoprotein (HDL) assembly, distinct from those observed in the placebo group.
Collectively, these findings provide early evidence that DailyColors™ may confer cognitive
and systemic health benefits, with dose-responsive effects evident for cognitive measures and
physical fitness outcomes.
The significant improvements in attentional reaction time and accuracy in the DailyColors™
groups align with prior findings that attentional measures often show early responsiveness to
nutritional interventions. Furthermore, despite being underpowered to provide a definitive
outcome, the effect sizes achieved for these attentional measures are substantial and are
within the same range as those reported for pharmacological interventions in the cognitive
health space [64,65]. This further indicates promising evidence of cognitive benefit. As
attention and reaction time are sensitive markers of cognitive health, these findings
underscore the potential of DailyColors™ supplementation as an accessible approach for
enhancing early-stage cognitive function in aging populations.
Physical fitness improvements, such as the significant gains in the Timed Stand Test in the
high-dose group and in the Chair Stand Test across all groups, support the notion that
DailyColors™ may bolster global physical function. These outcomes could reflect underlying
physiological enhancements, possibly through modulation of inflammatory or metabolic
pathways, as indicated by proteomic findings; these are considered below. The general
improvement in depression scores across all groups, including placebo, likely represents a
broader cohort effect, suggesting that engagement in the study itself may have positively
impacted participants’ mental wellbeing.
DailyColors™ supplementation significantly downregulated proteins involved in both adaptive
and innate immune pathways. Network analysis identified a module primarily containing acutephase proteins. This module showed lower protein expression in DailyColors™-supplemented
participants, strongly corroborating the differential pathway analysis findings. These results
suggest a potential anti-inflammatory effect of DailyColors™, consistent with the welldocumented effects of the Mediterranean diet. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet has been
associated with reduced systemic inflammation, even in the absence of change in body weight
[66–68]. A 3 month study of Mediterranean Diet supplemented with almonds in obese women
found a reduction in circulating IL-6 and IL-1ß, as well as an increase in anti-inflammatory M2
macrophage infiltration into subcutaneous adipose tissue [69]. In an 18-month weight loss trial
with 294 obese participants, individuals were randomized into three groups: Mediterranean
(MED) diet, green-MED diet (enhanced with polyphenols from green tea and polyphenol-rich
shakes), and a control group receiving general health advice [70]. Both MED diets led to
greater weight loss (MED: -2.7%, green-MED: -3.9%) compared to the control group (-0.4%).
At 6 months, the MED and green-MED diets significantly improved cardiovascular and
proinflammatory protein profiles, with the green-MED diet showing greater reductions in
proteins like IL-18, IL-1 receptor antagonist, and leptin, indicating stronger anti-inflammatory
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
effects. These changes were adjusted for weight loss, though weight reduction may still
confound the outcomes. By 18 months, proteomic changes were linked to visceral fat
reduction, particularly in the green-MED group, highlighting potential long-term
cardiometabolic benefits. A notable strength of this study was its proteomic profiling, although
limited to 90 proteins, which may not fully capture all inflammatory pathways. Taken in tandem
with our proteomics results, this suggests that DailyColors™ supplementation mimics many
of the Mediterranean Diet effects, and if consumed over a longer period of time DailyColors™
supplementation may elicit similar benefits. This requires further study.
The downregulated HDL assembly Reactome pathway described in our results delineates the
formation of nascent (discoidal) HDL particles on newly synthesized apoA-I, a process
predominantly occurring in the liver. In circulation, these discoidal HDL particles are further
lipidated through interactions with cells high in cholesterol, transforming them into spherical
HDL. Notably, Sasahara et al. described elevated pre-β1-HDL levels in obese subjects, with
BMI positively correlating with pre-β1-HDL and inversely with α1-HDL in both univariate and
stepwise regression analyses [71]. Elevated pre-β1-HDL levels in obesity are likely due to
increased activities of hepatic lipase and cholesteryl ester transfer protein observed in obese
versus lean individuals-HDL particles; this may decrease α1-HDL and elevate pre-β1-HDL
levels [72,73]. Therefore, our observation of downregulation of this pathway represents a
DailyColors™ induced ‘normalisation’ of a known obesity-induced phenomenon. This is
consistent with widespread observational and interventional findings that the Mediterranean
diet increases HDL and improves indices of HDL quality [74–76].
There was no effect of DailyColors™ supplementation on concentration or size of total EV
concentration or specific EV populations (endothelial- and leukocyte-derived CD31+, plateletderived CD41+, leukocyte-derived CD45+, or endothelial-derived CD31+CD45-). Serum
proteomic analysis revealed that DailyColors™ elicited decreases in proteins related to
vesicle-mediated transport. This Reactome pathway relates broadly to the transport of proteins
and other cargo via vesicles, and includes processes such as vesicle formation, coating,
budding, uncoating, and fusion with the target membrane. This proteomic observation is in
keeping with past findings whereby Mediterranean diet and cocoa flavanol supplementation
decreased EV numbers [38,77,78]. However, this was not borne out by EV measurements in
the present study, perhaps due to the limited sample size. Positive correlations were identified
between EV numbers and plasma 4HBA and hippurate levels. These positive correlations
between EV numbers and two of the measured phenolic metabolites suggest that phenolic
acids might regulate the formation and release of EVs into the circulation and/or that phenolic
acids may be transported within EVs. Indeed, it is known that phenolics can regulate EV
biogenesis [79]. Phenolic compound encapsulation within EVs is well-described in plants, cells
treated with phenolics are known to alter their cytokine and microRNA cargo and polyphenols
can be encapsulated in EVs [79]. What remains to be established is the extent of native
phenolic encapsulation in and transport via EVs in vivo. Concentrations of platelet-derived
(CD41+) and leukocyte-derived (CD45+) EVs were associated with higher BMI; this is
concordant with the literature [80]. Concentrations of these EV subclasses were also
associated with slower reaction times in picture recognition tasks; higher BMI may be an
important confounder as this has been associated with poorer cognitive function [81,82].
Larger mean EV size was associated with improved physical performance and balance,
alongside a lower BMI. Increased circulating EV size can be associated with poor
cardiometabolic risk profile [83]. Acute physical activity is typically associated with reduced EV
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
size (in men only) [84]. However, obese youths who respond to resistance training by
displaying improved insulin sensitivity have larger plasma EVs than non-responders [85]. This
finding requires further study.
Limitations
These data were statistically analysed as within-group pre-post changes. There are several
reasons for this. Participants taking the microcrystalline cellulose placebo reported the highest
rate of side effects, with 13 individual adverse events reported, of which three were
gastrointestinal disturbances, compared with three and one event in the low and high dose
respectively of which one was gastrointestinal. This suggests that the placebo may not have
been inert and likely interacted with intestinal microbiota, leading to gastrointestinal side
effects. The lower-dose DailyColors™ intervention was combined with microcrystalline
cellulose as a filler. Our findings indicate a potential functional interaction between these
ingredients. Specifically, the low-dose DailyColors™ supplement, but not the high-dose
version, led to an increase in circulating isoferulic acid levels two hours after supplementation
on day 60. The low-dose supplement also produced the highest circulating concentrations of
protocatechuic acid at day 60, although this was not statistically significant. Cellulose and
polyphenols are both catabolised by and can in turn alter the intestinal microbiota. Food
polyphenols are also known to adsorb to cellulose [86]. Cellulose fermentation with human
faeces and without the addition of any polyphenols can elicit the production of phenolic
metabolites [87]. It is therefore plausible that this ‘low dose’ phenomenon could be attributed
to an interaction between the gut microbiota and the cellulose placebo. However, given that
circulating metabolites were measured 2h following capsule ingestion, it is highly improbable
that microcrystalline cellulose could have reached the large intestinal microbiome. We
hypothesise that cellulose may be exerting effects in the small intestine, and possibly
influencing the microbiota there. Despite the prevailing research focus on cellulose's effects
in the colon, there is evidence that a portion of cellulose may be absorbed from the small
intestine. Studies with 14C-labeled cellulose show a peak in 14C-CO₂ expiration at
approximately 2 hours post-ingestion, suggesting cellulose presence and absorption in the
small intestine [88]. Finally, the similarity in proteomic results observed for both the low and
high doses of DailyColors™ suggests that using a pre-post analysis approach with parallel
groups is a suitable and effective method for evaluating these interventions.
The relatively short 60-day study duration limits the ability to assess the long-term cognitive
and physiological effects of DailyColors™ supplementation. Additionally, the smaller sample
size in the subgroup analyses of physiological data reduce statistical power. The primary
outcome measure for this pilot study was pathway (not individual protein) level changes in the
serum proteome. Hypothesis-free proteomic pathway analyses are not readily conducive to
traditional sample size calculations, but our previous work suggested that a subgroup sample
size of 15 would be sufficient to identify pathway-level changes [58]. Future research with
extended follow-up periods and larger, more diverse samples is required to confirm and
expand on these findings. Longer-term studies could help determine whether the observed
cognitive benefits are sustained or progress with continued use. Further investigations should
be powered a priori to explore the mechanistic pathways through which DailyColors™ may
act on inflammatory and metabolic processes.
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Conclusion
In conclusion, this study suggests that DailyColors™ supplementation, particularly at higher
doses, may support attentional, physical, and systemic health in older overweight adults. The
significant improvements in cognitive and physical measures, alongside promising changes in
immune-related and HDL protein pathways are consistent with what is known about the effects
of the Mediterranean Diet. These changes indicate that DailyColors™ holds potential as a
safe, non-pharmacological approach to bolster health and wellbeing in later life. This requires
confirmation in larger randomised controlled trials.
Author contributions
MOL contributed to funding acquisition, conceptualisation, data curation, formal analysis,
methodology, project administration, supervision and writing.
JB contributed to funding acquisition, conceptualisation, data curation, formal analysis,
methodology, project administration, supervision and writing.
MR contributed to data curation, methodology, project administration, supervision and writing
EB contributed to methodology, formal analysis, project administration and writing
AP contributed to data curation, formal analysis, methodology and writing
KS contributed to project administration and writing
MM contributed to project administration and writing
AB contributed to software, data curation and writing
CB contributed to conceptualisation, formal analysis and writing
AC contributed to funding acquisition, conceptualisation, data curation, formal analysis,
methodology, project administration, supervision and writing.
ARM and ZZ conducted the (poly)phenol analysis of the supplements
JCYT conducted analysis of plasma for phenolic metabolites.
Conflicts of interest
The authors have no conflicts to declare
Funding Statement
This research was funded by an industrial grant from DailyColors™. The funder had no role in
the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation of data, or decision to publish the
results.
Data Availability Statement
The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author
upon reasonable request. De-identified datasets will be made publicly accessible in an openaccess repository upon acceptance of the manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal.
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Acknowledgements
We thank Dr Kate Heesom (University of Bristol) for her technical support of the proteomics
work presented here.
References
[1]
Moustafa B, Trifan G, Isasi CR, Lipton RB, Sotres-Alvarez D, Cai J, et al. Association of
Mediterranean Diet With Cognitive Decline Among Diverse Hispanic or Latino Adults
From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. JAMA Netw Open
2022;5:e2221982. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.21982.
[2] Holland TM, Agarwal P, Wang Y, Leurgans SE, Bennett DA, Booth SL, et al. Dietary
flavonols and risk of Alzheimer dementia. Neurology 2020;94:e1749–56.
https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000008981.
[3] Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, Zhu M, Zhao G, Bao W, et al. Fruit and vegetable
consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer:
systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
BMJ 2014;349:g4490. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g4490.
[4] Mottaghi T, Amirabdollahian F, Haghighatdoost F. Fruit and vegetable intake and
cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
Eur J Clin Nutr 2018;72:1336–44. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-017-0005-x.
[5] Tsofliou F, Vlachos D, Hughes C, Appleton KM. Barriers and Facilitators Associated
with the Adoption of and Adherence to a Mediterranean Style Diet in Adults: A
Systematic Review of Published Observational and Qualitative Studies. Nutrients
2022;14:4314. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14204314.
[6] Fruit & vegetables. Health Surv Engl n.d. http://healthsurvey.hscic.gov.uk/datavisualisation/data-visualisation/explore-the-trends/fruit-vegetables.aspx (accessed
March 21, 2023).
[7] Lamport DJ, Williams CM. Polyphenols and Cognition In Humans: An Overview of
Current Evidence from Recent Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Brain Plast
Amst Neth 2021;6:139–53. https://doi.org/10.3233/BPL-200111.
[8] Grosso G, Godos J, Currenti W, Micek A, Falzone L, Libra M, et al. The Effect of
Dietary Polyphenols on Vascular Health and Hypertension: Current Evidence and
Mechanisms of Action. Nutrients 2022;14:545. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030545.
[9] Dryer-Beers ER, Griffin J, Matthews PM, Frost GS. Higher Dietary Polyphenol Intake Is
Associated With Lower Blood Inflammatory Markers. J Nutr 2024;154:2470–80.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.05.005.
[10] Cassidy A, Mukamal KJ, Liu L, Franz M, Eliassen AH, Rimm EB. High anthocyanin
intake is associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction in young and middleaged women. Circulation 2013;127:188–96.
https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.122408.
[11] Cassidy A, Bertoia M, Chiuve S, Flint A, Forman J, Rimm EB. Habitual intake of
anthocyanins and flavanones and risk of cardiovascular disease in men. Am J Clin Nutr
2016;104:587–94. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.116.133132.
[12] Tresserra-Rimbau A, Rimm EB, Medina-Remón A, Martínez-González MA, de la Torre
R, Corella D, et al. Inverse association between habitual polyphenol intake and
incidence of cardiovascular events in the PREDIMED study. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis
NMCD 2014;24:639–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2013.12.014.
[13] Kuriyama S, Hozawa A, Ohmori K, Shimazu T, Matsui T, Ebihara S, et al. Green tea
consumption and cognitive function: a cross-sectional study from the Tsurugaya Project
1. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;83:355–61. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/83.2.355.
[14] Kesse-Guyot E, Fezeu L, Andreeva VA, Touvier M, Scalbert A, Hercberg S, et al. Total
and specific polyphenol intakes in midlife are associated with cognitive function
measured 13 years later. J Nutr 2012;142:76–83. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.111.144428.
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
[15] Moreira A, Diógenes MJ, de Mendonça A, Lunet N, Barros H. Chocolate Consumption
is Associated with a Lower Risk of Cognitive Decline. J Alzheimers Dis JAD
2016;53:85–93. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-160142.
[16] Wu T, Jiang Z, Yin J, Long H, Zheng X. Anti-obesity effects of artificial planting
blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) anthocyanin in high-fat diet-treated mice. Int J Food Sci
Nutr 2016;67:257–64. https://doi.org/10.3109/09637486.2016.1146235.
[17] Prior RL, E. Wilkes S, R. Rogers T, Khanal RC, Wu X, Howard LR. Purified Blueberry
Anthocyanins and Blueberry Juice Alter Development of Obesity in Mice Fed an
Obesogenic High-Fat Diet. J Agric Food Chem 2010;58:3970–6.
https://doi.org/10.1021/jf902852d.
[18] Vendrame S, Zhao A, Merrow T, Klimis-Zacas D. The Effects of Wild Blueberry
Consumption on Plasma Markers and Gene Expression Related to Glucose
Metabolism in the Obese Zucker Rat. J Med Food 2015;18:619–24.
https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2014.0065.
[19] Aires V, Labbé J, Deckert V, Pais de Barros J-P, Boidot R, Haumont M, et al. Healthy
adiposity and extended lifespan in obese mice fed a diet supplemented with a
polyphenol-rich plant extract. Sci Rep 2019;9:9134. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598019-45600-6.
[20] Most J, Warnke I, Boekschoten MV, Jocken JWE, Groot P de, Friedel A, et al. The
effects of polyphenol supplementation on adipose tissue morphology and gene
expression in overweight and obese humans. Adipocyte 2018;7:190.
https://doi.org/10.1080/21623945.2018.1469942.
[21] Hwang YP, Choi JH, Yun HJ, Han EH, Kim HG, Kim JY, et al. Anthocyanins from purple
sweet potato attenuate dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver injury in rats by inducing
Nrf2-mediated antioxidant enzymes and reducing COX-2 and iNOS expression. Food
Chem Toxicol Int J Publ Br Ind Biol Res Assoc 2011;49:93–9.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2010.10.002.
[22] Geertsema J, Kratochvil M, González-Domínguez R, Lefèvre-Arbogast S, Low DY, Du
Preez A, et al. Coffee polyphenols ameliorate early-life stress-induced cognitive deficits
in male mice. Neurobiol Stress 2024;31:100641.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100641.
[23] Chen P, Guo Z, Lei J, Wang Y. Pomegranate polyphenol punicalin ameliorates
lipopolysaccharide-induced memory impairment, behavioral disorders, oxidative stress,
and neuroinflammation via inhibition of TLR4-NF-кB pathway. Phytother Res PTR
2024;38:3489–508. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.8219.
[24] Yang H, Song R, Xie Y, Qian Q, Wu Z, Han S, et al. Apple Polyphenol Extract
Ameliorates Atherosclerosis and Associated Cognitive Impairment through Alleviating
Neuroinflammation by Weakening TLR4 Signaling and NLRP3 Inflammasome in HighFat/Cholesterol Diet-Fed LDLR-/- Male Mice. J Agric Food Chem 2023;71:15506–21.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01966.
[25] Khan A, Park JS, Kang MH, Lee HJ, Ali J, Tahir M, et al. Caffeic Acid, a Polyphenolic
Micronutrient Rescues Mice Brains against Aβ-Induced Neurodegeneration and
Memory Impairment. Antioxid Basel Switz 2023;12:1284.
https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12061284.
[26] Loke WM, Proudfoot JM, Hodgson JM, McKinley AJ, Hime N, Magat M, et al. Specific
Dietary Polyphenols Attenuate Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E–Knockout Mice by
Alleviating Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol
2010;30:749–57. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.109.199687.
[27] Qiu L, Gao C, Wang H, Ren Y, Li J, Li M, et al. Effects of dietary polyphenol curcumin
supplementation on metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress indices in patients
with metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized
controlled trials. Front Endocrinol 2023;14:1216708.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1216708.
[28] Martini D, Marino M, Venturi S, Tucci M, Klimis-Zacas D, Riso P, et al. Blueberries and
their bioactives in the modulation of oxidative stress, inflammation and cardio/vascular
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
function markers: a systematic review of human intervention studies. J Nutr Biochem
2023;111:109154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.109154.
[29] Sarkhosh-Khorasani S, Hosseinzadeh M. The effect of grape products containing
polyphenols on C-reactive protein levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis of
randomised controlled trials. Br J Nutr 2021;125:1230–45.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114520003591.
[30] Ruskovska T, Budić-Leto I, Corral-Jara KF, Ajdžanović V, Arola-Arnal A, Bravo FI, et al.
Systematic Bioinformatic Analyses of Nutrigenomic Modifications by Polyphenols
Associated with Cardiometabolic Health in Humans-Evidence from Targeted
Nutrigenomic Studies. Nutrients 2021;13:2326. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072326.
[31] Bowtell JL, Aboo-Bakkar Z, Conway ME, Adlam A-LR, Fulford J. Enhanced task-related
brain activation and resting perfusion in healthy older adults after chronic blueberry
supplementation. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab Physiol Appl Nutr Metab 2017;42:773–9.
https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2016-0550.
[32] Woolf EK, Terwoord JD, Litwin NS, Vazquez AR, Lee SY, Ghanem N, et al. Daily
blueberry consumption for 12 weeks improves endothelial function in postmenopausal
women with above-normal blood pressure through reductions in oxidative stress: a
randomized controlled trial. Food Funct 2023;14:2621–41.
https://doi.org/10.1039/d3fo00157a.
[33] Wood IS, Wang B, Jenkins JR, Trayhurn P. The pro-inflammatory cytokine il-18 is
expressed in human adipose tissue and strongly upregulated by tnfalpha in human
adipocytes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005;337:422–9.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.09.068.
[34] de Vries K, Medawar E, Korosi A, Witte AV. The Effect of Polyphenols on Working and
Episodic Memory in Non-pathological and Pathological Aging: A Systematic Review
and Meta-Analysis. Front Nutr 2021;8:720756.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.720756.
[35] Macena M de L, Nunes LF da S, da Silva AF, Pureza IROM, Praxedes DRS, Santos JC
de F, et al. Effects of dietary polyphenols in the glycemic, renal, inflammatory, and
oxidative stress biomarkers in diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review with metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Rev 2022;80:2237–59.
https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuac035.
[36] Číž M, Dvořáková A, Skočková V, Kubala L. The Role of Dietary Phenolic Compounds
in Epigenetic Modulation Involved in Inflammatory Processes. Antioxid Basel Switz
2020;9:691. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9080691.
[37] Monfoulet L-E, Martinez MC. Dietary modulation of large extracellular vesicles: the
good and the bad for human health. Nutr Rev 2022;80:1274–93.
https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuab106.
[38] Marin C, Ramirez R, Delgado-Lista J, Yubero-Serrano EM, Perez-Martinez P,
Carracedo J, et al. Mediterranean diet reduces endothelial damage and improves the
regenerative capacity of endothelium. Am J Clin Nutr 2011;93:267–74.
https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.110.006866.
[39] Chiva-Blanch G, Sala-Vila A, Crespo J, Ros E, Estruch R, Badimon L. The
Mediterranean diet decreases prothrombotic microvesicle release in asymptomatic
individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Clin Nutr 2020;39:3377–84.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2020.02.027.
[40] McFarlin BK, Venable AS, Henning AL, Prado EA, Best Sampson JN, Vingren JL, et al.
Natural cocoa consumption: Potential to reduce atherogenic factors? J Nutr Biochem
2015;26:626–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2014.12.015.
[41] Gröne M, Sansone R, Höffken P, Horn P, Rodriguez-Mateos A, Schroeter H, et al.
Cocoa Flavanols Improve Endothelial Functional Integrity in Healthy Young and Elderly
Subjects. J Agric Food Chem 2020;68:1871–6.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.9b02251.
[42] International AD. World Alzheimer Report 2023: Reducing Dementia Risk: Never too
early, never too late 2023.
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
[43] Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, Ames D, Ballard C, Banerjee S, et al. Dementia
prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. Lancet Lond
Engl 2020;396:413–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6.
[44] World Alzheimer Report 2024: Global changes in attitudes to dementia 2024.
[45] Dominguez LJ, Veronese N, Vernuccio L, Catanese G, Inzerillo F, Salemi G, et al.
Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Other Lifestyle Factors in the Prevention of Cognitive
Decline and Dementia. Nutrients 2021;13:4080. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114080.
[46] Petersson SD, Philippou E. Mediterranean Diet, Cognitive Function, and Dementia: A
Systematic Review of the Evidence. Adv Nutr Bethesda Md 2016;7:889–904.
https://doi.org/10.3945/an.116.012138.
[47] Chong JR, de Lucia C, Tovar-Rios DA, Castellanos-Perilla N, Collins C, Kvernberg SM,
et al. A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Clinical Trial to
Evaluate the Biological Effects and Safety of a Polyphenol Supplement on Healthy
Ageing. Antioxidants 2024;13:995. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13080995.
[48] Ziauddeen N, Rosi A, Del Rio D, Amoutzopoulos B, Nicholson S, Page P, et al. Dietary
intake of (poly)phenols in children and adults: cross-sectional analysis of UK National
Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008–2014). Eur J Nutr 2019;58:3183–
98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1862-3.
[49] Protect Study n.d. https://www.protectstudy.org.uk/ (accessed November 6, 2024).
[50] Brooker H, Williams G, Hampshire A, Corbett A, Aarsland D, Cummings J, et al.
FLAME: A computerized neuropsychological composite for trials in early dementia.
Alzheimers Dement Amst Neth 2020;12:e12098. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12098.
[51] Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity
measure. J Gen Intern Med 2001;16:606–13. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.15251497.2001.016009606.x.
[52] Löwe B, Decker O, Müller S, Brähler E, Schellberg D, Herzog W, et al. Validation and
standardization of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) in the general
population. Med Care 2008;46:266–74.
https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0b013e318160d093.
[53] Graf C. The Lawton instrumental activities of daily living scale. Am J Nurs 2008;108:52–
62; quiz 62–3. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000314810.46029.74.
[54] Jorm AF. The Informant Questionnaire on cognitive decline in the elderly (IQCODE): a
review. Int Psychogeriatr 2004;16:275–93.
https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610204000390.
[55] Rabin R, de Charro F. EQ-5D: a measure of health status from the EuroQol Group. Ann
Med 2001;33:337–43. https://doi.org/10.3109/07853890109002087.
[56] Bohannon RW, Crouch RH. Two-Minute Step Test of Exercise Capacity: Systematic
Review of Procedures, Performance, and Clinimetric Properties. J Geriatr Phys Ther
2001 2019;42:105–12. https://doi.org/10.1519/JPT.0000000000000164.
[57] Jones CJ, Rikli RE, Beam WC. A 30-s chair-stand test as a measure of lower body
strength in community-residing older adults. Res Q Exerc Sport 1999;70:113–9.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.1999.10608028.
[58] O’Leary MF, Jackman SR, Bowtell JL. Shatavari supplementation in postmenopausal
women alters the skeletal muscle proteome and pathways involved in training
adaptation. Eur J Nutr 2024;63:869–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-023-03310-w.
[59] Wangdi JT, O’Leary MF, Kelly VG, Tang JCY, Bowtell JL. Montmorency cherry
supplementation enhances 15 km cycling time trial performance: Optimal timing 90-min
pre-exercise. Eur J Sport Sci 2024;24:1480–94. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsc.12187.
[60] Wangdi JT, O’Leary MF, Kelly VG, Jackman SR, Tang JCY, Dutton J, et al. Tart Cherry
Supplement Enhances Skeletal Muscle Glutathione Peroxidase Expression and
Functional Recovery after Muscle Damage. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2022;54:609–21.
https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002827.
[61] Monguió-Tortajada M, Gálvez-Montón C, Bayes-Genis A, Roura S, Borràs FE.
Extracellular vesicle isolation methods: rising impact of size-exclusion chromatography.
Cell Mol Life Sci CMLS 2019;76:2369–82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-019-03071-y.
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
[62] Welsh JA, Horak P, Wilkinson JS, Ford VJ, Jones JC, Smith D, et al. FCMPASS
Software Aids Extracellular Vesicle Light Scatter Standardization. Cytometry A
2020;97:569–81. https://doi.org/10.1002/cyto.a.23782.
[63] Welsh JA, Van Der Pol E, Arkesteijn GJA, Bremer M, Brisson A, Coumans F, et al.
MIFlowCyt-EV: a framework for standardized reporting of extracellular vesicle flow
cytometry experiments. J Extracell Vesicles 2020;9:1713526.
https://doi.org/10.1080/20013078.2020.1713526.
[64] Smith M, Wells J, Borrie M. Treatment effect size of memantine therapy in Alzheimer
disease and vascular dementia. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2006;20:133–7.
https://doi.org/10.1097/00002093-200607000-00002.
[65] Cummings J, Jones R, Wilkinson D, Lopez O, Gauthier S, Waldemar G, et al. Effect of
donepezil on cognition in severe Alzheimer’s disease: a pooled data analysis. J
Alzheimers Dis JAD 2010;21:843–51. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-2010-100078.
[66] Al-Aubaidy HA, Dayan A, Deseo MA, Itsiopoulos C, Jamil D, Hadi NR, et al. TwelveWeek Mediterranean Diet Intervention Increases Citrus Bioflavonoid Levels and
Reduces Inflammation in People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Nutrients
2021;13:1133. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041133.
[67] Almanza-Aguilera E, Hernáez A, Corella D, Aguayo DM, Ros E, Portolés O, et al.
Transcriptional response to a Mediterranean diet intervention exerts a modulatory effect
on neuroinflammation signaling pathway. Nutr Neurosci 2022;25:256–65.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2020.1749334.
[68] Hernando-Redondo J, Malcampo M, Pérez-Vega KA, Paz-Graniel I, Martínez-González
MÁ, Corella D, et al. Mediterranean Diet Modulation of Neuroinflammation-Related
Genes in Elderly Adults at High Cardiovascular Risk. Nutrients 2024;16:3147.
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16183147.
[69] Osorio-Conles Ó, Olbeyra R, Moizé V, Ibarzabal A, Giró O, Viaplana J, et al. Positive
Effects of a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Almonds on Female Adipose Tissue
Biology in Severe Obesity. Nutrients 2022;14:2617.
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132617.
[70] Zelicha H, Kaplan A, Yaskolka Meir A, Rinott E, Tsaban G, Blüher M, et al. Altered
proteome profiles related to visceral adiposity may mediate the favorable effect of
green Mediterranean diet: the DIRECT-PLUS trial. Obes Silver Spring Md
2024;32:1245–56. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.24036.
[71] Sasahara T, Yamashita T, Sviridov D, Fidge N, Nestel P. Altered properties of high
density lipoprotein subfractions in obese subjects. J Lipid Res 1997;38:600–11.
[72] Rashid S, Genest J. Effect of Obesity on High-density Lipoprotein Metabolism. Obesity
2007;15:2875–88. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2007.342.
[73] Arai T, Yamashita S, Hirano K, Sakai N, Kotani K, Fujioka S, et al. Increased plasma
cholesteryl ester transfer protein in obese subjects. A possible mechanism for the
reduction of serum HDL cholesterol levels in obesity. Arterioscler Thromb J Vasc Biol
1994;14:1129–36. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.atv.14.7.1129.
[74] López-Gil JF, García-Hermoso A, Martínez-González MÁ, Rodríguez-Artalejo F.
Mediterranean Diet and Cardiometabolic Biomarkers in Children and Adolescents: A
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Netw Open 2024;7:e2421976.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.21976.
[75] Bakaloudi DR, Chrysoula L, Kotzakioulafi E, Theodoridis X, Chourdakis M. Impact of
the Level of Adherence to Mediterranean Diet on the Parameters of Metabolic
Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients
2021;13:1514. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051514.
[76] Grao-Cruces E, Varela LM, Martin ME, Bermudez B, Montserrat-de la Paz S. HighDensity Lipoproteins and Mediterranean Diet: A Systematic Review. Nutrients
2021;13:955. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030955.
[77] Horn P, Amabile N, Angeli FS, Sansone R, Stegemann B, Kelm M, et al. Dietary
flavanol intervention lowers the levels of endothelial microparticles in coronary artery
medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.24318594; this version posted December 8, 2024. The copyright holder for this
preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in
perpetuity.
It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
disease patients. Br J Nutr 2014;111:1245–52.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114513003693.
[78] Rein D, Paglieroni TG, Wun T, Pearson DA, Schmitz HH, Gosselin R, et al. Cocoa
inhibits platelet activation and function. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:30–5.
https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/72.1.30.
[79] Soleti R, Andriantsitohaina R, Martinez MC. Impact of polyphenols on extracellular
vesicle levels and effects and their properties as tools for drug delivery for nutrition and
health. Arch Biochem Biophys 2018;644:57–63.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2018.03.004.
[80] Amosse J, Durcin M, Malloci M, Vergori L, Fleury A, Gagnadoux F, et al. Phenotyping of
circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) in obesity identifies large EVs as functional
conveyors of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor. Mol Metab 2018;18:134.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2018.10.001.
[81] Prickett C, Brennan L, Stolwyk R. Examining the relationship between obesity and
cognitive function: A systematic literature review. Obes Res Clin Pract 2015;9:93–113.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2014.05.001.
[82] Yang Y, Shields GS, Guo C, Liu Y. Executive function performance in obesity and
overweight individuals: A meta-analysis and review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev
2018;84:225–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.11.020.
[83] Oggero S, Godec T, Gorp R van, Pinto AL, Schurgers LJ, Reutelingsperger C, et al.
Role of plasma extracellular vesicles in prediction of cardiovascular risk and alterations
in response to statin therapy in hypertensive patients. J Hypertens 2022;40:1522.
https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000003178.
[84] Conkright WR, Beckner ME, Sterczala AJ, Mi Q, Lovalekar M, Sahu A, et al.
Resistance exercise differentially alters extracellular vesicle size and subpopulation
characteristics in healthy men and women: an observational cohort study. Physiol
Genomics 2022;54:350–9. https://doi.org/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00171.2021.
[85] Pierdoná TM, Martin A, Obi PO, Seif S, Bydak B, Labouta HI, et al. Extracellular
Vesicles as Predictors of Individual Response to Exercise Training in Youth Living with
Obesity. Front Biosci-Landmark 2022;27:143. https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2705143.
[86] Liu D, Martinez-Sanz M, Lopez-Sanchez P, Gilbert EP, Gidley MJ. Adsorption behaviour
of polyphenols on cellulose is affected by processing history. Food Hydrocoll
2017;63:496–507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2016.09.012.
[87] Havlik J, Marinello V, Gardyne A, Hou M, Mullen W, Morrison DJ, et al. Dietary Fibres
Differentially Impact on the Production of Phenolic Acids from Rutin in an In Vitro
Fermentation Model of the Human Gut Microbiota. Nutrients 2020;12:1577.
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061577.
[88] Kelleher J, Walters MP, Srinivasan TR, Hart G, Findlay JM, Losowsky MS. Degradation
of cellulose within the gastrointestinal tract in man. Gut 1984;25:811–5.
https://doi.org/10.1136/gut.25.8.811.